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CTEK
MXS 5.0
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Best Car Battery Chargers · head-to-head
MXS 5.0 vs Battery Tender Plus (021-0128)
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. MXS 5.0 is cheaper at —. Every spec and price links to its source.
Battery Tender
Battery Tender Plus (021-0128)
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | MXS 5.0 | Battery Tender Plus (021-0128) |
|---|---|---|
| US price | — | — |
| Brand | CTEK | Battery Tender |
| Released | — | — |
| Max charge amps | 4.3 | 1.25 |
| Voltage support (V) | 12 | 12 |
| Battery chemistry | Flooded/WET and Calcium (Ca/Ca) lead-acid, plus AGM batteries | Flooded, Sealed/GRT (Gas Recombinant Technology), and AGM 12V lead-acid batteries |
| Modes | 8-step fully automatic: desulfation, soft start, bulk, absorption, analyze, reconditioning (optional/selectable), float, pulse maintenance | Fully automatic 4-step charging: bulk charge, absorption, and adaptive float/maintenance (ISM) |
| Waterproof rating | — | — |
| Reverse polarity protection | — | — |
| Display | LED indicator lights marking each of the 8 charging steps | 3-LED indicator (red = bulk charging, flashing green = absorption, solid green = float/complete) |
| Temperature compensation | Yes | — |
Sources — MXS 5.0: manualslib.com (verified 2026-08-01). Battery Tender Plus (021-0128): manualslib.com (verified 2026-08-01).
What's the difference between the MXS 5.0 and Battery Tender Plus (021-0128)?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (4 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Max charge amps: MXS 5.0 4.3 vs Battery Tender Plus (021-0128) 1.25
- Battery chemistry: MXS 5.0 Flooded/WET and Calcium (Ca/Ca) lead-acid, plus AGM batteries vs Battery Tender Plus (021-0128) Flooded, Sealed/GRT (Gas Recombinant Technology), and AGM 12V lead-acid batteries
- Modes: MXS 5.0 8-step fully automatic: desulfation, soft start, bulk, absorption, analyze, reconditioning (optional/selectable), float, pulse maintenance vs Battery Tender Plus (021-0128) Fully automatic 4-step charging: bulk charge, absorption, and adaptive float/maintenance (ISM)
- Display: MXS 5.0 LED indicator lights marking each of the 8 charging steps vs Battery Tender Plus (021-0128) 3-LED indicator (red = bulk charging, flashing green = absorption, solid green = float/complete)