Help me pick a new charger!

[rockz4532]

I have a nano charger to charge my 123's, and my 17670's. I noticed...
-The charger is SSLLOOWW!!! it takes maybe 4 hours to charge a RCR, and 8 hours for a 17670??? Ridiculous.
-My way of charging 17670s is magnets and wires:nana: not too safe...

So... I want a new charger, but I dont use that many Li-ions, so i want a cheap charger, say 10-15 dollars?
I'm thinking of the 2nd gen WF-139, but I read it has a different circuit?
Will it charge at least twice as fast as my nano? Is it safe?
Are there any other chargers that are better for the price?
BTW, im charging all AW .
I wanted to get some opinions before I buy it.

Thanks in advance!
- Brian

 

[Black Rose]

I had a WF-139 but sold it after buying a couple Yoho-122 (aka Dual Pocket Charger) from Battery Station (bottom of the linked page).

I use a WF-138 for 16340 cells.

 

[Toaster]

DSD Charger (DX sku 936) + Nokia ACP-8U Power Supply (Ebay Link) is great for charging RCR123s. Gives you a 500mA charge rate which charges a RCR123 in a little over an hour. See following links for more info: 1, 2

 

[rockz4532]

Are there any good chargers from DX? I'm making an order from them soon, so I thought I would get a better charger and throw it in.

 

[LukeA]

The sku.6105 has some good reviews and a charging current appropriate for 17670s and 18650s. It's $8. The WF-139 at $12.30 is a good choice for RCRs, but can get tedious charging more capacious cells.

 

[lolzertank]

The sku.6105 has some good reviews and a charging current appropriate for 17670s and 18650s. It's $8. The WF-139 at $12.30 is a good choice for RCRs, but can get tedious charging more capacious cells.

+1 Mine charges at about 800ma per channel, a bit less than the rated 1A but still fairly fast. Just don't use it on non-IMR 16340s.

 

[tabetha]

My WF 139 is slowly but surely becoming worse the more I use it, it's not an isolated case either, I'm actually looking for the best charger for 123's and 18650's, not bothered about cost just need reliability.
I would not buy another 139, but sure that lots are perfectly ok.
tabetha

 

[rockz4532]

Ok ill just try out the sku6105 for now, its only $8.
Im just hoping it charges 800 mah even if only one channel is used, 1600 mah is a bit harsh.
Thanks for all the help!
- Brian

 

[Mjolnir]

I would suggest a Pila IBC, but it seems like you don't want to spend that much. Apparently the Yoho charger is decent. I would stay away from the DSD and ultrafire chargers, which are really not all that good (especially the DSD). Just like a power supply on a computer, a charger is not something you want to go with the cheapest option on.

 

[rockz4532]

I will eventually get the Pila, but I only have $30 worth of batteries to charge, it doesn't need a $50 charger yet.

 

[tabetha]

Sorry for the mini hijack, I'm a anorak can you tell me a bit about the PILA charger please, thanks
tabetha

 

[Black Rose]

Apparently the Yoho charger is decent.

Yes, it is a decent charger, especially at $9 each, but is limited to use on larger cells due to the charging current.

 

[rockz4532]

The Pila charger is considered to be the best Li-ion charger on the market, besides hobby chargers. It follows CC/CV and is extremely safe. It's $50....
Other people can tell you more, I don't have one.