toolboy's Corner: Ryobi 18v Chargers

Model	Chemistry Supported	Appearance	Charge Time	Features	Comments
P110	Nickel Cadmium		1 Hour	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad packs in 1 hour or less Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	Lithium Ion batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger P110 Manual (238 KB)
P111	Nickel Cadmium		Overnight	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad packs overnight	This is NOT a 1-hour charger! Lithium Ion batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger P111 Manual (611 KB)
P112	Nickel Cadmium		Slow	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad packs in 3-6 hours	This is NOT a 1-hour charger! Lithium Ion batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger P112 Manual (1,907 KB)
P113	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		1 Hour	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad or Lithium Ion packs in 1 hour or less Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	Update 12-Jul-2010: In May 2010 Ryobi started distributing new P113 chargers WITHOUT the built-in strain relief boot on the power cord (shown in photo). NOT cool, Ryobi! Update 14-Aug-2010: It seems that the newer chargers will charge ALL Ryobi batteries, but that the older chargers might not. See the "Why won't my charger charge my battery?" section below for details. This is really sad, it's no longer true that a P113 will charge any 18v battery. P113 Manual (1,522 KB)
P114	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		1 Hour	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad or Lithium Ion packs Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	IntelliPort design won't overcharge a pack and saves energy P114 Manual (2,292KB)
P115	Nickel Cadmium		1 Hour	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad packs in 1 hour or less Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	IntelliPort design won't overcharge a pack and saves energy Lithium Ion batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger P115 Manual (2,194 KB)
P116	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		Overnight	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad or Lithium Ion packs overnight	This is NOT a 1-hour charger! P116 Manual (1,672 KB)
P117	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		1 Hour	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad or Lithium Ion packs Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack LED to indicate if battery is too hot or too cold to be charged	IntelliPort design won't overcharge a pack and saves energy P117 Manual (1,063 KB)
P118	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		1 Hour	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad or Lithium Ion packs in 1 hour or less Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	P118 Manual (2,450 KB)
P118B	Lithium Ion		1 Hour	Charges Lithium Ion packs Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	NiCad batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger P118B Manual (1,755 KB)
P119	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		Overnight	6 foot power cord Charges NiCad or Lithium Ion packs overnight Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the charge status of the battery pack	P119 Manual (921 KB)
P120	Nickel Cadmium		1 Hour	Dual Bay charger -- charges two battery packs at once! 6 foot power cord Charges NiCad packs in 1 hour or less Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	Lithium Ion batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger P120 Manual (457 KB)
P125	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		1 Hour	Power On-Demand, Up to six charged - 18V ONE+ batteries available on-demand. Maximizes Battery Life - Charges stored batteries only as needed, which protects the batteries’ cells and maximizes life. Conserves Energy - EnergyStar® qualified system enters Energy Save Mode to conserve energy when not charging or maintaining batteries. Indicator lights show battery and port status as batteries are charged and maintained or when status button is pressed during Energy Save Mode. 6 Port Supercharger - reduces workspace clutter. Quick-release wall mount bracket (included) securely mounts to wall, organizing and maximizing work space. Batteries lock securely into place for easy transport. 1 HR CHARGE - Charges each 18V ONE+ battery, one at a time, in one hour or less. Maintenance Mode - Batteries stored on charger are conditioned for peak performance. Energy Save Mode - EnergyStar® qualified system saves energy, protects battery cells, and maximizes life 6 foot power cord Charges NiCad or Lithium Ion packs in 1 hour or less Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	Charges ONE BATTERY AT A TIME. So if you plug in six depleted batteries at once it will charge the first, then charge the second, and so on. It would take 6 hours or longer to finish charging six completely drained full-size batteries. Not at all bad, just don't think that it will fully charge six depleted batteries at once, 'cause it won't. P125 Manual (2,057 KB)
P130	Nickel Cadmium		1 Hour	In-Vehicle charger Plugs into vehicle's 12V DC outlet for flexibility to charge batteries when power is limited Charges NiCad packs in 1 hour or less Protective circuitry audibly warns you and shuts down charger if vehicle's battery is too low Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	Lithium Ion batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger This charger is actually rated for battery packs 7.2v to 18v, so it can be used to charge packs at other voltages. (I once owned a P130 and used it to charge both 12v and 18v packs.) P130 Manual (873 KB)
P131	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		1 Hour	In-Vehicle charger Plugs into vehicle's 12V DC outlet, giving you the flexibility to charge batteries while driving or when access to power is limited Compatible with all Ryobi 18v One+ batteries Charges NiCad and Lithium Ion battery packs Protective circuitry gives audible warning and shuts down to prevent draining your vehicle's battery ChargePlus technology provides battery and charging status feedback using LEDs	P131 Manual (1,532 KB)
P135	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		1 Hour	Power On-Demand, Up to six charged - 18V ONE+ batteries available on-demand. Maximizes Battery Life - Charges stored batteries only as needed, which protects the batteries’ cells and maximizes life. Conserves Energy - EnergyStar® qualified system enters Energy Save Mode to conserve energy when not charging or maintaining batteries. Indicator lights show battery and port status as batteries are charged and maintained or when status button is pressed during Energy Save Mode. 6 Port Supercharger - reduces workspace clutter. 2 Amp USB output for charging phones and tablets Batteries lock securely into place for easy transport. 1 HR CHARGE - Charges each 18V ONE+ battery, one at a time, in one hour or less. Maintenance Mode - Batteries stored on charger are conditioned for peak performance. Energy Save Mode - EnergyStar® qualified system saves energy, protects battery cells, and maximizes life 6 foot power cord Charges NiCad or Lithium Ion packs in 1 hour or less Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery pack	Charges ONE BATTERY AT A TIME. So if you plug in six depleted batteries at once it will charge the first, then charge the second, and so on. It would take 6 hours or longer to finish charging six completely drained full-size batteries. Not at all bad, just don't think that it will fully charge six depleted batteries at once, 'cause it won't. P135 Manual (2,227 KB)
P137	Lithium Ion		1 Hour	Dual Compatibility: Works with all RYOBI 18-Volt ONE+ and 40-Volt Batteries Charges 18v NiCad or Lithium Ion packs Parallel Charging: This unit charges both batteries simultaneously Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the status of the battery packs	NiCad batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger P137 Manual (2,374 KB)
P180	Lithium Ion		Overnight	6 foot power cord Charges Lithium Ion packs overnight Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the charge status of the battery pack	NiCad batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger P180 Manual (1,251 KB)
PCG002	Lithium Ion		1 Hour	Charges Lithium Ion packs Does NOT charge Nickel Cadmium batteries! Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the charge status of the battery pack	PCG002 Manual (1,847 KB)
PCG004	Lithium Ion		Charges 2Ah in less than 30 mins	2X Faster Charging [than PCG002] Input: 120v, 60Hz, 105W Charge Rate: 4A Cable: 6 ft LED Indicator Lights show battery charge status	NiCad batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger PCG004 Manual (1,505 KB)
PCG005	Lithium Ion		<1 Hour	Charges Lithium Ion packs Input: 120v, 60Hz, 105W Simultaneous charging of two batteries, but not simultaneous FAST charging Charges one battery at 4A (fast rate) or two batteries simultaneously at 2A each (regular rate). Diagnostic LED lights help indicate the charge status of the battery pack	NiCad batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger PCG005 Manual (2,131 KB)
PCG006	Lithium Ion		30% Faster	30% Faster Charging [than P135] Consecutively Charge and Maintain Up To 6 18V ONE+ Batteries Includes a 2 Amp USB output allowing users to charge portable electronics Featuring LED indicator lights, users can easily identify battery charge status The Energy Save Mode conserves energy when not charging or maintaining batteries. To maximize workspace, the wall mount capability ensures organization at any given point. Input: 120v, 60Hz, 115W Cable: 6 ft USB Output: 2A Max [USB-A] Charge Rate: 4A	NiCad batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger Charges ONE BATTERY AT A TIME. So if you plug in six depleted batteries at once it will charge the first, then charge the second, and so on. It would take 6 hours or longer to finish charging six completely drained full-size batteries. Not at all bad, just don't think that it will fully charge six depleted batteries at once, 'cause it won't. PCG006 Manual (1,495 KB)
PCG008	Lithium Ion		4X Faster	4X faster charging [than PCG002] Charger has both USB-A and USB-C charge ports Target charge times are: 30 minutes for a 4Ah battery (P108, P192, P197) 45 minutes for a 6Ah battery (P193, PBP007) 60 minutes for a 8Ah battery (PBP1008) 90 minutes for a 12Ah battery (PBP1012) Fastest Charger on the 18V ONE+ Battery Platform 4X faster charging than PCG002 Charges a 18V ONE+ 4.0 Ah Battery in Less Than 30 Minutes Charge the PBP1008 8.0 Ah Lithium HIGH PERFORMANCE battery in under an hour USB-C and USB-A charging ports for convenient charging USB-C 3A max, USB-A 2.1A Max Featuring LED indicator lights, users can easily identify battery charge status The Energy Save Mode conserves energy when not charging or maintaining batteries. Easily mount onto the wall or set flat on a benchtop to maximize space Input: 120v, 60Hz, 230W Cable: 6 ft USB Output: 2A Max [USB-A] Charge Rate: 8A	The target charge times listed are from Ryobi's advertising. Hopefully the charger uses a lower rate with non-HIGH PERFORMANCE batteries! NiCad batteries CANNOT be charged on this charger PCG008 Manual (2,930 KB)
RC1815U	Nickel Cadmium, Lithium Ion		<30 Minute	Target charge times are: 20 minutes for a 1.3Ah battery (P102) 25 minutes for a 1.5Ah battery (P105, P189) 30 minutes for a 2.0Ah battery (P190) 40 minutes for a 2.6Ah battery (P104, P105) 50 minutes for a 4.0Ah battery (P108, P192, P197) 60 minutes for a 5.0Ah battery (not in USA)	Not available in the USA. Click here The target charge times listed are straight from the manual, page 6. RC1815U Manual (3,226 KB)

Why won't my charger charge my battery?

Sometimes a perfectly good battery won't charge in a perfectly good charger. Here are some tips:

Make sure the battery and charger are at an appropriate temperature.

Sounds easy, but you'd be surprised how often folks are caught by this one. Remember, each battery contains some sort of temperature sensor, that's what the third lead is on the "neck" of the battery. There's also some other sort of two-contact sensor near the base of the Lithium Ion cells. These are safeguards that help make it safe for consumers to charge highly dangerous cell technologies in their own homes.

If a battery is TOO HOT, the charger will continue to blink RED and refuse to charge until the battery cools down. Ryobi manuals indicate that a battery must be below 122 deg F before a charger will charge it, and they further recommend that the charger be operated at a maximum ambient temperature of 100 deg F.

If a battery is TOO COLD, the charger will also refuse to charge the battery until it's been warmed up. Ryobi manuals recommend that the charger be operated at a minimum ambient temperature of 50 deg F. If you keep your charger in your garage, you may find that during the winter months it gets too cold to charge a battery!
Make sure your Lithium Ion battery is seated firmly and "clicked" in!

Remember the sensor connections near the base of the battery's neck. If the battery is not seated firmly on the charger these contacts may not be making a solid connection, and the charger will refuse to charge the battery.
Is your battery already fully charged?

Over the years I've had a few buyers complain that the batteries I just sold them glowed red on their charger and wouldn't accept a charge. I typically ship batteries fully charged and ready for use, so it's no surprise that they won't take a charge. But why would the charger show them as faulty with a glowing red LED? The answer is that there's a little bit of variation in the factory setting for "full charge" (i.e., voltage level). One safety feature of the Ryobi chargers is over-voltage detection. What this means is that the charger will refuse to charge a battery pack if it thinks voltage is too high. The factory adjustment for this overvoltage setting may be slightly lower than the top charge level setting on another charger. The solution? Discharge the battery a little bit! Plug it into your drill and run the drill for 30 seconds or so. This will lower the pack's voltage. Now plug the battery into your charger you'll find that it charges it for a few moments then considers it fully charged, or perhaps it will immediately consider it fully charged.
14-Aug-2010 Update: Some new P104 batteries show as DEFECTIVE in older P113 chargers!

I've now encountered two new and good P104 batteries that report as DEFECTIVE in a P113 charger. I plug one of these batteries into a P113 and the red light flashes ("Testing"). Then the red light goes solid and the green light flashes ("Charging"). Then after a few seconds, both lights flash ("Defective").

I tried using my P125 SuperCharger and the batteries take a charge just fine! So I whipped out a new P113 charger and tried again. Voila! No problem. The new P113 charger works like a charm! I've never had a problem with my trusty old P113 before. For fun, I tried my oldest P113 with date code BD0745, and it reported the P104 as defective,

So I gather that "older" P113 chargers may incorrectly report some newer P104 batteries as DEFECTIVE. My older P113 charger has date code CS0850 (50th week 2008, or December 2008) and the newer P113 that I tried has date code EA 1011 (11th week of 2010, or March 2010). I've observed that all of the P113 chargers with an "EA" date code are missing the strain relief boot on the power cord, and the red and green lights on top are obnoxiously bright.

After further investigation I have determined that I can only charge one of the new and "defective" P104 batteries on a P113 charger with a date code that begins with "EA". Older P113 chargers beginning with a "BD", "CS" or "AX" date code will not work. The newest "AX" P113 charger I've tried had a date code beginning with AX1010, and the oldest "EA" P113 charger I've tried had a date code of EA 1011. Interestingly, my P125 SuperCharger has date code of CS0917 and it will charge a "defective" P104 just fine,

I do not know how to identify a "newer" P104 battery that will show as defective on an old P113 charger other than to stumble across one when trying to charge it. The two P104 batteries that have shown this behavior have date codes CS1021 and CS1022, but this isn't enough to identify a "defective" P104 as I've successfully charged several other P104 batteries with these date codes on an old P113 charger.

How long will it take my charger to charge my battery?

Well, that's a difficult question to answer. Recharge time depends on the charger, the model of battery, how far the battery has been discharged, the age of the battery, the ambient temperature, and other factors. Let's assume that we're talking about a best case scenario -- brand new batteries which have been fully and gently cycled 3-5 times. (Side note: The transit time from Ryobi's factory in China into your hands in the USA is likely to be 2-3 months. So a truly "new" Ryobi battery means it was manufactured no more than 3 months prior.) Let's further assume that our new batteries have been fully discharged, and that they and the charger have been at rest just long enough to reach the ambient temperature of 75degF.

Under the above conditions, recharge time should be proportional to the charge rate of the charger. So to perform a calculation we just need to know the charge rate for each model of charger. My testing indicates that the P113, P114, P117, P125, and P131 chargers have a charge rate of about 2.1A and that the charge rate of the P118 is about 1.4A. So one could say that the P118 is only 2/3 as fast as the other "one hour" chargers, or that most of the "one hour" chargers are 50% faster than the P118.

UPDATE March 2020: Over the last few months I've delved into how Ryobi battery chargers operate with an emphasis on quantitating charge times. Please click here for an in-depth analysis. The bottom line is that most Ryobi chargers are 2-stage chargers and for these it is inappropriate to describe them as having a constant charge rate. A 2-stage charger delivers a constant current until the battery reaches a certain setpoint, then the charger switches to a constant voltage mode until the battery reaches a full charge. The constant current or CC mode operates at a certain charge current or "bulk rate", which differs a little for each Ryobi charger. During the constant voltage or CV mode the charge current decreases as the battery voltage increases until the current reaches 0 at the full charge. The 2.1A and 1.4A charge rate estimates made in the preceding paragraph were made by dividing measured charge delivered by observed charge time.

Let's equate this into actual clock times for different Ryobi batteries. A P102 battery contains 1300mAh cells, but my testing shows that they behave as if they were 1200mAh. Using a P118 charger, the recharge time would be 1200mAh/1400mAh = 0.857 hours = 51 minutes. With a P117 charger, the time would be 1200mAh/2100mAh = 0.571 hours = 34 minutes. Following this logic, here's a table of theoretical recharge times for various Ryobi batteries on P117 and P118 chargers:

Battery	Capacity (mAh)	Recharge Time P118 (mins)	Recharge Time P117 (mins)
P100	1.7	73	49
P102	1.2	51	34
P103 (old)	1.3	56	37
P103 (new)	1.5	64	43
P104 (old)	2.4	103	69
P104 (new)	2.6	111	74
P105	2.4	103	69
P107	1.5	64	43
P108	4.0	171	114
P189	1.5	64	43
P190	2.0	86	57
P191	3.0	129	86
P192	4.0	171	114
P193	6.0	257	171
P194	9.0	386	257
P195	3.0	129	86
P197	4.0	171	114

Yes, you're reading the chart above correctly if you're realizing that it takes 171 minutes to recharge a fully depleted P108 battery on a P118 charger, or just shy of 3 hours! On a P117 charger, it would take just short of 2 hours to recharge a P108. It would take 386 minutes to recharge a fully depleted P194 battery on a P118 charger, or about 6 1/2 hours. That same P194 would recharge in about 4 1/4 hours on a P117 charger.

UPDATE March 2020: The above table incorrectly assumes a constant current charge rate of 1.4A for the P118 and 2.1A for the P117. I've now determined that these CC/CV chargers have a "bulk" charge rate of 1.8A for the P118 and 2.9A for the P117. Therefore the actual recharge times are SHORTER than as shown above. The numbers above are reasonable for batteries whose capacity is under 3Ah, but the greater the capacity the more askew these numbers are. I've marked the suspect numbers in yellow above. I've measured the actual recharge time of a P194 on a P117 at 168.8 minutes, whereas the table above shows 257 mins. (I measured the ACTUAL capacity of this particular P194 at 8.38Ah, or 93.1% of its rated capacity of 9Ah. Both the battery and charger were at ambient temperature prior to the test, or about 70 DegF.)

Remember, as the above "ideal" conditions change, the recharge times actually get SHORTER, not longer. Why? It's because virtually every change one could make to the "ideal" conditions will mean a DECREASE to battery capacity. And if the battery's capacity is decreased, then so is the recharge time. Think about it -- how often does a consumer hit the above "ideal" conditions? Most of the time a battery won't be fully depleted before it's put back on the charger to "top it off". If it's only been used half way, then the charger only has to deliver half a full charge, and the recharge time is cut in half. Or an older battery may only operate at just 80% of is rated capacity, and if so the full recharge will decrease by 20%. Pair these factors together and the recharge time is even less. For example, let say we have an older P102 battery operating at 80% capacity (1200mAh * .8 = 960mAh) and we discharge it half way (960mAh / 2 = 480mAh). Recharge time on a P117 is 480mAh/2100mAh = 0.229 hours or 14 minutes, and recharge time on a P118 is 480mAh/1400mAh = 0.343 hours or 21 minutes.

Some words about the P117 charger

The P117 charger was originally marketed as a "one hour" charger, but later Ryobi changed the claim to a "30 minute" charger. From the above information it could be argued that both claims are correct. When the P117 charger was released, Ryobi only had the P100, P103, and P104 batteries, for which the full recharge times are 49, 37, and 69 minutes, respectively. So the "one hour or less" claim makes sense.

Later, Ryobi released the P102 and now this battery is being marketed as Ryobi's "standard" battery. The recharge time for a P102 on a P117 is only 34 minutes, so the "30 minute" claim seems reasonable also.

A few words about the PCG004 Fast Charger

Ryobi advertises the PCG004 charger as having "2X Faster Charging". This is true, but Ryobi is comparing this model with their slowest charger, the PCG002. The slower PCG002 charges at bulk rate of 2A and the PCG004 Fast Charger has a bulk rate of 4A. But let's not forget that Ryobi has several charger models with a bulk rate of 3A, which is 1.5X faster than the PCG002. I mean the P117 and the 6-port P125 and P135. The PCG002 may be twice as fast as the PCG002, but it's only 1/3 faster than the P117 or one of the older 6-port chargers. If you need faster charging and you have more than a couple of batteries, you might want to skip the PCG004 and instead consider investing in a PCG006 6-port charger. The PCG006 6-port charger has the same 4A bulk charge rate as the PCG004 but it will charge up to six 18v batteries without the need to swap batteries.

... and then there's the PCG005 Dual-Port Simultaneous Charger

This charger does simultaneously charge two 18v batteries, but it probably doesn't work quite as well as you might think. It's advertised as having 2X faster charging (=4A). This is true, but ONLY when charging a single battery. When simultaneously charging two batteries, each battery is only charged at the 1X rate (=2A). For this reason, it doesn't make much sense for anyone to purchase this charger. If you need a fast charger, buy the 1-port unit and use your existing charger to simultaneously charge a second battery. If you need to fast charge more than one battery, buy the 6-port fast charger. The 6-port unit charges one-at-a-time, but you can stack up to six batteries to be fast charged one right after another.

To be clear on this, let's think about how long it would take to charge depleted 4Ah batteries on the 2-port PCG005 vs. other chargers. Unless you have a P119 trickle charger, the charge rate of your current charger is either 2A (P118, P118B, PCG002), 3A (P117, P125, P135), or 4A (PCG004, PCG006). I'll estimate charge times as (battery Ah / charge rate A) * 1.3. For a 4Ah battery the estimated charge times will be 156 mins for a 2A charger, 104 mins for a 3A charger, and 78 mins for a 4A charger.

Batts	PCG005 (2-port, 4A/2A charger) vs.	What happens	The Result
1x 4Ah	P118, P118B, or PCG002 (1-port, 2A charger)	PCG005 charges at 4Ah, takes 78 mins The 2A charger takes 156 mins	The PCG005 wins hands down! It's twice as fast.
1x 4Ah	P117, P125, or P135 (3A chargers)	PCG005 charges at 4Ah, takes 78 mins The 3A charger takes 104 mins	The PCG005 wins, and is about 30% faster.
1x 4Ah	PCG004 or PCG006 (4A chargers)	PCG005 charges at 4Ah, takes 78 mins The 4A charger takes 78 mins	It's a tie.
2x 4Ah	P118, P118B, or PCG002 (1-port, 2A charger)	PCG005 charges simultaneously at 2A, takes 156 mins The 2A charger takes 156 mins each or 312 mins total	The PCG005 wins hands down! Note that ONE battery is fully charged on the 2A chargers after 156 mins -- just as fast as the PCG005 -- and is ready for use while the second battery is being charged. For the 1-port chargers, one must manually swap batteries.
2x 4Ah	P117, P125, or P135 (3A chargers)	PCG005 charges simultaneously at 2A, takes 156 mins The 3A charger takes 104 mins each or 208 mins total	Split decision! The total time to charge both batteries on the PCG005 is about 30% faster overall. However, the 3A chargers have one battery fully charged and ready for use after just 104 mins, whereas we must wait another 52 minutes before either battery is fully charged on the PCG005. Note that for the 1-port P117 one must manually swap batteries.
2x 4Ah	PCG004 or PCG006 (4A chargers)	PCG005 charges simultaneously at 2A, takes 156 mins The 4Ah charger takes 78 mins each or 156 mins total	The 4A charger wins a split decision! The total time to charge both batteries is the same with either charger. However, the 4A chargers have one battery fully charged and ready for use after just 78 mins, whereas we must wait another 78 minutes before either battery is fully charged on the PCG005. Note that for the 1-port PCG004 one must manually swap batteries.

As we see above, when charging a single battery the PCG005 2-port charger is always faster than older 2A and 3A chargers but is the same speed as 4A chargers.

When charging TWO batteries the PCG005 is only a clear winner against the older 2A chargers. The older 3A chargers will beat the PCG005 to having the first available battery, but take 30% longer to fully charge two batteries. The other 4A chargers will have the first battery available twice as fast as the PCG005, and the second battery will be done at the same time that the PCG005 finishes its simultaneous charge of two batteries.

The 1-port PCG004 sells for about $50, 2-port PCG005 sells for about $80, and the 6-port PCG006 sells for about $100. It seems to me that if you already have a single port 2A or 3A charger like the PCG002 or P117, for $50 you could add a PCG004 fast charger to your collection and you'd have simultaneous charging of two batteries plus fast charging with the new charger. The extra $30 you'd spend for the PCG005 doesn't really get you much more (though you'd have a smaller footprint and use only one outlet). If instead of the 2-port PCG005 you spend the extra $50 for a 6-port PCG006 you'd gain fast charging on up to SIX batteries. IMHO there's not much point in getting the 2-port PCG005. If you need to quickly charge one battery, get the less expensive 1-port PCG004 and use it along with your existing charger. If you need to quickly charge more than one battery, buy the 6-port PCG006 and put away your existing charger.

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Last revised 05-Oct-2023
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