need a durable and reliable 18650 charger.

skyfire

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Dec 4, 2009
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my sister broke the li-ion charger i gave her. it was a cytac charger from 47s many years ago.

now she needs another charger for her e-cig batteries, which are all 18650 size.
she often time leaves the batteries in the charger overnight.

what i want to get her is a charger that is durable, and will hold up to lots of use for many years.
simple to use.
2 or 4 bays is fine.

i tried doing research, and the intellicharger from nitecore, Xtar charger, and thrunite chargers keep popping up. problem is, i cant even trust their lights, how can i trust their chargers? which all seem very similar to one another, with a different name sticker to it.
and quite honestly, those chargers dont look like it'll last a year with heavy use. some of those look very fancy with lots of extra features that i find not necessary. i believe in "the simpler, the better."

im wondering if i should try out the Pila IBC charger? its older, but i dont read of many complaints about them. is it a quality product, built to last?

any help or advise would be appreciated.
 

HKJ

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There is considerable difference between the chargers.
Nitecore i2: Slow, but can also charge NiMH
Nitecore i4: Faster than i2 for two batteries, if loaded in the correct slots. Can also charge NiMH.
Xtar WP2II: Fast/slow setting and can only charge LiIon
Xtar MC1/MC2: Slow, may report finished a bit to early. Very compact and simple LiIon only charger.
Xtar VP2: Top of the line LiIon charger, it is very good, but does have a couple of settings.

The chargers has no problem with heavy use, but rough handling may damage them.
 

sonofjesse

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I wonder how the nitecore d4 is or the thrunite MCC-4 is?

Currently I"m still using the PILA charger it works fine(never no issues), but looking for one with 4 bays. Sorry not trying to hijack but to spur more conversation on this topic.
 

skyfire

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I wonder how the nitecore d4 is or the thrunite MCC-4 is?

Currently I"m still using the PILA charger it works fine(never no issues), but looking for one with 4 bays. Sorry not trying to hijack but to spur more conversation on this topic.

not at all. long term feedback on the Pila charger is exactly what i want to hear. im glad to hear its still working well for you.

so far i like the Xtar and Pila chargers. thank for the feedback gents. keep'em coming
 

skyfire

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ordered the VP2 over the weekend, pretty excited about it. been reading lots of good things about it.
thanks all.
 

archimedes

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I've used the Pila IBC for a couple of years, and recently started using the new Xtar VP2.

Of these two chargers, it seems that the Pila is "sturdier" and (certainly) simpler.

I do like the voltage display on the VP2, but it feels like the batteries don't fit as securely ... perhaps partly due to the spring-loaded sliding contacts and partly due to the larger "cradle" (to accommodate wider cells) ?

The multi-voltage / multi-current options on the VP2 add flexibility, but also complexity.

:caution: very important to check for proper settings when charging

:caution: would not charge unattended

Both chargers have different advantages, but neither is perfect :shrug:
 
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