I've used Solarforce 2400mAh in the past with good results, but has anyone tried the new 2600mAh versions? Good pricing, on par with the Sanyo's from KD:
Also on par with Efest 2600mAh’s from Manafont.
…hmmm …It seems as if many are interested in the new efest’s from Manafont, maybe we should donate a pair to HKJ for testing?! 
Good idea!
-Garry
I seem to remember HKJ recently saying that the efest cells were on his to-do list. Can’t remember where he said it though.
those solarforce v3’s don’t seem to be very good at 3a discharge as per this test… Test / Review: Solarforce 18650 V3
the can’t be sanyo’s if this is the case…
That is correct, I have bought most of their smaller cells and Efest has promised to send the other types they have. That means that in November and December I will publish a lot of Efest test/reviews.
KEEPPOWER 18650 3400mAh IS NOW SOLD AT 14.50/PC AT Fancyflashlights
They had a better performance here:
Ok, but what about pair of protected ones for less than 10$ shipped with 2.2Ah or 2.4Ah, are there any worhty contenders based on your experience :D?
Sure. Most Ultrafire or Trustfire cells might or might not have the capacity.
Seriously, you only want to buy 2 cells. Dont go cheap, those posted are tested budget cells. Why risk anything?
that’s more like it…14.50 for 2 is a good deal…wonder what happened with the test I posted?
2,2Ah - 2,4Ah.
The Trustfire 3000mAh should beat this (HKJ TF3000 review shows better Ah, other reviews not much as HKJ’s, but 2,2-2,4Ah do they have).
i’ve had great success with the 3k TF flames…plenty of capacity…like ChiggerPepi said they look almost exactly like the samsung 2800’s on the graph posted…they’re 10.30$ at fancyflashlights instead of 11.70$ at manafont…I use them in my Dry and they post a 5.3a on turbo initially…
Meh, ok, one more attempt to find the best deal, any one have something to say about these Xtar 2600 protected ones:
http://www.pandawill.com/2pcs-xtar-18700-2600mah-37v-rechargeable-battery-p54223.html
http://www.pandawill.com/2pcs-xtar-18700-2600mah-37v-rechargeable-battery-p54212.html
(whats the difference, aside from warehouse location and 1$ price difference?)
???
People seem to reccommend them in this thread:
Also, did anyone encounter the same low capacity issue as 2100 did in this post:
???
Still without batteries and my C8 are on their way, not the best situation, should have been the other way around, batteries first, flashglight later :D!
Well, thats the difference. USA will take longer to you.
XTAR are OK.. but compare them to the IO 2600mAh on HKJs page. Take a look at the curve at 3A and then order those from IO. ;)
How much pricier are those from IO?
At the moment my best bet could be Efest, HKJ will review them in coming months, Shadowww cant stop pointing to them and there seems to be no negative information regarding those batteries, which is a good thing and they are so far best priced, pair for 14.2 at MF.
Those fro Pandawill cost even less, thats why I ask :D!
http://www.intl-outdoor.com/2-pcs-sanyo-ur18650fm-2600mah-protected-battery-p-516.html
Thats ~4.50$ more. And while there are no negative experiences, there are no positive reviews either. Maybe you'll have paid ~4.50$ more for the same performance in the end.. or you'll have paid ~4.50$ more for better quality. Or you wait a few weeks.. if thats worth 5 bucks to you, then wait. ;)
In all honesty I think you’re over thinking this, it’s “just” a pair of batteries. What I would do:
- Avoid the cheap ones with unknown cells, i.e. UltraFire, Trustfire, Uranusfire and so on.
- Buy something with either Panasonic or Sanyo cells.
- Buy from a trusted seller so you know that you get what you pay for and to avoid unnecessary hassle.
- Buy them now, you’ve been thinking about this for 6 days now. It’s good to be cautious and thorough, but still…
What I would do is to buy IO:s Sanyo 2600 cells. IO is a great store that ships fast and the batteries are great. They might be a couple of dollars more expensive then some of the others but that’s just that, a couple of dollars…
http://www.intl-outdoor.com/2-pcs-sanyo-ur18650fm-2600mah-protected-battery-p-516.html
Good luck.