Which 18650 batteries do you trust?

[RustyOldNail]

Speaking of existing threads on the subject, and rather then me repeating myself here, lots of good contributions here:

18650 Battery Safety

The shop don't sell VTC5A but VTC6 I bought them from vapoclope.fr and they send they would send me a return label and exchange them for any of their battery. I know. I bought them because of all the good reviews of happy users like you but I got bad ones for sure. Thankfully Vapoclope CS...

fuckcombustion.com

Ask yourself, in the unlikely and rare lithium battery EVENT, are you prepared to deal with it? I’ll continue to monitor the thread I posted the link for, rather then here.... good luck.

 

[Robert-in-YEG]

SEALED container

Yep, there is chemistry at work. Always allow room for expansion. No battery should be stored in a sealed container.

A firecracker goes off on the palm of an open hand; the end result is a severely burnt hand. A firecracker goes off in a hand closed to a fist, and it is goodbye fingers. It only takes a little expansion to do a lot of damage.

Robert-in-YEG

 

[RustyOldNail]

Yep, there is chemistry at work. Always allow room for expansion. No battery should be stored in a sealed container.

A firecracker goes off on the palm of an open hand; the end result is a severely burnt hand. A firecracker goes off in a hand closed to a fist, and it is goodbye fingers. It only takes a little expansion to do a lot of damage.

Robert-in-YEG

View attachment 14955

That’s why I CAPITALIZED the word SEALED.

 

[Siebter]

I think excepting these edge cases the term explosion is hyperbole and not terribly productive [...]

That's probably because you haven't heard of unregulated e cigarette mods – as @RustyOldNail mentioned, those can be actual pipe bombs that actually explode, which is the case when those purely mechanical mods fail to implement some kind of proper ventilation, which makes them totally sealed. When something goes wrong, the pressure and heat will build up in milliseconds and rip the metal apart.

And I most certainly wouldn't want to downplay a „merely“ shorted cell outside of a sealed compartment too; a venting battery that blows hot sparks doesn't always just let you „go away” and let things happen, often you will have to do something before it burns down a house.

 

[RustyOldNail]

If using trusted devices that use proper REGULATION, then the most likely EVENT, one might encounter would be on a CHEAP or broken battery charger, or charging internally in a cheap improper or defective device. That’s why many that charge lithium’s especially LIPOS, use their charger in a similar enclosure like the BAT-SAFE box I mentioned and linked to. I don’t use it that way as I’m monitoring my charger and have purchased the appropriate lithium fire extinguishers, also posted the info for those interested in fire safety. I’m GOOD, hope my forum friends are as well....

 

[gordontreeman]

Yeah, I think the mechanical mods are a fair callout. I didn’t realize those existed. I was never an ecig person.

And I most certainly wouldn't want to downplay a „merely“ shorted cell outside of a sealed compartment too; a venting battery that blows hot sparks doesn't always just let you „go away” and let things happen, often you will have to do something before it burns down a house.

I’m not meaning to imply it’s no big deal or anything like that—definitely still take all appropriate cautions! I just think “explode” doesn’t accurately describe the reaction .

 

[LesPlenty]

I overcharged a really cheap Chinese 12.6v lithium-ion plastic battery pack that was made up of 18350s? (I left it too long) and when I noticed it smoking I unhooked it and sat it outside to cool, just after I sat it down it went off like a shotgun and blew a small crater in the cement...lucky to still have all my fingers.
I am a lot more careful now, that is why I put an extra wrap of electrical tape on the Xmax V3 Pro battery as it has a possible wear spot when installing them.

 

[RustyOldNail]

Below is link to a 12 minute YouTube video, it’s entertaining and educational on the power of a lithium ion fire. Granted we don’t quite use as many batteries as a small custom electric car, but worth watching, that’s why I saved the link.

 

[Zipford]

I use the Molicel P26A, but as I think has been said already, where you buy from may be more important than what you buy, given knock-offs and counterfeits.

 

[BrianTL]

I get my Molicels in bulk from DH Gate

 

[RustyOldNail]

I get my Molicels in bulk from DH Gate

From what I read Molicels are supposedly sold only by AUTHORIZED dealers. Maybe DHGate is authorized?
Personally, I wouldn’t trust that, but maybe you know more about it.

 

[BrianTL]

From what I read Molicels are supposedly sold only by AUTHORIZED dealers. Maybe DHGate is authorized?
Personally, I wouldn’t trust that, but maybe you know more about it.

My attempt at a bad joke... in reality there's no chance I would order 18650s from DH gate

I'm surprised that you weren't more appalled that I would consider that as a possibility... or maybe you were and were just very polite about it

I get mine from Liionwholesale and Illumn

 

[RustyOldNail]

My attempt at a bad joke... in reality there's no chance I would order 18650s from DH gate

I'm surprised that you weren't more appalled that I would consider that as a possibility... or maybe you were and were just very polite about it

I get mine from Liionwholesale and Illumn

Just TESTING you!
You PASSED....

 

[Robert-in-YEG]

Has anyone ever tried these?

18650 Battery: 3000mAh 20A CDR

3000mah 25a, >800 cycle tims CDC remains at 25a when even just 20% power left

www.golisi.com

 

[RustyOldNail]

REWRAPS....

 

[Robert-in-YEG]

REWRAPS....

Who is the manufacturer? Are they reliable? Trustworthy?

There is a vape shop here in Edmonton that recommends them. They are not a brand I am familiar with.

Robert-in-YEG

 

[RustyOldNail]

Who is the manufacturer? Are they reliable? Trustworthy?

There is a vape shop here in Edmonton that recommends them. They are not a brand I am familiar with.

Robert-in-YEG

View attachment 15162

Can’t answer any of those questions on a REWRAP, as you have no idea what the real battery is underneath the wrapper. That’s why, over and over again, you see it recommended to only buy the known, trusted brands from the known reliable vendors. Batteries are not something to experiment with and try and save money on. Good luck!

 

[gangababa]

Has anyone ever tried these

View attachment 15161

Now this is a battery that I can find in Uruguay. My Goggle search (Spanish) turned up this site:
Golisi Argentina
Golisi has the "G" series, "L" series, and "S" series
The number (30, 26, 25...) represents the mAh
The Amps vary: G= 20 amp, S = 25 amp, L = 10 amp

Here is the #
G30 certification (from website)
http://www.golisiargentina.com/web/images/pdf/18650G30.pdf

Perhaps a more useful site

EDIT to add copy from website"

Shenzhen Xin’xin’he Technology (previous name: Shenzhen Enough Power Technology ) headquartered in Shenzhen, China, is a power solutions company, providing smart chargers and Li-ion batteries. We are committed to provide consumers real rated and solid quality products including 18650, 21700, 20700, 26650 batteries and smart chargers.​

Golisi batteries are designed for high-drain discharging purpose and this brand has seen tremendous growth and use in ecig , drone, toys areas, and they are comparable with those Korean / Japanese brands: for example, S30 VS VTC6A; S26 VS VTC5A; G30 is equivalent to HG2; G25 is an alternative to 25R. Moreover, we can provide what Sony Samsung can’t offer:

Certificates for imports / Quality requirements:​

CE, ROHS, FCC, WEEE, IEC62133, (UL is on process)
MSDS, UN38.3, DGM
CB certificates by TUV

 

[bossman]

If using trusted devices that use proper REGULATION, then the most likely EVENT, one might encounter would be on a CHEAP or broken battery charger, or charging internally in a cheap improper or defective device. That’s why many that charge lithium’s especially LIPOS, use their charger in a similar enclosure like the BAT-SAFE box I mentioned and linked to. I don’t use it that way as I’m monitoring my charger and have purchased the appropriate lithium fire extinguishers, also posted the info for those interested in fire safety. I’m GOOD, hope my forum friends are as well....

If I'm supposed to keep my Opus charger in a battery safe box and also own a liion fire extinguisher can you point me to the ones you use/recommend?

My 18650s are all from trusted sellers but they just live in plastic cases in a drawer. I don't charge cells in the mod/vape with the exception of my V3 Pro and an iStick Rim C.

 

[RustyOldNail]

If I'm supposed to keep my Opus charger in a battery safe box and also own a liion fire extinguisher can you point me to the ones you use/recommend?

My 18650s are all from trusted sellers but they just live in plastic cases in a drawer. I don't charge cells in the mod/vape with the exception of my V3 Pro and an iStick Rim C.

The Bat-Safe I bought is linked below, they make other sizes if you check their own website, and you could see if it interests you. If you scroll down the Amazon page, the dimensions are listed. As I believe I mentioned, I don’t actually use it when charging, as I only charge when I am home and can monitor the charger which is a 4-bay all in one. It’s main design is to put JUST the batteries in the Bat-Safe box, like LIPOS, and the actual charger is OUTSIDE the box, there is a rubber hole to run the cable through. Most people using LIPOS use “hobby chargers”, which are more expensive then our all in one “Bay Chargers”.

If you put a all in one charger in the Bat-Safe box, and charge at high currents, there would be heat building up, being enclosed. My SkyRC MC3000 has 2-fans, and can charge at up to 3 amps, so I know it’s important to keep both the charger and batteries as cool as you can when charging/discharging.

I bought it so I could store all my batteries in one place, and when looking for fireproof containers, all I found were junky large bags, or super expensive boxes. The Bat-Safe seemed like it was built well enough to offer me peace of mind, in the highly unlikely bad event, and worth it to me. If you store your batteries in a cool, dry place in individual cases, you will probably never have an issue.

Amazon.com

I bought TWO of these fire extinguishers designed for a lithium battery fire. LINK BELOW has the INFO:

18650 Battery Safety

The shop don't sell VTC5A but VTC6 I bought them from vapoclope.fr and they send they would send me a return label and exchange them for any of their battery. I know. I bought them because of all the good reviews of happy users like you but I got bad ones for sure. Thankfully Vapoclope CS...

fuckcombustion.com

 

[SquirrelMaster]

Has anyone ever tried these?

18650 Battery: 3000mAh 20A CDR

3000mah 25a, >800 cycle tims CDC remains at 25a when even just 20% power left

www.golisi.com

View attachment 15161

Edit: As @RustyOldNail pointed out, the review Mooch did on these is over 4 years ago. Re-wraps can change at any time!

Bench Test Results: Golisi Gold G30 25A 3000mAh...bit overrated, appears to be HG2

While the test results are hard data, the conclusions and recommendations I make based on these tests are only my personal opinion based on my criteria for setting a rating. Carefully research any cell you are considering using before purchasing...

www.e-cigarette-forum.com

How many cells are you looking for? I mostly use Molicel 26A's and I highly recommend 18650batterystore.com as their shipping isn't insane compared to most (to Canada at least). You need to stay under 13-15 cells (I can't remember the cut off) to qualify for USPS. When I looked at sourcing cells within Canada they were still a much cheaper option if you order a bunch.

Here is Mooch's most recent battery ratings table.

18650 Battery Ratings and Performance Table

You are responsible for your own safety! These batteries are designed, manufactured, and sold only for use in a battery pack with the proper protection circuitry and battery management system. They were not designed for vaping (electronic...

www.e-cigarette-forum.com

 

[RustyOldNail]

That Mooch review was done over 4 years ago, if you read his blog, as well as comments when he reviews REWRAPS, the main takeaway is, these companies doing REWRAPS can and do change the CELLS they are wrapping. So unless you have the proper gear and know how to test lithium cells, you don’t KNOW what you are buying, and they usually don’t accept returns. While you may get lucky and get a decent cell, why not buy the original, and remove most of the risk.

 

[SquirrelMaster]

That Mooch review was done over 4 years ago, if you read his blog, as well as comments when he reviews REWRAPS, the main takeaway is, these companies doing REWRAPS can and do change the CELLS they are wrapping. So unless you have the proper gear and know how to test lithium cells, you don’t KNOW what you are buying, and they usually don’t accept returns. While you may get lucky and get a decent cell, why not buy the original, and remove most of the risk.

Oh shoot, I did not look at the date. Thanks for pointing that out, I edited my previous post. I'm with you, I don't trust re-wraps personally. Molicel makes up the majority of my cells and is all I'll buy in the future. I have a pair of 30Q's in my Paranormal DNA250 and extra VTC6's for my Tinymight but I prefer the Molicel's.

 

[gordontreeman]

Mooch actually has posted updated reviews. See https://www.reddit.com/r/electronic_cigarette/comments/r4ujdt for his most recent. I think it focuses more on performance than safety, but any of the recommended cells from a reputable 18650 vendor should be as safe as these cells get.

 

[RustyOldNail]

NOTE - Mooch message in green:
“If you do not want to use this table then buy the Molicel P26A and use it up to 25A/75W” !!!