I've decided to get my 8yr old son a Slash 2wd and may pick up a 4wd for myself in the not too distant future. What would be an ideal charger? I've read a lot about lipo batteries, both good and bad, and would like to have that option but would like to keep the charger budget under $100. Is safety a concern with the lipo batteries?

this is an amazing charger for the money-does all the things the more expensive chargers do for 1/2 the price- Lipo's can be very dangerous, and you really need to pay attention to the charge rate and settings--especially with a new charger---Go slow until you are familiar with your equipment--you will be fine..Always ask questions--because they are always good ones; unanswered ones usually cost you $$
http://www.hobbypartz.com/skychb6chdup.html

Believe it or not for an 8 year old you have a few safety concerns.
All batteries can harm you. Potential energy in any battery pack is enough to severely burn flesh. I have seen a small child try to pull apart a connecter with his teeth.....(luckily he didnt get hurt) Especially if there is a dead short. At 8 small fingers can get burned by hot motors/esc s and from spinning parts....Always supervise them.....


As far as a charger I would get a multi charger. I bought a x4 charger and I charge up to 4 packs at a time. It does nimh and lipo. Works out great for me and my son.
I got my charger from Hobbyking and it was $100.

Thanks. This will be a hobby we do together and supervision will be a must. What's the brand on that charger? Thanks for the info, please keep the recommendations coming

Mark

Most lipo incidents are the reult of user error in charging (charging as wrong battery type). With lipo you need a good, lipo capable balancing charger. Balancing lets charger monitor the voltage of individual cells in the lipo battery. If there is a potential prob with a cell, then charger can shut charge off as needed.

The SkyCharger linked above is a good balancing lipo capable charger. There is another popular one from Hobbyparts, the Thunder AC-6 -

http://www.hobbypartz.com/thac6smbachw.html

Either charger would do a good job.

I do like the prospect of charging multiple batteries at the same time.

+1

first line of the quote is the best quote when talking about lipos.

the the hobby partz link is bogus. their stuff is made overseas and are knock offs of the real deal. but overseas you will not see the logo "CE" either on a peel proof, or hologram sticker on it. when i was living in a tent back in 2003 in the desert a marine bought a cheap electric razor and while charging it it caught fire and they ran out (a marine or 8-9 marines who leaves his m16's in a burning tent...must have been in a hurry!) well after his tent burnt, and about 10 others since the tents are 10 feet from one another it was found out that it was a electric short inthe charger of the electric razor. lucky the fire never got any one hurt, and the bullets spraying the fire didn't get us seabees that were there with construstion h2o tankers put out the blaze.

don't go cheap, specially if you younger son maybe using them! teach him to use a lipo bag also one time buy for $20.00 bucks may save you from waiting for a insurance claim to come in.

-sorry for the long book -arick