Ok, my Xtar wp2 just died…got flashing red lights and a horrible smell from… after 4 years of charging almost every day, I think it just got tired. Now I am using my Miller ML-102 as backup.
Back in the days, it was very easy to choose a good 18650 charger, few brands, exclude brands that dont have “fire” in the name and see prices and the few reviews here
Now…theres just too many brands, and fewer that can fulfill what they advertise. So I need some help from you guys, in order to find a cheap, reliable, silent, safety with at least two slots that can charge my imr 18650 and 18500 batteries, without being worried went home and find it in flames with a good cc/cv charging.
By the reviews here, theres a few that can do what I want and I just select some few brands:
- Nitecore;
- LiitoKala;
XTAR.
As I said, it will be only for charging a few imr cells (18650 and 18500) and of course it helps having more functions.
So what you guys think? Fell free too say the brand/model or any deal (cant buy in US…customs house!! I am european).
I have the LiitoKala 260 and the Xtar SP2 so far - the Nitecore I4 is on it’s way.
All three are good chargers - the SP2 can charge with 0.5, 1 and 2 Amps (good for 26650), the Liitokala with 0.5 and 1A, the i4 with 2*750mA / 4*375mA - but if you charge over night that’s not a problem.
I have the LiitoKala primarely because of the discharge function, but it’s also a good charger (charges my batteries to 4.21-4.23V)
Any problems with the LiitoKala 260 (null or overheating problem)? I have seen some problems in the review thread saying sometimes the charger got the “null” text…dont know if charging or discharging function :S
It seems a very good charger indeed.
Xtar is the top brand for chargers, they has good charge curves and fairly precise voltage.
Nitecore is a bit slow to charge and use simulated CC/CV. The last generation of their chargers are very well build and for universal (LiIon+NiMH) chargers they are good.
LiitoKala is fairly new and the 260 has a problem with long batteries. It also looks like they have trimmed the charge voltage slightly above 4.20 volt, this is not a problem, except if it is above 4.25 volt. Generally this is also a good charger and the discharge function is interesting.
For just charging I would go with the Xtar, if you also want to analyze batteries, the LiitoKala is better, but use a voltmeter the first few times to check that the voltage is within range. For a family charger, i.e. everybody in the family is putting batteries in it, the Nitecore is the obvious choice.
I’m looking around to buy my first lithium-ion charger. The Xtar-SP1 looks like a versatile charger, but it only does one battery at a time. Do I really need a 2 or 4 bay charger if I’m only needing charger for a couple of flashlights that’d only be used 2 or 3 of times for a couple of hours each week? Welcome recommendations and any advice. Thanks.
I might be a good idea to check once in a while. I have been adding a new charger nearly each week and I will do that for some time yet (Today I finished two charger reviews).
I cannot cover all chargers on the market, but I try to include the most interesting chargers and I am usual very open for suggestions.
Can you suggest an inline fuse/circuit breaker that would protect chargers lacking their own overload protection?
Something we could just splice into a cable? Or maybe someone makes a USB cable with some rated fuse/breaker built into it?
HKJ is the worlds best expert on chargers and batteries, listen to what he says and read his reviews. I bought several different models of Xtar chargers after reading his reviews, as he said they have good charge curves.