Pila still the best?

[Decidion]

My Ultrafire died today due to a spill and I need a new charger ASAP. The Ultrafire wasn't bad, just kinda clunky and didn't seem well built.

Anyway, I've always wanted to get a better quality charger and was wondering... are the Pila's still the creme of the crop? Is there a better built brand/model out there now?

Thanks

 

[nerak]

I only use Pila's. I have three of them now. All I can say is they just plain work! All of my Ultrafire, Trustfire, and two of the xtar MP2 are messed up. Either not charging or lights not working.

I know there are other newer chargers. But Pila gets my business.

 

[Decidion]

Sounds good

Ok, now I just realized these aren't available on Amazon... who sells them and ships fast?

 

[nerak]

Sounds good

Ok, now I just realized these aren't available on Amazon... who sells them and ships fast?

Here: RTD Use code ECF5 for 5% off.

 

[Mr. White]

I'm a PILA fan. Mine has worked flawlessly, since I got it over a year ago. That being said, the OP asked about the best out there. That just might be the newest xtar, the VP1. It's an algorithm charger, like the PILA, so it will provide a very precise charge. It also has an actual LED voltage meter on it, to let you know how close your batts are to being fully charged. It has as a lot of other bells and whistles as well. It's also priced right in the PILA's neighborhood at $50 give or take a bit.

Personally, I'd probably get another PILA, but this new XTAR is impressive.

http://http://www.xtarlight.com/05-chanpin/p-001-1.asp?styleid=233

 

[Decidion]

Yeah I saw that XTAR, but I always worry about the reliability when someone makes something with tons of bells and whistles. Sure they are nice, but will they last?

With PILA's going strong for many years now, I went with that and ordered one from RTD Vapor. Thanks Nerak

 

[Scott_Simpson]

I've been using my XTAR VP1 since 3/30 (a little over 3 months, ever since it first came available on EmpireMods) and it is rock-solid. I've used a Tenergy and a Pila, and based on my battery charging spreadsheet the VP1 is more consistent than either of them. Regarding the Pila, I may just have gotten a defective unit but it was the most inconsistent thing I've ever used! I stack 18350s in many of my mods, and I take great care to charge them in pairs and keep them balanced. With the Pila, it rarely—if ever—brought both batteries to the same level. With the VP1, they match EVERY time! Get the VP1 ... you'll love it! No spacers necessary, either!

 

[bushmaster]

I've used my Pila for a couple years now and it's been great. Super fast and no glitches. You'll be happy with it, Jeff. Just treat it carefully--specifically the wall plug-in unit. Mine has cracked several times and is now well covered with electrical tape. I've mentioned this before here and nobody has ever come forward and stated that they had the same problem, so maybe mine was a freak.

 

[darkzero]

Pila is not the best, it depends on what you are looking for in a charger. I came from building custom flashlights so I've been using li-ions for almost a decade. Pila was pretty much the first safe charger for home use, still is. But it does have it's limitations. Really depends on what you want to charge. For vaping IMR/Li-Mn is most common so it can be a good choice.

For 16340 li-ion & smaller it's not recommended but doesn't really aplly to the vaping world. For 18650s it's not that great IMO, will do the job but it will take hours to charge one at only 600ma. IMRs can be charged at much higher rates. The Pila also requires spacers for charging shorter cells.

I personally can't stand waiting around 8 hrs to charge my depleted 18650s, 25500s, 26500s, 26650s. I use a hobby charger to charge these where I can set the charge rate but it requires an external DC power source. Takes only less than 30 mins to charge a depleted IMR 18650-1600 at >4A. For all my 16340s (that I use in flashlights) I currently use a Nitecore i2. Just an inexpensive charger but for travel it can charge anything from my 16340s to 26650s without the need for spacers.

If you don't mind the few limitations, high cost, & want a good quality charger that will always terminate at the proper voltage, the Pila is a great choice. For as long as it has been around, I'm surprised they have not updated it & there are no other comparable high quality chargers. Guess too many people are just interested in low cost.

For my needs even before vaping I never considered purchasing a Pila & doubt I ever would. I don't expect my i2 to last long but for now it suits my needs.

.

 

[Mudflap]

My Pila is put away as a backup charger. I now use the Efest LUC charger. The Pila wouldn't recharge my paired 18350's to the same voltages. One would come off the charger at around 4.18 volts and the other at around 4.14 volts. I wasn't comfortable with that since I'm using them stacked and want to take the precautions I've read up on, i.e. - recharge them to the same measured voltage.

The Efest charger does a much better job.

 

[Scott_Simpson]

The Pila wouldn't recharge my paired 18350's to the same voltages. One would come off the charger at around 4.18 volts and the other at around 4.14 volts.

Exactly my beef with the Pila.

 

[darkzero]

My Pila is put away as a backup charger. I now use the Efest LUC charger. The Pila wouldn't recharge my paired 18350's to the same voltages. One would come off the charger at around 4.18 volts and the other at around 4.14 volts. I wasn't comfortable with that since I'm using them stacked and want to take the precautions I've read up on, i.e. - recharge them to the same measured voltage.

The Efest charger does a much better job.

Exactly my beef with the Pila.

Just curious, the chargers you guys use now, what voltage do they terminate at? Do they always terminate at the same exact voltage everytime & what is the resting voltage of your cells say after 1hr after charging, all exactly the same?

4.14-4.18v is certainly within spec, the Pila is doing it's job just fine. I'm no battery expert but no two cells are the same. Internal resistance may vary even on cells made in the same lot. IMRs have lower internal resistance than Li-ions so it not uncommon for IMRs to come off most chargers at slightly over 4.2v. As cells age this reading would drop.

I have a WF-139 that I no longer use but still works fine, my smaller li-ions always charge to 4.16v, IMRs 4.20v. With my i2, IMRs always charge to 4.22v. But after an hour rest, most drop to 4.21-4.20v. I have one IMR that always comes off the charger at 4.23v.

If you are that concerned about matching cells for stacking use, you should match pairs based on their resting voltage, not the voltage they come off the charger, & match pairs from cells that are from the same manufactured lot. For example, best to purchase a few batteries from a vendor at the same time, then match pairs, assuming the vendor would be sending cells in their inventory received from the same lot. I'd be more concerned about using cells in pairs that were from different lots or have been cycled differently.

 

[ancient puffer]

FWIW, I'm certainly no expert on batteries or chargers, but my Pila (2 yrs old) never takes more than 30-45 minutes to recharge my 18650's, and that's if I drain them down to 3.7, which I rarely do. Most times, I swap them out at about 3.8-3.9, and a recharge is about 20 minutes. Just sayin' They always come off the charger at 4.21-4.22 volts. I have 5 in rotation, so they get a nice "rest" between uses.

 

[unsure]

I bought a trustfire tr-001 in 2010 for my 1st REO. I had to buy another one in 2012 not because of any failure but because I left the power cord in my hotel room in Las Vegas both still work and used as back up if ever needed. Im using a TrustFire TR-003P4 now. All chargers suggested are better than mine but but I never felt having the best was needed imo. I can buy 2 tf-001 and a TR-003P4 for the price of 1 Pila. All the best chargers I admit are better and faster than mine. Another point is all my cheap chagers never need spacers and are safe.

Yes the Pila and Efest LUC are the best chargers but my chargers get the job done slower but safe. Sorry I just find better things to with the money I save. PVs (REOs) and batts I need the best...chargers not so much. No horror stories here.

 

[Big Hitter]

My Pila was used several time a day for over 2 years before I parked it.
It was still working fine but I wanted more options.

For the last 5-6 months I've been using the intelicharger i4 and it been charging flawlessly.
Its cheaper than the pila has 4 bays and no spacers or dummy cells needed for 350 through 650 batt sizes

If it were me I'd buy two of the i4 chargers instead of 1 pila.

 

[Mudflap]

Just curious, the chargers you guys use now, what voltage do they terminate at?

4.23 volts

Do they always terminate at the same exact voltage everytime & what is the resting voltage of your cells say after 1hr after charging, all exactly the same?

Yes, every time. 4.22 or 4.21 volts after resting.

If you are that concerned about matching cells for stacking use, you should match pairs based on their resting voltage, not the voltage they come off the charger, & match pairs from cells that are from the same manufactured lot. For example, best to purchase a few batteries from a vendor at the same time, then match pairs, assuming the vendor would be sending cells in their inventory received from the same lot. I'd be more concerned about using cells in pairs that were from different lots or have been cycled differently.

That's exactly what I do.

 

[gbacon]

My Pila was used several time a day for over 2 years before I parked it.
It was still working fine but I wanted more options.

For the last 5-6 months I've been using the intelicharger i4 and it been charging flawlessly.
Its cheaper than the pila has 4 bays and no spacers or dummy cells needed for 350 through 650 batt sizes

If it were me I'd buy two of the i4 chargers instead of 1 pila.

I recently got the i2 and sofar i love it. all 4 of my 18650 imr's come off at 4.22 every time

 

[FogHawg]

I just got a back-up charger & it happens to be an i2. I used it a couple times (to make sure it works) & then stashed it. My trustfire works just fine & the batteries load easier.

 

[Big Hitter]

I recently got the i2 and sofar i love it. all 4 of my 18650 imr's come off at 4.22 every time

Yep, agree for sure.

Funny though my 18650s come off at 4.21 every time as do my 18490 batts. But my 18350s are always 4.19 ??
Must be something about the way it reads the 18350 ??

Works great though and its silent like my pila was .... my buddy has a trustfire and in a silent room you can hear it humm a little when it chargers.

Another plus for me with the i4 is no wall wart, even with the power supply in the charger it never even gets warm.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

I wasn't sure what charger to get, but wanted one with little fuss to replace my two Ultrafires (the 16340/18350 one, and another for anything longer). Was thinking of the Pila, but stumbled across reviews for the Xtar VP1 and ordered that as it won't need spacers, etc. Tracking says it's out for delivery, so I can hopefully tell you more when I get home.