Best deal on high-end batteries? Who knows where to look?

[DcMagic]

So, I know that the Sony VTC batteries were the like "Go-to" battery. But they are being faked a lot and are hard to come by some authentic ones.

So whats the next best option?

I have a few different batteries and I definitely can tell the difference in the quality of the hit, and the life of the battery.

I have a red IMR 2000 mAh 18650 and it hits the worst out of all of my batteries.

Then I have a blue samsung battery (Can't really read the writing) but I can see it says 25r on it. This one hits decent.

Then I have a green 2600 mAh battery. Its a beast. Hits like a champ and lasts long. I would like to find a similar battery to this one. Im guessing this is the Sony VTC 5.

I really want to find something that is just as good as the Green one.

Does anyone know where to find these or a similar battery that is 2600mAh 30 amp? If so, are there any deals going on online where I could get a good price? Id like to order some new batteries.

Thanks for the help all!


Edit. One more question. Anyone know the difference between the Amps on each of the batteries? Just from guessing id say the red is 20 amps, blue is 25, and the green is 30? Does that sound right?

 

[freeall]

Where's Baditude when you need him.

 

[DcMagic]

Uh oh...

Maybe a better question would be..

Between the Efest, the Samsung as so many others in the 2500mAh bracket, Which has the best amp drain? Im looking on Illiumn.com Samsung, Efest, LG, What to choose? I don't really know the difference in vape quality if each battery says it has 2500mAh and is 20amp continuous. Is there anything else to take into consideration between the different companies?

 

[Cacique]

Out of all those I've only had experience with Samsung 25Rs and they're good 20 amp batteries. Illumn does sell legit VTC4s if you wanted 30 amp, I just got some a week ago.

 

[six]

RTD Vapor. Illumination supply. Battery Junction. Plenty of legit VTC4s out there including the xtar wrapped.

 

[the1casey]

Authentic AW Batteries - RTD Vapor

So, I know that the Sony VTC batteries were the like "Go-to" battery. But they are being faked a lot and are hard to come by some authentic ones.

So whats the next best option?

I have a few different batteries and I definitely can tell the difference in the quality of the hit, and the life of the battery.

I have a red IMR 2000 mAh 18650 and it hits the worst out of all of my batteries.

Then I have a blue samsung battery (Can't really read the writing) but I can see it says 25r on it. This one hits decent.

Then I have a green 2600 mAh battery. Its a beast. Hits like a champ and lasts long. I would like to find a similar battery to this one. Im guessing this is the Sony VTC 5.

I really want to find something that is just as good as the Green one.

Does anyone know where to find these or a similar battery that is 2600mAh 30 amp? If so, are there any deals going on online where I could get a good price? Id like to order some new batteries.

Thanks for the help all!


Edit. One more question. Anyone know the difference between the Amps on each of the batteries? Just from guessing id say the red is 20 amps, blue is 25, and the green is 30? Does that sound right?

 

[juggler86]

Ortronics sells a legit 30amp battery along with legit VTC4s botg are kinda pricey. Thats why I stick to LGs HE2s/HE4s and Samsung25rs both are only like $6 a piece.

Ive never noticed 1 quality battery hitting different then another quality battery unless 1 is much older.

 

[RichJr]

I use the Samsung 25R and they have an incredible burst rating. I've seen the benchmark sheet from Samsung.

I also use the VTC4 and they both hit the same. I recommend the blue Sammy.

Watch for fakes. There are many fakes of every battery.

Doesn't AW rebrand LG cells or was if Efest?

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Continuous discharge rate expressed in amps is more important than mah.
As mah increases CDR decreases, no way around it.
Batteries are not the place to try to save money / bargain shop.

VTC4 2100mah 30a CDR
Xtar 2100mah 30a CDR
Orbtonic sx 30 2100mah 30a CDR
AW 2200 mah 20a CDR
Smasung INR 25r 2500mah 20a CDR
LG he2 or 4 2500mah 20a CDR

To prevent buying fake / re wrapped lesser quality batteries only buy from reputable vendors / dealers.

IMO, stay away from the marketing hype rated batteries.

 

[tj99959]

Where you buy your batteries is more important than which quality battery you choose.

DON'T SKIMP, OR LOOK FOR BARGAINS! Batteries are the wrong place to try to save a buck.

 

[Thrasher]

Uh oh...

Maybe a better question would be..

Between the Efest, the Samsung as so many others in the 2500mAh bracket, Which has the best amp drain? Im looking on Illiumn.com Samsung, Efest, LG, What to choose? I don't really know the difference in vape quality if each battery says it has 2500mAh and is 20amp continuous. Is there anything else to take into consideration between the different companies?

Discharge curve. This is why one cell "seems" stronger then another some batteries will hold the voltage better for longer.

All my batteries came from
RTD
Orbtronics
Imrbatteries.
And a few from fasttech, just can't stand the shipping times.

As long as a few batteries will last when rotated it really is not worth hunting to save a dollar.for 7 bucks you will have a cell for a year or more easy

 

[Baditude]

Genuine Sony batteries are likely to disappear from the market; anything seen for sale in the future will likely be knockoffs:

Final word on Sony's production plans for the US18650 VTC4 and the US18650 VTC5 (April 9, 2015)

The list that Topwater Elvis gave are the better options available:

VTC4 2100mah 30a CDR
Xtar 2100mah 30a CDR
Orbtonic sx 30 2100mah 30a CDR
AW 2200 mah 20a CDR
Smasung INR 25r 2500mah 20a CDR
LG he2 or 4 2500mah 20a CDR

LG is coming out with a 30 amp continuous battery, but it will only be 1500 mAh.
​

As important as what battery you purchase, is where you buy it to avoid buying knockoff batteries. Reputable vendors are RTD Vapor, Illumination Supply, Lighthound, and Orbtronic. Personally, I use Sony VTC4 and Samsung25R purchased from RTD.

Battery Basics for Mods

 

[Baditude]

Doesn't AW rebrand LG cells or was if Efest?

The Purple Efest 2600mah 35 amp battery is a re-wrapped LGHE2 2600mah 20 amp battery.

Purple Efest Batteries Not As Advertised

AW was known to re-wrap Japanese ICR batteries (Panasonic, Samsung) after thoroughly testing them individually for quality (batteries are not created equal). Only the upper tier were re-wrapped in red along with the AW sticker.

However, AW was the very first battery distributor to offer IMR (high drain, safe chemistry) batteries. They also offer IMR batteries in 14500, 18350, and 18490 size, while the Japanese manufacturers do not. So, I suspect AW is making their own IMR batteries in China.

 

[TorontoOntario]

Bad, Illumn sells VTC4s and I have been told that they have a good supplier for them. Is illumn selling fake Sonys? I emailed them that page.
I just actually put 8 brand new VTC4s from Illumn into rotatjon after pulling out 8 old ones.

If I cant get VTC4s I would get X Tar 30amp.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Illumination supply is a reputable vendor if they have them in stock and say they're legit, they're legit.

 

[Baditude]

Bad, Illumn sells VTC4s and I have been told that they have a good supplier for them. Is illumn selling fake Sonys? I emailed them that page.
If I cant get VTC4s I would get X Tar 30amp.

I can't honestly say, although Illumination Supply has been a reputable battery distributor along with RTD, Orbtronics, and Lighthound. On one occasion Illumination unknowingly sold a shipment of knockoff Sony's to their customers, but rectified their error by replacing the knockoffs with genuine Sony's once they discovered what they had done.

I only provided the link because it was the latest news that I had read about the controversial availability of Sony VTC's. Sony never approve their VTC's to be sold for use in APV's so maybe they pulled them from the market to prevent lawsuits, because they are the most popular batteries for those vaper's who super-sub-ohm. Prior to that, I'd read that Sony was producing VTC's in a new plant in the Phillipines after the earthquake had damaged their main manufacturing plant in Japan.

As long as there is a profitable market for "sony" batteries, someone will be making and selling them. The problem is, if it is a rogue manufacturer, will the standards of quality measure up to the original Sony batteries?

 

[TorontoOntario]

Thats what I had understood about Sony.

 

[tj99959]

At least half the problem with Sony batteries was that a lot of folks were buying them that didn't need them.
You don't need a 30 amp battery to vape at ~10 amps!!!!

 

[Edward Aiz]

First, please stay away from any efest battery.

Recommendations:

LG 18650 HE2 35A 2500mAh Battery
LG HE4 18650 35amp 2500mah Battery
MNKE IMR 18650 1500mah
Samsung INR18650-25R 2500mAh 35A

Sony VTC5 are great but very difficult to come by; VTC4 is very good, available easily.

 

[AndrewH]

I can't honestly say, although Illumination Supply has been a reputable battery distributor along with RTD, Orbtronics, and Lighthound. On one occasion Illumination unknowingly sold a shipment of knockoff Sony's to their customers, but rectified their error by replacing the knockoffs with genuine Sony's once they discovered what they had done.

I only provided the link because it was the latest news that I had read about the controversial availability of Sony VTC's. Sony never approve their VTC's to be sold for use in APV's so maybe they pulled them from the market to prevent lawsuits, because they are the most popular batteries for those vaper's who super-sub-ohm. Prior to that, I'd read that Sony was producing VTC's in a new plant in the Phillipines after the earthquake had damaged their main manufacturing plant in Japan.

As long as there is a profitable market for "sony" batteries, someone will be making and selling them. The problem is, if it is a rogue manufacturer, will the standards of quality measure up to the original Sony batteries?

I have seen that same 'email' that's in the link you posted, but I've also saw a YouTube video in which a person who works directly with Illumination Supply had a sit down with a top level Sony executive who said that they are NOT discontinuing the VTC line of batteries and in fact have ramped up production and opened a new facility to produce said batteries. It's been speculated that that email was sent to specifically distance Sony from people using their batteries in possibly dangerous and unauthorized ways as the batteries were never meant for public consumption.

But hey, it's all speculation at this point but I don't doubt for a second that the VTC batteries Illumn is selling are genuine Sony batteries.