This one made me angry. Aspire has a good reputation so my expectations were high. But for this cell they decided to roll us back a couple years and use a hugely exaggerated current rating without mentioning it is some sort of “pulse” rating.
The wrap on this cell just says “35A”. We can only assume, since there is no (useless) “max” or pulse” designation, that it means this cell is rated to 35A even for a continuous discharge. Except that during a continuous discharge at that level the cell gets hot enough to boil water and one cell failed during its first discharge at 35A.
Some other concerns…
A paper insert included with the cell seems to indicate that they are claiming this cell has a continuous rating of 20A. A “Vaping Simulation” rating of 30A is also given by them on the insert. Where does the 35A rating on the wrap come from then?
What happens if this paper insert is lost or cells are taken out of their boxes for display in a shop? There would be no indication as to how exaggerated the 35A number on the wrap was.
The discharge graph for this cell on Aspire’s web site, now deleted but included below, showed temperatures about 20°C lower than I measured, a huge difference. I am unable to explain this. The temperatures on Aspire’s discharge graph don’t match those on their paper insert either.
The four cells I tested delivered 2944mAh, 2964mAh, 2989mAh, and 3077mAh at 0.6A (0.2C) down to 2.5V. Only one of the four met its 3000mAh rating. One other came close though. But every cell should easily beat the capacity spec as it’s just a minimum guaranteed value. It should not be the maximum you can expect.
These cells performed a bit worse than LG HG2’s but it’s probably not noticeable in a regulated mod. The shorter run time of this Aspire versus a 30Q or VTC6 might be noticeable though.
I am estimating this Aspire’s ratings at 20A and 2900mAh. It appears to be a China manufactured cell, probably from Long Deli New Energy Company, Ltd., which Aspire has used before.
Immediately after testing I fired off an email to Aspire basically yelling at them for all the things mentioned above. We spent a lot of time talking and I agreed to include a statement from them in this test report. I’m happy to say that they are willing to take the unsold stock of this battery and rewrap them all with more accurate ratings.
Four cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Aspire (http://www.aspirecig.com). Thank you!
Aspire’s statement: https://imgur.com/a/U1Yp5J3
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/jeyl0fo
Test report: https://bit.ly/2O0TU0t
These tests only note the estimated ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.
Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.
Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.
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