AW IMR - flat top?

[zeroclue]

Do AW IMR make flat top batteries?

I've just been into town and I grabbed a couple 18650 aw imr batteries and asked the lady to put them in empty liquid boxes.

Got home and got the charger, took the batteries out of the boxes...there flat top!

I've got some button top ones, never even thought to check these as I wasn't aware of any flat top ones. I know the owner a little, we have chatted quite a bit and I know he wouldn't knowingly sell fakes.

I'm going to take them back, one won't even register on the charger and I need button top anyway as I bought them for my 4nine that's expected to be delivered after the weekend.

 

[HughDaHand]

Unless they changed things in the last couple months AW only makes button tops. They are probably fakes that were sold to the shop as real.

 

[Thunderball]

Ive not seen AW flat tops. If they made them, I would have bought them by now for my Semovar.
Im gonna check lighthound and RTD

Edit: I just looked at RTD and all of their red AW batteries are button top, and they should have a hologram logo on them now.
The Black AW IC batteries i noticed do have one showing as a flat top... AW Protected 18650 3400 mAh - RTD vapor

 

[zeroclue]

Button top with flat top






there is a faint number under the wrap, BFN14B08

 

[retired1]

Moved to Batteries and Chargers

 

[anumber1]

They are not genuine AW.

 

[zoiDman]

Button top with flat top

View attachment 353358


View attachment 353357

there is a faint number under the wrap, BFN14B08

The Top one Appears to be Real.

The Bottom one looks like a Great Candidate for an el-Fake-O brand battery.

 

[Thunderball]

Everyone is correct looks like.

The bottom one has the older Black logo which hasnt been made for a while now. The upper one has the "hologram" AW tag. They put that hologram tag on them to help weed out the counterfeits.

Sorry....looks like your going to the return counter.

 

[zeroclue]

Yes, I was going to take them back anyway, I wanted button top and never even heard of flat top ones so I didn't look, just asked for them putting in a box :-(

The top one I bought from vape escape so I had no worries about that one, will stick to my trusteds (new word)? from now!

 

[Singaw]

Just a note... AW (Andrew Wong) doesn't make any batteries... It's a one man operation that buys Panasonic batteries factory direct and then shrink wraps them with his label. AW also does not have a website or retail outlet where you can look over the selection of batteries available so pretty much anything goes. Maybe he didn't have flat top 18650's last week but he may very well have them this week. It's possible to get the same exact batteries from Panasonic without the markup and therefore I refuse to buy his batteries. Maybe the ones you have are counterfeit and maybe they are not.

 

[zeroclue]

Thanks singwa, It's always useful to have that info in a post like this, esp for the newbs and counterfeit issues.

I know AW don't actually make the batteries, It was just I haven't come across the flat top ones before.

The main thing is, what battery is actually under the wrap! I don't know, can't trust it and have no idea if it's safe to use (I'm not sub ohm.....but if I was, how am I supposed to know the amp limit when it's an unknown battery)!

There going back and I will let the guy know so he can decide what to do with them :-/

 

[Baditude]

Andrew Wan is indeed a battery distributor in Hong Kong, China. The AW company is bigger than a one man show. They do buy large lots of batteries from Panasonic, Samsung, etc. from Japan. He knows not all batteries are created equal from the factory, so he and his staff test each individual battery. The best get sorted and chosen to carry the AW wrapper and decal. AW puts his own PTC IC on these batteries. The rejects get sold to other distributors (ie Efest?).

You pay more for an AW battery because of the pre-sale testing procedure. You know that you will be buying a top quality battery put through bench testing procedures. Is that worth paying $2 - $3 more per battery. Only you can answer that. (I use only AW IMR batteries in all of my mods except in my sub-ohm mechanicals). More companies recommend AW than any other brand of battery. Our forum administrator (Rolygate) and resident battery expert also recommends AW IMR batteries. -- Rechargeable Batteries

AW has never distributed flat top batteries. Inquiries can be made at CPFMarketplace: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?191277-IMR16340-IMR14500-IMR18350-IMR18490-IMR18650-IMR26500-*Part-2*

 

[zeroclue]

Andrew Wan is indeed a battery distributor in Hong Kong, China. The AW company is bigger than a one man show. They do buy large lots of batteries from Panasonic, Samsung, etc. from Japan. He knows not all batteries are created equal from the factory, so he and his staff test each individual battery. The best get sorted and chosen to carry the AW wrapper and decal. The rejects get sold to other distributors (ie Efest?).

You pay more for an AW battery because of the pre-sale testing procedure. You know that you will be buying a top quality battery put through bench testing procedures. Is that worth paying $2 - $3 more per battery. Only you can answer that. (I use only AW IMR batteries in all of my mods). More companies recommend AW than any other brand of battery.

AW has never distributed flat top batteries. Inquiries can be made at CPFMarketplace: IMR16340 / IMR14500 / IMR18350 / IMR18490 / IMR18650 / IMR26500 *Part 2* - Page 55

and it's all thanks to you, that me and I'm sure many others also stick to the aw imr batteries! Although I do see some vtc5 batteries in my near future!

Like someone already pointed out, the black aw sticker is the old one that got replaced with the silver hologram. If AW started 'making' the flat tops recently they wouldn't have the old black sticker!

 

[tnt56]

Andrew Wan is indeed a battery distributor in Hong Kong, China. The AW company is bigger than a one man show. They do buy large lots of batteries from Panasonic, Samsung, etc. from Japan. He knows not all batteries are created equal from the factory, so he and his staff test each individual battery. The best get sorted and chosen to carry the AW wrapper and decal. AW puts his own PTC IC on these batteries. The rejects get sold to other distributors (ie Efest?).

You pay more for an AW battery because of the pre-sale testing procedure. You know that you will be buying a top quality battery put through bench testing procedures. Is that worth paying $2 - $3 more per battery. Only you can answer that. (I use only AW IMR batteries in all of my mods except in my sub-ohm mechanicals). More companies recommend AW than any other brand of battery. Our forum administrator (Rolygate) and resident battery expert also recommends AW IMR batteries. -- Rechargeable Batteries

AW has never distributed flat top batteries. Inquiries can be made at CPFMarketplace: IMR16340 / IMR14500 / IMR18350 / IMR18490 / IMR18650 / IMR26500 *Part 2* - Page 55

Well worded Bad. If I'm not using AW brand, then my second choice is eFest. Done good so far. And eFest also makes some purple flat tops, that work really well in mechs.

If I need more amps than these 2 offer, Then I need to change my resistance. YMMV.

 

[Thunderball]

I was a doubting thomas about the AW's at first...... (Yes, Baditude and Thrasher told me so a couple years ago....didnt believe it)

I keep going back to AW's now. I am still using AW's from a well over a year ago. Some a year and a half old and the plastic covers coming off (three users in the house and charged alot) I threw one away this week that the plastic cover finally came all the way off....but still worked.

The only thing that comes close to that longevity are some Panasonic 18650's I bought about a year ago, and Ive bought alot of batteries. All the "fire" batteries and Efest have bit the dust in a relatively short period of time. Efest lasting longer and better than the trust fire type brand, but still, 6 months or less on my Efest ? No thanks......Ill pay the extra 2 bucks or so.

 

[zoiDman]

Just a note... AW (Andrew Wong) doesn't make any batteries... It's a one man operation that buys Panasonic batteries factory direct and then shrink wraps them with his label. AW also does not have a website or retail outlet where you can look over the selection of batteries available so pretty much anything goes. Maybe he didn't have flat top 18650's last week but he may very well have them this week. It's possible to get the same exact batteries from Panasonic without the markup and therefore I refuse to buy his batteries. Maybe the ones you have are counterfeit and maybe they are not.

Unfortunately, seeing that they have the OLD AW Sticker, I don't believe this is the Case.

And if AW Did offer a Flat Top, I think someone would have Mentioned it. Either here, or on the Flashlight Forms.

 

[Baditude]

I was a doubting thomas about the AW's at first...... (Yes, Baditude and Thrasher told me so a couple years ago....didnt believe it)

I keep going back to AW's now. I am still using AW's from a well over a year ago. Some a year and a half old and the plastic covers coming off (three users in the house and charged alot) I threw one away this week that the plastic cover finally came all the way off....but still worked.

The only thing that comes close to that longevity are some Panasonic 18650's I bought about a year ago, and Ive bought alot of batteries. All the "fire" batteries and Efest have bit the dust in a relatively short period of time. Efest lasting longer and better than the trust fire type brand, but still, 6 months or less on my Efest ? No thanks......Ill pay the extra 2 bucks or so.

I have a couple of AW 18650 IMR 2000mah batteries still in my rotation from two years ago when I purchased my first mod. They are just now starting to show their age (decreased battery time). Compared to a few Efests that began losing their capacity within a month's use. I've also used a Panasonic NCR18650CH 2200mah (the grey one) which doesn't last as long as the comparable 2000mah AW's in my rotation. I think spending a couple more bucks for AW's is worth it to me.

Compared to similarly spec'd batteries, AW's are superior batteries.

 

[Singaw]

I suppose I should clarify... By all reports AW's are definitely good batteries but as we already know AW is just rebranding other batteries like companies such as Trustfire, Ultrafire, Fandyfire, etc... I am told AW batteries are better quality than the fire brands and most testing proves this but I prefer to buy my batteries from the maker not a rebranding company. It might only save me a few dollars but a few dollars goes a long way where I live and my Sony's and Mnke's have never let me down. If the OP believes the batteries they bought are counterfeit, as they probably are, then it would be wise to return them to the store for a refund. At least it would be interesting for us to know what the store owner has to say about the batteries.

 

[Rat2chat2]

Sounds like something I would do but atleast we learn. I would definitely take them back. RTD Vapor has a sale going on this weekend of 10% off. (code July4) I have been very pleased with their batteries and customers service.

Here is another good thread that you may or maynot know about. Some good deals can be found here.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/pay-forward-pif/418767-deals-steals-201.html


Good luck to you.

 

[pnyc]

Same experience here.

I was a doubting thomas about the AW's at first...... (Yes, Baditude and Thrasher told me so a couple years ago....didnt believe it)

I keep going back to AW's now. I am still using AW's from a well over a year ago. Some a year and a half old and the plastic covers coming off (three users in the house and charged alot) I threw one away this week that the plastic cover finally came all the way off....but still worked.

The only thing that comes close to that longevity are some Panasonic 18650's I bought about a year ago, and Ive bought alot of batteries. All the "fire" batteries and Efest have bit the dust in a relatively short period of time. Efest lasting longer and better than the trust fire type brand, but still, 6 months or less on my Efest ? No thanks......Ill pay the extra 2 bucks or so.