My 2015 S550 will be unused for about 3 weeks and I am thinking of getting a trickle charger to keep the battery from going dead. I see there is an OEM Mercedes-branded unit that sells for about $160. There is also a CTEK charger which looks very very similar that retails for about $70. My suspicion is that CTEK actually makes the MB-branded one. Has anyone on this forum used the CTEK charger? Should I go with the MB-branded one or the CTEK?

 

Don't spend your hard earned money on the M-B branded tender. As stated above its very likely made by CTEK.

I've been using a CTEK for about four years and am completely satisfied.

My suggestion, buy the CTEK.

 

Another vote for the CTEK.

I used to have a Porsche Batter Charge for my GT3 (I know, I know.)

And then I bought a CTEK Batter Charger (from Amazon) for my Mercedes.

I compared the two, and found they were virtually the same except for the logo, and the CTEK was half the price.

 

When you buy a trickle charger with Mercedes-Benz logo on it ,you're just paying extra for the Mercedes-Benz name only .

 

Thank you all for saving me some money I have ordered the CTEK.

 

Reg. CTEK, any preferred model as there are more than few available.

 

I've been using the CTEK model which I've had for the past 10+ years and it works fine and it's $50 less when I bought it. Even if you're not going to drive your car for 4+ days hook up the trickle charger, it'll add a year or two to your battery. It's worth it.

 

I've never heard of this woman, probably because I'm in my early 60's but if you think she's good, lend an ear to Stevie Knicks of Fleetwood Mack or Christine McVie, again, from Fleetwood Mack. You won't be sorry, check out the following:
1) Songbird
2) Spare me a little
3) Silver Springs
4) Landslide
5) I don't want to know

If you lend an ear you'll be blown away!

 

I ended up buying the CTEK 7002. Seems to work quite well.