Ctek vs Genius?

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Whipped500

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Didn't want to hijack the other charger thread.

What's the difference between the two?
Looking to get one for my boat batteries and for my diesel truck...both don't get used over the winter. I like that both have the recondition mode. Other than that, it would be there if I needed a charger. Another words, won't get heavy use.
I like the ctek but wonder if it is worth the extra money?
 
When I was choosing a battery charger, I compared the charging algorithms against what information I could find about best practice.

I concluded that Ctek most closely followed best practice. I also factored in that Ctek is OEM for a whole host of luxury and expensive brands.

I believe that prologix chargers also come very close to the best practice charging algorithms, and have the added advantage of selling a 20amp model for not much more than a Ctek 4.3amp model.
 
I've had my CTEK reclaim three batteries that were sulfated and that other chargers couldn't do anything with (including simple charging) and that shop load testers said were duds (please buy another battery while you're here). So it's paid for itself multiple times already.

So, even though it is a little expensive compared to a transformer-based charger (which I can build for a fraction of what they sell for, so wouldn't buy at retail in the first place) or the Battery Tender type (which does maintenance charging but nothing else) I am a fan and consider it some of the best money I've thrown at my automotive tool chest.

CTEK is OEM for luxury brands (M-B, Bentley, Porsche, Maserati) but also some lunchbox brands (Yamaha Marine). It's not seen by these Automotive Engineers as a luxury device, just a well engineered device.
 
Thanks everyone! Now that you have answered my question of ctek vs noco, now I have a new one or one that I was trying to figure out before because I was leaning towards ctek in the first place...as I pointed out before, I don't even have a charger so this will be my go to charger. I am mainly looking for one for my boat batteries and my vehicle that doesn't get used in the winter (I guess mainly a maintainer for the boat and vehicle). I had narrowed down to the 4.3 and the 7002. I can't find a side by side comparison of the two and frankly might not even understand the difference if any between the two.

So...is the 7002 worth the extra money over the 4.3? I was looking for the 7002 but didn't even understand why I was going to be spending extra for it over the 4.3 and if it was worth it?
 
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CTEKs I have: 3 units of 7A Multi US 7002 and POLAR 4.3. The former were bought over 10 years ago and neve skipped a beat. The latter was purchased a couple of years ago for its superior charging algo and thermal comp.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad

CTEK is OEM for luxury brands (M-B, Bentley, Porsche, Maserati) but also some lunchbox brands (Yamaha Marine). It's not seen by these Automotive Engineers as a luxury device, just a well engineered device.


That only means that they gave them the best price/margin/exclusivity. I have a BMW charger that is a relabeled Battery Minder that I bought probably 10 years ago.

Im personally not that impressed with CTEK. Id go Battery Minder 2012 personally...
 
CTEK 7002 is differentiated by the manually controlled supply mode, if it's important. The smaller ones don't have it.
 
I have the Large wheeled charger the Pro Logix and a few others, the optimate is very good but its not that powerful, I also have a few of these in 2A I picked up on the cheap for maintaining. I know is a lousy brand and all and cost peanuts but it works great, if it gets wet its no big deal.
I had the Noco but the thing kept resetting, its really not the machine but line voltage fluctuations so it may not be an issue in your case. I am at the end of a long run and the power company has been promising a transformers or some such thing for years.

https://www.amazon.com/Decker-BC2WBD-Wat...3V3WH9RWBPE5FY1

https://www.garagetooladvisor.com/auto/keep-the-power-flowing-with-the-top-car-battery-charger/
 
I have both.

Noco is as good as the CTEK in almost every aspect that I could find, with the exception that it doesn't have the low temp operation ability that the CTEK does.
 
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
Noco is as good as the CTEK in almost every aspect that I could find, with the exception that it doesn't have the low temp operation ability that the CTEK does.

Are you referring to the "cold weather mode" that essentially bumps up the charging voltage from 14.4V to 14.7V?

If so, the Noco G7200 has something like that, too, except here it bumps it up to 14.8V.

A proper temperature sensor-based compensation would have been better, IMO.


G7200.jpg
 
Nope...referring to ambient operating temperature range. The CTEK is designed to work in lower ambient temperatures (-20C or -4F)...compared to the NOCO at (0C or 32F).
 
0
Originally Posted By: BHopkins
Before investing in a NoCo, you may want to watch these videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtgHDgJMokI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bczwt1Ug2zU

I'm sorry, but this guy sounds like a moron. He thinks the charger has a battery in it, and then gets all out of whack when he finally realizes that it doesn't.

Why would a charger have a battery in it, unless it was also a jump starter?

After that, i just couldn't take anything else he said seriously.

What is a good charger according to this dumbo anyway?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Is it even a good idea to be charging batteries at -20C?



If the state of charge is too low, the acid in it will freeze solid... So if it isnt, you darn better charge it!
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete


A proper temperature sensor-based compensation would have been better, IMO.




Absolutely right. This isnt rocket science, and the algorithm to interpolate peak and float voltage is pretty straightforward to calculate based upon simple electrochemistry and thermodynamics. Heck, even a lookup table would work...
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
0
Originally Posted By: BHopkins
Before investing in a NoCo, you may want to watch these videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtgHDgJMokI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bczwt1Ug2zU

I'm sorry, but this guy sounds like a moron. He thinks the charger has a battery in it, and then gets all out of whack when he finally realizes that it doesn't.

Why would a charger have a battery in it, unless it was also a jump starter?

After that, i just couldn't take anything else he said seriously.

What is a good charger according to this dumbo anyway?


The guy is real coarse, and as you observed, is quick to get on a tangent and criticize for what he perceives as deceptive packaging or branding. But you need to get past that and watch the rest of the videos. He has a lot of technical knowledge and diagnostic aptitude. I'd be careful in blowing him off as a "dumbo".

Admittedly, I also wondered what charger he does recommend. Quickly cruising through his videos I didn't seen any other battery charger evaluations.
 
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