18650 Harvest from Battery Pack

[sween1911]

I work at a shipping company. In our warehouse, there are lots of devices that use rechargeable battery packs which are loaded with 18650's. The other day, my buddy in hardware support saved one for me since he knows I'm into that.

NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! YOU ACCEPT ALL RISK DUE TO FIRE/EXPLOSION/SHORT CIRCUIT/BLOOD POISONING/RABID MONKEY ATTACK/OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENS IF YOU CUT OPEN, MODIFY, LOOK AT, OR THINK ABOUT CUTTING OPEN BATTERY PACKS.

Now that's out of the way....

Got it half open. Only cut myself a little this time...

Charging up...

Running like a champ in my bored 6P...

 

[Pellidon]

A few years ago, we had a laptop at work that the battery pack would super hot. Fearing it would flame out, I removed the cells. Charged them and found them to be just fine. The charging circuit was going bad and could have been catastrophic if it had finally overcharged them. I don't use them in anything beyond a single cell light to be safe.

 

[sween1911]

A few years ago, we had a laptop at work that the battery pack would super hot. Fearing it would flame out, I removed the cells. Charged them and found them to be just fine. The charging circuit was going bad and could have been catastrophic if it had finally overcharged them. I don't use them in anything beyond a single cell light to be safe.

Absolutely. Good call-out. Single-cell usage only.

Even if I bought unprotected cells brand new, I'd only use them as singles.