$30 with shipping.
HiMax and XTAR are best bang for the buck atm.
Sorry, I meant under $10 shipping for the 4 cells on top of the $4.33 each. So it comes out well under $30 for 4.
I think it is important to know, what you will do with the batteries. The HiMax and XTAR should be good (I have the older 2600mAh of XTAR with the red letters, not the new purple), but if you need short batteries (with a lenght of 65-66mm) you couldn’t use them.
If you have a flashlight with a built-in low voltage protection you can use unprotected batteries without a problem. If it hasn’t a built-in low voltage protection but you know your flashlight well and notice, when the voltage is under 3,4 (recognise brightness), you don’t need a protected one.
If you use flashlights with more as one battery, I would alsways select protected cells.
I would buy 2-3 unprotected batteries (if you need batteries with 65-66mm and which have power also on direct drive) for example Sanyo / Samsung 2600mAh or 2900mAh Panasonic and 5-6 protected for example the HiMax, XTAR.
A few month ago (5-6) I bought good Trustfire 3000mAh, but if they sell the same charge, I don’t know?
I need them mostly protected, and I will need a pair or two of unprotected for lavatube when I get it (it will probably be lavatube with 2,5A limit; lavatube needs shorter batts, but its no problem to remove protection circuit than… cause it has low voltage protection…)
I wuld also buy Trustfire 3000mAh if I knew they are good (but as we all hear their qualitxy went down recently; regardless of that I wonder did they ghave working low voltage protection - because on most trustfires I have low-voltage protection is not working…)
It somehow seems more difficult to me to chose batteries than to chose flashlight :o
I really love this graph, I like that voltage sag is not big, sao it would even be vey good to use it in my Joyetech 18650 tube mode (its essentially direct drive), and in directly driven flashlights.
Most of the batts I currently own sag to 3,6V in one or 2 minutes of 1A discharge (and these are better ones 
)
And these haved almost 3,9V after 30 mins!!! That is huuuge difference, no?
Can somebody find identical graph for XTAR’s 2600mAh cells from well-known deal topic?
I wonder how they compare to Himax.
Capacity of both cells, as I read, is roughly the same, though HiMax cells often test with little highercapacity (50-100mAh)
Those Himax I can get for 5,25$ if I buy 12 of them
PS: For non ecperts it is, I think, really difficult to make some real sense of many reviews and diagrams in them. With me its like that. So this could be a good topic with a few meaningful, most important diagrams for best deal flashlights
they are decent, but my xtar 2600’s dont fit in everything (l2p is my most popular light that it wont fit into) and also dont put out that much power on a direct drive light. usually a good .5-1 amp less draw on my manafont uf 3mode xml than my imr’s or panasonic cgr’s.
they are a little too fat and long for only 2600mah with an average discharge rate imo. decent price if you got a current regulated light but then again id just go with a 3100mah unprotected panasonic if i had current regulation and over discharge protection.
Im looking for really budget cells, not much more expensive than Trustfire flames
I think I will realy go with himax than.
And I maybe buy only too of some more expensive, higher capacity ones Pannasonic from buyincoins or something.
I think himax discharge curve is rather good, no?
PSX: Where doyou get your Pannasonic CGRs?
Which XTAR 2600mAh do you use (purple or red) and which L2p version (a new version or an older)?
My XTAR 2600mAh (red letters) fit without any problem in my blue L2p (ordered March 2012).
@ecig: Here is a link to a discharge curve of the XTAR (it’s the homepage of our battery and charger genius HKJ):
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Xtar%2018700%202600mAh%20(Black)%20UK.html
He hasn’t tested the HiMax, but a lot of other batteries (for example, AW, Redilast, Keeppower and also Trustfire, some bad Ultrafire). I bought my Trustfire 3000mAh 1-2 weeks after HKJ review and maybe I have some luck and got the same charge as he did.
I have read some articles, that the newer quality should be decreased.
I also got rather good TF3000. Bought them a while back. But after all the reports from users with worse cells even from MF, I wont buy them again. HiMax or XTAR are good. If I remember correctly, HKJ has some HiMax in his queue.
Oh, and if you only have single cell lights without boost driver, stick to 2600mAh cells. The voltage of most cells with higher capacity drops faster, so you get less runtime.
Those Panasonic CGR cells dont have much capacity, and their voltage drops rather quick.
IMR or high-drain cells like the Panasonic CGR are only really good for applications where you need 5A+ discharge.
I currently own 4 TF3000, 2 HiMax 2600 and 2 LG D1 3000: http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/LG%2018650%20D1%203000mAh%20%28Pink%29%20UK.html
I only charge them to 4.2V but those are great cells.
Ok, this is for me relevant diagram
SO, XTAR’s 2600mAh have almost the same discharge curve as those HIMAX 2600mAh
(huh, its hard to insert image from that website, but Ive managed via tinyurl )
Correct.
Thanx nightcrawl, your previous commnent is valuable for me (although I dont understand it 100, maybe 90 but thats wenough I think )
Ill buy than XTAR or HiMaxes, depending of the price, and Ill buy CGR or IMR if I maybe get some newer version of lavatube without 2,5A limit
If you are buying Trustfire 300mAh, you need to check that they have the 5A pcb, Trustfire make them with three different pcbs.
It also sees to be the same cell as the 2400mAh, both tested at jaround 2600mAh 1A. The Trustfireb 3000mAh get really hot hen a high current is drawn. Check the comparison below, surface battery temperature constant 15W power, 5A max.
Panasonic CGR18650CH – 35.8 deg C
Samsung INR 18650-15Q – 34.6 deg C
Sanyo UR18650W2 – 31.7 deg C
Panasonic NCR18650A – 33.7 deg C
Trustfire 3000mAh 2C – 48.1 deg C
AW IMR 2000mAh – 34.9 deg C
AW IMR 1600mAh – 28.9 deg C
I included the Trustfire to see how a standard Li-Ion chemistry would compare, and the Panasonic NCR18550A to see how effective their Heat Reducing Layer is – pretty effective I would say.
Those Samsung look a good price, but they need to be charged to 4.35v and drained to 2.5v to achieve 3000mAh, Realistically they are about 2800mAh.
Who knows, maybe Ill get one or 2 samsung (but I dont need a dozen of them :o ), I can charge them to 4,35 at my hobby charger, but who knows…
I wonder what is their discharge curve…
I wont give any money for 3000 TF flames because its too much of a gamble (only if I’ll get warranted capacity and PCB quality from some website, if someone from few good webstores confirms me wich cell I will get - but I dont want to bother with that too much.).
I found reliable supllier for TF 2400 and Im buying these for some flashlights (I mean, its a gamble with 2400 also, and 3000 are higher priced and its also a gamble, and I dont want to take it at that price, and to find reliable supplier for some good TF3000, if thats possible at all now, need time and effort etc. SO for these better quality protected Ill go with XTAR or HiMAX. For lower but still reliable quality and capacity there are these good TF2400. And for even lower quality but very good price-value ratio I’ve found Ultrafire 2400 protected - real capacity around 2000 - from DD 5,99 a pair, wiuth coupons etc 5,0$ If I get what I ordered :o) And they even have less voltage sag than most TF flames)
Will you buy hundreds of cells or why the hassle with the cheap ones? :P
Which Samsung cells are you talking about?
I dont know, those from link in first post (but thats to big quantity, I need two pcs max of those. When I posted them, I didnt knew that they had to be charged to 4,35 for full capacity. And they are also not protected so not suitable for most of my applications).
I hassle with cheap ones because they are cheaper 
If you really want unprotected cells, get the pink ones from LG. But I think HiMax for under 6$/pc are not worth any compromise or hassle. :)
Check here for discharge curves of Xtar 2600mAh and Samsung 3000mAh (with pcb added by Keeppower):
http://www.torchythebatteryboy.com/p/batteries_21.html
The Trustfire 3000mAh and 2400mAh I just tested were almost identical apart from the pcb - the 2400 cut off at under 4A.
Hopefully they will be on the blog at the weekend.
@nightcrawl
Yeeeei, voice of reason, thanx (Ill go with himax for sure, if I dont get XTARs for dollar cheaper per piece. We’ll see.