Optimate5 Start/Stop 12V Car Battery Charger, Automatic 4A battery maintainer/optimiser for classic car, van, camper batteries

Keep both my motorbikes (Z1000SX & GSX1400) on optimates over the winter. The optimates do their job well keeping the batteries in top condition, so much so the battery on my GSX1400 has been on the bike for 14 years and the bike starts everytime, showing no signs of battery problems.....yet. well worth the investment of the optimate. Only purchased a new one because the orginal optimate ( 20+ yrs old) gave up.

You can get cheaper trickle chargers but these give a good level of information and have good functionality. I like that you have the option to put an easy hook up point direct to the battery so you don't have to keep taking your saddle off when charging.

I’ve used an OptiMate battery charger for around ten years on my motorcycle and it’s been extremely reliable. This one which I’ve purchased for use on my car is built to the same high standard and is so simple to use just plug it in and everything is taken care of.

Nicely packaged, good features (apart from one, see below, hence the 4 instead of 5 star), good cables/accessories and it seems to work well in charging a 12V car battery. The only thing I do not like is that it is designed NOT to operate when the battery voltage is below 0.4V. They should definitely eliminate this weakness (as they apparently have done in higher models of this series) which renders it useless with totally flat batteries.

I had an Optimate 4 for a long time and bought the 5 after accidentally turning the ignition on my Ducati to P, leaving it for a couple of weeks so it drained the battery and also dropping the 4 onto a hard surface which then broke it. Although I didn’t realise this at the time.After having the bike on charge for several days nothing happened so I bought the 5 as there was a good deal on.Set up was easy, you need to use the dedicated lead if permanently attaching to the bike’s battery as the connectors are completely different to the 4, which took maybe 5 minutes.I fired it up, selected 12V on the switchable 6V/12V button and in less than 3 hours the battery was fully charged, and this despite it being drained flat and left for 2 weeks.An outstanding piece of kit that saved me having to buy a new battery.It says it works on all types of battery which is another bonus. Just don’t drop it on the floor!!!

If after this cold spell it’s done it’s job then I make the review with a great 5 stars

I had a deeply discharged leisure battery in my Motorhome, indicated voltage was down to 8.7V which usually indicates the battery is totally goosed. I put the Optimate on it for 24 hours and it recovered the battery which is still in service a year later and performing fine. I also use it to keep my Scooter battery conditioned over winter.

Easy to use. Does exactly what is expected of it . Well made, sturdy. I am delighted with this purchase.