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18650 Batteries / Chargers

For high drain batteries for vaping, check here: http://www.torchythebatteryboy.com/p/imr-safe-chemistry-batteries.html   or click on the link above.


There are hundreds of 18650 batteries out there, different brands and various capacities, but how do you know if they are any good? Most seem to be well short of the claimed capacity, which in some cases is nothing short of fantasy.
Back in 2010, with the help of Sparky and his custom built battery discharger, I started testing batteries and posting the results on here.
Sparky's Magic Box

ICR 18650 Battery Test Results
Below are discharge graphs at 250mA, 1A, 2.5A and 5A for some popular batteries (click on images to enlarge):

Aoso 3400mAh (actual capacity 3440mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.


Aoso 3000mAh (actual capacity 2723mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.


Avatar 2000mAh (actual capacity 2233mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

AWT 3400mAh (actual capacity 3386mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

Beeway 2600mAh (actual capacity 2656mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

Boruit 2200mAh protected (actual capacity 2296mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
 
Boruit 4000mAh protected (actual capacity 1057mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.
 

Doublepow 3000mAh (actual capacity 1596mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations
   

Ebat 2600mAh button top (actual capacity 2756mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

Ebat 3400mAh button top (actual capacity 3304mAh)
This battery compliesy with UK regulations.


EBL 3000mAh (actual capacity 2043mAh) 
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.

Efest 3400mAj protected (actual capacity 3109mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
  
Folomov 2600mAh USB (actual capacity 2619mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
   
GEK 3400mAh protected (actual capacity 3337mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.

GIF 3000mAh (actual capacity 575mAh)
 
GIF 12000mAh (actual capacity 554mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.
  
GTF 10000mAh (actual capacity 2064mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.

GTL 10000mAh (actual capacity 574mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.
   
Holyfire 3400mAh (actual capacity 3279mAh)   
This battery complies with UK regulations.
  

Intsun 3400mAh protected (actual capacity 1820mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

Justdo 3000mAh (actual capacity 1194mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

   

Kingwei 2600mAh protected (actual capacity 2628mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
 
  
LeiFire 3000mAh (actual capacity 2043mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
   
MJKAA 3100mAh (actual capacity 591mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.
     
MecArmy 3400mAh USB (actual capacity 3291mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
 
Mr Henry 12000mAh (actual capacity 2078mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
  
Night Wolf 4200mAh protected (actual capacity 1698mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.PCB cuts out at 5A
  
Panasonic NCR18650B (actual capacity 3281mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.
 
Samsung ICR18650-32A (actual capacity 2659mAh) 
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.

 
Sanyo NCR18650BF (acual capacity 3312mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.

 
SDNMY 4800mAh (actual capacity 1017mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
   
SenyBor 2800mAh protected (actual capacity 2823mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
  
SenyBor 3100mAh protected (actual capacity 3210mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

SenyBor 3400mAh (actual capacity 3355mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.


SiDiu Group 3000mAh (actual capacity 2630mAh) 
This battery complies with UK regulations.
  

Skyray 3400mAh protected (actual capacity 2641mAh)

This battery complies with UK regulations

         

Skywolfeye 5000mAh (actual capacity 1173mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations

Soshine 2600mAh protected (actual capacity 2678mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations

Soshine 3100mAh protected (actual capacity 3232mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

Soshine 3400mAh protected (actual capacity 3400mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

Soshine 3600mAh protected (actual capacity 3435mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

       
Trustfire 3000mAh protected (actual capacity 2203mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations
  

Trustfire 2400mAh (actual capacity 2522mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
  
 
Ubre 2300mAh protected (actual capacity 2017mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations
   

Ultrafire 3600mAh (actual capacity 1060mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.
 
Ultrafire 6800mAh (actual capacity 1170mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.
 
Ultrafire 8800mAh (actual capacity 663mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.

 
Uniross 2400mAh (actual capacity 2037mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.

XC Source 2600mAh protected (actual capacity 2095mAh)
This battery complies with UK regulations.
  
YDC 3000mAh (actual capacity 1264mAh)
This battery does not comply with UK regulations.


 

18650 Battery chargers
Xtar, Efest and Trustfire chargers have been found to be better quality than others on the market so far. Internal fusing, good separation between 240v and DC sides, 3 pin plug and CE marked. Xtar even sent copies of their CE certification.

However, just  because a charger has a CE mark and a 3 pin plug is no guarantee of quality, or safety.  I suspect that Chinese manufacturers will apply the CE mark to their product whether they have achieved the standard or not. 

When one charger exploded, internal inspection suggests the CE mark on the back is totally meaningless:

3 pin plug
 CE Mark
Scorched after the bang
240v supply almost touching DC circuit on pcb!
Diode carrying 240v almost touching battery plate!
Tails on LEDs left too long - almost shorting!
Transistor splitting!

This looks like a compilation of horrors from several chargers, but were all inside one CE marked unbranded charger.