Hello my friend I just subscribed Can you help me with a small situation ? I need to charge my 3.6 volt lithium ion battery. This comes out of an st16 yuneec controller. I have the duo t240 charger. It seems as though the charger will not charge this battery due to the fact that. I cannot set the charger below 3.75 volts. So I get an error message. Do you have any suggestions ? Thanks Keith Kuhn
I just want to charge 4x 18650s... not bothered about the time it takes to charge the cells and I don't need LCD screens... just need to know when they're 100% charged... ...what would you recommend?
I say I don't need an LCD screen... obviously happy with one. But i just want to charge 18650s and am unconcerned about charging speed. Is the VC4 or D4 the best options? Thank you
Appreciate video content! Sorry for chiming in, I would appreciate your initial thoughts. Have you thought about - Rozardner Powerful Battery Reality (erm, check it on google should be there)? It is a great one off product for learning how to recondition an old battery minus the headache. I've heard some incredible things about it and my old buddy Taylor after many years got astronomical results with it.
Found the Liitokala Lii-500 as a great charger with features like showing the internal resistance and also discharge and recharge the batteries for full test.
Ya thats what i use it is the best for the price i pretty much ignore the resistance it seems to be all over the place and I just ordered a newer version with a different display i think that is the only difference I believe the model was Lii-500s or something but I have not got it yet
@@james10739 I have had lii-500 works good, change it with li-500s looks more premium and last month bough it skyrc imax b6ac v2 wich is great but the downside is if you have batteries under 2,9v doesn't recognise them but li-500s does that..
Liitokala Lii-500 is not that great. Super hot with 2450mah 4 slots 1A. Also, after charging if you take out the batteries and put them back the charging starts again. Fail. The charger should know the batteries are already full and stop charging them again.
my fav charger(s) are the xtar vc2 plus and the xtar vc2s. love the simplicity of the vc2 plus and i love the information of the vc2s (if you are buying the vc2 plus or the vc2s buy the one that is cheaper. if you need 2a charging go with the vc2s, but it can charge at 2a only with one bay)
jaakko200987654321 both look really good. I’m wondering if it matters charging AA and AAA Eneloop Pros with .5amp or 1amp will the .5a help them to last longer? Would you happen to know the difference of time it would take to charge a 26650 from an 1a vs 2a charge?
@@hotwater8473 i have no experience with 26650s but i would say it charges twice as fast also charging the eneloops, 0.5a will make them last longer. but, the vc2s has automatic current selection, so it choosed the best current based on the internal resistsnce
Nitecore D4 user here, work fine but always makes my (any of them) batteries hot, and it fucks my AAA baterries, some of them almost blow. I never charge my AAA with this charger anymore.
Thank you for this charger roundup. I'm considering getting one of the Xtar MC series, particularly the MC4. I have no need for AA and other nickel based battery compatibility as I just need a simple 18650 charger for my IMR 18650s that I use on a flashlight as having to swap them out to charge each 18650 through the flashlight is kind of inconvenient.
Vapcell were due to send one in, but for some reason backed out of it. I've not heard from them for a long time. So maybe it's not quite as good as it seems.
@@MrBazReviews Still experimenting with the S4+, but without professional test cases or equipment. Oveerall it seems to work nice, have good features is silent at work. On the negative side is the beep-sounds at finishing an action, the lack of charging current 700/750mA (which I prefer with AA NiMH cells). And some details could also be better, the cap test only shows the discharging mAh but not the charging mAh and you have to switch to see the data of the single cells.
@@reifenabhobeler4331 It's probably decent enough, I've no idea why they didn't send one over, but that's how it goes in this game, hit and miss with sent items. It's up to Vapcell, on paper it looks pretty good to me, there are always things to improve on most products
@@MrBazReviews In Budgetlightforum is a topic with an employee from Vapcell. It looks like a new/modified revision of the S4+ is in the work, I hope the the ringtone is not the only one topic they edit ;)
I'm sure glad I watched this video!!! I searched several ways for the best battery tester recharger and only a few came up. I have now started researching the chargers you recommend. The last charger you talk about is a little over $100 and will probably be my next charger. Happy Holidays 🎅🤶
Thanks for your review and list of various type of chargers. The choices seem overwhelming when I began my search for a charger. Decided on a Klarus K1 since it fits my needs.
The K1 doesn't get a lot of attention, but it should because it offers a lot very capable charger and choice of speeds. Which is why I included it I use it all the time often keep it in the car as it can charge Ni-MH as well and at good speeds 0.5/1.0 amp. Not many chargers around portable ones that can do 3 types of Li-ion and Ni-MH/Ni-CD Cheers for the comment!
Thank you! I'm a bit of a nerd and wanted a charger that can display the capacity of the battery since that is one of the first issues I run into when trying to recharge cells I have no info on.
@@MrBazReviewsI just watched your updated video on chargers - I don't think I need a premium charger with too many features - the one thing was like you mentioned; to see how worn a cell might be, without needing to worry about setting charging voltages etc. Thanks!
Thanks Tony I try my best regardless of the type of product to pick out the good and weak stuff, obviously it's open to debate but still hopefully useful to viewers!
I need a charger for 21700. Xtar Dragon, Opus or Gyrfalcon All-88? I would take the Opus but I've seen people having issues with them, failing after a year and a half and overcharging. It's also a PMW and not constant current.
@@MrBazReviews You think the Opus is a decent option despite the pulsing charge? There won't be any problems with the batteries? I need it for 20700 batteries. I don't know offhand what max size battery it accepts
I've bought two VC4s in the past (at two different times) they sleep in the box. My experience with them has been bad. I love Xtar and only use them to charge my batteries but this model gave me problems. A long time has passed, however, I remember that with each movement of the cable the charge decreased or in any case I had a fluctuating charge at every slightest movement of the cable or the charger. The dealer sent me a replacement cable but the problem remained. I have almost all of their models, especially the small ones with one, two or three slots. A model that I love is the X2 and X4, efficient and very versatile.
The cable could be better, though I rarely move it so have not had a problem. They do have an updated version which has a type C port, not used it myself.
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for the information, I did not know this model. I have seen now that it is called VC4 L. In the meantime I took my old VC4 out of the box after a long time - it works but it went crazy at first (it showed Full with no battery inserted when I moved the connector) I was never sure if it was the cable or a bad contact of the connector on the charger side (I have two of VC4 with the same problem) Also the old VC4 seems to dislike some USB meter brands, with some of them not reaching the speed promised. (with USB meter brand Xtar and X-Dragon it looks ok) Thanks for your work, your videos are always interesting
@@stefanozebralight518 I don't deal with Xtar at this time nor have done for a while. I didn't have a problem with the VC4 I had myself (I bought it). I'm sure there are some QC issues with the brand though, one reason I stopped doing reviews on their products.
Well. I bougt Xtar Dragon Plus and Xtar VC8. I did a lot of tests now in 1 week time with 2600mah 18650 cells. Every cell with Dragon did shows much higher capacity as VC8 Grinding. For VC8 the capacity was from 2630mah till 2710mah while Dragon measurements on discharge or charge was starting from 2700mah till 2950mah. Didnt matter if charged/discharged with 0.5A, 1A or Refresh option. Also Dragon charges the battery to 4.26V while VC8 4.20V when measured with 9V. With 20V there is 4.19V for Dragon, but 4.14V with VC8. So, - if there is no capacity info label on cell wrap - you better not use Xtar Dragon for to know the real capacity and dont even think to mix them with other cells wich capacities are tested with another tester/dis/charger. After these long tests in my assessment - Dragon Plus not what to go for to have acurate readings. I ordered now VC8 Plus and will always work only with them now as I want perfect readings.
Also VC8 looks to me that it is balancing the cells a bit. It does "play" with charging current in some times even if the current is set lower. Oh, yeah - DRagon also doesnt show acurate %%%%. I know Dragon Plus is not the first version of Dragon, but it feels like it is or even like a prototype wich is not ready for costumer use.
I found the dragon to be OK for accuracy, and I have not seen a problem with missing termination. However, this was some time ago, I'm not overly convinced with Xtar's quality control with later models, to the point I don't even bother looking at them for review. So if you are having issues, then I suggest going back to the retailer or Xtar on this. I can only go what I have used myself, and my own experience. Most testers are a bit off, the ones here should be within acceptable limits. The SkyRC charger is the most accurate, however it is expensive You need to forward your issues to Xtar directly, putting them here isn't going to reach them or get any obvious exposure
their is a switch on the in side on the right hand side when its up side down looks like it changes the voltage 4.2 and 4.32 and 3.7 volt is labeled on the board opus bt-c3400
Great video, but perhaps it's a bit dated? What would you indicate nowadays? Looking for something in the middle, not the fanciest, but not the cheapest either.
I wouldn't change much being honest, reason is the udpated Xtar ones are worse than the older ones! I might do a new one next year if I find other chargers. Go for the Opus charger if you want a tester, otherwise the VC4 is better than the VC4s. I'm waiting for Nitecore to release new chargers, but they have not so far
No problem hope it was of use might change over time I'd like to see the D4/VC4 get an update. I had a few questions on suggested chargers so thought it best to do an easy to view round up of recommended ones. There really isn't one fits all for these types of products. Thanks for the comment
Have both a old nitecore i4 and old d2 and they both have ran and worked without question just ordered me a new i4 with a screen I use these for both lithium and nimh batteries
I remember a few years ago on some shopping channel a battery charger that could charge any type or size of regular "throw away" batteries, &also repeatedly for same batteries. (I think it was called "the battery genius") but browsing the internet absolutely no one sells them or anything like them, & I'm wondering why?
@@MrBazReviews I have an original lloytron B1550 intelligent charger that does charge alkaline batteries, it's very good. However I bought a Chinese copy to take to work and it doesn't work with alkaline batteries so be aware. @The Gatsby
Good video. Nice review of the chargers. I have had and used the Vitovill Universal Intelligent Battery Charger with LCD Display ( HXY-H4 ). It's a 4 slot charger that has support for most common types of rechargable batteries. Recently i came across some 1.5 v Li-Io aaa / aa batteries - they seem to be working well. Have you used any of these batteries and what are your thoughts about them?
Lithium AA/AAA 1.5V are disposable they last longer than alkaline cells some use them in devices where they don't want to change cells often/and they have a long storage life. Important thing is not to recharge them, depends what you use them for longer term Ni-MH rechargeable is much more cost effective
Hi - after five years :) I have found óver years Zanflare C4 extremely useful with recovering 18500 cells from very low voltage state. Basically it charges cells fast up to 1.9 volts and switch after that automatically to li-Ion mode without errors or interrupting a charge. After that cells will be charged normally up to 4.1 to 4.2 Volts. Can anyone tell if some of these chargers or some newer ones will work with same way?
@@MrBazReviews Thanks! I have noticed a same - I have one charger which is useless with cells on this state. It just doesn't start to charge at all. This is really useful function on C4, I need to buy a few charger more and C4 is really hard to find anymore.
Hi, did you ever try the Liitokala Lii-260? It's a very interest option for the price (about $10-$15) with 2 slots, resistance check, capacity test and lcd with backlight. Good review!
Just bought a couple of Hank Wang flashlights not knowing I was going to need a battery charger does the xtar dragon plus do unprotected batteries the batteries are 21700 and 26650 flat top unprotected that the light takes
Do you know of a charger that works like the xtar sv2? It's supposed to be able to charge very discharged ones that others may not. Mine the spring broke on the negative contact that holds in place & see MANY others have had the same issue with these, some said they were even sent a replacement & it broke the same way after a few months. So was hoping you could know of another brand with same features since xtar seems to be junk.
You can go for a figure of 8 powered charger they are all worldwide voltages and it's a universal connector very common. Other than that you can convert plugs, not many I've seen with built in or in the box adapters Nitecore i8 is in the video 8 bay charger decent enough
The magnetic Olight is mentioned as it's not a defined length it works with protected 21700 cells that is clearly shown in the video 2:40 Nitecore UM2 and UM4 can take protected 21700, very few can
Firstly may i just say i love your style and the clear information you provide in your product reviews, and I would like your input to a problem i have started to have regarding my i4 nitecore charger, it's the older version, it will charge but one of the bays seems well behind the others, yet if i take the battery out and place it in another slot it will show fully charged...would you say it's ready for replacing? thanks in advance..rich.
Hi Richard have you tested the voltage on the cell when you take it out? That way you will know if it's getting a full charge, most are around 4.17-4.20V when finished. It's not uncommon for chargers to not charge when a near full charge cell is inserted so that's why I suggest checking the voltage. If one is charging slow might be the transformer output not as high as it was if it's old you could replace it, I'd check it via a voltmeter just to see.
cheers for the reply, it will show full when i place it into my mods but i don't have a voltage meter but i think it would be worth while just to go through the stack of 18650 i have thanks again regards rich. tempted to buy the new i2 2017 supposed to charge twice as quick....i'll have a look around your reviews.
Thanks for these detailed reviews. What do you think about the AccuPower IQ338, IQ338XL, IQ328+ and the DNT Smart Pro? I will be appreciated if you could share your advices.
I've not used them and there seem to be not many reviews on them. So I can't say price is a bit high I think you're better served with either the Opus or Zanflare C4 is also worth looking at
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for your answer. I decided that to buy the Opus but I need your professional advice which model could you advise me for the other possibility ? So I can share my experience with you when I have it if I buy the AccuPower or DNT.
@@tcirit I just told you I have no experience of them, so it wouldn't be sensible to recommend them or not I have no idea if they are any good. I also gave you an alternative the C4 Zanflare. That's as far as I go if I have no use of a product I can't give you information on it. It is strange though that nobody has done a review on them, in other words they're not sending items for review, that is a red flag to me
The VP4 Plus can activate low voltage batteries (so can the VC4 and some other chargers). Some chargers won't even charge low voltage cells (if it's below a certain level), they can but it doesn't always mean the battery is going to be in good condition, sometimes they can be fine best to run a discharge test to weed out poor cells.
Hey thank you for the great video, so it's been 3 years..... which one would be the better charger for 18650 batteries if price wasn't a deciding factor? Thanks
Overall I think the Opus is the best offering, in terms of functionality and features/price. It is not perfect, however it should meet the needs of most users.
I've not used any of the Efest chargers so hard to say really, guide is based on ones I've used and tried for extended time. Depends if you need more than 4 bays I'll have a look at it if I can get one
The Efest uses bluetooth, so if your stuck on the couch, watching a movie when the batteries are charging, you get all the information on your iphone/android. Seems handy.
The Zanflare is decent just felt a few things missing like activation and IMO the Opus has the advantage overall (that also lacks activation at 0V) I prefer the Opus which is why I gave that a pick. It's an alright charger though the Zanflare
Hi Mr Baz, mr nuisance again sorry. So as of today do you think (im gettin myself all confused) that the xtar dragon vp4 plus is still the better option?? Does it warrant the £30_£40 difference from the opus ( nxt down on your list)? I pre- dominantely use only Ni mh AA/ AAA but i like to think that I may have the "c" and other options maybe at a later date. I dont vape but maybe some of the other sizes and chemical make ups may come useful at a later date. I also like the idea it comes with both power supply's, test cables and carry pouch. I dont really want to keep buying battery specific chargers.. any advice? Also i see in some of your vids, a USB TESTER. Any chance of a link? Thanks buddy.
Just get the Opus if you're not charging tons of different types the Dragon is slightly better accuracy but not much difference USB testers have a look here: amzn.to/2oEN60y
I'd be interested in a review of USB battery chargers using a USB solar panel as the power source. I'd also like to see a review of the little Xiaomi ZI5 Ni-MH AA/AAA USB Battery Charger and also how it works connected to a solar panel as a power source.
I can try it's sometimes tricky to get samples in but I'll see if I can find a few more the Xiaomi looked interesting will do my best over time to look at more. I've covered a fair few in this - as said a lot of variables with chargers/panels I saw someone say they had problems with the F2, but I've never had an issue with my panel (ie overcast then sun conditions). I know some charges need a min power output to start charging, some will do a lower charge.
Very useful overview - thanks! I have one question, though - can you recommend a charger for "gumstick" NiMH or NiCd batteries? e.g. the ones used in Sony Disc/Walkmans (the originals were NiCd 1.2v 600mAh, but replacements are NiMH 1.2v 1300mAh). These batteries have similar dimensions to the 18650 Li-ion battery, but are rectangular rather than cylindrical - I was wondering whether I could wedge the gumsticks in a charger so that they make good contact at both ends.
I know the type of battery if you can make a contact with the terminals it will charge but the suggested charging current is quite low usually 300mAh or lower so I would pick a charger that can charge at that level ie with manual settings. The replacements are probably overstating the capacity so they are very likely a bit under the original Sony ones. Any charger will work off of the voltage it detects so it knows it's Ni-CD or Ni-MH and not Li-ion thus should terminate at around 1.5V (sometimes goes a little over that to 1.55V max)
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for that suggestion as I hadn't considered a charger with manually selectable output. I was leaning towards getting one of the XTAR chargers but it looks as if the Nitecore SC or newer UM range might be a better choice. I've had a look at your UM4 review - very helpful, thanks.
The problem is the 9V battery, very few chargers have that and support bigger cells. Finding one with a good LCD too is going to be hard. I have not come across one, myself
I have an XTAR VC 4 charger but it keeps telling me my double AA Duracell batteries are full when their not. I take them out and put them back in again and it charges all over to a higher charge...which also takes longer.
Is the 3 amps availible for both bays 2 batteries at the same time, 3 amps each? I personally gave up on chargers for e-vape users and went with a 160 dollar RC Radio control hobbyist charger, You can set the amps up high enough to blow up the battery, 2 channels with 6 cell balance charge each. I push to C discharge rate on each battery with no over heats. An other words, a 2000 mah battery is real a 2ah battery [amp hours] I set the charger to push 4 amps in, no problems, charges 4 batteries at the same time with power to spare. I use this for my RC airplane lipo's and yes it takes all types of lithium, nickel manganese etc... 20 minutes 4 batteries charged up full. Vape for 2 days on a 20 watt tank. I think vapor chargers really suck in comparison. YES you can cook your batteries if you over do it. SUPERVISE the charging, feel the batteries every 2 minutes, double charge rate causes me no troubles and charges my batts in 20 minutes. 18650 2800 mah size.
If you mean the Miboxer it can do 3amps per slot, but you will degrade cells leat the 18650 ones faster charging at that speed. That one does monitor temperatures so you shouldn't have issues walking away from it whilst charging. I'm not sure a top end charger is needed for most unless you want to specify the termination voltage or do more extensive testing
@@aggaviriyo790 It would be if there was a lot to change, but there isn't really. I was waiting for a vapcell charger, didn't show up - and I imagined Nitecore would update a few charger, and they have not lol! Xtar released new ones and the 2/4 bay ones were worse than the earlier ones. so at the moment I am thinking I'll update it later this year if I can find a few new ones to include. A D4 update is long overdue, but hasn't arrived. So maybe but not right now as only a few things would change
I have had 3 of the opus chargers v2.2 and will never buy them again. They have had slot failures one after another over a few years of use and now one went buggo and overheated the cells almost to the point of explosion and I was afraid it fried the cells. I will just replace them all with another brand which is why I am looking at these videos.
SkyRC MC 3000 - costs approximately as Xtar Dragon VP4 Plus but far more functional, upgradeable firmware + has 30 individually manually amendable programs to run (with charging and discharging currents fine tuning). It is weird you do not mention it here (within such "$100 and below" affordable chargers list).
If you watch the video I only comment on "chargers I have used" so can't recommend items I have no experience of, for obvious reasons as I do reviews I have to test the chargers. If SkyRC want to send me a charger to test and review I'll take a look at it. Nothing weird about the video 227 people found it useful and 5 didn't ;-) If you're one of the 5 then good luck to you!
@@MrBazReviews "found it useful" - I did. For the name of "Top Picks" I only pointed out that the most obvious candidate (that sums up and exceeds most of them) is missing there - and that is rather odd for such a line of chinese chargers. I personally spend about a week in search for either likes of Opus BT - C3100 for $25 mentioned above (and decided to get DLYFULL T5 tester charger instead as portable one) or likes of Xtar Dragon VP4 Plus for about $100 (for nearly all in one domestic charger purpose) - and decided to get SkyRC MC 3000 instead due to its far greater multi-functionality. "only comment on "chargers I have used" - my bad, missed that point. "Top Picks of chargers I have used" should make the review more specific in this way, IMHO. "If SkyRC want to send me a charger to test and review" - no idea at all. I would not ever mind it in such a way - I am a user and buy what I need as a tool after some research.
@@morzh1978 The Opus should be around least it was last I checked. I did a review on the Dragon and it has plenty of areas I would change which I went into detail on - but it delivers in most areas even if it's a bit simple on settings. Thing is unless I get sent items I don't have the resources to keep buying them in hence the SkrRC comment - it would take a long time to cover the charger in detail, but I have to have a sample to try. I have bought a few in myself but now rely on makers sending them, some don't anymore (such as Miboxer) because I wasn't overly happy with a few they sent so they stopped sending them, even with that I recommended one as I felt it was good. The video is about trying to make a simple guide for people who might want a charger - breaking it into categories ie to suit their needs. The SkyRC is aimed at a high end user who needs testing abilities beyond what most would so rather niche - but if I try one at some point I will add it if I feel it's worthy if I make an updated video maybe next year or whenever it seems appropriate. Video was never meant to be the definitive guide to chargers, it's really about what I think is good out of the ones I have used. Hence it might be useful to people who want this information
@@MrBazReviews "testing abilities beyond what most would so rather niche" - I was rather attracted to firmware upgradeability to keep compatibility with newer accumulator battery types + ability to mend some settings for charge and discharge cycles mostly (for many batteries, mostly AAA sized, either 0,5A or 1A only steps are suboptimal). Having no more than $100 for a flexible charger that suits all batteries I already have + ones I plan and would plan to buy, I decided to get that MC3000 - even despite it is somehow annoying for unexperienced user. I was also surprised that XTARs of comparable pricing are narrower in even basic functionality that any user may need to mend one day, especially if he tries to squeeze out the most of some ageing cells.
@@morzh1978 I told Xtar to improve the Dragon by offering more charging speeds (ie 250mA and 1500mA in addition to the 0.5/1.0/2.0 speeds) and make it so users can adjust the slot charging speeds rather than all of them. They seem to have a design idea that making things really simple is the way forward. But IMO it means less appeal for the user. Despite those weak points the charging quality is good, as is build and the capacity testing also accurate based on long term use. With the SkyRC I would have to use it to find out how I get on with it that also means how it's used and if it's fiddly or not. I have read some issues on build with spring retainers snapping etc, so I'm not sure how it holds up unless I use one for a longer period of time. With the newer 21700 cells expect more chargers to come out supporting these (esp protected ones which fit in very few chargers)
Dragon is simple to use, but lacks individual charging slot control, the Sky RC is complicated (but has a simple mode) The Sky is probably the better charger overall if you need fine control over everything
I am going to buy a Energizer charger that comes with 4 AA NiMH 1300mAh Rechargeable batteries, will this charger also be able to charge my other 4 NiMH AA batteries that are 2800mAh, 1300mAh to 2800mAh is a big increase.
It will work it depends if it's a timer charger (ie shuts off after a certain limit) or a smart one (terminates when done) Capacity won't matter it will work
Hopefully will be useful for some wanted to make a quick video on recommended chargers for a while, just needed to use enough of them over time to create it! thanks for the comment
just bought an XTAR VC8 which I'll be using mainly for testing capacity and internal resistance of 18650s and AAs - I found out about the Opus a day later and it seems like it's everybody's favorite. would you recommend I return the XTAR and buy the Opus instead? thank you
@@MrBazReviews I graded some old AA 2500 mAh Eneloops (6 years) and it showed 2100-2200 for all but one that was 28mAh OVER its rated capacity. which made me doubt its accuracy. managed to grade some new 18650 LG cells today, rated at 3100 mAh and it showed me 3292 and 3284mAh. they're either very good LG cells or the charger is off - this is the only thing that's making me consider the Opus. thank you for your reply.
@@MindStormStudio A lot of the testers tend to give slightly higher readings, the SkyRC is quite accurate, but it's expensive. The Opus also reads a little high, so I don't think you will gain much in accuracy
Whats the best charger can you recommend for my weapon tac light batteries? Using surefire cr123a 3v / 3.2v.. whats the safest for these? Been having a hard time looking for one and researching.. thanks
They're non rechargeable cells, if that's the voltage. The re-chargeable cells are RCR CR123A or 16340. I use soshine 16340, capacity is around 700mAh, the non re-chargeable ones are about 1500mAh
Battery life being of higher priority than charging speed, which one would you suggest for 18650 batteries ? For AA and AAA batteries I use the usb based sanyo charger with my eneloop batteries, is anything better for charging those ?
If it's in the video I've used and tested it so I am happy to recommend any of the ones in the video. Speed can matter to some, others not. A choice is a good thing. For a multi format the D4 or VC4 are solid well proven chargers that don't cost much either. For AA/AAA they work fine the VC4 is easier to use (just use the slots for charging speed) or I recently looked at a Nitecore UM4 that goes a nice job on Li-ion and Ni-MH with a choice of low or faster speeds (I got it after I made the video it might have got into this list still using it!)
@@MrBazReviews Thanks! I started the discharge of 4 AA yesterday as soon as I received it. So I should be looking for a percentage of the mAh capacity? What percentage of the NEW mAh capacity determines the battery is ready for the garbage?
I have 4x AA NiMH Rechargeable batteries that I have used before but I haven't used them in around a year or so, should I just charge them or should I full discharge then in my smart battery charger.
That is a review of um4 not the requested ums 4. This is the ums4 www.nitecorestore.com/NITECORE-UMS4-Four-Slot-Superb-Battery-Charger-p/chg-nite-ums4.htm
@@timevans4981If you watch the video the differences between the UM4 and UM4S are clearly explained. The UM4S offers faster charging speeds and faster default charging speeds. Otherwise they are "identical" in terms of the design and display etc. I got a UM4 to review, not a UM4S but bothered to supply that information. Those videos take quite a long time to make, it would be utterly pointless to make a separate video on the UM4S even if I got one in
Why can i not find a charger that can limit the max voltage. I have lots of 18650 that will lay around fully charged, which isn't the best for the cells. Why not have a charger that can stop at a voltage I can select between 3,9V and 4.2V for these. It would make my 18650 last way longer.
Probably as most don't need it, but you can achieve the same by not discharging cells as much. It will do the same thing as not charging them under 4.20V. Most chargers go a little under the 4.20V, Nitecore tend to average about 4.17V sometimes 4.16V SkyRC do a charger that you can set the voltage termination if you want that. It's not included here as I have not used one, nor have the sent one for review
Can you recommend a decent D cell battery charger (that also charges C, AA, AAA & 9v) that has ALL the functionality of the Duracell CEF23 and the EBL908? The EBL 906 appears to have a port for a cigarette lighter charging cable (the EBL 908 does NOT have this port but does have 2 USB charging ports) but i have not yet found conformation on this just other people making the same query. An adapter for the wall plug port into a vehicle cigarette lighter for the EBL908 would also solve this problem for me. Basically, I want an additional portable battery charger like the CEF23 but with the ability to put four 10,000 mah D cell batteries into it and use it as a 40,000 mah battery bank that I can charge in house or car. Thank you for taking the time to read my post and consider my request. Have a super awesome day! ^_^
I've used nothing that meets your needs, the problem is the 9V side of things, not many have that. The other problem is the 4 D cells, most will fit 2, very few can fit 4. The Dragon can and it's one of the few that does that can. The other issue is using the lighter car port, most don't offer this (again Dragon does it doesn't do 9v though) You are likely to need 2 chargers for your needs. The EBL I have not tried I did their AA/AAA charger
very useful video, can you recommend me charger for 18650 IMR? you've been test all charger i would be happy if you recommend better charger for my batteries
I can't recommend because I don't know what you want. The reason I made the video is these are the recommended chargers, pick the one that suits your needs best
I've not used the Fenix so have a look around see if there are other reviews of it. The 500s again not used it There are some decent review here, he has looked at some others I have not lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20LiitoKala%20Lii-500S%20UK.html
I was just looking at this Efest Luc V8 it charges 8 batteries, It also charges 20700/21700 batteries, Any thoughts on that charger? I know this video is over a year old
Hello, thank you for all the reviews, please I must make a purchase of a charger for 4 batteries, with us there are three models available: Nitecore D4, Nitecore UM4, Xtar VC4. What is the best choice ?
Hello. Does the xtar vc4 or vc2 perhaps, charge AA/AAA battery such as Panasonic’s eneloop? Please I need your answers I need to buy the xtar vc2 for my 18650 batteries but I also want to make sure it does charge the eneloops to maximize the usage of the charger. Thank you
How's it goin mate? I've almost a decade old charger that's pretty similar to the Lii-NL4. Have you heard of the brand GP Batteries? They used to have a charger with 2 of the 9volt charging bay but 4 bays for charging double As and triple As. Its rare AF nowadays.
The GP cells are fairly decent from what I can remember (used a few). The charger I think you are on about is alright, but like most they are usually manual/timer v cutting the charge when it's finished. So I suggest going for the smart chargers myself
@@MrBazReviews it uses peak delta detection kind of cutoff. Not bad frankly. Never had a single problem so far. But the VC4 and the D4 is the modern charger now. I wonder what happen with Ansmann and Varta these days?
Video explains everything you need to know, so pick what suits best. Outdoor what? too vague I show multiple models some are USB (Klarus etc is just fine). Xtar I have less interest in recently
Not sure what charging speed you want the Opus is a reasonable choice for most as you have faster charging and testing. It's one of the better buys for many users
I have v star but I see it often charging batteries at lower than 0.5 amps for some reason with only 2 batteries in I don't know why is that but when switch it off for 10 seconds and switch it on again it starts at 0.5 normal or if choose the sides slots for 1 amp can someone explain why is this happening and 8f that's a problem or it means something???
Use the Opus for quicker Ni-MH charging, but I don't suggest charging AAA above 500mAh or AA above 1.0amp (for high capacity cells), the Zanflare will also do the job reasonably well (C4)
My opus charger, which I have had for 4 years, has failed, it charges the cells to 4.6v on one slot😒 I'm looking for a good charger now, skyrc is nice, but the price is a bit too high
What charger for 2 x 21700 batteries liitokalas lii 50E i use them in convoy flashlight i cannot choice between nitecore um2 and xtar vc2? Maybe you can reccomend me something? And tell me why? P. S I also recently found some BASEN chargers also not expensive also a pick for example BD2 and BC2. (I search on aliexpress) please help i Just want to charge batteries and i am not expert in batteries amperes and other stuff i want Just to charge.
Links to chargers (using these helps support the creation of more videos) Amazon USA/Can/Europe/UK links:
Simple Li-ion Chargers:
Xtar MC Series - amzn.to/3uwhnNl
Multi- Format Single Slot:
Klarus K1 - amzn.to/3tHXovJ
Advanced Dual Slot:
Nitecore F2 - amzn.to/3wEPogS
Budget 4 Bay (AAA/AA/9V):
LiitoKala Lii - NL4 - amzn.to/3DhYt0I
Ultra Compact Portable Charger:
Olight UMC - amzn.to/3iCqNRK
4 Bay LCD Charger Multi-Format:
D4/VC4 - amzn.to/3LdvIEQ VC4 - amzn.to/3uARFr3
Miboxer C2 6000 - amzn.to/3wH1giH
Lots of slots/bays charger:
Nitecore I8 - amzn.to/3urJFbE
Budget Tester/Analyser:
Opus BT - C3100 (V2.2) - amzn.to/3LmVAhV
Premium Tester/Analyser:
Xtar Dragon VP4 Plus - amzn.to/3Dg9BuH
Banggood chargers - www.banggood.com/custlink/v33yzvftK1
Help support the channel on patreon! - www.patreon.com/mrbazreviews
Hello my friend
I just subscribed
Can you help me with a small situation ?
I need to charge my 3.6 volt lithium ion battery. This comes out of an st16 yuneec controller.
I have the duo t240 charger. It seems as though the charger will not charge this battery due to the fact that. I cannot set the charger below 3.75 volts.
So I get an error message. Do you have any suggestions ?
Thanks Keith Kuhn
No
LaCrosse?
I just want to charge 4x 18650s... not bothered about the time it takes to charge the cells and I don't need LCD screens... just need to know when they're 100% charged...
...what would you recommend?
I say I don't need an LCD screen... obviously happy with one. But i just want to charge 18650s and am unconcerned about charging speed. Is the VC4 or D4 the best options? Thank you
Appreciate video content! Sorry for chiming in, I would appreciate your initial thoughts. Have you thought about - Rozardner Powerful Battery Reality (erm, check it on google should be there)? It is a great one off product for learning how to recondition an old battery minus the headache. I've heard some incredible things about it and my old buddy Taylor after many years got astronomical results with it.
I went down the list of comments and was very impressed that you took the time to reply to almost every single one.
Cheers to you MrBaz!
I do try, some TH-camrs don't care - I do very much so
Found the Liitokala Lii-500 as a great charger with features like showing the internal resistance and also discharge and recharge the batteries for full test.
Ya thats what i use it is the best for the price i pretty much ignore the resistance it seems to be all over the place and I just ordered a newer version with a different display i think that is the only difference I believe the model was Lii-500s or something but I have not got it yet
@@james10739 I have had lii-500 works good, change it with li-500s looks more premium and last month bough it skyrc imax b6ac v2 wich is great but the downside is if you have batteries under 2,9v doesn't recognise them but li-500s does that..
I tried one quite good some things I'd change but OK
Liitokala Lii-500 is not that great. Super hot with 2450mah 4 slots 1A. Also, after charging if you take out the batteries and put them back the charging starts again. Fail. The charger should know the batteries are already full and stop charging them again.
It is not. For the small lithium batteries AA or AAA 1.5 V it is a dead horse...
This video was absolutely what I was looking for. Thanks
I have the Nitecore d4 and love it, charges everything I need.
D4 is still a good charger, I'd like to see an update and also on the VC4 they could borrow a few features off each other.
opus bt3100 4 me your thoughts?
my fav charger(s) are the xtar vc2 plus and the xtar vc2s. love the simplicity of the vc2 plus and i love the information of the vc2s (if you are buying the vc2 plus or the vc2s buy the one that is cheaper. if you need 2a charging go with the vc2s, but it can charge at 2a only with one bay)
jaakko200987654321 both look really good. I’m wondering if it matters charging AA and AAA Eneloop Pros with .5amp or 1amp will the .5a help them to last longer? Would you happen to know the difference of time it would take to charge a 26650 from an 1a vs 2a charge?
@@hotwater8473 i have no experience with 26650s but i would say it charges twice as fast
also charging the eneloops, 0.5a will make them last longer. but, the vc2s has automatic current selection, so it choosed the best current based on the internal resistsnce
I use the XTAR dragon vp4 Plus and the VC4.
I have the nitecore intellicharger I2 but I never use it makes my batteries hot.
I'm hoping they do new versions of the i2/i4 as heat was an issue on those charger (for Ni-MH cells)
@@MrBazReviews yes every type of battery I ever used got Hot on the i2. Even if you could lower the amperage on it, that would be good.
Nitecore D4 user here, work fine but always makes my (any of them) batteries hot, and it fucks my AAA baterries, some of them almost blow. I never charge my AAA with this charger anymore.
Thank you for this charger roundup.
I'm considering getting one of the Xtar MC series, particularly the MC4. I have no need for AA and other nickel based battery compatibility as I just need a simple 18650 charger for my IMR 18650s that I use on a flashlight as having to swap them out to charge each 18650 through the flashlight is kind of inconvenient.
They are OK the MC range, Nitecore also have a simple range of chargers just come out Ci2 and Ci4. All are easy to use
Thank you for the video. I love my C3100, except the fan. A charger which is IMHO worth to review is the Vapcell S4+
Vapcell were due to send one in, but for some reason backed out of it. I've not heard from them for a long time. So maybe it's not quite as good as it seems.
@@MrBazReviews Still experimenting with the S4+, but without professional test cases or equipment. Oveerall it seems to work nice, have good features is silent at work. On the negative side is the beep-sounds at finishing an action, the lack of charging current 700/750mA (which I prefer with AA NiMH cells). And some details could also be better, the cap test only shows the discharging mAh but not the charging mAh and you have to switch to see the data of the single cells.
@@reifenabhobeler4331 It's probably decent enough, I've no idea why they didn't send one over, but that's how it goes in this game, hit and miss with sent items. It's up to Vapcell, on paper it looks pretty good to me, there are always things to improve on most products
@@MrBazReviews In Budgetlightforum is a topic with an employee from Vapcell. It looks like a new/modified revision of the S4+ is in the work, I hope the the ringtone is not the only one topic they edit ;)
I'm sure glad I watched this video!!! I searched several ways for the best battery tester recharger and only a few came up. I have now started researching the chargers you recommend. The last charger you talk about is a little over $100 and will probably be my next charger. Happy Holidays 🎅🤶
Thanks hope it helped
Vc4 has stand the test of time for me worth the 12$ i paid for it.
It's one of the better ones, shame their QC has slipped
Thanks for your review and list of various type of chargers. The choices seem overwhelming when I began my search for a charger. Decided on a Klarus K1 since it fits my needs.
The K1 doesn't get a lot of attention, but it should because it offers a lot very capable charger and choice of speeds. Which is why I included it I use it all the time often keep it in the car as it can charge Ni-MH as well and at good speeds 0.5/1.0 amp. Not many chargers around portable ones that can do 3 types of Li-ion and Ni-MH/Ni-CD
Cheers for the comment!
Thank you! I'm a bit of a nerd and wanted a charger that can display the capacity of the battery since that is one of the first issues I run into when trying to recharge cells I have no info on.
You have a few choices remember it's not always 100% accurate but enough to see if cells are worn
@@MrBazReviewsI just watched your updated video on chargers - I don't think I need a premium charger with too many features - the one thing was like you mentioned; to see how worn a cell might be, without needing to worry about setting charging voltages etc.
Thanks!
Note that the nitecore digicharger d4 does fit flattop 21700s.
They're too tight on the D4
Excellent reviewer I always look up your reviews before I purchase anything and never been letdown keep up the good work
Thanks Tony I try my best regardless of the type of product to pick out the good and weak stuff, obviously it's open to debate but still hopefully useful to viewers!
I need a charger for 21700. Xtar Dragon, Opus or Gyrfalcon All-88? I would take the Opus but I've seen people having issues with them, failing after a year and a half and overcharging. It's also a PMW and not constant current.
Choice is yours I find the Opus good despite a few who moan, the Dragon is fine but limited in charging currents, it is also expensive in some places
@@MrBazReviews You think the Opus is a decent option despite the pulsing charge? There won't be any problems with the batteries? I need it for 20700 batteries. I don't know offhand what max size battery it accepts
What would be yout top for 2021
?
The Opus is still the best overall for most users
I've bought two VC4s in the past (at two different times) they sleep in the box.
My experience with them has been bad.
I love Xtar and only use them to charge my batteries but this model gave me problems.
A long time has passed, however, I remember that with each movement of the cable the charge decreased or in any case I had a fluctuating charge at every slightest movement of the cable or the charger.
The dealer sent me a replacement cable but the problem remained.
I have almost all of their models, especially the small ones with one, two or three slots.
A model that I love is the X2 and X4, efficient and very versatile.
The cable could be better, though I rarely move it so have not had a problem. They do have an updated version which has a type C port, not used it myself.
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for the information, I did not know this model. I have seen now that it is called VC4 L.
In the meantime I took my old VC4 out of the box after a long time - it works but it went crazy at first (it showed Full with no battery inserted when I moved the connector) I was never sure if it was the cable or a bad contact of the connector on the charger side (I have two of VC4 with the same problem)
Also the old VC4 seems to dislike some USB meter brands, with some of them not reaching the speed promised. (with USB meter brand Xtar and X-Dragon it looks ok)
Thanks for your work, your videos are always interesting
@@stefanozebralight518 I don't deal with Xtar at this time nor have done for a while. I didn't have a problem with the VC4 I had myself (I bought it). I'm sure there are some QC issues with the brand though, one reason I stopped doing reviews on their products.
One of the very best informative videos on various Smart Batteries' Chargers. Keep the good job up.
Thank you very much! I try to keep it easy to watch
Thank you very much! I try to keep it easy to watch
Well. I bougt Xtar Dragon Plus and Xtar VC8. I did a lot of tests now in 1 week time with 2600mah 18650 cells. Every cell with Dragon did shows much higher capacity as VC8 Grinding. For VC8 the capacity was from 2630mah till 2710mah while Dragon measurements on discharge or charge was starting from 2700mah till 2950mah. Didnt matter if charged/discharged with 0.5A, 1A or Refresh option. Also Dragon charges the battery to 4.26V while VC8 4.20V when measured with 9V. With 20V there is 4.19V for Dragon, but 4.14V with VC8. So, - if there is no capacity info label on cell wrap - you better not use Xtar Dragon for to know the real capacity and dont even think to mix them with other cells wich capacities are tested with another tester/dis/charger. After these long tests in my assessment - Dragon Plus not what to go for to have acurate readings. I ordered now VC8 Plus and will always work only with them now as I want perfect readings.
Also VC8 looks to me that it is balancing the cells a bit. It does "play" with charging current in some times even if the current is set lower. Oh, yeah - DRagon also doesnt show acurate %%%%. I know Dragon Plus is not the first version of Dragon, but it feels like it is or even like a prototype wich is not ready for costumer use.
I found the dragon to be OK for accuracy, and I have not seen a problem with missing termination. However, this was some time ago, I'm not overly convinced with Xtar's quality control with later models, to the point I don't even bother looking at them for review. So if you are having issues, then I suggest going back to the retailer or Xtar on this.
I can only go what I have used myself, and my own experience.
Most testers are a bit off, the ones here should be within acceptable limits. The SkyRC charger is the most accurate, however it is expensive
You need to forward your issues to Xtar directly, putting them here isn't going to reach them or get any obvious exposure
their is a switch on the in side on the right hand side when its up side
down looks like it changes the voltage 4.2 and 4.32 and 3.7 volt is labeled
on the board opus bt-c3400
Yes this is well known the thing is put it on the outside lol!
Great video, but perhaps it's a bit dated? What would you indicate nowadays?
Looking for something in the middle, not the fanciest, but not the cheapest either.
I wouldn't change much being honest, reason is the udpated Xtar ones are worse than the older ones! I might do a new one next year if I find other chargers. Go for the Opus charger if you want a tester, otherwise the VC4 is better than the VC4s. I'm waiting for Nitecore to release new chargers, but they have not so far
@@MrBazReviews Great, thank you!
That was very useful video. Thanks for taking the time to do a round up of chargers.
No problem hope it was of use might change over time I'd like to see the D4/VC4 get an update. I had a few questions on suggested chargers so thought it best to do an easy to view round up of recommended ones. There really isn't one fits all for these types of products. Thanks for the comment
I actually bought a D4 based not only your review but the fact that it kept popping up in other reviews. Good solid charger, a work horse.
Have both a old nitecore i4 and old d2 and they both have ran and worked without question just ordered me a new i4 with a screen I use these for both lithium and nimh batteries
They are useful and priced at OK levels
I remember a few years ago on some shopping channel a battery charger that could charge any type or size of regular "throw away" batteries, &also repeatedly for same batteries. (I think it was called "the battery genius") but browsing the internet absolutely no one sells them or anything like them, & I'm wondering why?
It was probably a marketing gimmick, many of these shopping channel things are. I would forget about it and just get a normal charger!
@@MrBazReviews I have an original lloytron B1550 intelligent charger that does charge alkaline batteries, it's very good. However I bought a Chinese copy to take to work and it doesn't work with alkaline batteries so be aware. @The Gatsby
Thanks for saving my money, almost bought the N4 when it didn't support 21700.
Glad I could help
Every nitecore charger I've had failed. My Efest LUC V4 has been rock solid going on 5 years now
If Efest send review units in I'll take a look at them
Good video. Nice review of the chargers. I have had and used the Vitovill Universal Intelligent Battery Charger with LCD Display ( HXY-H4 ). It's a 4 slot charger that has support for most common types of rechargable batteries. Recently i came across some 1.5 v Li-Io aaa / aa batteries - they seem to be working well. Have you used any of these batteries and what are your thoughts about them?
Lithium AA/AAA 1.5V are disposable they last longer than alkaline cells some use them in devices where they don't want to change cells often/and they have a long storage life. Important thing is not to recharge them, depends what you use them for longer term Ni-MH rechargeable is much more cost effective
Any charger that can charge 2amp across all 4bays?
Not many can, the SKY RC MC3000 can
@@MrBazReviews $114 sheesh., So steep 😂
@@NoobWardenSpammer Not cheap is it!
Hi - after five years :) I have found óver years Zanflare C4 extremely useful with recovering 18500 cells from very low voltage state. Basically it charges cells fast up to 1.9 volts and switch after that automatically to li-Ion mode without errors or interrupting a charge. After that cells will be charged normally up to 4.1 to 4.2 Volts. Can anyone tell if some of these chargers or some newer ones will work with same way?
Many chargers do this, but some don't I'd have to re-test them to see which ones does or don't. The C4 is pretty good overall
@@MrBazReviews Thanks! I have noticed a same - I have one charger which is useless with cells on this state. It just doesn't start to charge at all. This is really useful function on C4, I need to buy a few charger more and C4 is really hard to find anymore.
Hi, did you ever try the Liitokala Lii-260? It's a very interest option for the price (about $10-$15) with 2 slots, resistance check, capacity test and lcd with backlight. Good review!
Not tried it but looks interesting if I get hold of one will see later on maybe
Quick and very informative. Thanks
Just bought a couple of Hank Wang flashlights not knowing I was going to need a battery charger does the xtar dragon plus do unprotected batteries the batteries are 21700 and 26650 flat top unprotected that the light takes
The Dragon charges both of those cells
@@MrBazReviews thank you!!!
Do you know of a charger that works like the xtar sv2? It's supposed to be able to charge very discharged ones that others may not. Mine the spring broke on the negative contact that holds in place & see MANY others have had the same issue with these, some said they were even sent a replacement & it broke the same way after a few months. So was hoping you could know of another brand with same features since xtar seems to be junk.
I never used that model, the other Xtar's seem to be OK from longer term use. Nitecore also have activation for over discharged cells
Great Vid, have you reviewed any chargers with international/european adapters
You can go for a figure of 8 powered charger they are all worldwide voltages and it's a universal connector very common. Other than that you can convert plugs, not many I've seen with built in or in the box adapters
Nitecore i8 is in the video 8 bay charger decent enough
You mention a few chargers that can handle 21700 unprotected, but none for 21700 protected. Do you have a recommendation?
The magnetic Olight is mentioned as it's not a defined length it works with protected 21700 cells that is clearly shown in the video 2:40
Nitecore UM2 and UM4 can take protected 21700, very few can
What about Liito Kala Lii-402? Universal 4 bay charger, power bank function, usb powered and only $10.
I've not used it, from what I see it's probably just fine
Firstly may i just say i love your style and the clear information you provide in your product reviews, and I would like your input to a problem i have started to have regarding my i4 nitecore charger, it's the older version, it will charge but one of the bays seems well behind the others, yet if i take the battery out and place it in another slot it will show fully charged...would you say it's ready for replacing? thanks in advance..rich.
Hi Richard have you tested the voltage on the cell when you take it out? That way you will know if it's getting a full charge, most are around 4.17-4.20V when finished. It's not uncommon for chargers to not charge when a near full charge cell is inserted so that's why I suggest checking the voltage. If one is charging slow might be the transformer output not as high as it was if it's old you could replace it, I'd check it via a voltmeter just to see.
cheers for the reply, it will show full when i place it into my mods but i don't have a voltage meter but i think it would be worth while just to go through the stack of 18650 i have thanks again regards rich. tempted to buy the new i2 2017 supposed to charge twice as quick....i'll have a look around your reviews.
A bit late but you should look also for Vapcell S4 plus as has a tons of features like the dragon but a much reasonable price.
Vapcell were supposed to send one in, but they didn't. So that is their loss
I won't recommend something I have not used
Thanks for these detailed reviews. What do you think about the AccuPower IQ338, IQ338XL, IQ328+ and the DNT Smart Pro? I will be appreciated if you could share your advices.
I've not used them and there seem to be not many reviews on them. So I can't say price is a bit high I think you're better served with either the Opus or Zanflare C4 is also worth looking at
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for your answer. I decided that to buy the Opus but I need your professional advice which model could you advise me for the other possibility ? So I can share my experience with you when I have it if I buy the AccuPower or DNT.
@@tcirit I just told you I have no experience of them, so it wouldn't be sensible to recommend them or not I have no idea if they are any good. I also gave you an alternative the C4 Zanflare. That's as far as I go if I have no use of a product I can't give you information on it. It is strange though that nobody has done a review on them, in other words they're not sending items for review, that is a red flag to me
Thanks for sharing the info regarding the various chargers. Question for you. On the Xtar Dragon VP4 plus charger, does it reconditions the batteries?
The VP4 Plus can activate low voltage batteries (so can the VC4 and some other chargers). Some chargers won't even charge low voltage cells (if it's below a certain level), they can but it doesn't always mean the battery is going to be in good condition, sometimes they can be fine best to run a discharge test to weed out poor cells.
Hey thank you for the great video, so it's been 3 years..... which one would be the better charger for 18650 batteries if price wasn't a deciding factor?
Thanks
Overall I think the Opus is the best offering, in terms of functionality and features/price. It is not perfect, however it should meet the needs of most users.
@@MrBazReviews thank you
Hello.
Your doing a great job. Very informative videos.
Btw. Do you have any experience of the "Efest luc blu6 oled", is it worth the money?
Regards.
I've not used any of the Efest chargers so hard to say really, guide is based on ones I've used and tried for extended time. Depends if you need more than 4 bays I'll have a look at it if I can get one
The Efest uses bluetooth, so if your stuck on the couch, watching a movie when the batteries are charging, you get all the information on your iphone/android. Seems handy.
Any opinion on Zanflare C4 ? Seems to have a very good reputation, thanks for your vids, very informative.
The Zanflare is decent just felt a few things missing like activation and IMO the Opus has the advantage overall (that also lacks activation at 0V) I prefer the Opus which is why I gave that a pick. It's an alright charger though the Zanflare
Very helpful review thanks :)
Hi Mr Baz, mr nuisance again sorry.
So as of today do you think (im gettin myself all confused) that the xtar dragon vp4 plus is still the better option?? Does it warrant the £30_£40 difference from the opus ( nxt down on your list)?
I pre- dominantely use only Ni mh AA/ AAA but i like to think that I may have the "c" and other options maybe at a later date. I dont vape but maybe some of the other sizes and chemical make ups may come useful at a later date. I also like the idea it comes with both power supply's, test cables and carry pouch. I dont really want to keep buying battery specific chargers.. any advice?
Also i see in some of your vids, a USB TESTER. Any chance of a link?
Thanks buddy.
Just get the Opus if you're not charging tons of different types the Dragon is slightly better accuracy but not much difference
USB testers have a look here:
amzn.to/2oEN60y
I'd be interested in a review of USB battery chargers using a USB solar panel as the power source. I'd also like to see a review of the little Xiaomi ZI5 Ni-MH AA/AAA USB Battery Charger and also how it works connected to a solar panel as a power source.
I can try it's sometimes tricky to get samples in but I'll see if I can find a few more the Xiaomi looked interesting will do my best over time to look at more. I've covered a fair few in this - as said a lot of variables with chargers/panels I saw someone say they had problems with the F2, but I've never had an issue with my panel (ie overcast then sun conditions). I know some charges need a min power output to start charging, some will do a lower charge.
Very useful overview - thanks! I have one question, though - can you recommend a charger for "gumstick" NiMH or NiCd batteries? e.g. the ones used in Sony Disc/Walkmans (the originals were NiCd 1.2v 600mAh, but replacements are NiMH 1.2v 1300mAh). These batteries have similar dimensions to the 18650 Li-ion battery, but are rectangular rather than cylindrical - I was wondering whether I could wedge the gumsticks in a charger so that they make good contact at both ends.
I know the type of battery if you can make a contact with the terminals it will charge but the suggested charging current is quite low usually 300mAh or lower so I would pick a charger that can charge at that level ie with manual settings. The replacements are probably overstating the capacity so they are very likely a bit under the original Sony ones. Any charger will work off of the voltage it detects so it knows it's Ni-CD or Ni-MH and not Li-ion thus should terminate at around 1.5V (sometimes goes a little over that to 1.55V max)
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for that suggestion as I hadn't considered a charger with manually selectable output. I was leaning towards getting one of the XTAR chargers but it looks as if the Nitecore SC or newer UM range might be a better choice. I've had a look at your UM4 review - very helpful, thanks.
hi do you know of a charger that takes aa/aaa/c/d/9v and has a good lcd display that would be the perfect charger thanks.
The problem is the 9V battery, very few chargers have that and support bigger cells. Finding one with a good LCD too is going to be hard. I have not come across one, myself
powerex has one but it only does aa/aaa ill keep looking thanks.
@@davidfarrell7318 As I said the 9V is the problem mostly, so few have it
ok thanks
I have an XTAR VC 4 charger but it keeps telling me my double AA Duracell batteries are full when their not. I take them out and put them back in again and it charges all over to a higher charge...which also takes longer.
See if it happens with other cells or if they are faulty
Is the 3 amps availible for both bays 2 batteries at the same time, 3 amps each? I personally gave up on chargers for e-vape users and went with a 160 dollar RC Radio control hobbyist charger, You can set the amps up high enough to blow up the battery, 2 channels with 6 cell balance charge each. I push to C discharge rate on each battery with no over heats. An other words, a 2000 mah battery is real a 2ah battery [amp hours] I set the charger to push 4 amps in, no problems, charges 4 batteries at the same time with power to spare. I use this for my RC airplane lipo's and yes it takes all types of lithium, nickel manganese etc... 20 minutes 4 batteries charged up full. Vape for 2 days on a 20 watt tank. I think vapor chargers really suck in comparison. YES you can cook your batteries if you over do it. SUPERVISE the charging, feel the batteries every 2 minutes, double charge rate causes me no troubles and charges my batts in 20 minutes. 18650 2800 mah size.
If you mean the Miboxer it can do 3amps per slot, but you will degrade cells leat the 18650 ones faster charging at that speed. That one does monitor temperatures so you shouldn't have issues walking away from it whilst charging. I'm not sure a top end charger is needed for most unless you want to specify the termination voltage or do more extensive testing
Hi mr. Baz great review.. How about nitecore sc4 not even on the list? Is it worth the extra buck compare to um4 n d4? Please advice
It's alright but doesn't have a capacity test and I think it should at the price point it's at
Dayum. Batteries and chargers are a whole-ass different topics now that I'm into flashlights
They are but it's fairly straight forward!
special broadcast ! subscription
Thanks appreciated very much
I bought the dragon yesterday off Amazon. The only reason I got that one over the reg plus is because it says dragon on it lmao
Let me know what you think of it
If i would like to buy a charger mainly to determine LiIo 18650 internal resistance, which one should i buy?
The Opus or the Xtar Dragon both are testers
Just ordered Xtar VC4 from your link. I have few flat batteries, so it's definitely worth it over Nitecore. Cheers
See how you find it, one of their better ones the new models are not as good!
See how you find it, one of their better ones the new models are not as good!
@@MrBazReviews is it worth making an update video on this or not?
@@aggaviriyo790 It would be if there was a lot to change, but there isn't really. I was waiting for a vapcell charger, didn't show up - and I imagined Nitecore would update a few charger, and they have not lol! Xtar released new ones and the 2/4 bay ones were worse than the earlier ones. so at the moment I am thinking I'll update it later this year if I can find a few new ones to include. A D4 update is long overdue, but hasn't arrived. So maybe but not right now as only a few things would change
@@MrBazReviews if the progress in technology is that slow, maybe you should just make a video of the one that catch your attentio in the future
I have read that in the Nitecore i8 it is difficult for AAA batteries to stay in place. Have you made a review for Efest LUC V4?
It's not ideal for AAA cells a bit fiddly. I have not looked at Efest chargers, I tested some cells (that I bought)
I have had 3 of the opus chargers v2.2 and will never buy them again. They have had slot failures one after another over a few years of use and now one went buggo and overheated the cells almost to the point of explosion and I was afraid it fried the cells. I will just replace them all with another brand which is why I am looking at these videos.
Perhaps it's best to leave a review on the places you bought it, might get a bit more impact
SkyRC MC 3000 - costs approximately as Xtar Dragon VP4 Plus but far more functional, upgradeable firmware + has 30 individually manually amendable programs to run (with charging and discharging currents fine tuning).
It is weird you do not mention it here (within such "$100 and below" affordable chargers list).
If you watch the video I only comment on "chargers I have used" so can't recommend items I have no experience of, for obvious reasons as I do reviews I have to test the chargers. If SkyRC want to send me a charger to test and review I'll take a look at it. Nothing weird about the video 227 people found it useful and 5 didn't ;-) If you're one of the 5 then good luck to you!
@@MrBazReviews "found it useful" - I did. For the name of "Top Picks" I only pointed out that the most obvious candidate (that sums up and exceeds most of them) is missing there - and that is rather odd for such a line of chinese chargers.
I personally spend about a week in search for either likes of Opus BT - C3100 for $25 mentioned above (and decided to get DLYFULL T5 tester charger instead as portable one) or likes of Xtar Dragon VP4 Plus for about $100 (for nearly all in one domestic charger purpose) - and decided to get SkyRC MC 3000 instead due to its far greater multi-functionality.
"only comment on "chargers I have used" - my bad, missed that point. "Top Picks of chargers I have used" should make the review more specific in this way, IMHO.
"If SkyRC want to send me a charger to test and review" - no idea at all. I would not ever mind it in such a way - I am a user and buy what I need as a tool after some research.
@@morzh1978 The Opus should be around least it was last I checked. I did a review on the Dragon and it has plenty of areas I would change which I went into detail on - but it delivers in most areas even if it's a bit simple on settings. Thing is unless I get sent items I don't have the resources to keep buying them in hence the SkrRC comment - it would take a long time to cover the charger in detail, but I have to have a sample to try. I have bought a few in myself but now rely on makers sending them, some don't anymore (such as Miboxer) because I wasn't overly happy with a few they sent so they stopped sending them, even with that I recommended one as I felt it was good. The video is about trying to make a simple guide for people who might want a charger - breaking it into categories ie to suit their needs.
The SkyRC is aimed at a high end user who needs testing abilities beyond what most would so rather niche - but if I try one at some point I will add it if I feel it's worthy if I make an updated video maybe next year or whenever it seems appropriate. Video was never meant to be the definitive guide to chargers, it's really about what I think is good out of the ones I have used. Hence it might be useful to people who want this information
@@MrBazReviews "testing abilities beyond what most would so rather niche" - I was rather attracted to firmware upgradeability to keep compatibility with newer accumulator battery types + ability to mend some settings for charge and discharge cycles mostly (for many batteries, mostly AAA sized, either 0,5A or 1A only steps are suboptimal).
Having no more than $100 for a flexible charger that suits all batteries I already have + ones I plan and would plan to buy, I decided to get that MC3000 - even despite it is somehow annoying for unexperienced user.
I was also surprised that XTARs of comparable pricing are narrower in even basic functionality that any user may need to mend one day, especially if he tries to squeeze out the most of some ageing cells.
@@morzh1978 I told Xtar to improve the Dragon by offering more charging speeds (ie 250mA and 1500mA in addition to the 0.5/1.0/2.0 speeds) and make it so users can adjust the slot charging speeds rather than all of them. They seem to have a design idea that making things really simple is the way forward. But IMO it means less appeal for the user. Despite those weak points the charging quality is good, as is build and the capacity testing also accurate based on long term use.
With the SkyRC I would have to use it to find out how I get on with it that also means how it's used and if it's fiddly or not. I have read some issues on build with spring retainers snapping etc, so I'm not sure how it holds up unless I use one for a longer period of time.
With the newer 21700 cells expect more chargers to come out supporting these (esp protected ones which fit in very few chargers)
Thanks a lot very helpful.
Thanks
would you choose the Dragon VP4 over the SkyRC MC3000?
Dragon is simple to use, but lacks individual charging slot control, the Sky RC is complicated (but has a simple mode)
The Sky is probably the better charger overall if you need fine control over everything
The Nitecore apparenly does passthrough.
Yes it does
I am going to buy a Energizer charger that comes with 4 AA NiMH 1300mAh Rechargeable batteries, will this charger also be able to charge my other 4 NiMH AA batteries that are 2800mAh, 1300mAh to 2800mAh is a big increase.
It will work it depends if it's a timer charger (ie shuts off after a certain limit) or a smart one (terminates when done)
Capacity won't matter it will work
Hey bud, thanks for sharing this. Your take on the miboxer c8 ?
I've not used it so can't really say looks respectable enough
which can be used as powerbank, i.e. have USB output? Can i out one 21700 battery and then use as USB output to charge my phone?
The F2 Nitecore can do that, but the best power banks are better than any charger/power bank. ie Xiaomi make the best ones.
Stay away from nitecore d4, house nearly went up in flames a few days ago because of it
I've not seen that problem fortunately!
Great Review & Great Chargers Picks !
Hopefully will be useful for some wanted to make a quick video on recommended chargers for a while, just needed to use enough of them over time to create it! thanks for the comment
Thanks.
just bought an XTAR VC8 which I'll be using mainly for testing capacity and internal resistance of 18650s and AAs - I found out about the Opus a day later and it seems like it's everybody's favorite. would you recommend I return the XTAR and buy the Opus instead? thank you
Depends if you are happy with it, the Opus is pretty good, though it has it's drawbacks too
@@MrBazReviews I graded some old AA 2500 mAh Eneloops (6 years) and it showed 2100-2200 for all but one that was 28mAh OVER its rated capacity. which made me doubt its accuracy. managed to grade some new 18650 LG cells today, rated at 3100 mAh and it showed me 3292 and 3284mAh. they're either very good LG cells or the charger is off - this is the only thing that's making me consider the Opus. thank you for your reply.
@@MindStormStudio A lot of the testers tend to give slightly higher readings, the SkyRC is quite accurate, but it's expensive. The Opus also reads a little high, so I don't think you will gain much in accuracy
Hi if we want to open litokala 6 slot charger so which type or size of screw driver will required pls tell
A Philips should do the job
Whats the best charger can you recommend for my weapon tac light batteries? Using surefire cr123a 3v / 3.2v.. whats the safest for these? Been having a hard time looking for one and researching.. thanks
They're non rechargeable cells, if that's the voltage. The re-chargeable cells are RCR CR123A or 16340. I use soshine 16340, capacity is around 700mAh, the non re-chargeable ones are about 1500mAh
Battery life being of higher priority than charging speed, which one would you suggest for 18650 batteries ? For AA and AAA batteries I use the usb based sanyo charger with my eneloop batteries, is anything better for charging those ?
If it's in the video I've used and tested it so I am happy to recommend any of the ones in the video. Speed can matter to some, others not. A choice is a good thing. For a multi format the D4 or VC4 are solid well proven chargers that don't cost much either. For AA/AAA they work fine the VC4 is easier to use (just use the slots for charging speed) or I recently looked at a Nitecore UM4 that goes a nice job on Li-ion and Ni-MH with a choice of low or faster speeds (I got it after I made the video it might have got into this list still using it!)
I just received my Opus 2400. When are my AA rechargeable batteries junk? What reading will I see in the display?
Compare label capacity in mAh to actual discharge test results
@@MrBazReviews Thanks! I started the discharge of 4 AA yesterday as soon as I received it. So I should be looking for a percentage of the mAh capacity? What percentage of the NEW mAh capacity determines the battery is ready for the garbage?
I have 4x AA NiMH Rechargeable batteries that I have used before but I haven't used them in around a year or so, should I just charge them or should I full discharge then in my smart battery charger.
I'd run a charge/discharge on them it can help
Please do the Nitecore ums2/4. Thanks.
Video on UM4 has already been done here:
th-cam.com/video/dhLMH5Og8QU/w-d-xo.html
That is a review of um4 not the requested ums 4. This is the ums4 www.nitecorestore.com/NITECORE-UMS4-Four-Slot-Superb-Battery-Charger-p/chg-nite-ums4.htm
@@timevans4981If you watch the video the differences between the UM4 and UM4S are clearly explained. The UM4S offers faster charging speeds and faster default charging speeds. Otherwise they are "identical" in terms of the design and display etc. I got a UM4 to review, not a UM4S but bothered to supply that information. Those videos take quite a long time to make, it would be utterly pointless to make a separate video on the UM4S even if I got one in
Why can i not find a charger that can limit the max voltage. I have lots of 18650 that will lay around fully charged, which isn't the best for the cells. Why not have a charger that can stop at a voltage I can select between 3,9V and 4.2V for these. It would make my 18650 last way longer.
Probably as most don't need it, but you can achieve the same by not discharging cells as much. It will do the same thing as not charging them under 4.20V. Most chargers go a little under the 4.20V, Nitecore tend to average about 4.17V sometimes 4.16V
SkyRC do a charger that you can set the voltage termination if you want that. It's not included here as I have not used one, nor have the sent one for review
Luv my Nitecore ums2 charger 💪
Yeah it's quite useful
Can you recommend a decent D cell battery charger (that also charges C, AA, AAA & 9v) that has ALL the functionality of the Duracell CEF23 and the EBL908?
The EBL 906 appears to have a port for a cigarette lighter charging cable (the EBL 908 does NOT have this port but does have 2 USB charging ports) but i have not yet found conformation on this just other people making the same query.
An adapter for the wall plug port into a vehicle cigarette lighter for the EBL908 would also solve this problem for me.
Basically, I want an additional portable battery charger like the CEF23 but with the ability to put four 10,000 mah D cell batteries into it and use it as a 40,000 mah battery bank that I can charge in house or car.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and consider my request. Have a super awesome day! ^_^
I've used nothing that meets your needs, the problem is the 9V side of things, not many have that. The other problem is the 4 D cells, most will fit 2, very few can fit 4. The Dragon can and it's one of the few that does that can. The other issue is using the lighter car port, most don't offer this (again Dragon does it doesn't do 9v though)
You are likely to need 2 chargers for your needs. The EBL I have not tried I did their AA/AAA charger
Hey Mr. Baz, could you take a look at the Accupower IQ338XL charger? I'd like to see more reviews on it. There doesn't seem to be many in english.
Depends if I can get hold of one resources are limited at the moment so I rely on makers to send items in
@@MrBazReviews ok thank you my friend for everything that you do!
Very useful video, thanks
very useful video, can you recommend me charger for 18650 IMR?
you've been test all charger i would be happy if you recommend better charger for my batteries
I can't recommend because I don't know what you want. The reason I made the video is these are the recommended chargers, pick the one that suits your needs best
which one do you recommend for LIfep04 26650 for resistance test and discharging capacity? thanks
The Opus you can change voltage termination with the switch inside
For 18650, 14500, panasonic eneloop aa and aaa batteries FENİX ARE-A4 or LiitoKala Lii-500S, and why?
I've not used the Fenix so have a look around see if there are other reviews of it. The 500s again not used it
There are some decent review here, he has looked at some others I have not
lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20LiitoKala%20Lii-500S%20UK.html
Which is the best charger to charge the batteries fully and charge different kinds of batteries such as AA to 18650 batteries?
The video shows recommended chargers and different types for various cells, so watching it tells you all you need to know
I'm very satisfied with my LiitoKala Lii-500 Engineer charger. 😊
@@davidbolha does your charger charge normal Duracell AA batteries and does it charge fast???
@@josephnaki2785 You have options in the choice of charging currents you choose.
300, 500, 700 mA & 1 A
I was just looking at this Efest Luc V8 it charges 8 batteries, It also charges 20700/21700 batteries, Any thoughts on that charger? I know this video is over a year old
Nothing has changed as far as the video goes, ie new chargers I have used. I simply have not used or tried the Efest ones so can't comment.
Can you fit gumstick batteries into the Opus BT-C3100 ?
Evidently you can but I don't have any to try
Hello, thank you for all the reviews, please I must make a purchase of a charger for 4 batteries, with us there are three models available: Nitecore D4, Nitecore UM4, Xtar VC4. What is the best choice ?
Pick which suits you best the VC4 is the best value one and works fine for Li-ion and Ni-MH
@@MrBazReviews Thinks 😉
Hello. Does the xtar vc4 or vc2 perhaps, charge AA/AAA battery such as Panasonic’s eneloop? Please I need your answers I need to buy the xtar vc2 for my 18650 batteries but I also want to make sure it does charge the eneloops to maximize the usage of the charger. Thank you
Both support AA/AAA Ni-MH cell charging ie VC2/VC4
maybe you would tesyt everActive UC-4000?
Maybe I can try to get hold of one later on
I rely mostly on makers to send items
How's it goin mate? I've almost a decade old charger that's pretty similar to the Lii-NL4. Have you heard of the brand GP Batteries? They used to have a charger with 2 of the 9volt charging bay but 4 bays for charging double As and triple As. Its rare AF nowadays.
The GP cells are fairly decent from what I can remember (used a few). The charger I think you are on about is alright, but like most they are usually manual/timer v cutting the charge when it's finished. So I suggest going for the smart chargers myself
@@MrBazReviews it uses peak delta detection kind of cutoff. Not bad frankly. Never had a single problem so far. But the VC4 and the D4 is the modern charger now. I wonder what happen with Ansmann and Varta these days?
hello mr.
what do you recommend for outdoor xtar x2, xtar pb2s or xtar st 2. Or is there a better choice. Please reply. thanks
Video explains everything you need to know, so pick what suits best. Outdoor what? too vague I show multiple models some are USB (Klarus etc is just fine). Xtar I have less interest in recently
If I'm needing to charger 4 x 21700 batteries at the same time, what would be your recommendation?
Not sure what charging speed you want the Opus is a reasonable choice for most as you have faster charging and testing. It's one of the better buys for many users
I have v star but I see it often charging batteries at lower than 0.5 amps for some reason with only 2 batteries in I don't know why is that but when switch it off for 10 seconds and switch it on again it starts at 0.5 normal or if choose the sides slots for 1 amp can someone explain why is this happening and 8f that's a problem or it means something???
Check the input power source
Hello. Kindly suggest 4 bays good fast charger for NiMH AAA and AA batteries
Use the Opus for quicker Ni-MH charging, but I don't suggest charging AAA above 500mAh or AA above 1.0amp (for high capacity cells), the Zanflare will also do the job reasonably well (C4)
thx
Which battery charger do you recommend with USB-C input (QC3 or PD speeds)?
No many the VC8 is QC compatible the UM Nitecore ones also are decent enough
Please review the Maha Powerex MH C9000
I'll try to get hold of one if I can
My opus charger, which I have had for 4 years, has failed, it charges the cells to 4.6v on one slot😒
I'm looking for a good charger now, skyrc is nice, but the price is a bit too high
The SKY is good but it is a bit expensive depends if you need the testing ability or not
@@MrBazReviews I replaced 4 capacitors, they looked swollen, and it probably will be fine 😏
@@Xaimee39 Fair enough if that fixes it ;-D
What charger for 2 x 21700 batteries liitokalas lii 50E i use them in convoy flashlight i cannot choice between nitecore um2 and xtar vc2? Maybe you can reccomend me something? And tell me why?
P. S I also recently found some BASEN chargers also not expensive also a pick for example BD2 and BC2. (I search on aliexpress) please help i Just want to charge batteries and i am not expert in batteries amperes and other stuff i want Just to charge.
UM2 is pretty good the S version is faster