# Maha vs. LaCrosse battery chargers



## blinkjr (Nov 23, 2009)

Hi all. Still a newbie trying to learn. I recently purchased a set of Sanyo Eneloops (8xAA/4xAAA/C&D adapters/charger - $20 @ Costco) and I want to ensure that they receive the correct care and feeding to get a long life from them.

I know that the charger that came with the package is basic and I need to watch for the charge to complete so that the batteries don't overcook. (don't want anything to go ) Given that, I would like to purchase an intelligent charger. I looked at the Batteries section - it appears that nothing much gets posted there. I did a search on Maha and it came up with a lot of old posts.

Can someone please give me good info on Maha and LaCrosse chargers? Is one brand truly superior to the other? Are any chargers truly start and forget (I wouldn't have to constantly be checking for the end of the charge cycle, etc.)? Can they really bring "dead" cells back to life (if the cells aren't really depleted of any life). Is it reasonable to buy one strictly for AA/AAA NiMH cells, and others for C/D cells and 18650s? Is there one "supercharger" that would do all?

Sorry for this long post, but as you can see I have many questions on this topic. You all are great resource and I truly appreciate your help with this! :twothumbs


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## Fottach (Nov 23, 2009)

I own Maha for several years. At a time of purchase, LaCrosse had some problems with overheating I think so I went for safe side.
Charger works flawlessly; it can revive "tired" batteries but I had no luck with totaly worn out batteries. I just displays "HIGH CAPACITY" and refuses to charge them.
If you have bunch of AA and AAA batteries I highly recommend it.
I also highly recommend to plug charger to UPS because you do not want to wait another 48 hours on your new set of batteries because electricity went out for one minute.

I think that LaCrosse displays all battery data at once (Maha cycles from one battery to another) but that is not big issue for me.


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## blinkjr (Nov 23, 2009)

Fottach - thank you for your response. What model Maha do you have?


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## NutSAK (Nov 23, 2009)

The LaCrosse issues were sorted long ago. I've been using a BC-900 and a BC-700 both for a couple of years now with no issues. 

I highly recommend either one. The BC-700 is the best "bang for the buck" if you don't need charge currents higher than 700mA. The BC-900 will charge at currents up to 1800mA. The BC-900 is pretty cheap on Amazon right now, however, and it comes with some nice accessories.


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## travelinman (Nov 23, 2009)

blinkjr said:


> I know that the charger that came with the package is basic and I need to watch for the charge to complete so that the batteries don't overcook.



You don't want to even "cook" your cells!!!!! let alone "overcook" them!!!!

The problem with the high current charging method is that the thermal sensor in these chargers only tell you when the "outside" of the cell (case) gets hot. By then it's too late. It's like saying "I guess I should call the fire dept. my house fire just progressed to the stage when the roof fell in".

NiMh cell chemistry doesn't like heat at all! And, heat starts in the middle of the cell, and progresses to the outside of the case in that order.

The ONLY way to safely charge a NiMh cell "in my opinion" and I admit was was wrong once  is to charge at 0.1c (10% of capacity) for 16 hours. I notice some of the new NiMh cells now being put out by the major manufacturers actually state this on each cell now. So for a 2000 mah eneloop type of LSD cell, that would be 200 mah for ~16 hrs.

Put it on a charger that will charge at this rate and put a timer on the power supply that will shut it off after 16 hrs and you are safe.

btw.....I've covered this all in the battery section, I expect a moderator will move this thread there very soon. :wave:


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## f22shift (Nov 23, 2009)

maha is better. check the warranty out. 3yr vs 1yr

i had a la crosse that broke down just out of the 1yr warranty. i still tried to get it repaired but their customer service was literally non-existent. i got a response something like a half year later but thrown it out by then. :shakehead


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## blinkjr (Nov 23, 2009)

travelinman - thatnks for the informative reply. I felt this belonged in the battery section, but as there was so little activity there I was worried no one would see my question.

Moderators - if this should be moved, I apologize for incorrectly posting.


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## Yucca Patrol (Nov 23, 2009)

f22shift said:


> maha is better. check the warranty out. 3yr vs 1yr



When after over 2 years, my C-9000 started to no longer recognize batteries in one of the slots, they were very happy to exchange it for a brand new one.


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## Marduke (Nov 23, 2009)

travelinman said:


> The ONLY way to safely charge a NiMh cell "in my opinion" and I admit was was wrong once  is to charge at 0.1c (10% of capacity) for 16 hours. I notice some of the new NiMh cells now being put out by the major manufacturers actually state this on each cell now. So for a 2000 mah eneloop type of LSD cell, that would be 200 mah for ~16 hrs.
> 
> Put it on a charger that will charge at this rate and put a timer on the power supply that will shut it off after 16 hrs and you are safe.



There are three problems with this.

1) The cell cannot be partially discharged when charged. It must be in a completely discharged state. 
2) You must know the current capacity of the cell
3) The "standard charge" printed on the wrapper is NOT the recommended charge protocol. It is the method by which the capacity was determined, and NOT how you are meant to charge it.


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## blinkjr (Nov 23, 2009)

Thanks Yucca Patrol. Good to know about their customer service. I was pretty close to pulling the trigger on the LaCrosse units on sale right now at amazon.com. Looks like I will start watching for deals on a Maha.

Now - any particular model? I assume the C9000 would be the model most used here as it is for AA & AAA cells. Does anyone have any experience with the C808M? It does D/C/AA/AAA NiMH & NiCd.

Once again, thanks everyone for your input.


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## Fottach (Nov 24, 2009)

blinkjr said:


> Fottach - thank you for your response. What model Maha do you have?



MH-C9000

I usualy do DISCHARGE and then BREAK-IN on new cells.
After that standard charge or REFRESH & ANALYZE depending how much time i have. And I use charge current approximately 0.6C and discharge half of that.
You can see quite a good FAQ here.


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## JAS (Nov 24, 2009)

Thanks for the posts. I might be in the market for a charger for my radio hobby, but clearly the Maha charger is a device that will work for BOTH the flashlight and radio hobby!


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## jblackwood (Nov 24, 2009)

I'm sure the OP is gratified with the responses this thread has gotten, being started in the more busy LED section and all, but shouldn't this discussion be in the Batteries and Electronics section?


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## blinkjr (Nov 24, 2009)

jblackwood - thank you for your post. Yes, I knew this wasn't the correct place for this question, but there was nothing happening in the batteries forum. see my post #7.  And if a moderator wants to move this, I am fine with that.

Also, thank everyone for their helpful responses. I am truly appreciative of everyone taking the time to help me out. :wave:


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## Marduke (Nov 24, 2009)

There is quite a bit of activity in that forum, and it is the correct place for it. Many of the battery gurus don't venture outside of that forum. 

I would suggest asking a mod to move it (via PM).


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## aceo07 (Nov 24, 2009)

I've had the LaCrosse BC-900 for a year now. It's a nice small charger, but I can't fully recommend it. Works well, but the QC could be better.

1 of the AA batteries came dead and doesn't seem to hold a charge. Not worth the effort for me to complain and ask for replacement. I never opened those batteries for at least a month to try it.

The AC adapter developed a crack in the plastic covering the wires, near the converter box. I had to use electrical tape to cover it up. I rarely use the charger, though I unplug after each use. Probably less than 20 times before I noticed it.


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## pobox1475 (Nov 24, 2009)

> MH-C9000
> 
> I usually do DISCHARGE and then BREAK-IN on new cells.


 *+1.* From what_ *I*_ recall a couple years ago when I did the comparison the LaCross chargers buttons did not respond as nicely and display was inferior. I <3 my C9000.


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## DM51 (Nov 24, 2009)

Only 1 member (out of 16 replies) has thought to point out the obvious fact that this thread has been posted in completely the wrong place. Come on, people! Report these things! Don't just leave it to CPF staff to clear up the mess!

Moving it now to the Batteries section...


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## recDNA (Sep 16, 2015)

Is there a review of the Lacrosse BC-700 here? Search function on Tapatalk sucks.


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## HKJ (Sep 16, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Is there a review of the Lacrosse BC-700 here? Search function on Tapatalk sucks.




I have only reviewed one LaCrosse charger (RS1020).


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## MidnightDistortions (Sep 16, 2015)

travelinman said:


> You don't want to even "cook" your cells!!!!! let alone "overcook" them!!!!
> 
> The problem with the high current charging method is that the thermal sensor in these chargers only tell you when the "outside" of the cell (case) gets hot. By then it's too late. It's like saying "I guess I should call the fire dept. my house fire just progressed to the stage when the roof fell in".
> 
> ...



They probably should lower the heat threshold in that case. When the cells reach say 100F, the charger should reduce the current level. With that being said i won't be charging my Eneloops at 0.1C! That's wayy too low and your cells will overcharge instead of overcooking. At minimum 200-300mA for AAA cells and 500-700mA for AA cells are sufficient enough.

As for Maha Vs La Crosse, in the case of the C9000 the charger terminates the cells at 90% to prevent the 'overcooking' of the cells and gives a soft 100mA topoff charge for 2 hours so the cells are not continually heating up to 140F when fully charging them. The La Crosse charger is better for non LSD cells while the Maha C9000 is more ideal for LSD cells but also works with non LSD cells as well. The La Crosse charger will charge cells that have above 20 volt resistance but may terminate early or too late due to the cells aging/abuse. The C9000 will charge Eneloops at 1A without any issues of overheating but due to the placement of the La Crosse charging slots 1A may be too much for any cell, even if you are topping the cells off, if you need them at 100% in a hurry though, the La Crosse will reach that point much quicker than the Maha C9000.


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## recDNA (Sep 18, 2015)

HKJ said:


> I have only reviewed one LaCrosse charger (RS1020).


Thanks. I'm a little discouraged because there are Amazon reviews (about 8% of them) claiming the Maha c9000 either melts, smokes, or catches fire.

Fewer safety complaints on Lacrosse but more complaints about them just stop working within a year or less of purchase.

I was especially shocked to read of Maha bays melting or electronics smoking.


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## ChrisGarrett (Sep 18, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Thanks. I'm a little discouraged because there are Amazon reviews (about 8% of them) claiming the Maha c9000 either melts, smokes, or catches fire.
> 
> Fewer safety complaints on Lacrosse but more complaints about them just stop working within a year or less of purchase.
> 
> I was especially shocked to read of Maha bays melting or electronics smoking.



The knock on the LaCrosse chargers is that by being small, they get very hot due to cramped spacing of the slots. Plus there's the issue of missed terminations.

I've used both the C9000 and BC700 for 3.5 years and so I can speak to experience. I've read far fewer complaints on the Maha chargers than I have on the LaCrosse chargers, but every brand in life, makes a stinker here and there.

Chris


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## HKJ (Sep 18, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Thanks. I'm a little discouraged because there are Amazon reviews (about 8% of them) claiming the Maha c9000 either melts, smokes, or catches fire.
> 
> Fewer safety complaints on Lacrosse but more complaints about them just stop working within a year or less of purchase.
> 
> I was especially shocked to read of Maha bays melting or electronics smoking.



I have not seen any of that, but I have not seen more than two c9000 and one LaCrosse charger.
Generally it is very seldom electronic starts smoking, if it happens often to a device, somebody is either lying about it or there is a construction fault in the device.


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## TinderBox (UK) (Sep 18, 2015)

Well i bought the BC-900 a few years ago, and then within a few days we had the problem with the charger (reports) of some melting down, so i bought an C-9000, my C9000 has broken :mecry: so i have been using the BC-900 and i much prefer the C-9000 as it has more current option and the setting seem easier to do, and the battery`s are easier to get in and out.

John.


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## kamcm (Sep 19, 2015)

I had both of them, I mainly use LaCrosse BC-700.

However, for a battery under 0.6V, LaCrosse will not let you charge it. 

When it happened, I will use MAHA c9000 to charge it.


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## dervishMe (Sep 20, 2015)

My BC-700 had quite a few issues before it died completely after only a year or so. First the lcd screens went bad then one of the slots just refused to charge.


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## recDNA (Sep 20, 2015)

Sounds like they are all crap.


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## samgab (Sep 20, 2015)

I've been using my trusty workhorse C9000 for several years now with nary an issue. :thumbsup:

Many people are very quick to complain very vocally when there is an issue with a product, but the many other people who have a product which just works year in and year out without issue rarely speak up. So what we hear about a product is sometimes slued by a very vocal minority who have the misfortune to receive a rare dud item.


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## archimedes (Sep 20, 2015)

I have used a Maha C9000 for the past few years, with no issues. I find the adjustable charging current, and extensive data display, to be very useful.

I have no experience with LaCrosse chargers.


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## MidnightDistortions (Sep 20, 2015)

samgab said:


> I've been using my trusty workhorse C9000 for several years now with nary an issue. :thumbsup:
> 
> Many people are very quick to complain very vocally when there is an issue with a product, but the many other people who have a product which just works year in and year out without issue rarely speak up. So what we hear about a product is sometimes slued by a very vocal minority who have the misfortune to receive a rare dud item.




This. Electronics are not perfect. I have a couple of multimeters that have failed and other devices that either worked for a year or two and some that don't work right out of the box. I noticed some reviews that get posted where they could have gotten an exchange and then giving a better review of the replacement. Sometimes though i wonder if the things that go wrong with some devices are not part of some user error.

I believe i have mentioned this before but i have the BC1000 charger that came with a set of batteries. If you charge those batteries too high, like 500mA for the AAA's and 700mAh for the AA's they overheat. I probably should have made sure to break the cells in first but at the time i was still figuring out traditional NiMH cells. Maybe the instructions should be clearer for beginners or something. Yeah most people tend to simply be happy with their devices trucking along nicely while those who bought the device and it stops working 2 years down the road would naturally be upset, especially when the warranty or exchange is no longer valid.

If these chargers were bad the company would pull them, but as any other device there's items that are duds. Some devices are poorly made but both the C9000 and the BC1000 are solid chargers.


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## recDNA (Sep 21, 2015)

A device that fails is one thing but when over 5% of reviews on Amazon refer to melting plastic or burning electronics emitting smoke seemingly on the verge of bursting into flames that is unacceptable to me. Should be some sort of heat sensors or fuse or something to prevent dangerous overheating no matter what. If the fuse blows the unit simply doesn't work. Too many reports of dangerous heat levels for me. No doubt Maha is one of the very best if not THE best yet these issues still occur sometimes. Design could and should prevent it imo.


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## gsxer (Sep 21, 2015)

I just have to put my 2 cents in. I have a C9000 that is several years old and it has been on and charging more then it has been unplug. The display is so dim now I have to use a flashlight just to look at it! Got 3 amazon basic in it right now.


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## MFL (Sep 21, 2015)

Hi,
I'm using MAHA (POWEREX MH-C9000) for more than 3 years and LaCrosse BC1000 (AccuPower IQ-328) for about 2 years and a half.
MAHA is better built outside and inside and makes an impression of well thought-out and professionally made device.
LaCrosse not so much. It's more of the "me too" type cheap charger, although an "intelligent" one.
Both chargers work as they are supposed to. There are very good, detailed reviews for both by *HKJ*, here on CPF.
My AccuPower IQ-328 is overheating even at 500mA charge current and need some time to cool down before continuing the charging. It's quite irritating and not very good for the cells.
The good thing about it, is that you can adjust all the slots together. With MAHA you need to do it slot by slot. Sometimes it's quite tedious.
Another irritating thing about MAHA is the very bright and constantly ON display backlight (you can use it as a night lamp) and the very small viewing angle of the display (although it's something normal for this type of LCD).
I would say MAHA is the better charger and I bought LaCrosse only because MAHA refused to charge/discharge my more used (but still usable) cells.
Off course, there's always room for improvement but these things are built to meet a price. A perfect charger won't sell much...


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## recDNA (Sep 21, 2015)

With Maha it sounds like you get an excellent charger OR with bad luck a really dangerous device. Lacrosse seems to have a short lifespan then die a premature death but I haven't seen reports of melting and smoking?


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