Product Review: Optima 400 Battery Charger

Updated Aug 30, 2016

 

Optima400 on wall_BS23413Compact charger maintains batteries of equipment and vehicles sitting idle for long periods of time

Dead batteries. It’s a common problem with equipment and vehicles that sit for extended periods of time without being run.

I know was an issue with the portable generator in my garage, which I forget to power up on a regular basis. Then during a power outage I’d pull off the cover to start it up and find the battery dead as a doornail.

That meant a $50 trip to the local autoparts store to replace the battery. Again.

Friends have similar issues with snow blowers, vehicles and small equipment they only use seasonally.

But I solved my battery issue. I installed an Optima Digital 400 battery charger/maintainer.

It works on all types of batteries, from smallest 12-volt found on generators and mowers to those found on pickups and larger equipment.  What I like most is it automatically maximizes battery life and performance with the built-in battery health mode without any intervention on my part.

I have been using it for a year, plugged into the battery on my Honda genset. It’s kept the battery healthy and ready to go when I need it.

Installation and use is dirt simple: You attach the charging plug wire and ground on the battery. Plug the Digital 400 into the wall outlet and plug in the leads to the connectors from the battery. Done.

Optima’s Digital 400’s hybrid LED battery charging gauge shows the status of the battery and what the charger is doing.

I like the simplicity of the charger’s buttons and battery selection process, too; it’s quick and self-explanatory.

Another thing I discovered is it does a good job of bringing “dead” batteries back to life.  I hooked it up to a zero-turn mower battery that I thought was ready for the scrap heap, only to discover all it needed was some tender-loving care from the Digital 400 to bring it back to useful status.

Optima Digital 400 battery charger/maintainer is ideal for use with equipment that stands idle for long periods of time and is prone to leaving a “dead” battery n the process.Optima Digital 400 battery charger/maintainer is ideal for use with equipment that stands idle for long periods of time and is prone to leaving a “dead” battery n the process.

For less than $110, the Optima Digital 400 is a good investment for anyone who has equipment and/or vehicles sitting idle for months at a time.

Key Features:

  • Automatically maximizes battery life and performance with a built-in battery health mode
  • Recovers discharged batteries other chargers cannot
  • Hybrid LED battery charging gauge with LCD display
  • Dual purpose hook and tilt stand design or hang it with the included wall organizer bracket
  • Integrated cable management and cord wrap
  • Quick set battery type selection for easy operation
  • Interchangeable battery clamps and ring terminals
  • Innovative multiuse design
  • Spark-free connection technology
  • Reverse polarity and over temperature protection
  • At-a-glance battery connected and check battery icons
  • Ambient air temperature compensation during charging
  • Pre-charge battery status display mode
  • Patent-pending design and software
  • Charges at a maximum rate of 4 amps

Optima400 on wall_BS23413The Optima Digital 400 is a state-of-the-art battery charger/maintainer that's compact and simple to use.

Optima 400 ready

Optima 400 power leadCharger comes with wiring pigtail that stays on the battery to be charged/maintained. It has a plug that connects to the charging wires running from the Digital 400 so the battery doesn't have to be accessed each time it needs to be plugged in.

Optima 400 fuse line

Optima 400 in use_BS23415The Digital 400 is an excellent battery maintainer for equipment and vehicles that have 12-volt cranking batteries and are not used on a regular basis. Backup portable generators and seasonlly-used equipment are good candidates.