Things you should know about batteries

Ive seen this question pop up a lot on Reddit: “Are these new batteries safe?” At least some people have the brains to ask…

There are 4 main Li batt research groups/manufacturers, for our use: Sony, LG, Panasonic, and Samsung.
Any battery that makes claims outside the specs that these folks set are lying. Vappower has a cell they claim is 35a continuous with 50a pulse NONE of the 4 main batt manufacturers produce anything like this so it leaves two possibilities, they are lying and using lesser cells (bin b) from one of the big 4 or they have somehow spent millions in R&D then produced these cells without anyone else in the world knowing. In other words they are lying.

Any batt that claims high end specs are made by one of the big 4, they are called “bin b” cells meaning they didnt meet the manufacturer specs so they are sold to other companies to be rewrapped. Efest, Vappower, MXJO, etc all sell bin b sells made by one of the big 4.

With all this said please just purchase your cells with the proper wrap, and from a reputable reseller, so you know that it is the best quality. And if i am incorrect about any of this information i would appreciate someone inform me, i do not like to spread false information. This is information i have learned over the last few years.

Stay safe, vape smart!

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There’s a good primer on batteries on WikiVapia:

http://www.wikivapia.org/wiki/Batteries:_Everything_you_want_to_know_about_batteries

Side note: I really hope Tesla starts selling 18650-cells! :smiley:

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Tesla does make 18650’s just not for anything outside their batt packs. Maybe next year we will see them hit our part of the market? That would be awesome!

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I hope that people will forget about LiIon batteries ASAP and will switch to LiFePo.

Origins of the 18650 Battery

Binghamton scientific researcher, M.S. Whittingham discovered the
concept of lithium-powered batteries during the late 1970s. He combined
lithium and titanium sulfide to charge the first battery. Lithium
provided enough power for the battery, but Whittingham became concerned
with safety issues, some of which precluded commercial uses for the
newly discovered battery. Rachid Yazami, who worked for the French
National Center for Scientific Research, published an extensive research
paper in 1980 that claimed that lithium batteries had commercial
potential, if the use of lithium metal was restricted, and some other
form of lithium that contained lithium ions was used in its place.
Tinkering with the lithium battery model continued for another decade,
until Sony released the first lithium-ion battery in 1991. Sony
scientists perfected a battery that integrated lithium cobalt oxide into
the battery’s chemical composition. By 1996, the lithium metal problem
disappeared, as scientists added lithium iron phosphate to advance lithium
battery technology.

To Read More, CLICK

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18650 Manufacturers

Let’s lay out the major 18650 battery manufacturers. There is
Panasonic, Samsung, and LG. Sony cells have fallen in production, as
they focus more on li-po - soft cells for use in mobile and tablet.
Panasonic provide some of the best cells for electric vehicles. LG,
Samsung, and Panasonic all produce 18650 batteries for laptops. LG and
Samsung produce more high-drain cells. But after all is said and
done, all three of these manufacturers have very similar battery lines.

Here’s a quote from another forum that deals with flashlights, electronics, ect.

Originally Posted by phantom23

Panasonic makes the best 18650 cells (3100mAh).
Companies such as AW, Redilast, Callies Kustoms, XTAR, EagleTac,
EnerPower+ use them and just add their own protection.

There’s just a few who are using other manufacturers batteries

More info…

An 18650 battery is a set of chemicals inside a protective steel
case. Then PVC shrink wrap is applied over the steel case, which gives
the 18650 its color. Some companies buy cells from large manufacturers
like Panasonic, and rewrap it with their own custom-branded PVC tube.

The following companies rewrap cells:

Efest, Vamped, Keeppower, AW, Ultrafire, Trustfire, Orbtronic, EHGTL, Robiton’, Imren, MXJO, Nitecore, AWT, EagleTac, AmpMax, Basen, BattEnergy, EnerPower, Fenix, Intl-outdoor, Redilast, Xtar

                Rewrapped cells can be used for good or for evil. 

Some companies add value by providing quality control or adding
protective circuitry when needed. However the darker side is it opens
the doors for deception - exaggerated or completely fabricated battery
specifications.

Are any 18650 batteries rated higher than 30A?

No. The highest continuous discharge
rating for any 18650 battery is 30A. Some companies claim higher ratings
like 40A or 60A. These are however based purely on pulse discharge
ratings or fabricated out of thin air.

Also note that pulse ratings are
completely meaningless without noting their duration. The Samsung 25R
for example has the following pulse specifications when written correctly:
The 25R can safely be discharged at a continuous 20A (amps). Pulse
discharge levels are [95A - .5 sec, 65A - 1 sec, 40A - 5 sec, 30A - 6
sec].

Recommendation

For vapes and mods we recommend the Samsung 25R.
For general electric vehicles we recommend the Panasonic BE.
Laptops, high-performance electric vehicles, flashlights,
power-tools, etc. all have special needs and there is no exclusive
answer to which battery is best. It all depends on your application.

There you have it, stick with your Samsung 25Rs…

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Excellent info, @JoJo may find this very informative.

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Yes, indeed. :slight_smile: I have this thread bookmarked. I stayed up entirely too late last night reading, went back at it again this morning. Now I have a headache and don’t feel any closer to a decision. But, the info is good and at least I know once I finally settle, I will know what I’m doing. LoL. Ah, the curse of the over-informed consumer…sometimes I wish I had LESS impulse control.

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Just holler if you have any questions!

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@Aux, are the LiFePo batteries available now for use/purchase in our world of vaping?

They are available for purchase, but not much use. There are some 26650 cells (3.2V), but most of them are in brick format. But we are starting to see more and more LiFePo regulated mods.

They also do not make much sense in mech mods, because they provide devastating power. 600W? No problems!

I have a friend who designs a LiFePo mod, he managed to melt one RDA (:

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Any info on the 26650 side of batteries?

Honestly i have no idea on the 26650 batts, never used them so i never researched them, sorry.

Don’t hold me to this but I have always heard these batteries were the best 26650s…

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I have a slightly different question on batteries… in anticipaton on getting a new device I’ve ordered batteries (18650 25R) and a new charger but I’m now wondering if I should have gotten the device first. I ordered flat top batteries not button top, is this going to be an issue? I wouldn’t think so… but…?

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You want flat top batteries - Button top won’t fit in many mods (without a bit of violence)…

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Whatcha gettin?

@Jimk I’m one of those ppl that if given 2 choices of ice cream that I stand there looking at the sign in awe, still trying to decide Cube 2, Cloupor gt 80, or Sige3li 150w TC, IPV4s or the IPV3-li… I had thought I had it narrowed down to just 2 a few days ago… but I like ice cream too much… lol

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Decisions! Decisions!

Better to research, then buy, rather than having buyers remorse! Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt…burned it!

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…You forgot to sleep with the band!

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