AA AA4956 Car Battery Charger Maintainer UK Plug Fully Automatic with Crocodile Clamps Eyelet Connectors As Used By AA Patrols,Black/Yellow,1.5 Amp 6 V/12 V, Packaging May Vary

So I ended up needing to get one of these because I'm off work and stuck at home having broken my ankle in 2 places quite badly meaning I can't drive. Recovery time is about 3 months so I needed to make sure my BMW 5 Series stayed in a workable condition. I've never had a battery charger or any trickle charger/maintainer before but someone mentioned I should get one so I went looking into it. I checked a lot of different products including BMW own brand (and almost bought that for piece of mind) but then stumbled across this at almost 20% cheaper than most products of a similar nature, and it had decent reviews too, so I bought it. On arrival, unpacking showed I have 2 connection options - croc clips for easy-to-remove connection to the +/- terminal points in the bonnet or actual clamps that screw on for a more "permanent" option. I went for the crocodile clips. The unit itself is tiny and IP65 rated to be used outside in fully waterproof and dustproof casing. The lead was about 2m which was JUST enough to reach from my driveway into my kitchen window but I need to use an extension lead up to the window to get it to a power socket - the cable could have been a lot longer. Connected up and following instructions - which were very easy to follow - I switched it on - it has a very simple panel - a circle button to switch power modes (it automatically selects 12V and my car needs 12V so did not touch this button at all), and a start play button. If at this point you've not connected the Battery Maintainer up correctly it apparently will beep loudly to let you know and one of the lights on the unit lights up RED. It spends the first few hours after hitting play button it assesses the condition of the battery before moving to a trickle charge mode. It took almost 2 days but it slowly charged my battery back to 100% and in the morning on the second day I heard a beep outside - that was the unit telling me it's charged. At this point the unit changes itself to a FLOAT mode. This keeps the battery at 100% condition very carefully using minimal power to do so - I've left the unit for a week now on this setting. This will help desuplhur the battery too as when left to run low, sulphur can build up and damage the efficiency of the battery. This is a great piece of kit all round. It is keeping my battery maintained in perfect condition while I'm unable to drive it for 3mths giving me piece of mind and a worthy investment as it's something I should have bought years ago! The only negative is the lead being only around 2m (1m each side of the unit) - it should be at least twice that length in my opinion, though if you have a garage with a plug point inside it wouldn't be an issue.

I bought this product to use on a classic car that only gets used occasionally and in good weather. I needed a trickle charger that I could trust and was safe to leave on in a garage for long periods in winter when the car was rarely used. This does the job really well and maintains the 12v battery at a healthy level so that I can start the car first time and no longer need to keep recharging a flat battery. It’s competitively priced vs others on the market and a well known brand. It is easy to use and the instructions are clear, just make sure you follow them. Cable lengths are good approx 1.5m cable from the unit to the mains plug and 1.5m cable to the sturdy clips that connect to the battery. I have had this product and used it for 2 months now with no issues. I would recommend this product if you want a trickle charger. Important to note that it is not a product that charges a flat battery, but one that maintains a health battery at the right level if the vehicle is only used occasionally. You can spend more money on competitor products, but for what it is I think it’s good value and fit for purpose.

This battery charge maintener is excellent. It is compact and easy to use. I have been using it to make sure my diesel car will start in this cold weather. I do a lot of stop start journeys and this runs the battery down without sufficiently recharging my car. I would recommend this charger/ maintainer to anyone in a similar situation. The product was at a fair price and has saved me the worry of not being able to start the car. The product is sturdy and hopefully will remain in good service for a long time. It was recommended to me by the mechanic who came to get my car started on a cold day. After testing the battery to be in good health he informed me of the problems of starting a diesel engine in cold weather that does not do many miles and flattens the battery by short stop/ start journeys.

Excellent piece of kit. My old charger (still working) was 60 years old and this new charger really shows how the technology has moved on. No need to disconnect the battery. Simply connect the clips to the battery terminals (even tells you if you connect them the wrong way around). It can be used on both 12v (default setting) or 6v batteries. From my experience you may buy with confidence.

Okay long story short, my cousin had to jumpstart my car battery a couple of times in a span of a few months. He recommended me to get a battery charger which can charge the battery up. I seen this from AA and I bought it. When I used it, my battery was completely dead. I used this charger to charge up the battery for a few hours and my car started up straight away! Now that I know that this is a real deal I’m going to leave this plugged in until the green light shows which means the battery is fully charged up. Now if the battery goes again (hopefully not) I know that I would have to replace it even after a full charge. This was my first time doing this and it is extremely straightforward. Put the crocodile clips on to the + (red) and - (black). Turn the power on and press start on the machine. The battery light should be amber meaning that it’s charging. It’s a shame that it doesn’t tell you the % or how long it takes. But on the whole it’s an amazing bit of kit. Very quiet but convenient. Definitely a must by for your car maintenance kit.

Good

Used to charge my company van when not used for a few days as tracker kills battery and on my car when I've not used it for a while and not going to use it for a bit ie working 7 day shifts. It's easy to use can be used with clips or with a permanent attachment that uses the fittings of your cars existing + and - cables to attach too so all I did was take but off relevant terminal slip attachment ring for relivent terminal into place or red to + put nut back on and run cable up gap between rear seat and carpet(my battery is in boot) now I can quickly attach charger without emptying boot and pulling car apart. A simple and easy to use charger with some nice features, helps keep battery in good condition so what ever you're driving is ready to use when you're ready to use it. Worth noting a low or flat battery will freeze easier if cold than a fully charged battery. Also this is a slow charger so not for you if you have flattened the battery and need it charged quickly you will need more than an 2-3 hours, still i would recommend build quality food too.

Good charger for maintaining 12volt batteries.