I check and mark capacity with my hobby charger. Any that are less than 50% get recycled. Any that fall to 50-75% get placed into my single cell flashlight, single use stack, then are recycled when used. My best cells are matched for two cell use (same capacity from same pack). I find more Sanyo/Samsung packs, than Panasonic or Sony. My highest find to date are Samsung pink 26s that capped out at 2450-2600ma followed by some Panasonic and Sony that were 2200-2300ma. One Acer pack yield was some orange 16650s at 1850-2000ma. Get my packs ”dumpster diving” local recycle bins.
I have about 30 premium batteries at the moment and have stopped looking, best to leave some FISH for other divers.
I opened a 9 cell laptop battery this weekend - the battery pack wouldn't charge at all. End result, 2 were dead, 3 were pretty good and 4 were like new. So, basically, I had to buy a new laptop battery because only 2 of the 9 cells were dead...total rip-off.
After reading this, I realized I had not recycled my old laptop battery. Mine had six pink Sanyo UR18650Y's 2000Mah. All but one are back in service, now that's recycling...
Heh, thanks for idea guys - took apart (dead) battery pack of my MSI U100, and it had there 18650's made by...
wait for it....
GP!
I was really shocked by that, I expected it to have Sanyo, Samsung, LG or something along those lines. I didn't even knew GP was into LiIon business. They each test 1800 mAh at 0.2A discharge (using Turnigy Accucel-6), but they can't really hold up at even low/med loads like 1A (at 1A discharge, it dropped to 3.2V!! in first 10 seconds). I guess the fact they can't hold up under loads anymore is why my laptop refused to charge them.
I got 2 panasonic CGR18650HG from a camera battery. It said cell is made in Japan, But the battery is from China. 1 is 2.88 the other is 2.25. I am charging the first one and recycle the second one. Let see how it turn out.
I just salvaged too a laptop battery, I took the 6 sony 2200mha out and check the voltage. 2 had 3,17v the others 4 had 3,80v. I put a pair in a charger that is for sale in almost all the items in ebay, and others two in a charger that work with my nokia charger, well, I think that the two first battery had be charged first because this charger is what I use most and the charger is fast, so, I notice that the second one charge the batteries first, I say what??? Because that I check the first one and touch the batteries, both are really hot, I take it out and check the voltage, was 4.17v the others two too, so, I think that the second charger had a cut charge so high and the charger that work with the nokia charger is efficient.