TESTED BY MBY
CTEK M15 BATTERY CHARGER
I’ve used a number of different off-the-shelf car battery chargers to keep my Karnic’s starter and domestic batteries topped up over the winter and invariably they’ve all failed after a year or two. Not only does this leave you without a fully charged battery when you get to your boat but if it happens over winter, when you can’t keep an eye on it, the battery runs flat and loses some or all of its capacity to recharge.
CTEK claims its latest range of M15 and M25 smart chargers are built to withstand the marine environment (they come with a five-year warranty) and are designed to keep your battery perfectly conditioned for months on end. A range of preset modes, including one for both AGM and Lithium-ion batteries, and a built-in temperature probe, ensure they monitor and cycle through the various stages of charging needed to keep your battery in optimum condition.
I bit the bullet and ordered the 15 Amp M15. It’s compatible with batteries from 28Ah to 300Ah. Costing around £200, it is pricier than your average Halfords charger but it also feels much more robust and sophisticated. It’s encased in a sturdy impact-resistant shell and comes with a heavy-duty 4m cable and M10 eyelets so it can be permanently installed on board, but still uses a standard 3-pin plug. Once it has fully charged the battery, it automatically switches to float mode with pulse maintenance to keep it topped up.
There is also a reconditioning mode to help maintain your battery’s full capacity.
I can’t yet prove CTEK’S claim that by regularly charging and conditioning your battery in this way you can extend its life by up to three times, but I can say that it has kept both my Karnic’s two batteries in fine fettle over winter. In fact, I’m so convinced it’s the way forward that I have now invested in a second
CTEK charger for my family’s 70-year-old open wooden motor launch that stays in the water all year round. Since it relies on the battery to run the bilge pump, it is no exaggeration to say that I am now banking on it to keep the old girl afloat. You can’t put more trust in a charger than that, can you? www.ctek.com
PRICE £235
MBY RATING ★★★★★