Mod Recommendations Please!

[DaveP]

I'm in North Carolina and found that the best prices for my location were at the battery store. I've decided to get a pair of each of the batteries you recommended, that way I have pairs in 3 different colors and it'll be easier to keep them together.

Is this a good charger choice?
Efest LUSH Q4 4 Bay Battery Charger - 18650 Battery Store

Thank you!

Personally, I like a charger that can charge 4 cells at 1A simultaneously. The Lush Q4 specs state that it can only charge 4 cells at .5 amp. The Lush can only charge one 18650 at 2A. If you think you'd want faster charging when all four bays are full, you might want to take a look at the Efest LUC 4 charger. LUC 4 charges all 4 bays at 1A. It's a charger with long background and might be a better choice.

Product Highlights: (Lush 4)

• 4 Bay Compact Charger
• Multiple charging speeds - .5A x 4, 1A x 2, or 2A x 1
• LED charging indicators
• Automatically turns off when charging is complete
• Reverse polarity protection protects if cell is entered in the wrong way

Before you buy, take a look at the specs on this one. It's $10 more, but will save you lots of time when charging.
Efest LUC V4 4 Bay LCD Battery Charger - 18650 Battery Store

 

[Don29palms]

Personally, I like a charger that can charge 4 cells at 1A simultaneously. The Lush Q4 specs state that it can only charge 4 cells at .5 amp. The Lush can only charge one 18650 at 2A. If you think you'd want faster charging when all four bays are full, you might want to take a look at the Efest LUC 4 charger. LUC 4 charges all 4 bays at 2A. It's a charger with long background and might be a better choice.

Product Highlights: (Lush 4)

• 4 Bay Compact Charger
• Multiple charging speeds - .5A x 4, 1A x 2, or 2A x 1
• LED charging indicators
• Automatically turns off when charging is complete
• Reverse polarity protection protects if cell is entered in the wrong way

Before you buy, take a look at the specs on this one. It's $10 more, but will save you lots of time when charging.
Efest LUC V4 4 Bay LCD Battery Charger - 18650 Battery Store

THE LUC V4 is a decent charger as long as you don't need to charge 2x700 batteries. It will charge 4 batteries at 1amp BUT it only charges 2 batteries at 2amps.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Been using the LUC 4 for about 6 years now. The only problem I have had with it is that sometimes the LED screen gets a bit messed up on the 3rd slot, but 6 years is kinda old and should probably be replaced anyhow. This started happening at about the 4 year mark. It doesn't seem to affect the charging, it's more of an annoyance.

I can't complain about the LUC 4 much other than that (but I'm not a battery or charger expert by any means).

I also have a LUC 2. No problems with it. But I don't use it that much.

If your primary goal is to save money and you don't care about not being able to charge 21700 or 20700 batts right now or charging 4x @1A, then the Lush charger should be OK (but I have no real idea since I never owned one).

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

A lot of vapers these days seem to like the XTAR chargers. I don't know if that's merely due to hype or what. But I do know a lot of vapers flock to the XTAR VC4 (probably partly due to it's price point and partly for the flashy tachometer style display lol).

Same price as the Lush but still only charges 2 batts at 1A.

However The XTAR VC4 does take 21700 and 20700 batts.

So for the money, the LUC 4 wins in terms of being able to charge 4x @ 1A for only $25.

But if 4x @1A charging doesn't matter to you, I think I would go for the XTAR VC4 over the Efest LUSH. Mostly because...

• It seems to be more widely used by vapers and therefore you can probably get more help with it.
  
• It takes 2X700 batts. Never know, you might buy a 2X700 mod soon, even if not right now.

Since the XTAR VC4 is the same price as the Efest Lush, to me, it's a no-brainer...go for the VC4. But if you want 4x @1A charging, then go for the Efest LUC 4.

 

[Don29palms]

With a little help from a dremel tool the LUC V4 will charge 2x700 batteries. Trust me on that one.

 

[StephLK]

Thank you! I'm not really worried about the charging speed, since I'm getting 6 batteries and will only use two at a time. I'll most likely leave the ones I'm not currently using on the charger over night. All of them seem to have the shut off feature to not overcharge, which is nice.

 

[stols001]

Um yes it is nice, as long as it doesn't FAIL. Then, things can get a bit un nice.

I try really hard NOT to leave my batteries on the charger overnight especially since there is no way in hell a fire alarm is going to wake me up.

But it is sort of generally standard practice to NOT to that, honestly.

You should be able to get your batteries charged between home and bedtime, seriously.

Anna

 

[StephLK]

Um yes it is nice, as long as it doesn't FAIL. Then, things can get a bit un nice.

I try really hard NOT to leave my batteries on the charger overnight especially since there is no way in hell a fire alarm is going to wake me up.

But it is sort of generally standard practice to NOT to that, honestly.

You should be able to get your batteries charged between home and bedtime, seriously.

Anna

I appreciate the advice - and will follow it!
I feel like external batteries leave more room for user error, so I want to do things as correctly as I can!

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

I appreciate the advice - and will follow it!
I feel like external batteries leave more room for user error, so I want to do things as correctly as I can!

Yup, there are risks. But IMHO, it's well worth it over integrated battery mods, especially given the current climate around vape in the USA.

 

[Don29palms]

Thank you! I'm not really worried about the charging speed, since I'm getting 6 batteries and will only use two at a time. I'll most likely leave the ones I'm not currently using on the charger over night. All of them seem to have the shut off feature to not overcharge, which is nice.

Even with auto shutoff you should remove batteries from the charger as soon as they are charged. Never leave batteries on the charger unattended. Accidents are rare but they do happen.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

As the saying goes...

"It works...until it doesn't."

 

[vaper1960]

This video has some good tips on extending the life of your batteries:
(BTW, that charger will be fine for your purposes... slower charge might be better anyway):

 

[stols001]

But also, don't be like TERRIFIED I am going to bet every one of us (well, I have anyway) has made a mistake or two with batteries,.

LOL my son was so horrified with one of my early ones (I had an IPV 5 and they CHEWE through battery wraps) I got my own personalized warp tutorial, right then and there.

Anna

 

[Hawise]

I appreciate the advice - and will follow it!
I feel like external batteries leave more room for user error, so I want to do things as correctly as I can!

LOL my son was so horrified with one of my early ones (I had an IPV 5 and they CHEWE through battery wraps) I got my own personalized warp tutorial, right then and there.

Anna's post suggests to me another piece of advice for doing it right. When you get your batteries, pick up a some battery wraps as well. They should cost a few cents each. Whenever you take out your batteries, give the plastic wrap a quick once-over. Never use a battery with a damaged wrap.

The good news is that it takes one ten-cent wrap, 3 minutes and a hair dryer to replace a damaged wrap. There are a bunch of rewrapping videos on Youtube, and if they leave you with any questions we're always ready to answer them.

 

[StephLK]

Anna's post suggests to me another piece of advice for doing it right. When you get your batteries, pick up a some battery wraps as well. They should cost a few cents each. Whenever you take out your batteries, give the plastic wrap a quick once-over. Never use a battery with a damaged wrap.

The good news is that it takes one ten-cent wrap, 3 minutes and a hair dryer to replace a damaged wrap. There are a bunch of rewrapping videos on Youtube, and if they leave you with any questions we're always ready to answer them.

Thanks! I've already ordered the batteries, but I'll be on the look out for wraps. That is cheaper than replacing the battery!

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

You can probably find them on ebay with free shipping. I don't shop on ebay much anymore, but I can't imagine there aren't at least 20,000 sellers selling 18650 wraps.

 

[dripster]

Personally, I like a charger that can charge 4 cells at 1A simultaneously. The Lush Q4 specs state that it can only charge 4 cells at .5 amp. The Lush can only charge one 18650 at 2A. If you think you'd want faster charging when all four bays are full, you might want to take a look at the Efest LUC 4 charger. LUC 4 charges all 4 bays at 2A. It's a charger with long background and might be a better choice.

Product Highlights: (Lush 4)I

• 4 Bay Compact Charger
• Multiple charging speeds - .5A x 4, 1A x 2, or 2A x 1
• LED charging indicators
• Automatically turns off when charging is complete
• Reverse polarity protection protects if cell is entered in the wrong way

Before you buy, take a look at the specs on this one. It's $10 more, but will save you lots of time when charging.
Efest LUC V4 4 Bay LCD Battery Charger - 18650 Battery Store

I much prefer my Nitecore UMS4.
Nitecore UMS4 4 Bay Superb LCD Battery Charger - 18650 Battery Store
It's $5 more, but will charge 20700 and 21700 cells with enough room to get them in and out of the charger effortlessly, and will let you manually adjust the charging speed, in small intervals and individually for each channel so it gives the benefit of putting you in control of what's the best tradeoff between accelerated battery aging and faster charging for you. Further, it's micro USB (compatible with QuickCharge, ver. 2.0 or higher) so it runs very noticeably cooler when compared to older chargers from Nitecore (I have both the 2016 Nitecore D4 and the NEW i4 to compare), and, because you can pair it with any reliable brand of USB wall adapter unit (I highly recommend the Anker brand for this purpose), it gives additional benefits, like, for some people it can also help to eliminate the burden of looking for a good replacement for the walwart in the possible event that the walwart breaks, as these days USB ports are pretty much everywhere.

 

[DaveP]

I have several 4 bay chargers. Backups are a must.

THE LUC V4 is a decent charger as long as you don't need to charge 2x700 batteries. It will charge 4 batteries at 1amp BUT it only charges 2 batteries at 2amps.

Thanks, I mis-posted the charge rate.