Which 18650 battery is best for me?

[Cat-Man-Do]

Hi. I going to be operating my new triple XP-G ( K-lite ) with 4x 18650 cells in series. I'll be using a 4 cell Luminous battery holder. Max. current draw should be 1000ma on high. I've been looking at the 3000mah Ultrafire BRC's and the new Soshine 2800mah cells. I already own some of the blue 2500mah Trustfire cells and have never had a problem. Are these ( supposed ) higher capacity cells worth the extra buck$ ? Opinions on what would work best are welcome. I need to know soon so I can order before the Chinese New Year hits and delays my order. Thanks :wave:

 

[Henk_Lu]

Same answer as in the oher 297 threads with exactly the same question :

AW 18650 are the best! Available in (quite real) 2600 mAh flat top and 2200 mAh buton top. In a test somewhere, the Ultrafire didn't run longer, despite their claim of 3000 mAh...

 

[Cat-Man-Do]

Same answer as in the oher 297 threads with exactly the same question :

AW 18650 are the best! Available in (quite real) 2600 mAh flat top and 2200 mAh buton top. In a test somewhere, the Ultrafire didn't run longer, despite their claim of 3000 mAh...

Yeah, a while back someone on CPF did some run time comparisons but I can't remember too much about it now. I do remember them saying that the Ultrafire BRC's worked better in applications < or = to 1000ma. Other than that I vaguely remember that the Blue Trustfires ( 2500mah ) were rated as decent. I can't remember anything about the AW's other than that a lot of people on this forum seem to think they are the best. For $16+shipping per cell I should hope they would be the best. :rolleyes: Is there a thread here that has an up to date battery run time shoot out? If the BRC's run as long as the AW's ( or at least come very close ) I'll probably opt for the BRC's and save about $35. Unfortunately I have heard or read nothing about the new 2800mah Soshines.

**Update....Seems I found one of the battery comparison threads. It is here > http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235025
This too looks likes a nice comparison > http://light-reviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=513

 

[TranceAddict]

at the moment AW is the best in protected, while sanyo is the best in unprotected to me.

why a lot of people claim AW is the best ? when you are sophisticated enough you will agree with us.

 

[Fusion_m8]

I really cannot understand how choosing good 18650 cells has anything to do with sophistication...:crackup:It has much to do with technology, yes for sure, but sophistication?? :wtf:

Rather gaining knowledge from one's own experiences or others who may have had the experience. From old4570's test the Trustfire Grey and Ultrafire Red performed rather well in comparison to AW cells in both the P7 and R2 current tests. While costing significantly less to purchase.

While I agree that AW cells are the most reliable so far, the word "best" is relative and subjective. If price is of no object then shelling out $12.00-$14.75 per cell + $4.50 minimum shipping might buy you the "best" cell, but it doesn't mean that the cells won't EVER fail or you won't receive a dud. What you're paying extra $$ for is the assurance that AW sources the best cells he can buy and he has better QC methods than other generic brands.

Perhaps after reading that thread you mentioned about some 18650 cell comparisons, you can decide for yourself what is BEST for your applications, rather than being TOLD by others what is "best" for themselves.

I've used a pair of these cells and have found them reliable for anything up to 3.5A drain from my Surefire P91 and the Lumens Factory HO-R5 lamp assemblies. Using the "true 2400mah" Trustfires in your XP-G with only 1A draw on each cell would be a rather pleasant walk in the park for them I would say.

 

[old4570]

Same answer as in the oher 297 threads with exactly the same question :

AW 18650 are the best! Available in (quite real) 2600 mAh flat top and 2200 mAh buton top. In a test somewhere, the Ultrafire didn't run longer, despite their claim of 3000 mAh...

Actually they do run longer , but not due to capacity , rather internal resistance , at higher current draw , the UF3000 just does not deliver like other cells so runs longer , quite a bit longer in fact .

 

[Cat-Man-Do]

at the moment AW is the best in protected, while sanyo is the best in unprotected to me.

why a lot of people claim AW is the best ? when you are sophisticated enough you will agree with us.

Actually....I never said the AW's were not the best. I just wanted some more opinions and hopefully some proof. Judging from some of the shoot outs, the AW 2600mAh does very well at providing high current for longer run times. The Ultrafire BRC 3000mAh on the other hand does indeed look to run longer but NOT at the higher current levels. Since I'm looking to operate a light system at 1000ma or less, the BRC's should keep the driver in regulation long enough and provide longer runtimes below 1000ma. If I absolutely needed the longest run time at high output for something like a race I might go ahead and buy four AW's. Since I pinch pennies for a living and don't race the Ultrafire (red/pink) 2600mAh compare very well to the better AW's.

I also own a handful of torches. Three P-7's, one MC-E and one SST-50. Since these use only one cell at a time, having a cell that can keep the LED running at the higher current levels for longer would be sweet. In this application it might well be worth it to own a couple AW 18650's. Nevertheless, no matter what I say my pockets are not getting any deeper. :broke:

...Now as to the sophistication issue: Yes, I rarely cut my nails. I wear white socks a lot. I don't own a Tux or drive a BMW. I watch Football and ride mountain bikes. Please excuse my uncouthness. I am not worthy... :bow:.....;)

 

[palomino77]

While I agree that AW cells are the most reliable so far, the word "best" is relative and subjective. If price is of no object then shelling out $12.00-$14.75 per cell + $4.50 minimum shipping might buy you the "best" cell, but it doesn't mean that the cells won't EVER fail or you won't receive a dud. What you're paying extra $$ for is the assurance that AW sources the best cells he can buy and he has better QC methods than other generic brands.

+1 :thumbsup:

 

[Fusion_m8]

Cat-man-do:

To be "sophisticated" like me, you gotta attend RAVE parties, consume tons of alcohol :drunk:and contraband substances:hairpull:, and love music from Cosmic Gate and DJ Tiesto...:hitit:

 

[Cat-Man-Do]

I really cannot understand how choosing good 18650 cells has anything to do with sophistication...:crackup:It has much to do with technology, yes for sure, but sophistication?? :wtf:

Rather gaining knowledge from one's own experiences or others who may have had the experience. From old4570's test the Trustfire Grey and Ultrafire Red performed rather well in comparison to AW cells in both the P7 and R2 current tests. While costing significantly less to purchase.

While I agree that AW cells are the most reliable so far, the word "best" is relative and subjective. If price is of no object then shelling out $12.00-$14.75 per cell + $4.50 minimum shipping might buy you the "best" cell, but it doesn't mean that the cells won't EVER fail or you won't receive a dud. What you're paying extra $$ for is the assurance that AW sources the best cells he can buy and he has better QC methods than other generic brands.

Perhaps after reading that thread you mentioned about some 18650 cell comparisons, you can decide for yourself what is BEST for your applications, rather than being TOLD by others what is "best" for themselves.

I've used a pair of these cells and have found them reliable for anything up to 3.5A drain from my Surefire P91 and the Lumens Factory HO-R5 lamp assemblies. Using the "true 2400mah" Trustfires in your XP-G with only 1A draw on each cell would be a rather pleasant walk in the park for them I would say.

Yep, that's about how I see it as well. It was a toss up as to get the red Ultrafire 2600's or the Black/red Trustfires 2400. Both are getting good reviews. I ordered 4 Red UF for my 4-cell K-Lite and 2 B/Red Trustfires to run with my torches. Can't wait to see how well both of these work with my SST-50 drop-in as well.

Once again, thanks for the feedback everyone. :wave: