Draper 53491 6V/12V Smart Charger and Battery Maintainer (10A), Black

Product Information

The Draper 53491 BCI10 is a portable 10A smart charger that does more than just charge 6V and 12V vehicle batteries. It has the ability to activate, analyse and recondition the battery in 10-steps, making it ideal for deep discharged batteries. The charger can be connected to a Lead-Acid or Lithium battery for a long duration without the risk of overcharging. It can also be used in winter temperatures as low as -20°C. It’s easy to use and a cost-effective solution to keep batteries in good condition all year round. Key specs – Size : 16.8 x 6.5 x 3,8cm (LWH); Weight: 0.6kg; Voltage : 12V; Max current: 5A; IP rating: IP65; Crocodile clips: Yes; Eyelet connectors: Yes; Mains or portable: Mains; Battery compliant: Lead-acid/gel/Lithium+; Stop/start compliant: Yes; Maintaining: Yes; Jumpstarting: No; Operating temp: 10-40°C It’s important to note that car battery chargers are not jump starters. A jump starter will offer the engine the short burst needed to get it going, but from that point on, it’s the alternator that recharges the battery. This is why, if you’re ever jumpstarting your car, you’re asked to run it for a good while to replace enough of the battery, so that you don’t require a jump start when you come to drive again immediately afterwards. Which car battery charger is best? Starting performance is excellent, with the higher price reflecting a slightly raised output compared with the our award winners. But top-up charging is required every 2-3 months, and the booster leads are a touch short. That’s because a “flat battery” usually has plenty of reserve power, even it its voltage has dropped too low to power automotive components.

If this was only marginally smaller it would be a true dual purpose buy: a replacement for your everyday USB charger which is able to revive your car as well. Please be aware that we currently cannot arrange for delivery of this product to the following postcodes: AB, FK, HS, IV, KA, KW, PA, PH, ZE, LL58-LL78, IM, TR, BT, PO30-41.

Finally, you’ll want to consider the maximum current the charger can support (the higher the current, the faster the charge) and what IP (ingress protection) rating it has. This basically tells you how dust- and waterproof the device and device casing is. For instance, IP68 is a great rating: it’s a completely sealed unit that can tolerate being submerged in up to one metre of water. IP44 can protect against dust particles bigger than 1mm and a light splash of water. Can’t I just replace my car battery? NOCO’s Genius10UK has the past and the future pretty well sewn up. It’s compatible with 6 and 12 volt batteries of any kind, including lithium, and has dedicated charging cycles for both, as well as AGM and even 6 volt AGM. Factor in the 10 Amp max charging current, and this unit really is unbeatable, here, for charge speed.

The Draper 53491 6/12V Smart Charger and Battery Maintainer protects batteries in freezing temperatures Draper's take on the compact charger may be bulky but we can forgive that because this brand new model offers a lot at a price that neatly undercuts market rivals like CTEK and NOCO. It can be connected to a Lead-Acid or Lithium battery for a long duration without the risk of overchargingStrangely, for such a sophisticated model, the unit is not sealed to IP65 standards, so must only be used indoors. CTEK has been ahead of the game for years, and it still has a few aces to play as the rest of the market catches up. The CT5‘s unprecedented user-friendliness being a good example. Charge status, for instance, is displayed as charging time left, in hours rather than volts or percentages.

Otherwise the CT5 is typically CTEK: well made, with fast charging, and sporting dedicated modes for AGM batteries and reconditioning. What Car? rating Four stars out of five Sealey’s E/Start range is battery less. And, bizarrely, Sealey suggests using your car’s dead battery to energise the unit! Stranger still, this seemingly bonkers approach works well. Please note some larger products are delivered to kerb-side (the street outside your home), it is at the drivers discretion if they can deliver the item to another location on the property. There’s a distinct old-school feel to this hefty, metal-cased RAC charger with its analogue gauge. The instructions feel the same, while plugging it in results in a hot electronics smell and a vibration. Despite 12A on the box, the instructions and gauge have max output at 8A – and we saw 4A as it took 16 hours to hit 80 per cent. At least it had no trouble in the EMC tests. There are better, more modern solutions.With 8Ah capacity and two USB outputs (1 and 2.1 Amps) it'll make short work of brimming your phone and other gadgets. Other similarities to the 7652 include 6 and 12 volt operation, a dedicated winter mode to maintain decent charge speeds in cold weather, and – less desirably – leads that are a smidgen shorter than ideal. This portable Draper 10A smart charger does more than just charge 6V and 12V vehicle batteries. It has the ability to activate, analyse and recondition the battery in 10-steps, making it ideal for deep discharged batteries. Price is another reason why lead/acid boosters are still relevant. This unit's engine cranking power slightly lags our two other award winners, but its reserve capacity is better than both and it's significantly cheaper.

Modern smart battery chargers are amazingly advanced pieces of kit, so much so that some people are left wondering if they really need such sophisticated (and pricey) equipment for the seemingly simple task of charging a battery. Charges and maintains 6V and 12V Lead-Acid batteries and 12V Lithium batteries at 100% for a long durationBut whilst the glossy touch-sensitive front panel looks great, we suspect its cost robs the unit of more desirable features, such as a better charge process indicator – the single LED only shows if the unit is charging or finished. A slightly leftfield model that marries many of the desirable features of compact smart chargers with foolproof older technology. We’ve seen some slow chargers in our testing, but this Topdon needed 34 hours to hit 80 per cent. It is rated at just 4A, so was always going to struggle here, but a day-and-a-half was not expected. The primary cause was a seven-hour break it took after working for little over half a day. It did eventually restart, but it’s not what you need when you have a car with a flat battery. It is also not the most intuitive unit to use, requiring a double button press to start charging. The materials used in a battery are susceptible to degradation, and user behaviour (among other factors such as weather and age) can affect the life of the battery’s materials. If you wish to return your item to Robert Dyas, you can do so by the following method: 1. Request a Collection via Robert Dyas Customer Services