TrustFire Multi Functional Battery Charger TR-001

Compared to other chargers, the TrustFire TR-001 Multi-Functional Battery Charger is a tempting choice due to its price tag.  The TrustFire TR-001 is a mid-range charger that charges Li-Ion batteries.  It can be used to charge 18650, 18500, 17670, 16340, 14500, 10440 and 16430 batteries, as well as just about any cylindrical Li-Ion 4.2 battery that will fit in it.

The TrustFire TR-001 has two independent charging stations.  Each station has a corresponding LED that shows the charging status of the battery.  Red = charging and Green = charged.  It turns orange and yellow before turning green.

The charger comes with a three foot power cord and can also be powered from a 12 vdc power supply such as the cigarette lighter in a car.

 AC Input: 100V~240V 50~60Hz

- DC Charge Rate: 4.2V 500mA

I bought one of these two or three months ago after winning a mod that uses 18350 or 18650 batteries. I was very happy with it at first.  It did the job, it charged my batteries and it did so in a reasonable amount of time. Then one day, out of the blue, one channel stopped working for no apparent reason.  The LED light is green and stays green no matter what I do.  I can put a battery in that channel that is deader than a door knob. The  LED remains green, indicating that it is fully charged. I've fussed with it to no avail. That channel is history.

I started doing some research and found that a lot of people swear by this charger and report that they have never had a problem.  Others are fond of saying, "never buy a charger with 'fire' in the name."  A review on Candle Power Forums states that it over charges.  Quite a few people report having problems and many don't.

One reviewer says its a good charger unless you get a bad one.  Well, I guess I got a bad one.

I no longer trust my TrustFire. I would hate to run out of charged batteries and find that the second channel no longer works either. I bought my TrustFire at a B&M, so I paid a lot more than I would have if I bought it on-line. For the money I paid, I could have purchased one of the more expensive chargers that are said to be better and more reliable.  I ended up doing that anyway. You may get lucky and get a good one, or you may not.  If you get a bad one like I did, you will end up paying more than you would have if you bought a more expensive charger to begin with. The choice is yours.  It's a great charger until it stops working.

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