Ah, ok. Willing to bet it’s to boost sales of their own 26650 batteries more than it is anything else.
Most company's say that like from laptop to car manufactures i take it with a pinch of salt
I love me some Lighthound! Some of the best guys in the biz with great prices and unsurpassed punctuality and customer service, and my #1 go to company for sure. But I've had lots of trouble with the 3.5aH 26650 IMRs they sell. Maybe it's a bad batch, or maybe the cells are fine and I'm just doing something wrong, but 3 of the last 5 I bought from them leaked. 1 leaked on the initial charge (other 2 didn't), then 1 leaked for no apparent reason after the second charge, and 1 leaking in transport before it even got to my house. Very strange.
Interesting indeed. I would expect higher / better from lighthound. Leaking/venting in transit does not sound good.
Curious, what charger are you using? Is it terminating at ~4.2V (as checked on a meter?)
It was a cheap Tenergy Li-ion/LiPo charger, that's why I say maybe it was my fault. Terminates at 4.2 +/- 1.5% with 1 cell though (see link below)
http://www.batteryjunction.com/unsmchforlib.html
I got it specifically to charge these 26650s because I didn't have any other charger that I felt comfortable using to charge them, and have had good experiences with Tenergy's NiMH 'smart' chargers. I charged the cells 1 at a time, 2 did just fine and 2 didn't.
[quote=drd]
Did you send them back? The one leaking in transit tells me you got a bad lot?
Keith
[quote=budynabuick]
Yeah, I sent them back. They made good and sent me 2 new ones. The last replacement they sent leaked too though, so I didn't even hit 'em up for another. I hate being a pain in the arse, especially since they've always been such an excellent company. Very fast delivery, great products, easy RMAs with no questions asked, and good prices. I've placed several more orders with them since then because I guess it was just a fluke, but I'll stay away from their 26650s after that.
[quote=drd]
I think you should still return them for an RMA. They are a GOOD upstanding company, you'd be doing them a favor by letting them know the problem appears to be more wide-spread than a couple isolated incidences. All it takes is ONE flame/vent/fire incident (property damage, personal injury...etc) to bring down the entire reputation of the retailer. I believe LH understands this and they would not see you as a "pain" at all... so long as you are professional and polite. See it s a chance to partner and collaborate with them. Good luck though in whatever you do!!
Kramer, you make a good point. I will take your advice and inform them of my concerns.
+1
Let us know what happens.
Anyone else have these cells or have a similar experience with leaking? I too think Lighthound is a great vendor and I don't want to put a warning in the OP unless warranted.
OK, talked with LH. They are conducting an investigation with the cells I returned to them, but stated that my case was the only issue with this batch of cells so far, so at this point they're considering it a fluke. They also said they'd send me another replacement after a discharge/charge cycle had been performed to verify it was a good cell prior to shipment.
The professionalism of LH is truly top notch. Couldn't ask for more. :)
I found a USA E-Bay seller (3-5 day deliv) with what looks to be the same package deal (2 batts&charger) for $32 free ship. What is the advantage of going with a 3600mah 26650 over a 3100 mah 18650 (other then 500 extra mah)? Does not seem like much extra run time.
Keith
Smaller resistance-better hold voltage under high current.
You would be better going for the protected 26650 trustfire cell I tested, the protection, plus 4300 + mAh at 3 amp discharge. The king kongs rate a little less at the same discharge, see my discharge test from my first post on this thread it has been linked. 4300 mAh is better then a 3100 mAh by 1200 mAh that makes it worth while IMO (50 % more then a trustfire flame 2400 mAh 18650) 3600 mAh is not worth it IMO. But if you don't want protected cells go the king kongs. But you can get 2 x protected 26650's rated at 4300 + mAh at 3 amp and a 1.5 amp single bay charger or a 1 amp 2 bay charget for under $35 USD shipped.
+1 Great advice, benckie!
Plus, I am not aware of any testing on the Keygos cells...
I ordered the Hi-Max 4000mAh protected cells listed in the first post from eBay. Price is up a bit to $30.60 shipped but I know Hi-Max is a very reputable brand and I want protected cells since I will be using them in series for a T-J12. I will report back on my impressions, but I don't have any test capability so any impressions I give will be limited.
$30 is getting up there, if you lived in Australia i would get you to send me one for a quick test then ill send back, i would like to see how they go.
Guys, sorry if this has already been asked/answered, but it’s hard to read 238 comments…
People have mentioned that some of the cheaper 18650 cells are repackaged used laptop cells, or something like that, leading to poor performance and inconsistency. Does the same situation exist with 26650 cells? If not, could we believe that all 26650s are new? If so, then would the cheaper cells be, if not the best performance-wise, at least new and likely to be consistent?
It’s a good question, petey. Like 18650, the 26650 batteries were not designed for flashlight use, rather they were adapted for that purpose. 26650 cells have been around a long time and are primarily used for industrial applications like:
- Portable high power devices
- Stationary battery backup systems
- Grid stabilization energy storage systems
- Commercial truck and bus hybrid electric vehicles ( HEV’s )
So yes, repackaged cells are quite common, I’m sure, which is why I recommend caution and buying from a reputable source. I will not buy pretty, shiny wrapper 26650 cells from eBay, unless I know the seller is reputable. The real danger with 26650 is that many or most 26650 cells are 3.3v, not the 3.7v we use in flashlights. Stick to the list of good (reviewed) batteries - all others? Use at your own risk, same as with all the Sh!tFire wrapped 18650 cells out there.
(Source: http://www.a123systems.com/lithium-ion-cells-26650-cylindrical-cell.htm)