Trickle chargers at Aldi

M80

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
5,931
Reaction score
2,735
Location
Derbyshire
Your Mercedes
2014 639 Viano- 651, 5sp Auto. 2009 S211- 646, 5sp Auto.

Chrishazle

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
4,860
Reaction score
2,606
Location
Nr Ashford, Kent
Your Mercedes
S204 2008 C220CDI Elegance Estate Auto, 2008 R171 Facelift SLK280
I bought the Lidl version about 10 days ago, and at the same time I bought their battery condition tester. I've also had a Swiss battery conditioner for about 20 years, plus I now know I can close the boot of the S204 over my extension lead (JoJo reel) cable on the front driveway and have a charger or conditioner on the S204 with the car locked (SLK is in her garage, where I have power available).

So, the SLK has the Lidl conditioner which is working fine, I've rigged the tester on the S204 battery so the module/battery condition is visible through the back window so I'll know if I need to put the charger on it for a few hours and the conditioner overnight. Slightly belt and braces approach as last Sunday I had to get Halfords to replace a 100AH battery they supplied and fitted to the S204 in November as it had gone faulty and caused us grief!
 

Blobcat

Moderator
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Messages
38,787
Reaction score
27,425
Location
Grange Moor
Your Mercedes
R171 SLK280, Smart R451, Land Rover 110 County SW, 997 C2S, R1250 GSA TE 40th, CBR600FP
Doesn’t say, therefore I doubt it for that price !
I had the Lidl equivalent fir my 230, it worked even though the car barely did!
I can relate to that...:rolleyes:
 

rorywquin

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
9,488
Reaction score
6,385
Location
North Yorkshire
Your Mercedes
An old B-Class.
I don't get the idea of a (cheap) £12-00 charger on £200+ worth of batteries in a car!
 

M80

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
5,931
Reaction score
2,735
Location
Derbyshire
Your Mercedes
2014 639 Viano- 651, 5sp Auto. 2009 S211- 646, 5sp Auto.
I don't get the idea of a (cheap) £12-00 charger on £200+ worth of batteries in a car!

If it does the job of prolonging battery life I don't get your issue.
The 2 I have have been useful, but the one I linked does it better with the pulse / repair function.
I bought it to keep the boats batteries healthy over the winter lay up, by the time I had wired 240v into the boat I had totally flattened the 2 batteries and they were reluctant to take a good charge. Using the pulse they now seem to be up to a healthy state again.

I'm now aiming to get my motor cycle up and ready again. It's not been used for a few years and batteries didn't last very long. I would use one of the Aldi chargers to hopefully keep that battery healthy.
 

Chrishazle

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
4,860
Reaction score
2,606
Location
Nr Ashford, Kent
Your Mercedes
S204 2008 C220CDI Elegance Estate Auto, 2008 R171 Facelift SLK280
In my experience use of a conditioner seriously enhances the life of a battery. When I bought my 968 coupe in 1998, at 4 1/2 years old, it had already had 1 replacement battery, and within 2 years I had to replace the battery again. By then I had my garage with power, so bought a conditioner (which I still have and is still working fine), at the time it was the only one that had a manufacturer's recommendation (unfortunately from BMW!) but I used it every time I put the car in the garge - which was often for weeks/months at a time due to work), and when I sold the car 10 years later the battery was still going strong. £40 for the conditioner I'm sure saved me at least £200 for a couple of new batteries.
 

Gazwould

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2018
Messages
2,583
Reaction score
1,770
Your Mercedes
C250 CDI
+1 , this 'genuine' , premium tyre , expensive etc attitude only serves profit margins and bigger spending .
 

Chrishazle

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
4,860
Reaction score
2,606
Location
Nr Ashford, Kent
Your Mercedes
S204 2008 C220CDI Elegance Estate Auto, 2008 R171 Facelift SLK280
Having read numerous threads on here and elsewhere about battery conditioners, there is a roughly 50/50 split regarding the cheapo Lidl/Aldi ones compared to CTEK etc at 3+ times the price. 50% say it lasted 3 years and cratered, 50% say "been using it for years without problem". I've twice had problems with cheapo power tools from Lidl, and both times there's been no problem getting the item replaced under their warranty - a 10.8V impact wrench and a 10.8V dremmel-type tool, and in both cases they sent me more than just the replacement tool (each was part of a kit) and did not ask me to return the faulty tool.
 

rorywquin

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
9,488
Reaction score
6,385
Location
North Yorkshire
Your Mercedes
An old B-Class.
Buy an expensive one then .... :rolleyes: but the cheap Aldi/Lidl charger is just as effective ;)

I wonder if their charging algorithms are a s good as more expensive chargers.

Already have a Ctek that is about 10 years old.:) Been dropped, left in the rain, mud and going strong.
 

Tony Dyson

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2018
Messages
4,038
Reaction score
2,585
Location
God's Country
Your Mercedes
2014 C 220 CDI W204 OM 651
I wonder if their charging algorithms are a s good as more expensive chargers.

Already have a Ctek that is about 10 years old.:) Been dropped, left in the rain, mud and going strong.
You're absolutely correct and you should be able to 'see' the charge algorithm and quality of the charging voltage with the oscilloscope you built in your recent electronics tutorial! I bought an ALDI cheap and cheerful model some years ago, to maintain an older leisure battery I was using as a backup power supply until I noticed one fine day the battery suddenly gave up the ghost and when I looked at it, the ALDI unit was outputting a voltage wave in which you could identify the frequency of the supply voltage! as @rifiki posted above, 'You only get what you pay for' some 12vdc consumers can cope with dirty supplies but batteries are not one of them.
 

rorywquin

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
9,488
Reaction score
6,385
Location
North Yorkshire
Your Mercedes
An old B-Class.
You're absolutely correct and you should be able to 'see' the charge algorithm and quality of the charging voltage with the oscilloscope you built in your recent electronics tutorial! ...............

If only i knew how to hook it up......that wasn't in the tutorial........:oops::( but you've now given me a challenge!
 

flowrider

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
3,650
Reaction score
1,611
Your Mercedes
SL500 (R230)
My opinion is that if you can afford to pay a premium price for a premium product then go for it. You could argue why buy a Mercedes when a Dacia does the same job cheaper, my reply is... because I want to.

I have 2 CTEK's BTW.
 

AIB understand your special Mercedes deserves a special insurance policy. We have a refreshing attitude to insuring high performance, modified, imported or classic and vintage cars and deal with the UK’s leading insurers. We offer discounts for length of ownership, where the vehicle is kept overnight and limiting the mileage and can also cater for those clients who need higher mileage and business use. To obtain a quotation please call the team on 02380 268351 or visit us atAIB Insurance
Top Bottom