Is it ok to use a new PV right out of the box?

[Melodramatic]

Will it trash my battery if I use my PV right out of the box or should I charge it for 8 hours first?

 

[Kent C]

Will it trash my battery if I use my PV right out of the box or should I charge it for 8 hours first?

You should charge it until the charger shows it's charged - usually a green light. Some batteries are fully charged at the vendors. But the 'charge for 8 hours' is held over from NiCad batteries and ecigs have litium ion batteries that don't need that type of handling. Some vendors still recommend the 8 hour charge - likely for warranty reasons but the reality is that lithium ion batteries simply don't need that type of charging. See what the battery experts at batteryuniversity say:

Charging lithium-ion batteries

Also check out some of the other pages on that site for battery life, care, etc. eg.:

Do and don't battery table