Maha vs. LaCrosse battery chargers

[blinkjr]

Hi all. Still a newbie trying to learn. I recently purchased a set of Sanyo Eneloops (8xAA/4xAAA/C&D adapters/charger - $20 @ Costco) and I want to ensure that they receive the correct care and feeding to get a long life from them.

I know that the charger that came with the package is basic and I need to watch for the charge to complete so that the batteries don't overcook. (don't want anything to go ) Given that, I would like to purchase an intelligent charger. I looked at the Batteries section - it appears that nothing much gets posted there. I did a search on Maha and it came up with a lot of old posts.

Can someone please give me good info on Maha and LaCrosse chargers? Is one brand truly superior to the other? Are any chargers truly start and forget (I wouldn't have to constantly be checking for the end of the charge cycle, etc.)? Can they really bring "dead" cells back to life (if the cells aren't really depleted of any life). Is it reasonable to buy one strictly for AA/AAA NiMH cells, and others for C/D cells and 18650s? Is there one "supercharger" that would do all?

Sorry for this long post, but as you can see I have many questions on this topic. You all are great resource and I truly appreciate your help with this! :twothumbs

 

[Fottach]

I own Maha for several years. At a time of purchase, LaCrosse had some problems with overheating I think so I went for safe side.
Charger works flawlessly; it can revive "tired" batteries but I had no luck with totaly worn out batteries. I just displays "HIGH CAPACITY" and refuses to charge them.
If you have bunch of AA and AAA batteries I highly recommend it.
I also highly recommend to plug charger to UPS because you do not want to wait another 48 hours on your new set of batteries because electricity went out for one minute.

I think that LaCrosse displays all battery data at once (Maha cycles from one battery to another) but that is not big issue for me.

 

[blinkjr]

Fottach - thank you for your response. What model Maha do you have?

 

[NutSAK]

The LaCrosse issues were sorted long ago. I've been using a BC-900 and a BC-700 both for a couple of years now with no issues.

I highly recommend either one. The BC-700 is the best "bang for the buck" if you don't need charge currents higher than 700mA. The BC-900 will charge at currents up to 1800mA. The BC-900 is pretty cheap on Amazon right now, however, and it comes with some nice accessories.

 

[travelinman]

I know that the charger that came with the package is basic and I need to watch for the charge to complete so that the batteries don't overcook.

You don't want to even "cook" your cells!!!!! let alone "overcook" them!!!!

The problem with the high current charging method is that the thermal sensor in these chargers only tell you when the "outside" of the cell (case) gets hot. By then it's too late. It's like saying "I guess I should call the fire dept. my house fire just progressed to the stage when the roof fell in".

NiMh cell chemistry doesn't like heat at all! And, heat starts in the middle of the cell, and progresses to the outside of the case in that order.

The ONLY way to safely charge a NiMh cell "in my opinion" and I admit was was wrong once is to charge at 0.1c (10% of capacity) for 16 hours. I notice some of the new NiMh cells now being put out by the major manufacturers actually state this on each cell now. So for a 2000 mah eneloop type of LSD cell, that would be 200 mah for ~16 hrs.

Put it on a charger that will charge at this rate and put a timer on the power supply that will shut it off after 16 hrs and you are safe.

btw.....I've covered this all in the battery section, I expect a moderator will move this thread there very soon. :wave:

 

[f22shift]

maha is better. check the warranty out. 3yr vs 1yr

i had a la crosse that broke down just out of the 1yr warranty. i still tried to get it repaired but their customer service was literally non-existent. i got a response something like a half year later but thrown it out by then. :shakehead

 

[blinkjr]

travelinman - thatnks for the informative reply. I felt this belonged in the battery section, but as there was so little activity there I was worried no one would see my question.

Moderators - if this should be moved, I apologize for incorrectly posting.

 

[Yucca Patrol]

maha is better. check the warranty out. 3yr vs 1yr

When after over 2 years, my C-9000 started to no longer recognize batteries in one of the slots, they were very happy to exchange it for a brand new one.

 

[Marduke]

The ONLY way to safely charge a NiMh cell "in my opinion" and I admit was was wrong once is to charge at 0.1c (10% of capacity) for 16 hours. I notice some of the new NiMh cells now being put out by the major manufacturers actually state this on each cell now. So for a 2000 mah eneloop type of LSD cell, that would be 200 mah for ~16 hrs.

Put it on a charger that will charge at this rate and put a timer on the power supply that will shut it off after 16 hrs and you are safe.

There are three problems with this.

1) The cell cannot be partially discharged when charged. It must be in a completely discharged state.
2) You must know the current capacity of the cell
3) The "standard charge" printed on the wrapper is NOT the recommended charge protocol. It is the method by which the capacity was determined, and NOT how you are meant to charge it.

 

[blinkjr]

Thanks Yucca Patrol. Good to know about their customer service. I was pretty close to pulling the trigger on the LaCrosse units on sale right now at amazon.com. Looks like I will start watching for deals on a Maha.

Now - any particular model? I assume the C9000 would be the model most used here as it is for AA & AAA cells. Does anyone have any experience with the C808M? It does D/C/AA/AAA NiMH & NiCd.

Once again, thanks everyone for your input.

 

[Fottach]

Fottach - thank you for your response. What model Maha do you have?

MH-C9000

I usualy do DISCHARGE and then BREAK-IN on new cells.
After that standard charge or REFRESH & ANALYZE depending how much time i have. And I use charge current approximately 0.6C and discharge half of that.
You can see quite a good FAQ here.

 

[JAS]

Thanks for the posts. I might be in the market for a charger for my radio hobby, but clearly the Maha charger is a device that will work for BOTH the flashlight and radio hobby!

 

[jblackwood]

I'm sure the OP is gratified with the responses this thread has gotten, being started in the more busy LED section and all, but shouldn't this discussion be in the Batteries and Electronics section?

 

[blinkjr]

jblackwood - thank you for your post. Yes, I knew this wasn't the correct place for this question, but there was nothing happening in the batteries forum. see my post #7. And if a moderator wants to move this, I am fine with that.

Also, thank everyone for their helpful responses. I am truly appreciative of everyone taking the time to help me out. :wave:

 

[Marduke]

There is quite a bit of activity in that forum, and it is the correct place for it. Many of the battery gurus don't venture outside of that forum.

I would suggest asking a mod to move it (via PM).

 

[aceo07]

I've had the LaCrosse BC-900 for a year now. It's a nice small charger, but I can't fully recommend it. Works well, but the QC could be better.

1 of the AA batteries came dead and doesn't seem to hold a charge. Not worth the effort for me to complain and ask for replacement. I never opened those batteries for at least a month to try it.

The AC adapter developed a crack in the plastic covering the wires, near the converter box. I had to use electrical tape to cover it up. I rarely use the charger, though I unplug after each use. Probably less than 20 times before I noticed it.

 

[pobox1475]

MH-C9000

I usually do DISCHARGE and then BREAK-IN on new cells.

+1. From what I recall a couple years ago when I did the comparison the LaCross chargers buttons did not respond as nicely and display was inferior. I <3 my C9000.

 

[DM51]

Only 1 member (out of 16 replies) has thought to point out the obvious fact that this thread has been posted in completely the wrong place. Come on, people! Report these things! Don't just leave it to CPF staff to clear up the mess!

Moving it now to the Batteries section...

 

[recDNA]

Is there a review of the Lacrosse BC-700 here? Search function on Tapatalk sucks.

 

[HKJ]

Is there a review of the Lacrosse BC-700 here? Search function on Tapatalk sucks.

I have only reviewed one LaCrosse charger (RS1020).