Energizer Rechargeable 15 Minute Charger
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Customer Reviews of Energizer Rechargeable 15 Minute Charger
Customer Review: Does not work at ALL.
Summary: 1 Stars
So even though I like to think I was into doing my part for the earth way before celebs made it trendy, I have only dabbled with rechargeable batteries some in the past. That could probably be because I didn't need batteries as often as I do now, but thanks to the advent of the Wii and other gadgets, I was happy to find this relatively inexpensive recharger at a local store.
Three separate charges and no dice. I can't even use the batteries for longer than 10 seconds at a stretch. I have tried moving to different plugs in my house, attempted different products, charged overnight, etc. One side is flashing green; the other side is completely blank. I even bought a new set of $10 batteries from Target the other day, believing the ones in the package were duds. Last night was the final straw. I recently bought the Wii Fit and was in the process of inputting my data to begin the program when the message on the screen informed me the batteries were critically low and the system would turn off until I refreshed them. Angry, I shut the Wii off and changed plugs again, only to discover this morning before I left for work, the batteries have not charged at all.
I wanted to see if I got a lemon---it happens, but after reading some of the reviews, I believe it's a problem with the actual equipment overall. This would be a great product...if it actually WORKED.
Customer Review: 3+ years of use: needs common sense
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this charger more than 3 years ago as a supplement to the slow charger that came with the camera. I also got a set of Energizer 2200mAh batteries that worked fine until left in the drawer for a couple of months.
It's all a matter of speed+convenience vs. battery life.
Some observations:
1) This charger should be used only in emergencies. Typically, use your standard slow charger, like the Energizer "Super Value Charger" ($14 w/ 4 batteries) to charge overnight, for full 8 hours.
2) DON'T use fast charger to charge your NEW batteries. Use a slow charger for at least the first three full cycles (full charge and depletion). One set of fresh Energizer batteries I charged in a hurry basically died on me after the first charge - the 15 minute charger must have cooked the batteries, and after that I left them unused for about a month. My fault. They would never charge again.
3) The batteries will run very hot every time, this won't kill them but will shorten their lives considerably.
4) As with all batteries, don't leave your NIMH rechargeables unused (depleted) for more than a month. They live longer if you give them some work.
5) I agree that this charger will refuse to work if the processor detect a slightest inconsistency in the battery voltage/capacity. Red LED will flash.
Customer Review: Quick Charger Has Problems
Summary: 3 Stars
I wish I could give this quick charger a five-star review, but I've experienced some problems with mine. First, it gives off a significant amount of TV interference -- more than any other device in my house except perhaps the microwave oven or vacuum. You will NOT want to use the charger while you are watching a movie! Second, it seems to reject a lot of batteries that still work and that my other chargers have no problems recharging. This is especially true for AAA batteries for some reason. (I have subsequently discovered that the charger rejects batteries that are close to fully charged rather than indicate that they are fully charged. This means that the charger MAY charge the rejected batteries again later, after they have been further depleted.) So -- if you only want one charger in the house, I can't recommend this one. I can however recommend it as a supplemental charger, when it chooses not to be tempermental. On the positive side, I like the fact that this unit has four independent channels, allowing you to charge any number of batteries, from one to four. (You don't have to pair up batteries.) It also has a built-in fan that cools batteries down (quick charging can make them get pretty hot to the touch).Customer Review: Save your money - there are far better chargers available
Summary: 2 Stars
I figured the good reviews would outweigh the bad when we bought this. I was wrong. This is our third battery charger, and our fourth is shipping from Amazon as I write this. We've had this charger for a year and change.
The good:
- It is a fast charger that will charge many freshly discharged batteries in 15 to 20 minutes.
The bad:
- It won't work with very discharged batteries. Have to use a slower charger first.
- If one cell's charge varies slightly from the others in the bunch, it won't work. Have to use a slower charger first.
- Batteries seem to hold a charge for far less time than with my older chargers. True of my extended life batteries as well.
- Heats batteries beyond anything I have ever seen with another charger, even with the fan.
- Has completely killed 3 sets of batteries due to heat. Actually boiled one set, which I caught before it ruined the charger.
- Corrosion and oxidation builds up on charger terminals and battery terminals quickly.
- L-O-U-D fan.
Purposely bought a replacement which charges slower, and both conditions and equalizes the cells. The extra 45 minutes will be worth it. Save your money and buy something better.
Customer Review: Terrible charger, very frustrating to use
Summary: 1 Stars
If you need a reliable charger, this is NOT the one to get. NIMH batteries that are charged fine with other chargers get a red "reject" blinking light from this one, which means you can't charge them.
The quick charge idea is nice, except it's rather hard on battery life, so you're really better off getting a good one or two hour charger. The heat generated by 15-minute charging is not the best thing for NIMH batteries. I have many sets of NIMH batteries of different brands and capacities, and this charger manages to reject most of them at one time or the other. If you don't have another charger available, you're out of luck. The "reject" batteries seem to work fine in every way but in this miserable charger.
When it works, (like it will with a new set of batteries for a while) it's fine, and it includes all the niceties like a car adapter; but after it's rejected its third or fourth set of your known-good batteries, you'll get the idea that this thing is worthless. I keep hanging on to it as a backup, but it's not reliable enough for that, so I think the sledge hammer is soon going to give me some revenge for all the frustration this thing has given. 8^)