B&D Fast Chargers are great. But to avoid disappointment as expressed by some of the reviewers, it's important to note the following:
B&D 18v batteries come in (at least) 3 varieties: 1.2, 1.5, and 2.1 ampere/hours. The 1.2 comes with most tools and has 2 terminals. The 1.5 (comes with some kits) and 2.1 "Silver Extreme" (sold as a "high performance" accessory) have 3 terminals - the third terminal apparently detects over charging.
B&D chargers also come in (at least) 3 varieties:
1) "Dumb" chargers that supply a constant charge current/voltage, i.e., like the charger that comes with most B&D products that has the brick that plugs in the wall and a small piece that slips onto the battery; these have 2 terminals.
2) "Semi-intelligent" 2 stage chargers that supply a constant charge current/voltage for charging, but then drop to a "maintenance charge state". These also have 2 terminals.
3) "Intelligent" fast chargers that charge at a faster rate, can sense overcharging and modify charge current accordingly, and then drop to a "maintenance charge state" once the battery is charged. These chargers have 3 terminals.
The (dumb) charger that comes with most B&D products that has the brick that plugs in the wall and a small piece that slips onto the battery does charge ALL the 18v batteries in about 6 hours - BUT - the manual warns not to leave the battery on the charger or battery life will be diminished (no "maintenance charge state", just constant contiuous current).
Semi-intelligent chargers charge at twice the rate as the "dumb chargers", thereby charging ALL 18v batteries in about 3 hours. These are chargers that come with the 3 piece garden set, dual chargers that come with some combo kits, etc. You can leave the batteries on these chargers "indefinitly" according to B&D.
The "intelligent" fast chargers (single & dual) will charge the 2 terminal 1.2 A/H battery in about 3 hours (same as the semi-intelligent chargers) BUT will charge the 1.5 & 2.1 ampere/hour batteries (with 3 terminals) in about 90 minutes. And, you can also leave the batteries on the fast chargers "indefinitly" according to B&D.
Hope this helps
Rod Black & Decker FSMVC 9.6-Volt to 18-Volt Slide Style Battery Charger
I bought this charger based on the product description that says it will work with all B&D 18V slide style batteries. This is not true. It does not work with the 18V slide style batteries that come with certain B&D tool sets such as the Black & Decker #BDC318R-2 3PC 18V Drill Combo Kit. B&D customer support confirmed this false claim. I have no idea what other B&D tools have batteries that it wil not charge, however it does work with the batteries that come with Black & Decker 18-Volt Cordless Electric 12-Inch Grass Hog String Trimmer/Edger #NST2018.
I have several B&D outdoor 18-volt products and the batteries wear out pretty fast. I wanted a charger that would charge one battery as I work with the others. The charge light blinks when it is charging and is steady when the battery if fully charged. The product description states "less than 90 minutes" for a complete charge.
I have charged about a dozen 18V batteries with this charger. The average time from when the battery is first inserted until the blinking charge light goes steady indicating a full charge IS ABOUT 3 HOURS 15 MINUTES.
Since this charger is made for 9.6 volt to 18 volt, I believe the "LESS THAN 90 MINUTES" is referring to the 9.6 volt batteries. The 18 volt batteries take more than twice that long.
The stock black charger than came with the products takes about 6 hours to charge an 18 volt battery, so this charge IS faster -- about twice as fast. But the "less than 90 minutes" statement does not apply to the large 18 volt batteries -- just so you're aware.
Whether it's worth $25 to charge a battery in 3 hours instead of 6, you'll have to decide. For me, I was a little disappointed that the charging takes more than twice as long as what was advertised.
I have a set of 18-volt Black & Decker yard tools (hedge trimmer, line trimmer, and blower) that came with a regular slow charger. By the time I get about 2/3 done with any yard work, all 3 of my batteries are empty. I work through one battery at a time and drop it on the charger as I grab the next one. But the regular charger just can't do it fast enough. So I was thrilled to find the Black and Decker fast charger. It works great! Now when my battery runs out while I'm doing yard work, I stick it on the fast charger and by the time the third one is emptied, the first one is charged again. Hooray!
This 90 minute charger sometimes indicates that it is charging for 6+ hours on a brand new battery. Generally it works fine and does charge my batteries in about an hour but there are those few times that just sits there and just blinks away for hours saying that it is charging. Because of this, I never use it unattended. The batteries that it tried to charge for a long time got pretty hot but probably still well within the safe zone. It just made me nervous enough to only use it while I am home.
This charger is good to have if you need your battery charged fast. Doing a few hours of yard work using 2 batteries, you can recharge the batteries alot better than the one that comes with the product. The light on it let's you know when the charging is done. Am very pleased with this purchase
The charger is described by its manufacturer as being for all black and decker 9.6 - 18 volt batteries, when it is not. The charger does not work with certain newer batteries that have 4 prongs to them, just "older" ones with 3 or 2 prongs. A call to B&D support got me a reply that the charger doesnt work with the 4 prong batteries (which BTW have the same part number no matter how many prongs) and that I should return the item as it doesnt do what its advertised to.
So, if your tools use the 2 and 3 prong batteries, this charger is GREAT. If your tools use the 4 prong batteries, save your time and aggrivation and just charge them with the slow chargers that came with the tools. Beware buying extra battery packs as you cant tell till you get the package open if the batteries have 2, 3 or 4 prongs and the 4 prong ones dont fit into the older tools either!'
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