Optimate 5 Voltmatic charger

December 2015

Motorcycle | Battery recovery | 6V and 12V

HERE'S A QUICK VIEWPOINT/VERDICT
FROM SUMP

Probably very useful and worth buying. But we've got some concerns and doubts that need addressing.

HERE'S THE LONGER STORY...

We've been handed an Optimate 5 Voltmatic battery charger gizmo, so now we're supposed to say something deep and meaningful about it. And we certainly would if we could. But the fact is, when it comes to a battery charger, it's very hard to deliver anything profound, or witty, or insightful. These things are like smoke alarms, ain't they? You stick 'em someplace sensible and then you go about your daily grind secure in the knowledge that the little piece of high tech gadgetry will do its duty and will make your life easier and safer, etc.

Until recently, we'd mostly been using an old battery charger that we bought about ten years ago at Halfords or somewhere. Part of it broke soon after, and so we bodged it and used it, but were always a little suspicious of it. Sometimes it worked. Once or twice it tried to cook a battery. And once or twice it left us with a flat battery, and we never got to the bottom of that. This Halfords battery charger gave us no clue to the charging rate. It just flashed lights that read CHARGE or BE PATIENT, WILL YA? Or words to that effect. [More on the Optimate 5 Voltmatic]

— Del Monte