How to identify Samsung 18650 grades and variations?

[Tony W]

Anyone happen to know, or is there a chart or something explaining the different colors and codes, such as icr18650-30A or 30B, or 26f, etc, aside from the obvious 3000mah or 2600mah? Especially, is there a way to tell if it's a Grade A or Grade B cell?

I don't recall the info being on the Samsung site last time I checked, but it's down now so I couldn't verify.

Thanks.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

You'll never find a grading number on them, only model number and date code. I've got naked Pannie, LG and Sanyo cells here and don't see anything like that on any of them.

Charging them up and measuring the voltage can give you an idea, along with performing 'run tests' with lights using known cells.

Compare and contrast.

Chris

 

[mcnair55]

You'll never find a grading number on them, only model number and date code. I've got naked Pannie, LG and Sanyo cells here and don't see anything like that on any of them.

Charging them up and measuring the voltage can give you an idea, along with performing 'run tests' with lights using known cells.

Compare and contrast.

Chris

+1 on what Chris said,would imagine a company like Sanyo would reject grade b stock and destroy or at the very least be re packaged under a different label subject to being something petty to make it a grade 2.

 

[Tony W]

Hmm, that's interesting and a little disconcerting. I've seen devices advertised as using "grade A Samsung cells" for example, as well as people selling bare cells online, but if there's no way of verifying that by appearance, it's almost a meaningless designation. I realize some sellers may try to cheat you in any number of ways, but if there's no reliable markings, then even honest sellers can easily make mistakes.

Anyone know the specs they use to separate "A" from "B"? How different are the capacities?

 

[mcnair55]

Hmm, that's interesting and a little disconcerting. I've seen devices advertised as using "grade A Samsung cells" for example, as well as people selling bare cells online, but if there's no way of verifying that by appearance, it's almost a meaningless designation. I realize some sellers may try to cheat you in any number of ways, but if there's no reliable markings, then even honest sellers can easily make mistakes.

Anyone know the specs they use to separate "A" from "B"? How different are the capacities?

That would be manufacturers confidentiality and anyone in the know would be rather foolish to publish such information on a public forum.But let us use good old common sense and try and guess how we would go about and maintain a quality product to protect our brand name which literally are worth millions of dollars.

AN Other makes a battery but the casing print is offline,quality control rejects item although the cell itself is perfectly good but for visual reasons alone cause the product to become a b grade.The B grade could either be destroyed or sold on for a re cover using another label.

And remember you can fool people so easily with words and visual presentation and you can make a back bedroom website look like a huge corporation.The food makers are massive users of using good sounding names to pry the money out of your pocket.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Hmm, that's interesting and a little disconcerting. I've seen devices advertised as using "grade A Samsung cells" for example, as well as people selling bare cells online, but if there's no way of verifying that by appearance, it's almost a meaningless designation. I realize some sellers may try to cheat you in any number of ways, but if there's no reliable markings, then even honest sellers can easily make mistakes.

Anyone know the specs they use to separate "A" from "B"? How different are the capacities?

To be honest, I bought some LG D1 3000mAh 4.35v 18650 cells from FastTech when I got my three Convoy lights and they had an option to buy 'Authentic' LG D1s and then they had the other option, for a buck, or two, less. If you go to their site and look at 18650s, you'll see this for a few brands/models.

It mentions nothing about 'B stock,' which as McNair states, can many times just be a cosmetic blemish.

I've got a 'B stock' Cold Steel Recon Tanto knife that I bought for half price because there's a tiny bubble, or two, in its powder coat finish. I buy factory blem bullets from the big makers because they're 'stained' a bit and don't look like a shinny copper penny and same with stereo gear, a little ding in the corner of a case and you save!

Whether FT's cells are distinguished due to a quality issue, or a counterfeit issue, or a blemish type issue, I can't say, but they do distinguish on some of them, so you not too far off the mark.

You'll just have to buy them and then test them out.

My 'authentic' LGs appear to be the real deal, for what it's worth.

Chris