Test / Review: Hi-Max 18650 2600mAh (White)

Hi-Max 18650 2600mAh (White)



Official specifications:

  • 68.85(length)x18.60(diameter)
  • 3.7v/2600mAh
  • Build in protected PCB














The two batteries does not have the same capacity or curve. At a sustained 5A load, one of the batteries trips it’s over current protection.



In this chart it is easy to see that the shape of the discharge curve is different for the two batteries.









When cold the protection trips at around 6A, this drops to 5A when the battery is heated, as can be seen above.



The shape of the charging curve for the two batteries are different, I wonder why? Can it be production tolerances, different age of cell or different brands of cell?



Conclusion

The performance of these batteries is better than the typical cheap batteries, but slightly below the brand names batteries.
Because of the difference between the two cells I will only rate it good for a cheap battery.



Notes and links

How is the test done and how to read the charts
How is a protected LiIon battery constructed
More about button top and flat top batteries

Thanks for the review. Very interesting. Great performers for the price in single battery operation anyways.

Thanks for the review.

I remember an old review of hi max and I remember in that review they are said to be really good batteries, but now I think in this review they turned out to be not that good.

Thanks for the review HKJ!

At least a Hi-Max review from H! :smiley: Thanks, mate, really appreciated :wink:

Thanks, HKJ. I'm suprised by results and while not bad, I expected better performance. I will only be using mine in single cell lights.

My first cell from 12-pack tested lot worse than HKJ “bad cell” from the review…
Read here Best deal for a dozen or so of good quality 18650s - INTERNATIONALLY (somewhere towards the bottom of the page)

HKJ do you “cycle” cells before testing?

Thanks for the test
Have you stripped any to see what’s inside?
Somehow I cant believe a new Samsung cell would be that bad.
Might be an old stock.

Second cell discharging: I really dont know whats happening. Discharging with 1A, and after 15 secs its 3,51V
After 75 sec its 3,49V. After 15 mins its 3,33… (even worse than first one).
LOts of cells (and some of them are real crap, (1000mAh Ultrafire etc) have significantly better voltage sag…

And I expected so much from these.

I dont know if there is some problem with my equipment or what (quite possibly), but nevertheless.

I have not stripped any of them. But try comparing them to other brands in my comparator, the B battery is close to the Sanyo cell, it has less capacity and the voltage drops faster under load (Might be due to age), but the curve shape is the same. The A battery looks much more like the LG 2600.

I.e. they might both be good batteries, but it is not very nice to sell them as the same battery.

Note: I mostly compare the 0.2A discharge curve and the charge curve.

Ecig:
It might be caused by bad contacts, but it must have been really bad.
Do you use included imax wires or have your own?

Do they match in weight?

I think they match in weight.(I dont have precise digital scale now, ebay seller received money for it but tdidnt ship it :smiley: )
MAybe contacts are not good, but Im testing other cells with those same setup, so even if numbers are not 100% accurate, looking comparatively these cells are nothing special

I have many, very nice and useful item

Yeah, this happens to me more and more often :frowning:

That abeyerr/toymodel55/demonerrr/demon99 - its a known ebay scammer
basically if it has below 99% its another of their shops

I mostly use and recommend this scale:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Pocket-Jewelry-Electronic-Scale-0-01g-200g-/180767013153?pt=US_Pocket_Digital_Scales&hash=item2a168db921

I’m saddened to say this, but it seems like the quality of these Himax batteries have dropped very significantly since this review was posted.

Just got round to testing a dozen I ordered a month ago, and the performance of these are quite literally no better than used laptop batteries I routinely test. Simply horrible. Buyers beware!

Update: my test results on a batch ordered on 25th July can be viewed here:

All this makes me feel better about always going for Panasonic batteries.

Thanks as always! Frontpage’d and Sticky’d.

My 6 pcs Hi-max also bought from pinyi, last year August till now, many times used till pcb tripped.

Recheck all of their capacity, charged with Xtar SP2 at 1A, rest for 10mins, discharge with iMax at 1A to 3V.

A : 2518mA
B : 1600mA
C : 1214mA
D : 2322mA
E : 1968mA
F : 2621mA

Cell A & F will be on TK35’s battery carrier, cell D & E also use back for light load. Cell B & C, would tear off & have a look.