There have been several discussions about batteries before but the technology and ever increasing fakes in the market have me wanting to re-ask some opinions about what you guys prefer in an 18650 battery. I think this could be very beneficial to new people as well a us (let’s just say “Seasoned”) vapers.
Which 18650 battery do you prefer?
I currently have a large collection of batteries, 24 of them I think, all flat tops.
6 LG HG2 (3000 mAh)
4 Samsung 25R (2500mAh) <-- fakes I think, got off Amazon
10 Samsung 30Q (3000mAh)
4 Efest Purple IMR (2500 mAh) <-- V1?
I don’t use the Efest batteries anymore and my HG2s are getting pretty worn down. It doesn’t seem to be holding their charge as long as they used to.
Even though I think the 25Rs are possible fakes, they do seem to work really well. I do like the 30Qs a lot but my older HG2s seem to last longer even though the are pretty old and used.
I really like how Mooch is explaining things about batteries and which ones is good or not. And since he is a trusted person within the vaping community i do trust him and his tests.
And with that said i personally use Sony VCT5A and Samsung 30Q.
Samsung,Sony & LG, I am a regulated device user so I prefer a higher mAh rating (LG HG2). Of course each person will need to find the best choice for their individual purpose. Whether it be higher Amp draw for non-regulated devices or higher mAh rating for those that like a longer battery life between recharging.
In addition, I’ll say that I’ve exclusively used HG2’s and 25r5’s (all legit) and had no problems in any way. The two are so close, that for the price difference, I’ll be staying with the 25r5’s since I’ve changed to primarily using dual battery mods.
I did see between an hour to two hours difference (depending on my usage) in longevity (in the HG2’s favor) when using a single battery mod though! So that’s what I’d recommend in that application, as it did make the difference between having to have a backup on my person, vs waiting until I got home between swaps.
With dual batteries, that’s no longer a concern. They last the majority of a day (at 40-45w).
Cell choice really depends on the vaper and how they build/vape. If you vape high wattage (over 60 on a single, over 100 on a series), I tend to think the Samsung 25r5 is the only way to go. If you vape at lower wattages, either the 30q or the HG2.
Limiting vendor tends to insure the cells are authentic.
If I can’t find a manufacturer’s battery factory, or if that factory looks suspiciously like a regular type warehouse, on Google maps, I dont buy their batteries.
I track my cells from their first charge to their last, each cell gets a serial number and I can tell you how old each one is, where it came from, and when I received it.
I don’t track charge cycles, but I replace cells no more than 24 months after I get them.
I have a lot of batteries, currently like 4 HD2, 10 25R. 8 30Q, 10 HG2 are active
Agree with the others as well, Mooch gets the last word on what any battery can do safely.
I’ve used Samsungs from the beginning. First the light blue 25Rs, then the green ones, and now the pink 30Qs. They’re a good price, they work, they’re highly rated and they’re well loved. +1 for illumn. I get all my batteries there.
I get my batts from IMR Batteries or Li Ion. They have great prices and the cells are legit. Ive been loving LG batts and really like the HD2’s. I think thats what they are (dark Magenta in color). Theyre 2000mah and 25amp so they work great in unregulated parallel mods cause you can build super sub ohm and be safe. Another good battery as stated above is the Sony VTC5A. It has a high mah and high amps as well, but I dont recommend pushing it much past 20 or 25 amps. And for regulated mods when I vape around 20-85 watts i use brown LG hg2s. I can’t say enough for LG cells. They work as advertised and are strong. Just be sure to buy from safe vendors.
… Trust the Mooch!