18650 Battery Recommendation?

Powerstroke99

Powerstroke99

New member

Could someone knowledgeable on 18650 batteries recommend what brand, mAH rating, and source to buy good quality, reasonably priced batteries. There are so many options out there that I am a bit overwhelmed.

Thanks, Tim
 
I can tell you to stay away from the generic ones as they do not seem to last as long. When we went with flashlights that took the 18650 batteries at the fire station we got a bunch of cheap ones and they didn't hold a charge for long at all after 2 months and you could tell a difference even when charged next to the panasonic, LG and Tenergy battery we replaced them with that were rated for less Milliamp hours. Those three brands have been working the best for us.
 
Originally Posted By: pmackBatteries over 3400 mAh don't exist.

Buy good name brand batteries,

Sanyo, Sony, Panasonic, LG, Tenergy...etc

From a reputable supplier.

Battery info
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/

Yep....that's what it says on the website link I posted:

"TIP: Battery "mAh" is the "size of your fuel tank", more mAh = more runtime.
(the 3400-3500mAh 18650's are the current highest mAh 18650 batteries commercially available - contrary to what you may read on eBay and elsewhere)"

I have purchased 18650 batteries, flashlights, and IR Emitters from Illumination Gear and every item was very high quality.

Ask Skypup about them. He has used their products also.

Make sure whatever brand you purchase it has a good protruding top so you can feel the difference in the dark.

http://illuminationgear.com/EagleTac-18650-3500mAh-Li-Ion-Rechargeable-ET18650-3500mAh.htm

 
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I'll chime in and add, make sure that you buy protected batteries for your lights.
Panasonic, (they bought out Sanyo) Sony, LG and Tenergy seem to rate the highest in customer satisfaction, but there are lots of counterfeits out there. Buy only from a reputable site. Ebay is full of batteries that are too cheap, you be the judge on that.
The best batteries are made in Japan. Chinese batteries are hit or miss on quality.
If you want to learn more than you will ever need to know about 18650's check out the E cigarette (vape) sites. Those guy are really into the 18650's.
 
Originally Posted By: weekenderDo yall think the good folks on Ebay would fib about the 6000mAh batteries I bought that don't last?


Those are the "not so good folks"

The guys that advertise 3000mAh and then ship 3800mAh are even worse
cursing.gif
 
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2500 mah = 2.5 Amps, drain on a typical load(LED flashlight), per hour.
If they last longer than other 2500 mah in a LED flashlight, then good deal.

Their advertised discharge current is an instantaneous direct short of 35 Amps,
which would probably last less than 30 seconds and may even destroy the battery.
That is a meaningless advertising value for led flashlight applications,
in contrast, starting Amps on a frozen truck engine battery are very useful values and hopefully last longer than 30 sec.

So time frame is the critical difference.
 
here's some battery trivia:
measured the current draw on a couple of my cheap red LED flashlights that use the 18650.
At the brightest setting, one drew continuous 1 AMP, and the 2nd one drew continuous 1.5 AMP.
Take the first one as an example, it should last 2.5 continuous hours on a 2500 maH battery.
While the second will last 1.66 hours on that same battery.
These are over-simplifications, but gets the idea across.
As already stated, we want the most maH (milliamp/hours) we can get.
Of course the advertisers know that and pump up the numbers to sell product.
I have some that are rated 5000 maH, but I know they're not that good.
 
Originally Posted By: dan brothersMy step son says that it's all in the AMPS... these batteries are 35amps. They keep his electric cigarette pipe going all day on one battery... when the ebay batteries only last a few puffs.



http://www.amazon.com/Efest-18650-2500mAh-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B00KC00MXI

18650 for Ecigs are made in different amp discharge rate capabilities, an ecig heats up an element like a direct short, which is a hardcore demand on a battery amp draw. You look at the amp discharge capability and you do not need 20A and 30A discharge batteries, but for expensive flashlights you do want protected battery circuits. Make sure that bigger capacity batteries don't have oversize cases, Foxonovos are longer and don't fit in my storage cases.
 
Had an Ultra Fire in my gun light and the recoil on my new shotgun killed it. Must have broke the protection circuit
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