ToolkitRC M4Q Flaws - WARNING about this 4-channel LiPo charger

The Toolkit M4Q is the only 4-channel LiPo charger I've found under $100. It's priced at $60-80 retail which seems cheap relative to the other products out there. This video goes over the flaws on what to expect before you throw down your money for one. Don't be disappointed like I was.
1:19 Quick summary of the M4Q
2:19 Problem #1
3:15 Problem #2
3:46 Demo A
5:07 Demo B
8:31 Problem #1 and #2 Solution
11:38 Problem #3
12:10 Problem #3 Setup
14:20 Problem #3 Demo
16:24 Problem #3 Solution
17:28 Problem #4
17:35 Problem #4 Demo
19:39 Conclusion, I will be keeping mine
If you do end up wanting a ToolkitRC M4Q despite what I've discussed in the video, the retailers I recommend are Pyrodrone.com, Racedayquads.com and GetFPV.com.
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Although I myself buy from affiliate links, I do not provide affiliate links for others to buy from. The couple dollars I'd get from it really won't matter to me and it helps to distance myself to provide a completely unbiased view. Feel free to support your favorite professional reviewer however if you want a KZbinr to get a commission. They do put in a lot of hard work and deserve to get paid for their effort. Or get it from whatever source that has it in stock that you're comfortable with.
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1S parallel board with balance lead: (not an affiliate link) tinyurl.com/u9.... I am not necessarily recommending this and make no guarantees that this will work well with the M4Q. I was just advised on this possibly working since it is the only 1S parallel board with a balance lead available. I do not own this nor do I intend on buying one myself.

[@thisIsRC]

I'm glad I saw this because those 4 "problems" you mentioned aren't really that big of a deal, at least not for me.

[@fpvnook3860]

Using extentions solves those issues, I got them immediately after purchasing and I love the charger. Just get extentions for 4s cables, and you can wiggle in anything from 2-4s and the tension will keep it in place.

[@kencroft7933]

Yes I did the same because the balance leads kept falling out. In fact I opened the case and with my Dremel I cut away some plastic inside the case, and now the balance leads plug in far deeper and more securely. But I still use extension leads.

[@kencroft7933]

I love this charger which I have had since it was introduced. I charge 4 batteries at a time and it just saves so much time. I recommended it to a pal of mine and he too just thinks it is great. I would buy another if mine failed.

[@Funcentric]

Ditto.

[@deadstickfpv]

Thanks for this review.. that charger is a no go for me

[@Funcentric]

Yeah, only thing available if you're desperate for a 4-channel. I'd prefer to spend more on 2 2-channels than this single 4-channel if I could do it over again.

[@ChrisParayno]

Thanks for this! Super important. What charger do you recommend?

[@Funcentric]

I’m in the process of making a video about that. What do you fly or run? Size batteries? Field charging or mostly exclusively at home? I can’t recommend a generic one for everyone. Really depends.

[@mryipicayey]

hi I charged my lipo with this charger and i am not planning to use it soon , so how can i discharge the battery for safe storage? now is at 4.2v I heard should be at 3.80 v in an option to discharge with this charger ? or what will be the best method thank you !

[@Funcentric]

Sure, you want to set it to STORAGE instead of CHARGE mode. Then use the scroll thingy to get put it to 3.80volts per cell. Make sure you set the proper cell count. Very very important.

[@WinstonSmith1984]

I use a male to male 1S balance connector in one of the free ports of the parallel charging board to connect it to the ToolkitRC charger.

[@Funcentric]

Oh, a little jumper cable. That’s a good idea. Thanks.

[@ClarkDroneFilms]

i also have an issue where I plugged in a 4S lipo for input, started smelling of smoke and Port #4 now shows 18V when nothing is plugged in. Took it apart and there is burn marks on a mosfet(?) behind this port. So I have no idea what happened

[@Funcentric]

That’s scary! Send it back for sure. Was this from Amazon by chance? I’m hearing a lot of cases of Amazon taking returns of damaged products or ones with issues and then resending it to new buyers as new.

[@ClarkDroneFilms]

@@Funcentric Will do. It was from Flying Tech, a UK fpv store. But if Amazon is doing that then wow that's messed up

[@EricMoerth]

I have exactly the same problem. Do you know how to resolve it?

[@Funcentric]

@@EricMoerth Unfortunately not. I did come across someone who said they took it apart and chipped away with a rotary tool parts of the inside of the charger such that the extra plastics wasn't blocking the balance leads from being plugged in all the way. I haven't figured out how to take it apart and am quite hesitant to mess physically with a charger in a way it wasn't meant to be messed with. It still continues to annoy me every single time I use it. It's difficult to use it as more than a dual charger b/c touching adjoining batteries makes the other ones unplug when I don't intend to. Quite frustrating.

[@EricMoerth]

@@Funcentric so do you also have the problem with the port 4 showing 18V? For me plugging in multiple LiPos is not really a problem, the align quite well. But my port 4 is now showing 18V and as soon as I plug in a Battery it turns of the charger. Therefore I don't know if I can still use the other ports for charging. What do you think?

[@vanair]

I ordered 2 of these chargers at home from Banggood, neither of them works. The first shows voltage values of cells that are not connected (2S connected, device shows values of 4 cells). It is not possible to start the loading process; you will then receive an error message. Then I ordered another device from Banggood, it won’t even turn on, it’s dead. I don’t understand why this device is so praised.

[@Funcentric]

The reviews we’re all watching are designed to sell. The guys don’t use the products regularly. They have too many things to “review”. They’re more like reviews for reviewers than for actual end users who plan to use it for more than a couple times. We forget that sometimes, me included. Banggood is good about refunds. You definitely should get your money back. They’ll ask for a video or photo for proof but will take care of you. Sorry to hear about your experiences. You won’t find affiliate links on my channel. Reliable sources change all the time so it’s just a matter of looking up whenever you’re ready to buy whatever product.

[@TheTryzna]

guess i have been lucky, mine died after two months of service(and i fly only on weekends, not a daily user). Glad i kepy my ISDT, its still rocking after years of usage.

[@Funcentric]

@@TheTryzna mine still works. But I’ve gotten away from FPV for a bit. Been focused on rc cars the last few months.

[@shedendpussys]

I've just started rc'ing and I'm looking for a charger. I'll only need something that can charge one 2/3s lipo battery at a time. I don't need anything fancy and was looking at the old school IMAX B6, then saw the ToolkitRC M4 (not this M4Q). Should I be looking at more modern devices? Thanks

[@Funcentric]

Yes, I have a video on how to select a charger. Futureproof. It's not just a video on what the greatest latest chargers are, but what to look for. The first portion of that video is my history of chargers so you can skip to about mid way to get to the relevant content you're looking for. In short, the IMAX products have been so knocked off that it's hard to tell what is real and what is fake. The fake ones have fewer security measures in place and aren't accurate and may not always fully charge. There are a lot of comparison videos out there about it. Not worth the headache and their interface is literally 10+ years old.

[@shedendpussys]

@@Funcentric Brilliant, thank you.

[@thingys-rd7id]

I have had problems with toolkitrc products I have a M6D charger which developed a faulty screen after a few hours of use, I am on my 3rd P200 power supply replaced under warranty the first went bang plugging it into the mains with nothing connected to it, the replacement did not work on the mains only the battery input and the third will not let me upgrade the firmware, which I did with no problem on the first P200. I think the people that rave about toolkitrc products must be the lucky ones that get the midweek working ones and not the monday morning friday afternoon junk

[@Funcentric]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I think the ones that rave about it are just paid reviewers who don’t use it day to day long enough to experience issues. I call them product introducers rather than product reviewers.

[@JohnCuppi]

Almost a year later - is this charger still functioning?

[@Funcentric]

Has it been that long? Wow, that went by fast. The charger still works and I continue to use it as a 4-channel charger, but I absolutely hate that the balance leads are so so so loose. It's really really annoying. If it wasn't for it being 4-channels, I would not use it.

[@waynesbutler7834]

Extension leads will save your life and your house , was pain full to watch you struggle with batteries dangerously close to your charger and on top of each other but with that said not the best connection .

[@Funcentric]

Yeah I was so close to just tossing the thing but eventually caved and got extension leads. If it disconnects, it’ll just stop charging. So no real risk of fire due to the connection problem this charger has. So far so good with the leads. Annoying to have to buy extra stuff though to make it work.

[@NextLevelCode]

Yeah these are all problems. I can see why people should stay away from this version. Btw came across your video wile researching the P200 from toolkit. Wasn’t actually searching about this charger 😅 Also I have the xt30 version of this charger. It’s still finicky plugging things in. But not this bad! Probably because all the batteries for micros are so much smaller. 800mah or less. Just easier to get them all to fit.

[@Funcentric]

Hmm, I guess KZbin has weird algo's. I wonder why ToolkitRC decided to go back to banana plugs on their P200. Seems like odd choice to go away from the standard XT60 connector.

[@NextLevelCode]

@@Funcentric because banana plugs are standard on bench top power supplies. Basically toolkit RC seems to be reusing the tech they developed for RC chargers to try and expand into the general maker space. That is why I want it anyways.

[@Funcentric]

@@NextLevelCode I see. Thanks.

[@misc_channel]

Both the Toolkit M4Q and the newer ToolkitRC Q4AC are seriously faulty, many people are having issues with it. Mine made a very loud pop and stopped working completely, before even charging anything. I have other ToolkitRC stuff that works well though.

[@Funcentric]

Yeah, this one just seems faulty. No response from Toolkit RC after reaching out to them twice. Customer service definitely isn't there. Disappointing.

[@misc_channel]

@@Funcentric I actually bought the newer version, the ToolkitRC Q4AC, thinking they must have resolved the QC issues in the updated version. Sadly this was not the case. I'm hoping Banggood will refund but so far they just keep asking more and more questions.

[@Funcentric]

@@misc_channel Oh man, sorry to hear. I didn't even realize they had a new version.

[@Funcentric]

@@misc_channel One of the bigger problems out there is that there are so many ads on KZbin disguised as reviews. Viewers buy into it thinking they're actually reviews and forget or dismiss that they're sponsored videos with ads all around. I wish there were more end users who actually buy, use and review products regularly - not just for 15 minutes to shoot a pretty video with a fun thumbnail. And to do that with decent audio and some actual lighting.

[@misc_channel]

@@Funcentric Yep. As well as the ones that receive actual payments without disclosing it, many others get sent stuff for free that they get to keep, knowing that if the "review" leans towards being positive about the product, the products for "review" will likely keep coming....

[@alliaj1]

my Toolkit M4Q work 100% ok, ToolkitRC M5D work 100% ok, but my ToolkitRC M4 pocket burning first day...

[@Funcentric]

Ouch. Can you share the details?

[@pksteffen]

2. Not all balance chargers are the same. 3. This isn’t about charging anything without balance. I get #2 but all my batteries fit great. Might just want to say it doesn’t fit all. Point taken.

[@Funcentric]

Hmmm, interesting. What battery brand do you have where the balance lead fits tightly? Just curious b/c I've tried quite a few.

[@pksteffen]

@@Funcentric yeah, yours obviously don’t fit and that’s a PITA. Sorry to see that. Any battery that uses the old school, standard balance plug should fit. I fly Tattu, GNB and RDQ. I don’t love how the balance port is shiny black and hard to read. I use my HOTA to balance charge 1s. The only good 1s board IMO is the Fractal Engineering board by Yves Brechbill. It is six port so I’d never want to use a 4 channel charger with it. I have 3 of them and 2 are usually plugged into my HOTA. You can find them now on Newbeedrone. I have the original which has PH2.0 and BT2.0 so even more handy. It’s serial so you can plug in any level of charge and not worry. I’d steer clear of parallel wiring harnesses or boards. Their a PITA to be honest. It’s just not easy to be safe with them. Nothing is ever within .2 of each other so you end up puffing batteries or taking risks.

[@Funcentric]

@@pksteffen I'm starting to wonder if mine is just defective. I use Tattu also. I'll check out the Fractal Engineering one you're telling me about. Thanks for the reference. NBD seems like they're out of stock of a lot of stuff lately including this item. I haven't had issues with parallel boards as of yet. I'm a stickler when it comes to the voltage being equal. I'm aware of that during flight too. But yeah, that's why I'm using this 4-channel when I can.....at home.

[@floxflux]

just take off the JST Plug Protector on your balance lead.

[@Funcentric]

Unfortunately that’s not the obstruction. Wish it was. I tried that too. Another user said it’s a defect in the construction of it and had to take it apart and dremel out some of the plastic inside the port before the balance lead would sit snug.

[@ClareFPV]

Mine failed as well and toolkitrc refuses to respond to the ticket that I raised with their support team. The product and support ia garbage

[@Funcentric]

I wouldn't say the product is garbage, but it sure looks like it. I hate that the balance leads constantly fall out of place. As for support, that's definitely garbage. I submitted a ticket at the time of this video and still haven't heard back. Will be my last Toolkit product unless something amazing comes out. The only reason I'm okay with this product is b/c it is pretty much the only 4 channel charger.

[@ClareFPV]

@@Funcentric same here. I really like their ideas and what they have come up with but ideas are nothing without a proper reliable product and amazing QC. Stay safe buddy

[@dauntlessfpv]

4 second in and I’ve already learned it’s absolutely huge. That’s a turn off for me

[@Funcentric]

Haha. Yeah I wouldn’t use it as a field charger. I use this only at home and it compliments my Hota D6 Pro.

[@Funcentric]

To their credit though, it’s the smallest 4 channel charger I’ve come across.

[@dauntlessfpv]

@@Funcentric yeah. You have to put the power supply somewhere. That is what I don’t understand. The 4 channels seems like it should be a field charger. But it has a power supply in it.

[@Funcentric]

@@dauntlessfpv I do like that it has the option for both. It annoys me that the other field chargers can't be used for home DC. Although I did recently come across the DC plugs that have an XT60 on the end so technically it makes all the chargers "home charger" capable. They're only about $8 or so. Maybe I should get one: www.racedayquads.com/products/betafpv-wall-adapter-xt60?currency=USD&variant=31924012122225&gclid=CjwKCAjwvMqDBhB8EiwA2iSmPEgt0_0ZcbDfprlXUqfUF6ghzALbR1C4Xkn4akFivV40LxcofPOTJxoC99oQAvD_BwE

[@dauntlessfpv]

@@Funcentric that’s only a 12v 3a tho. I’d go 24v 400w one. www.racedayquads.com/products/rdq-24v-15a-360w-power-supply?_pos=2&_sid=a8eee59e6&_ss=r This is a super good price for one. I use a 400w one

[@babayaga3442]

toolkit sucks....mine toolkit m6 last 8 months only and before all dead, it suck up my 4s battery voltage in charge mode like discharged , luckyly i check it before

[@Funcentric]

Yeah, it would take a lot for me to buy a Toolkit product. They still haven't responded to my inquiry about the balance leads being so loose on multiple batteries from various manufacturers. The clear issue is the charger - not the battery.

[@Iinustechtips]

i got imax b6

[@Funcentric]

I started off with something similar too. Careful with the B6 as there are a lot of knockoffs that have quality control issues. Also be careful not to plug the battery in before plugging the banana leads into the charger. You run the risk of accidentally touching the two banana leads together (like I did and poof, smoke).

[@Iinustechtips]

@@Funcentric Oh, I leave the balance leads plugged in, anyways, on the v2 version, the banana leads are glued together so you cant touch them together :), what rc's do you own?

[@Funcentric]

@@Iinustechtips That's so cool. I didn't realize that the iMax B6 V2 switched to an XT60 connector instead of banana plugs. So no banana plugs at all. That's a good improvement. The XT60 is definitely a standard you'll want to get used to. Are you asking me about RC cars? They're all on my KZbin channel with the exception of the WLToys A202 which I haven't done a video on yet.

[@chrishard7616]

Any charger that discharges batteries that have been left connected is just not fit for purpose! Another pile of under developed Chinese junk!

[@Funcentric]

@@chrishard7616 there are dedicated products for the purpose of discharging batteries to storage charge whether from a Chinese brand or not. That’s how people get to storage charge with a full battery. Typical practice by RC and FPV hobbyists for years. Not sure what you’ré getting at.

[@chrishard7616]

The video implied that if you left a battery connected to the charger after it had finished the set program the battery would carry on slowly discharging itself due to a non desirable parasitic current drain. Please correct me if I misunderstood this.

[@Funcentric]

@@chrishard7616 oh I see. I actually don’t recall. This is a fairly old video but you could be correct. I do use it occasionally with extension balance cables to make it work. I still think it should have been included since the connection is so flawed out of the box. Some do swear by the brand and they make other decent stuff so I wouldn’t necessarily put off the entire brand.