Test / Review: Hi-max 18650

Thanks! I just ordered 3 for my dry!:D

Any sense of whether these are as safe as the AW batteries? (I don't know if that's even a legitimate question, but people seem to stress that the premium Li ion batteries are, for some reason, safer.)

It’s 5$ for a pair shipped?

It's not $5 for a pair. It's $5.99 + shipping for one.

Here you can see the prices.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/18650-2600mAh-Protected-Li-ion-Battery-3-7V-1PC-/320619164465?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item4aa6643331

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6pcs-18650-2600mAh-Protected-Li-ion-Battery-3-7V-/320479544838?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item4a9e11c606

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12pcs-18650-2600mAh-Protected-Li-ion-Battery-3-7V-/320479546283?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item4a9e11cbab

Any sense of whether these

Any sense of whether these are as safe as the AW batteries? (I don't know if that's even a legitimate question, but people seem to stress that the premium Li ion batteries are, for some reason, safer)

Im wondering the same thing?

I thought I would let you guys know that apparently Samsung is double wrapping these batteries now with a clear plastic wrap over the white Hi-Max wrap. Or at least the set I got in the mail today was that way. I really like them. They should now be even more durable than the Xtars. I'll get a picture up in a second. Hopefully it will show so you can see it.

The 2 on the left are the older Hi-Max. The 2 on the right are the newer ones. The same goes for the 2nd picture.

Does it affect thickness greatly?

Looks good to me. Durable insulation is an excellent feature imo.

Yes it does.

The old Hi-Max will go in the Catapult V3 tubes but the new ones only one of them will fit. I'll have to check them on other lights.

The same goes for the Sunwayman T40CS.

They do go in the Crelant 7G5. One is a little bit snug but still goes in. It does get stuck a little on the way back out and you got to shake the light to get it to come back out.

Leave it out overnight at sub zero temps (assuming you have a decent winter outside) and see if the battery comes out. ;)

It seems the good idea turns out as an occasional annoyance...

Or toss it in your freezer.

they dont fit a Zebralight H600 either. I have stripped a couple of them so far. its a bummer since the outer wrapper looks tougher then the inner one, but without it they are no worse off then normal batteries

edit: they dont fit a zebralight SC60 either...looks like all the wrappers will be coming off for me.

Wish we could get a group buy on these, they are great batteries. But I don't see paying $8 or 9 apiece for 18650's.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12pcs-18650-2600mAh-Protected-Li-ion-Battery-3-7V-/220944817348?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item3371565cc4

USD $5.25 shipped per cell. TF2400's can be found cheaper but I didnt want to gamble on the quality. So far they seem nice but I havnt cycled them much or drained them.

I am thinking the same way, I need some 18650 cells for laptop battery, trustfire 18650 is really cheap at 3,5$ a piece, but the quality from DD changes a lot...

What's the recommended charge rate for an 18560 such as these. Also, what would be the maximum safe charge rate?

It can vary somewhat depending on the exact chemistry and characteristics of the cell, but 0.7C is a fairly common max charge rate for LiCo cells.

Assuming a decent capacity 18650 cell (obviously very different if we were talking about 16340s, 14500s, etc. which have smaller capacities and need lower charge rates) I tend to stick to 1A for charging.

Obviously that means long charge times for higher capacity cells, but I'd rather treat Li-Ion cells gently rather than push them to the limit.

Thanks for responding :) Unfortunately it takes approximately 200 minutes to complete at 1 amp. I was hoping I could safely charge them at a higher rate without shortening the life of my cells..