New charger help!

[3.7volts]

I'm really confused in choosing a charger. My xtar mp1s has given up on me after a year of use.
I have my eyes set on xtar Wp2, Efest luc and the nitecore I2.
I will be charging efest Li-mn 18650's v1 2000mah and efest IMR 350's v2 800 mah, these are the ones I can buy right now. I would like the best out of these 3 in terms of durability and the safety of leaving them charging batts at night.
They all have pretty good reviews. I only like the luc more because of its aesthetics. So which one should I get?

Thanks ECF!

 

[The Vagabond]

go for the four bay luc

 

[Thomasis]

I have had no issues with my Efest chargers. I can't speak for the other two but I would go Efest.

 

[3.7volts]

I have had no issues with my Efest chargers. I can't speak for the other two but I would go Efest.

How long have you used em?

 

[peterforpats]

xtar xp-4 four bay charger that handles all lithium and nimh baterries. smooth sliders and auto detects battery type for independent charging in each bay. best charger i've owned and i have had all 3 brands.....

 

[Thomasis]

How long have you used em?

I purchased two Efest Bio's when they first came out. I think I purchased them 15 months ago. I keep one at the office and one at home. The fit and finish are VERY nice. They are plastic but it's a hard shiny plastic and I have dropped them a couple of times with no issues.

 

[danny4x4]

I'm using the nitecore i2 and there's a problem which I and a few users experience.

After about 2 months usage, sometimes the charger does not read the charge of the battery correctly. I put in an 18650 panasonic at 3.6v and it starts charging. One minute later, all three lights on the bay are lighted, indicating a fully charged battery.

I had to tape a piece of paper near the positive post of the bay to ensure the battery makes contact on a different area of the metal post on the charger. Only them will the battery charge correctly.

Other than that, there haven't been any problems. It doesn't over charge the batteries, just reads the voltage as 4.2, even if it's lower.

But this problem does not seem to be pervasive. Just to let you know.

 

[3.7volts]

I'm using the nitecore i2 and there's a problem which I and a few users experience.

After about 2 months usage, sometimes the charger does not read the charge of the battery correctly. I put in an 18650 panasonic at 3.6v and it starts charging. One minute later, all three lights on the bay are lighted, indicating a fully charged battery.

I had to tape a piece of paper near the positive post of the bay to ensure the battery makes contact on a different area of the metal post on the charger. Only them will the battery charge correctly.

Other than that, there haven't been any problems. It doesn't over charge the batteries, just reads the voltage as 4.2, even if it's lower.

But this problem does not seem to be pervasive. Just to let you know.

Thanks, yep I read somewhere that some users of the nitecore are experiencing some problems, the Xtar seems to be the most durable out of this 3. Anyway thanks man!

 

[rodsky77]

The Efest Luc is excellent - I have the 2 bay. The LCD is very helpful to see how much of a charge is left in the battery. Have had it for 2 months, no issues. I got the Nitecore I2 first - it seems like a good charger, had no issues with it for the first few weeks I used it - now I use it as a backup for the Efest or when I have to charge more than 2 batteries. Leaving batteries overnight or unattended while charging is not a very good idea - I do it sometimes anyway.

 

[slingshot]

All of them are decent.. It's hard to know if the electronics of one of these might last more, but my chargers tend to die because of hard drops, not internal failures.. The nitecore is pretty solid, i would avoid the luc because it wouldn't last me more than a couple weeks

 

[3.7volts]

Looks like I got pretty different feedbacks on the chargers, making it harder to decide what to get hahaha
I think its Xtar for durability and luc for its lcd monitor hahaha
What do you guys think about the Xtar VP1?

 

[Ryedan]

The site I like the most for charger reviews is lygte-info.dk.

Good luck with whichever you chose!

 

[3.7volts]

Thanks for the link man It really did help!

 

[Ryedan]

Thanks for the link man It really did help!

Good to hear it! Which one are you leaning towards now, or have you decided?

 

[3.7volts]

Good to hear it! Which one are you leaning towards now, or have you decided?

I'm thinking of going with Xtar VP1 as it has the best rating based on the link and other users. And AFAIK it is the top of the line of the Xtars? So I'm just gonna bite the bullet hahaha

 

[Ryedan]

IMO that's a very good charger. I like the fact that it charges a bit below 4.2V (longer battery life), has the voltmeters, goes down to 0.25A and the reviewer feels it does a near perfect CC/CV charge. It can also bring back cells that are discharged way low, in case that ever happens to you.

I don't think you will be sorry for getting this one