Hey,
Im looking for a cheap, safe and beginner friendly 18650 charger. Preferably from Manafont as im ordering my batteries from there too. Don't mind if it only charges one at a time but it needs to be reliable - would be good if it does 14500 too and under $10. What should I get?
I would say XTAR wp2, I haven't got one yet, but will be. I think at $17 it's worth stumping up the extra $7. The general consensus is they are about as good as it gets.
Marc.
Hi Marc,
Did not see it was you. Have a search around, XTAR charger USB version and two Xtar 2600 for $22.
I'll see if I can find the link.
Marc.
You are asking a lot for under $10...
Increase your budget and get a decent 2 bay. If you get a cheapo, you'll end up buying a new one later anyway. I second the Xtar WP2 II. In ConUS it can be had for under $20 shipped within a week. You'll have to do some searching for UK though.
Edit: Quick search found an ebay seller. I would search around.
I got this one, I like it a lot.
I bought a cord for $3 though because I'm in Australia.
I could be wrong but I think the XTAR deals ship free to the UK.
Marc.
MP-102 is in same price range as xtar mp-1 but has a higher charging current and supports charging usb devices... They are even based on same ic. What really blowed me away is build quality of this (as I heard) enthusiast made charger.
http://www.intl-outdoor.com/ml102-usb-charger-for-18650-26650-battery-p-243.html
IMHO those two terms are mutually exclusive.
The only charger I trust is the Pila IBC, above your budget I know.
I looked at the safety aspects and figured I couldn't afford to buy a rubbish $10 charger, less than the price of a quality 18650. My stock of cells is worth more than the $50 I paid for the charger and I'd like to get the maximum life From my cells, without burning down the house in the process.
Cheap insurance and peace of mind.
I know I'll get some flack but remember I started this post by saying "IMHO".
tr-001 about a million blf members have it use it ,love it .I remember I bought it not knowing a single thing about chargers I just noticed that lighthound or some other fairly well known company sold them so i figured that it couldn't be utter rubbish . i was surprised to see how many well known BLF members owned one and shared my general appreciation for such a basic charger ..
I second what marcl said. Probably the best charger you can buy for under $ 20.00.
Any general consensus on USB charger (e.g Manafont sku 7786)? Only 8 bucks, single batt, charges 14650 through 18700. It is an XTAR. And having USB input means you can plug into any car USB adapter too.
If you're really set on spending less than $10, then this charger does a fairly decent job. I've been using it for about two weeks now and it does just fine. The one feature I like is that it shuts off when the batteries get to about 4.15 volts to prevent overcharging. I usually monitor the charging anyways, but it's nice peace of mind to know it will shut off if I forget.
That being said, I plan to buy a XTAR WP2 in a few days.
@rcm_rx7 & OP, that was my first charger as well (the "infamous" DSD). I recall reading the earliest batches upon launch didn't always terminate charge properly leading to some incidents but those were largely resolved shortly thereafter.
I've been using mine for over four years now and it has always terminated chargers properly. Here are some quick points (again based on my sample):
- charges 1 cell @ 350mA but two cells in parallel (so 175mA), great for gentle charging but takes a loooong time (EDIT: I just noticed the one in the link says 450 mA so slightly faster charge rate than mine)
- works great with cells around 2600 mAh, for me these always nearly charge up to around 4.19 - 4.20
- for my Panny-based 3100 cells, they almost always terminate at 4.15V, however if I pull them and charge two (parallel), it'll reinitiate charge and top off the cells (but will overcharge to around 4.24-4.25, not recommended unless cells can handle higher voltage)
- cells over 67mm will have a problem fitting as the tolerance is very tight (I do manage to wedge RL 3100's and CK 3100's in there though) while smaller cells (AW IMR 2600) may have a problem staying in the cradle as they are prone to popping back out
- will charge cells w/tripped PCB's
Overall an OK charger for the buck. I've never bothered testing the charging algo so don't know if it utilizes true CC/CV.
@OP - take your time and investigate your choices as a good charger is a worthwhile investment. You wouldn't want a bad one to let it live up to your username. 
Hope that helps,
Tim
Thanks, going to go with the xtar wp2 to be safe, hopefully will find one in the UK.