I would like to personally welcome Battery Mooch to TasteYourJuice.com.
“Mooch” is well known in the industry as the “battery guy” and is quite popular on the ECF. I’ve worked with Mooch several times in the background and he’s always been quite helpful and knowledgeable in answering my questions.
Although I have some experience with battery testing, Mooch has all the experience I lack so I though it a good fit to offer him his own page here on TasteYourJuice.com.
If you look to the left, you’ll see the new Battery Mooch page under Information/Resources. His first article can be found there as well.
WELCOME MY FRIEND!
Who is Battery Mooch?
My name is John Muchow, some of you may know me as Mooch on ECF and FB and Mooch315
on ECR. I have been vaping since April, 2015 and haven’t smoked once since I
started!I was born and raised in New York City and still live there now. Since 1992 I have
been designing and building electronic devices for a large number of clients. My
first products were camera remote-control systems for sports photographers. As these
systems, and other devices, transitioned from wired to wireless the performance of
the batteries they used was very important as there was no way to replace them
during use. This led to me doing more and more battery testing and developing the
electronics to charge, test, and protect them.As battery technology advanced, from NiCd to NiMH to Li-Ion and now
ultracapacitor/Li-Ion hybrids, the devices I built and the battery testing I did
advanced along with them. I started specializing in power management electronics;
battery chargers, energy harvesters (for charging from heat, light, or
vibration/movement), power supplies, battery analyzers, electronic loads for battery
discharging, and battery management/protection systems. This is the work I still do
today.My clients have included the US Army, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated,
Eastman Kodak Company, and hundreds of other companies from large to small. Part of
the work I’ve done for a lot of my clients has been battery testing. Sometimes they
want to recommend a good battery to their customers. Other times they’re batteries I
have chosen to combine with my electronics to form a complete, protected power
source for them to incorporate into their products.Depending on my client’s requirements this testing can take up to several weeks to
complete. I use a subset of these tests when evaluating the batteries we use when
vaping. This includes continuous-current tests to establish the battery’s true (and
safe) ratings. They also help to determine if there’s any risk of venting if one of
our mods autofires or a mechanical mod’s button is accidentally pressed. The
pulse-current tests measure the degree of voltage sag we would see when vaping at
different current levels. Both types of tests are done the same way for every set of
batteries I test.This consistency in the testing allows for direct comparison of the performance of
different batteries even if the pulse discharging I do doesn’t match the way you
vape.Safety is my number one priority. While I often test at discharge current levels
that can result in unsafe battery temperatures, this is the only way to figure out
what a battery’s true and safe ratings are. No battery is totally safe but we can
certainly avoid taking unnecessary risks.My blog at ECF has the results of all my testing and a few articles on batteries,
battery safety, etc.:https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/mooch.256958/
I have also listed the equipment I use and the steps I follow when testing. This
allows anyone to replicate my tests if they want to:https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/my-cell-testing-equipment-and-setup.7431/
https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/whats-done-for-each-cell-test.7433/
My battery test results offer you a resource you can use when choosing a battery
that will not only be safer for the way you vape but will also give you great
performance.I’m looking forward to contributing to TasteYourJuice.com and I want to thank
PBusardo for the opportunity to help spread the word on exaggerated battery ratings
and battery safety!Mooch
Latest Battery Updates
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Panasonic NCR1500A…no wrap on bottom, stay below 10W
This is an average performing 18500 cell that appears to have a 3.8A rating. The continuous current rating is not specified but the highest discharge level shown in the graph in a datasheet is 3.8A.
The capacity for the two NCR18500A’s I tested was 2060mAh and 2066mAh at 380mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is fantastic consistency and is typical of cells from the major manufacturers. Panasonic rates them at 1900mAh at 20°C and 1940mAh minimum/2040mAh typical at 25°C. I am rating these cells at at 1940mAh.
The plastic wrap on this cell stops before reaching the bottom of the cell. The is no wrap anywhere on the bottom. I do not know if this could be a safety issue for any device. Do not use this battery unless you are sure it is not a problem.
Two cells were purchased for the purposes of testing by me.
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/ScJxA8b
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/3a5KbAs
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Battery Safety Basics
Some basic battery safety practices from the UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/take-charge-of-battery-safety-when-using-e-cigarettes
If your vaping device did not come with a charger (USB charging adapter) then only use a high quality adapter from a well known company (Anker, Samsung, Apple, etc.) that has a high enough current rating to charge your device. Typically, a 2A rating is enough but check the instruction manual for your device to be sure.
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Vapcell 20A 5500mAh 26650…best performer for up to 20A/60W
This is a great performing cell that will give you more vaping time than any other 26650 I’ve tested recently if you are at 20A/60W or lower. At power levels above this the 4200mAh-4300mAh cells based on the YDL 26650D are a better choice. This does NOT include the poor performing, and preposterously overrated, Efest 35A/50A 4200mAh 26650.
The capacity for the two Vapcells I tested was 5870mAh and 5879mAh at 1100mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is fantastic consistency for a China manufactured cell and they easily exceeded their 5500mAh rating. I am rating these cells at at Vapcell’s rating of 5500mAh to prevent confusion but they are clearly higher capacity cells.
Two cells were purchased for testing by me.
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/Bi4BLl2
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/2O1y7Yf
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Vapcell 20A 5000mAh 26650…decent performer for up to 10A/30W
This is a decent performing cell that will give you more vaping time than the 4200mAh-4300mAh 26650’s if you are at around 10A/30W or lower. This cell might have a 20A rating (about 60W) but at power levels over 30W or so this cell’s higher internal resistance leads to greater voltage sag. That means less vaping time before the voltage drops too low.
For example, this cell delivered an average of 834 two-second puffs at 30W compared to the (roughly) 770 puffs delivered by the cells that wrap the 4200mAh YDL 26650D. But at 60W this Vapcell only delivered 210 puffs versus the over 300 puffs delivered by the YDL-based cells like the Golisi, Aspire, and Vapcell 26650’s.
Note: This performance comparison does NOT include the poor performing, and preposterously overrated, Efest 35A/50A 4200mAh 26650.
The capacity for the two Vapcells I tested was 4961mAh and 4998mAh at 1000mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is good consistency for a China manufactured cell but these cells did not meet their 5000mAh rating. I am rating this cell at 4900mAh.
Yes, the one cell tested at so close to 5000mAh that it essentially met its rating, but the other did not. I feel any capacity rating should be a guaranteed minimum, not a “typical” or “nominal” rating. A cell rated at 5000mAh should deliver, on average, at least 5100mAh so that any cells that are not quite up to the capacity of the others in that batch can still meet their 5000mAh rating.
Two cells were purchased for testing by me.
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/By4qapU
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/2tOq8GY
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Efest 35A 4200mAh 26650…lousy performer, ridiculous current ratings
This cell DOES NOT use the same good performing Yong De Li New Energy Company YDL 26650D cell that other companies also wrap. This Efest is a very poor performer with hugely exaggerated current ratings.
The authenticity of these cells was verified at Efest’s web site.
The DC internal resistance of these cells is almost 50% higher than the 26650’s using the YDL cell. This means the voltage sag will be a lot larger with these Efests when above about 10A/30W.
At 90W the 26650’s using the YDL cell would give you about 125 two second puffs. This Efest would give you about 12 puffs…yes, just 12. At its preposterous claimed 50A “max pulse discharge” rating, about 150W, this Efest wouldn’t even give you one puff. At 50A this cell’s voltage almost instantly dropped to my 2.8V cutoff. I am giving these Efests a 20A rating.
The capacity for the two Efests I tested was 4518mAh and 4614mAh at 840mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is typically poor consistency for a China manufactured cell but these cells easily meet their 4200mAh rating. I am rating this cell at 4200mAh to prevent confusion but these are clearly higher capacity cells. This would NOT help them perform better than the 26650’s using the YDL cell except at very low power levels, about 20W or lower. There are better choices for lower power levels though.
Two cells were purchased for testing by me.
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/dpYAo69
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/36rGymc
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Vapcell 32A 4200mAh 26650…good performer, slightly exaggerated current rating
This is a good performing cell that appears to use the same Yong De Li New Energy Company YDL 26650D cell that other companies also wrap. It appears identical to, and performs essentially the same as, the YDL cell.
The capacity for the two Vapcells I tested was 4311mAh and 4433mAh at 860mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is typically poor consistency for a China manufactured cell but these cells easily meet the 4200mAh minimum rating that YDL uses. I am rating this cell at 4200mAh.
Vapcell gives this cell a 32A “max continuous discharge” rating but that leads to a cell temperature a bit above my 80°C limit. I am giving this cell a 30A rating.
Two cells were purchased for testing by me.
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/QGwwQOM
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/2RgJ4qM
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Golisi 30A 4300mAh 26650…good performer, slightly exaggerated capacity
This is a good performing cell that appears to use the same Yong De Li New Energy Company YDL 26650D cell that other companies also wrap. It appears identical to, and performs essentially the same as, the YDL cell.
The capacity for the two Golisi cells I tested was 4194mAh and 4202mAh at 860mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is good consistency for a China manufactured cell and just barely meets the 4200mAh minimum rating that YDL gives their cell. Considering the differences in the equipment used by everyone I am not going to worry about the one cell testing at 4194mAh. These cells do not meet Golisi’s 4300mAh capacity rating though. I am rating this cell at 4200mAh.
The “typical” capacity rating from YDL for this cell is 4300mAh so I guess that is why the rewrappers of this cell use that number but, like we saw with Aspire, that number is too high.
Golisi gives this cell a 40A “max” rating but that results in a lot of voltage sag, increases your risk, and shortens the overall life of the cell. There is also no definition of what “max” is so it is a useless rating. I recommend staying below 30A and I am giving this cell a 30A rating.
Two cells were purchased for testing by me.
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/G0iVKoq
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/2uhddNM
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Yong De Li New Energy Co. 26650…good performer, rewrapped by others
This is the good performing Yong De Li New Energy Company YDL 26650D. Aspire owns (partially or fully) this company and it supplies Aspire’s cells. This 26650 is rewrapped by other companies too.
These cells cannot be directly purchased by vapers but I am testing them so I can compare their performance and appearance to what other companies wrap. If another company’s cell looks and performs the same as this one then, in my opinion, we can be pretty sure they are the same.
The capacity for the two cells I tested was 4237mAh and 4264mAh at 860mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is good consistency for a China manufactured cell and meets the 4200mAh minimum rating that YDL gives it.
The “typical” capacity rating from YDL for this cell is 4300mAh so I guess that is why the rewrappers of this cell use that number but, like we saw with Aspire, that number is too high. I am rating this cell at 4200mAh.
YDL gives this cell a 40A “max discharge currrent” rating but in my opinion that cannot be a continuous rating due to the extreme voltage sag and a max temperature of 88°C in my testing…too hot. I recommend staying below 30A and I am giving it a 30A rating.
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/lTCuhT9
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/2RcF8rb
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Aspire 4300mAh 26650…good performer, slightly exaggerated capacity
This Aspire cell uses the good performing Yong De Li New Energy Company YDL 26650D. Aspire owns (partially or fully) this company and they supply Aspire’s cells. This cell is rewrapped by other companies too.
Aspire doesn’t put a current rating on the wrap. They supply a paper insert with each cell, that has the ratings on it, but in my opinion this can become a safety issue. If someone other than the original buyer uses this cell then they do not know its current rating.
Aspire lists 20A continuous as “suitable” and 30A as “not suitable”. I am therefore giving it a 20A continuous rating. It could earn a higher rating but I will not give a cell a rating higher than the one given to it by the company that wraps it.
Aspire also gives it a “vaping simulation” (10 sec discharge, 5 sec rest) rating of 40A. For any cell though I recommend staying under the continuous current rating to reduce risks, extend overall cell life, and improve performance.
The capacity for the two cells I tested was 4185mAh and 4288mAh at 860mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is terrible consistency but is typical for many China manufactured cells though and is below the claimed rating of 4300mAh. YDL rates this cell at 4200mAh minimum and 4300mAh typical but Aspire used the “typical” rating. Since I cannot have the lowest capacity cell in the batch, at 4185mAh, I am rating these cells at 4100mAh.
I purchased these two cells for testing.
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/SmTr3Qu
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/2G3o5RZ
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
A BATTERY MOOCH POST: klejjs “P26A” 2600mAh 25A 18650…great performer, a Molicel P26A rewrap
This is an accurately rated rewrap of the Molicel P26A, a great performing 25A 2600mAh cell. The klejjs cells look and perform the same as the P26A and get the same 25A rating. They are wrapped and marketed by N-Power Energy (NPE), the global distributors of Molicels to the vaping community.
The capacities for the four cells I tested ranged from 2612mAh to 2633mAh at 520mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is good consistency and I am rating these klejjs at 2600mAh.
N-Power Energy donated four cells for testing, thank you!
Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/4sAEvH6
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/372jxqS
I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery and charger testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch.
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, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, 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.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/
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