CTEK Power Multi US 25000 - Tool Of The Month
A battery charger used to be as basic as a power inverter sending scaled-down voltage to a used battery in hopes that it would resuscitate it like a heart attack victim getting a jolt of juice from a defibrillator. That was then, but now we live in a time where battery chargers are as intelligent as other high-tech electronics in our trucks. A perfect example of this is CTEK’s new Multi US 25000 charger. This professional-grade tool works on all types of 12V lead-acid batteries including: maintenance-free, open wet-cell, gel, and AGM (absorbent glass mat), and has enough capacity to charge batteries for autos, trucks, RVs, boats, and even heavy-duty equipment running 12V.
Perhaps the best part of the CTEK 25000 is the automatic switch from charging cycles. If your battery is extremely low, it will slowly build it back up to full strength and prepare it for starting chores. However, if your battery is just a little weak, it will bring it back to full capacity within normal operating parameters. Does your project truck sit for extended periods? If so, the CTEK 25000 will automatically switch to pulse maintenance after 10 days, which is the ideal way of storing a battery long term. Something many truck owners living in colder states don’t realize is the effect of extreme temperatures on their truck battery. Included in the 25000 is a temperature sensor that allows the CTEK to adapt to the current temperatures and alter the strength of charging.
We used the CTEK 25000 to charge and restore several different types of batteries. From nearly dead Optima YellowTop deep-cycle units (AGM) to traditional wet-cell starting batteries, the 25000 had no issues bringing them back to full charge. Best of all, it did so without us checking in every few hours to see how the charging process was going -- everything was automatic. One thing we really appreciated was the built-in electronic protection that allowed us to keep the truck’s battery cables attached to the battery. The 25000 will not damage sensitive onboard electronics, and it even serves as a power supply (up to 25A), so no important settings or data will be lost. It’s not cheap -- (we found the 25000 at summitracing.com for $299.99) -- but keep in mind, batteries are getting more and more expensive, and for the ease of use, features, and performance, we think this will be the last battery charger you’ll ever have to buy.
| Instead of just using a voltage meter to check the charge status of a battery, we stepped up to the CTEK Power battery analyzer ($89.99 at summitracing.com). The analyzer quickly and accurately tests voltage, cranking amps, and provides you with action steps to help you get the most out of your battery.
| A big perk to stepping up to professional-grade tools is the ease of use. For this Optima YellowTop deep-cycle battery, the CTEK 25000 instantly recognized what type of battery was connected and handled everything for us. In just a few hours, this battery was restored to 13.2V after starting with less than 12.
