 Great for wireless controllers | | Review Date: November 22, 2006 | | Reviewer: D. Deason, Memphis, TN USA | I originally bought this for my digital camera batteries since it allows you to leave batteries in the unit all the time and receive a "trickle" charge without damage to the batteries. It works great and the 2700 Mah batteries last a long time, even when taking flash pictures. Althoug the upfront cost is higher, having rechargable batteries is much cheaper than buying regular AA's for use in a digital camera.
After I got my Xbox 360, I started using this to keep a fresh pair of AA's charged for the wireless controller. I can generally get several hours on a full charge and you can always have another pair charging as you play.
I actually got mine from thomas-distributing, but this looks to be similar package deal. The travel kit makes it easy to make sure you have fresh batteries even when on the road. |
Great charger for us! | | Review Date: December 7, 2008 | | Reviewer: Down0041, | I'm writting this review because a year ago I purchased the MH-C401FS, and have been completely happy with it.
At the time I purchased this unit, I spent 2 months researching different chargers, and agonized over "which is the best charger" out there.
I have 2 kids under the age of 8, and we go through AA batteries faster than I could ever imagine. In the past year, I have used the MH-C401 primarily to keep batteries for toys around the house, and a digital camera. The charger has worked great for us.
I guess what I like best, is the fact that it charges each battery independently. The simple red/green light indicator is perfect, so that anyone in the family knows in a second which batteries they can use.
I know some other reviews have been disappointed by the 100+ minute charging time. I use eneloop 2100mAh batteries, and the charging time has never been an issue. They seeem to be always ready with in the approx 100 minute claim.
The other huge positive, (and this has more to do with the eneloop's) is they really do maintain a charge for months at a time. This has made them a great fit for my family's use, and work great with the charger.
Again, I'm writting this because I agonized over the decision, and it's been a great charger. |
Professional type of AA/AAA Charger | | Review Date: August 9, 2007 | | Reviewer: USA 4 Ever, | This charger is perfect. If you are in a hurry, use the 100 minute charge. If you plan ahead, use the slow charge and prolong battery longevity.
You can mix from 1 to 4 batteries in any combination of AA/AAA types and any amount of "juice" remaining in each battery. The individual charging circuits adjust the charging accordingly. When each battery is fully charged its LED (4 total) goes from red to green.
The batteries supplied are 2700ma and last longer between recharges. This charger is an ideal complement for a digital camera using AA batteries. |
Five Star | | Review Date: September 13, 2009 | | Reviewer: M. R. Reynolds, Tulsa, OK United States | | I have been using this charger in slow mode for several years. I always charge AA rechargable batteries with the lid up. The charger is smart enough to know exactly when to stop charging each battery on a battery by battery basis. |
AAA+ Quality | | Review Date: January 19, 2010 | | Reviewer: geekerati, Texas | | After much research on rechargeable batteries and chargers I decided on these products. I must say I was even more pleased after using them for awhile. Not all batteries and chargers are the same, I have used a multitude of products in the past and these are by far the best. The charger works incredible fast and the batteries hold their charge as well. I purchased mine from Accessory Genie and they were very fast with delivery and delivered exactly as advertised. Gadgets are expensive these days and it's nice when you get the quality that you are seeking. If your in the market, I highly suggest the MAHA MH-C401FS with the X4 2700 very long lasting batteries!! |
MAHA MH-C401FS | | Review Date: May 22, 2010 | | Reviewer: W. Lane, Albuquerque | | This charger works extremely well. I like the battery test function which tells you if a battery is bad. I was just having a fit with several 'dumb' chargers and about 20 batteries. I couldn't tell if my charger was bad or the battery was. Found that one of my newest batteries was bad. I have bought my daughter a MAHA MH-C401FS in fact this is actually the one she now has. |
Excellent charger with REAL lifetime warranty | | Review Date: June 25, 2010 | | Reviewer: Buying Happiness, | This does an excellent job charging batteries - but other reviews tell you that. I'll tell you about their customer service.
I purchased this two and a half years ago. I use it constantly, as I run just about everything in my life on AA batteries. So when it broke one day, I was sad, but not disappointed with my purchase, it had served me well.
I went to look for a replacement, and saw another customer review mention the lifetime warranty. I called the company, and within 5 minutes, they said they were shipping me a free replacement. I don't even need to ship the old one back.
This is an excellent charger, and the company stands behind their product. I highly recommend it.
|
great battery charger, quality product | | Review Date: June 27, 2010 | | Reviewer: The Fixer, | | analyzes individual positions, charges fast or slow by choices, has car adapter, and is well made. |
Good charger, if it doesn't melt down | | Review Date: April 5, 2009 | | Reviewer: Thomas J. Trebisky, Tucson, Arizona USA | | I bought one of these (from Thomas Distributing) and have used it with complete satisfaction -- in slow charge mode. I had an ugly experience with fast charge, this was in a vehicle and somehow or other the lid ended up getting shut, and the whole thing radically overheated, destroying both the charger and batteries. Thomas was great about replacing it (but I did loose a set of batteries). The first thing I did when I got the replacement, was remove the clear plastic lid and discard it, and I recommend that you do the same (they recommend never charging batteries with the lid shut, so what is the point?) I will use it in "fast" mode only with reluctance and close supervision. |
"100-minute" charger not what it used to be | | Review Date: September 22, 2007 | | Reviewer: NLee the Engineer, Nashua, NH | The MAHA MH-C401FS is marketed as a "100-minute battery charger". But when you use it to charge up the 2700mAh batteries that came with this charger, you'll most likely have to wait for around 160 minutes. So who lied?
The fact is, C401FS charges AA cells at a fixed current of 1000mA (in Fast mode). Several years ago when this charger was first introduced, the average capacity of an AA NiMH cell was much lower. Perhaps back then, it took about 1.6 hours (or 100 minutes) to fully recharge a 1600mAh cell. But today's AA NiMH cells have much higher capacities. So to charge up a 2700mAh cell, it now takes about 2.7 hours (or 160 minutes) to finish the job.
Aside from the misleading marketing claim, the C401FS is actually a decent charger. It is a 'Smart' charger that charges each cell individually, and stops when each cell is full. It also allows you to select between Fast (1000mA) and Slow (300mA) charging. Unless you are in a hurry, choose the slow mode since it is better for the cells. Just remember that it takes about 9 hours to fully recharge a 2700mAh cell in slow mode.
Unfortunately, the C401FS is also way over-priced for a simple charger in today's market. For about the same cost, you may want to consider an advanced battery charger/analyzer, such as the La Crosse BC-900 or BC700 instead. |
This is a lousy charger. | | Review Date: March 17, 2008 | | Reviewer: dallas7, Phoenix AZ USA | I bought this charger because because of the marketing points presented on the Maha Web site and the box the charger comes in:
C401FS 100 Minute Cool Charger
"Ultra low temperature charging"
"FLEX Pulse also makes traditional 'battery conditioning & cycling' unnecessary."
"Rapid charge NiMH AA batteries in under 100 minutes, coolly and efficiently."
Once you read the instruction sheet, things are quite different. It warns that batteries may reach 131 degrees F and you should leave the cover open for "better cooling." Also, "...it is necessary to cycle (new batteries) three to five times...by using (them) completely and recharging..." I also noticed it was taking considerably longer than 100 minutes to fast charge four 2700 mAh PowerEx batteries.
I queried Maha's support and received this response:
"The 100 min charging time is based on a 2000mAh batteries (sic). The charging current for the MH-C401FS is 1000mA, thus requiring about 3 hours to recharge a 2700mAh battery. Please make sure the charger's cover lid is open during charging, to avoid battery overheating. If you are still dissatisfied with the battery temperature, I'd recommend going to the MH-C9000, which has a larger size, thus better cooling." The tech didn't bother to comment on the cycling issue, though.
From the manufacturer's hype, one is lead to believe this charger has features that set it apart from others. However, this is not the case. In the fast mode, this charger will cook batteries as good as any other fast charger. It hasn't a conditioning mode, either.
Clearly, there is a major disconnect between Maha's engineering and marketing departments. From "ultra low temperature" to 131 degrees F, from "coolly" to "overheat", from "cycling unnecessary" to "it is necessary to cycle" and from "under 100" to 180 minutes for "fast" charging in the time it took to open the box.
Unless four independent charging circuits and NiCad functionality are on your wish list, this charger is no better than bargain units at half the price. So, take the manufacturer's suggestion and buy something else. |
|
No video reviews found for this product.
No comments yet