New charger time.. Nitecore D series vs Xtar VP vs Xtar Panzer...

[Monotremata]

Ok lovely ECF folks, its time for some charger advice!! Got a bunch of Amazon giftcards in the mail from the relatives for the holiday to blow.. Was gonna grab some of the purple Efest 18650s to start and then started looking at new chargers.. Ive currently been using an Xtar MC2 cheapie which has done its job just fine, but now Im looking at the following and would just like some pros/cons/comparisons between them.. Im well aware of all the specs and whatnot, Ive already been googling, but I wanna hear about some real world use between the models now.. Im looking at the following: Nitecore D2/D4, Xtar VP2/4, and the Xtar XP4 Panzer.. My main concern is obviously my vape batteries, but I like the fact that the Nitecore and the Xtar XP4 can also charge all these NiMh batteries I go through like crazy with my Wiimotes and whatnot.. The charger I have for my AA/AAAs takes literally like 14 hours to charge so Im thinking 'Hey kill two birds with one stone'.. Amazon and internet reviews seem to go both ways on this 'feature' so Id like to hopefully hear from some of you..
I know Xtar is top notch and rock solid, but if the Nitecore's or the Xtar Panzer are doing ok well...

Its down to price/performance really.. I can grab a Nitecore D2 for $20, a D4 for $32, and the Panzer for $30.. The VP2 is almost $40, and only has 2 slots, and only does my Li-Ion battys.. The VP4 is only a couple bucks more and I dont care about having all 4 bays charging at 1A so I would more than likely get that over the VP2 (my MC2 only does a max of 500mAh per slot so its fine for me at that rate). I wouldnt complain if it like knocks the other two out of the water performance wise, but that NiMh thing is really making me think twice about it.. I know Xtar's also got a "smoother" charging method, but come on lotsa you guys and girls use Nitecores just fine so lets have it!!

 

[Kemosabe]

i use the xtar vp1. the digital real-time voltage readout is a very valuable feature to me. now that i have it, i cant go without it. and the selectable amperage really comes in handy. ive also had to take advantage of its ability to recover deeply discharged batts (although i never fully trust that cell once that happens- still a nice feature).

i too have read that charging NiMh and Lithium on the same charger can be either a good or bad thing. im still undecided on that and decided to nix the mutli charging idea before going nuts researching it. i did give it some consideration however because i, like you, go through NiMh like crazy with my wiimotes. but i ended up buying a fresh set of NiMh cells and it came with a free charger- works fine. never heats up, doesnt overcharge, and charges fast (its a Kodak brand). sure its no xtar lol, but ive got multimeters to test voltage plus these cells cost about the same as non-rechargeable batts so i dont put much value on them.

if i had to buy a new charger, id closely consider the xtar vc2. it has just about all the features of the VP line, with an added one: it tells you how many mAh it takes to fill the cell. this allows you to accurately see your battery's capacity when new, and you can compare that with its results as it ages, actively determining your battery's health.

gear beast has it for $21
http://www.gearbest.com/diy-parts-and-tools/pp_122249.html

 

[Monotremata]

Damn that's cheap! I was looking at that too but couldn't tell whether that or the VP was the "top of the line" haha. That big display is kinda cool..
Too bad they don't take Amazon cards haha..

 

[Froth]

While poking around on some of the flashlight forums I came across this:

http://www.amazon.com/ThruNite®-Uni...445484&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=ThruNite+MCC-4

Does both, seems like a lot of the flashlight guys like it. You mentioned Amazon and I just happened to find it on there, may be a better seller for it that's the first one I linked. 4x .5A and 4x 1A charging supported.

Edit: MFG Website
http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-charger-mcc-4/