I received the Hi-Max 18650 batteries and put them into my Ultrafire WF-139 to charge. The bay is rather tight and I pushed the batteries in, like I have always done with my old Trustfire grey batteries without issue.
However, with the Hi-Max, the buttons are rather loose and the force of pushing them into the charger has pushed the button to the side! Does the button need to be in the center? Are the batteries still safe to use?
I have six Hi Max 18650 cells, and charged them in several chargers too. No loose buttons whatsoever. If that just happened to ONE cell, it could be defective..
I don't have any of the Hi-Max cells, so I can't be positive about this, but most protection circuits live at the discharge anode (negative) end.
Personally, I would be really careful with this cell. If the button can shift far enough, it stands a chance of shorting out the cell and causing a really unhappy situation.
I fully agree on this. IMO, I think the OP should ABANDON this cell. Seek warranty, or some other kind of recourse. From what I have read, these type cells can be dangerous when they malfunction/mishandled, etc. The moving button top is a clear malfunction and should be taken as a warning. IMO, not worth what could happen opposed to the cost of a replacement cell.
I have several and so far they have been working great with no flaws in costruction, I think this is just a fluke that got passed thru QC, I would still buy more Hi-Max specially for the price.