Home >> Construction Tools >> Accessories
Hitachi UC18YRL Universal Charger for 7.2 Volt to 18 Volt Ni-Cad Ni-Mh Lithium-Ion Batteries | List Price: $86.08
Discount Price: $34.95
 |
|
Brand: Hitachi
Binding: Tools & Hardware
Features: - Can charge Li-Ion, Ni-Cad and NiMH Batteries
- 45 minute charge time
- Cooling fan to increase life
Lithium-Ion charger a must have [Posted on 2007-10-13]
The Hitachi UC18YRL Universal Charger for 7.2 Volt to 18 Volt Ni-Cad Ni-Mh Lithium-Ion battery charger is a must have if you wish to charge your Hitachi 18 volt Lithium batteries. I purchased the batteries first thinking I could charge my new Lithium batteries with my 18 volt charger. However, they would not charge. This charger does the job at a very reasonable cost. Highly recommended.
For Li Ion it's the only way to go [Posted on 2007-11-12]
I don't think there is another charger for the Hitachi Li Ion batteries, but this charger is pretty sophisticated compared to others. First of all it's huge compared to my NiCad chargers of various brands (Milwaukee, DeWalt, PC), but it has many features they don't. It manages its temperature quite carefully, partially out of necessity because of the sensitivity of the new battery technologies, but also because they just chose to do it right. I know a few other brands basically just spit out a charger with their LiIon and just tell you to be careful not to overheat your batteries or leave them in too long. There is a fan -- that is quite loud -- that whirls up to speed to keep things cool as it charges.
My only complaints are the size, which is a problem when you have a lot of chargers to tote from job to job, and the noise which is really only a problem if you have to work in a quiet area.
Another thing to consider is that the charger itself can be overheated. You are supposed to let it sit for 15 minutes between charging batteries, which I have probably violated without incident, but it's something to note. It also would be nice if it charged the neat little 3.6v screwdriver battery so I don't have to tote around yet another charger.
The attention they put into the charger and batteries show that Hitachi just went a few steps further than other companies with their Li Ion adoption and didn't just force the new technology into the old systems. For instance, the controller that shuts off the batteries before they die on most of their tools is not duplicated by most competitors.
Click here for more details and discount information...
|
){kind=link}