ForrestChump
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2014
- Messages
- 3,097
Which 18650 do you prefer and why?
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I like AW, but their cells are a bit on the spendy side. Assuming that the three above are using the same bare cell and using the same Seiko PCB, I'm going with the cheapest cost to me.
Right now, that's Orbtronic and since they're here in Florida, I'm helping another Floridian out.
That being said, I generally fly naked, so I don't have any of the above.
Chris
After reading for days here, I decided to get KeepPower 3400mAh because I find that it's a solid manufacturer with good quality products. It has a nice price point, while AW has twice the cost in the shop I'll buy from. I saw that in this capacity, AW batteries do exist but they aren't very reviewed or not as readily available for affordable prices. This comparison by HKJ helped me a lot: http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650Summary UK.html
KeepPower has two Ps. They are my choice...their protection circuit has lower internal resistance than some, the circuit doesn't trip as easily as some, and they are often either the cheapest, or close to it. They use the same quality cells as the other brands, and they are an OEM for the protection circuit, rather than paying another company to manufacture it. So they obviously know to do it properly, and quality control is in-house. Keeppower also offers a wide variety of cells...tons of different options are available, from high-capacity to ultra-high drain, all at reasonable prices.
While AW has some specific applications (I bought a couple 14500s because other cells were too long, and getting shredded) they are far too expensive to buy routinely. You pay a large premium for essentially the same performance.
I'd be just as happy to buy Orbtronic as KeepPower, but the Orbtronic cells are usually a bit more expensive, with no added benefit for the extra cost.
You can actually get Four[4] Orbtronic 3400mAh cheaper than Four[4] Keeppower 3400mAh,,,by about $3. I have both and like both but have had Orbtronic much longer[2.5 years] than my Keeppowers [5 months]. Even if they were the same price or Orbtronic a few dollars more I would get Orbtronic because of the consistency and longevity that I have experienced.
BTW You misspelled Keepower[!] in your title... correct is KeepPower!
KepPower is @ 56% thus far and seem to always exceed the other 2 brands. Can anyone give a detailed explanation?
Is it because they are an OEM manufacturer or simply the price?