Table of tested chargers, comments?

Awesome HKJ!

I want to thank you for all your efforts in testing. I base most of my buying decisions (cells and chargers) on your thorough work!

You also do a very good job in educating people about the workings and save handling of batteries. I personally learned a lot from your website and your test comments.

Thank you!

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Typo? Shouldn’t the Xtar SV2’s max single slot current be 2A, not 1A?

Thanks for a fantastic resource.

Yes, is should. It is fixed now and thanks for the help.

There seems to be a couple of inconsistencies with charger test reviews. I would like to see more consistency in the reviews so a better and more logical comparison between chargers can be made.

The first inconsistency is that the 2500V and 5000V isolation/insulation test is either not done for some chargers, or if it was done, the results of the tests were not mentioned in the reviews. These test results should be mandatory for all chargers with results of those tests posted, please.

Second inconsistency is that really "old" batteries are not always tested, or if they are, the results of those tests were not mentioned in the reviews. It is important to see how chargers handle older batteries/cells as well as new batteries/cells. Again this test should be mandatory with accompanying test results in the reviews, please.

Also, some chargers have updated firmware which may address any issues shown in test of chargers with earlier versions of firmware. So chargers that have updated their firmware should be retested with the latest firmware, please.

Ideally, all charger reviews should be revised/updated where necessary to add the 2500V/5000V tests, plus the testing of really old batteries/cells, and chargers with latest firmware should be retested also.

Thank you.

These test are not relevant for usb powered charger and I did not do them before I got equipment to do it.
I may forget it a few times, if I get reminded about it I will do it, if I still have the charger.

I can only do test with old batteries when I have old batteries. Sometimes batteries gets to old and are removed from the test set.

Usual I do not know when chargers get updated, there is also an issue about time used to test a charger. For some of the more advanced chargers it can take 3 weeks, I do not not wish to retest that very often.

I do not keep all the old chargers, this makes it impossible for me to do more tests on them. Often I have new chargers to test and I prefer to use my time on them.

Thanks for the prompt reply.

It is appreciated that some time is required to (re)test chargers, but to make a meaningful comparison between chargers the same full range of tests should be applied to all tested chargers as far as possible.

One of the important aspects of chargers is their ability to recharge older batteries/cells. So the use of older cells in these tests should be standard as part of the tests. Certainly some old cells get "retired" eventually, but surely other similar older cells could be made available for testing instead!?

There are still a lot of older chargers available for sale which have since had their hardware and/or firmware upgraded which would most likely produce different test results compared to the earlier test results.

If a previously reviewed charger is no longer in your possession, then surely you could request another updated version of the charger be submitted for review!?

The ISDT C4 charger, for example, has had several revisions of its firmware (now at 1.1.0.6 I believe) since the initial test review. It would be very useful to see improvements (if any) have been made to this charger!

Most of the time I have old cell, but how old varies a bit. With LiIon the 18350-IMR has been used for many years on all chargers. With NiMH it is usual a 2500mAh cell that gets old.

Yes, I know that, but I do generally not now which chargers gets updated.

I do usual not ask manufacturers or dealers for chargers, the contact me with the charger they want tested.

That is the first time I hear about more updates (I do not check around for new versions), but I do not have time to check it now. I have a couple of chargers and some manufactures has told be I can expect more very soon.

Thank you so much for indicating which chargers can also be used as power banks in this tabulated data! This is a feature I am currently researching and you are making my job much easier.

One small thing that I could suggest is that the provided links to each charger open in a new window versus inside the table space. This provides much more viewing room for the charger data and allows multiple chargers to be compared, each in their own window.

All of this work you are doing for us is incredible! Thank you!

If you have a wheel try clicking on it.
You can also right-click and select open in a new window.

Ah yeah, this works beautifully! Thanks!

First, allow me to thank you for making those comprehensive charger reviews, despite the fact that sometimes, there may be new revisions that may warrant a re-test of that specific charger (only functions that changed, but may not be easy to identify without a complete test…).

I would like to mention there seems to be an inaccuracy in the table — the Miboxer C4-12 is listed as an “analyzer” — AFAIK, it does not do discharge testing, so it’s not an “analyzer”.

Thanks, I have fixed it (Website may update a bit later).

am trying to find a charger for my 18650’s using your “table of tested chargers” but am having a problem using it.

Under the “select index”…… I can NOT remove a search option, once I click on it.

For example, say I click ‘LiIon only’. It (the text) turns red. But then if I want to search ‘NIMH only’ I try to get rid of the ‘LiIon only’ by clicking on it but it just stays red and is still included in search.

The only browser I have is Firefox. Does the page only work on IE?

It works with Firefox (I am am using Firefox).
I do not know why it turns red, each index is a separate page and when you click on it you simple changes to that page. The title shows what page you are on.

I now see how it works , Thanks

OK, so a nice feature would be for it would be:
Able to search multiple features at one time. In other words…. (as in my case on the “search index/options”), I would press the LiION ONLY, DISPLAY V and mAh, 12v Power Imput, 2 slots, (options) and the resulting page would only show chargers that have all of these features…since those are the features I must have in a charger.

That is the way I was trying to use your informative index (my bad) since most search charts work this way. (Parametrek Batteries)
Just a thought, thanks for all your hard work and info !!!

You can search on two parameters, the first is select the best table, the next is sorting a column. If you select the right parameters the remaining list will be fairly short.

Parametrek is something else, is uses a database, my list is just a html page. I have found a script that can filter on each column (tablefilter.js), but it cannot sort. If anybody knows a free javascript library that can do both, please say.

[quote=HKJ]

“You can search on two parameters, the first is select the best table, the next is sorting a column. If you select the right parameters the remaining list will be fairly short.”

OK…I am an idiot……How do you “sort a column”?

Click on the title, once or twice depending on sort direction.

HKJ, what’s your favourite charger in 2019? I would like to test mAh, charge 2/4 cell, display.

I have single cell tp4056 charger, 4 wire battery holder, skyrc b6 mini, zb206 battery tester, but all these can charge/test only one cell. I am looking for a decent charger in the price range of 20-30usd.