Careful UltraFire 18350 FastTech

[KansaiMike]

Got a pair from fastech http://www.fasttech.com/product/1053201-ultrafire-18350-3-7v-1200mah-rechargeable-li-ion

After 10-20 toots on my Vamo 5, they go dead. Charger says they're charged in about 20 minutes.

Has anyone else had the same trouble?

 

[mbottema]

Good rule of thumb....don't buy anything listed as *fire batteries from fasttech. Get your batteries from a trusted source that knows batteries.
fasttech is bad enough with clone this and clone that, batteries are too important to mess with.

 

[Rickajho]

Don't know specifically what batteries you bought but:

1.) {blank}Fire batteries are not high drain batteries. So that could be one reason.

2.) {blank}Fire batteries are usually unsafe ICR chemistry. If you are "lucky" they came with a protection circuit. that protection circuit conflicts with the electronics in a VAMO and - the VAMO shuts down.

You really need to lose those batteries. Might be ok in a flashlight. Definitely not to be used in high drain devices like e-cigarettes.

 

[thebanik]

Sadly I have bought 2 sets of 18350 Ultrafire batteries from FT as well, . Have gone through a couple of cycles till now, use them on Nemesis for 1.3ohm coil, lets see. Any recommendation from FT for 18350 batteries?

Based out of India hence US option for atleast batteries are out (though do feel free to provide a link for US as well, if possible, will check out if I can combine a few orders to get them in a few weeks)

 

[Baditude]

I agree with the above comments. Don't use any brand name battery with "fire" in the name. They are an inferior battery; possibly rewrapped used batteries harvested from old laptop computers or the rejects of batteries made by major brand manufacturers.

I recommend AW IMR (Li-Mn) safe-chemistry, high-drain, unprotected batteries. As a last resort, Efest IMR. Watch out for counterfeit AW batteries, authentic AW batteries will have an oval hologram silver AW sticker on the battery.



Do not use ICR (Li-Ion), protected or unprotected, batteries in a mod.

Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected ICR?

 

[mohitgarg]

Sony VTC* for the win!

 

[Big Hit]

I bought 18350 batteries from Fast Tech 6 months ago.

2 out of the 8 batteries are still working.
I wonder if the newer batteries are inferior/defective?

 

[Baditude]

I bought 18350 batteries from Fast Tech 6 months ago.

2 out of the 8 batteries are still working.
I wonder if the newer batteries are inferior/defective?

What brand and model were they? Batteries are not created equal. A battery is not just a battery.

Huge difference between brands. Batteries from companies like Trustfire, Surefire, & Ultrafire allegedly use the rejects of the better battery manufacturers. Some even use old batteries harvested from used laptop computers, re-wrap them, and sell them as new. The battery market in Japan is fiercely competitive and some of the companies are rather shady & deceptive. Some go to the length of making counterfeit batteries. All the AW batteries from Alibaba are counterfeit. Buyer beware.

 

[thebanik]

What brand and model were they? Big difference between brands. Batteries from companies like Trustfire, Surefire, & Ultrafire allegedly use the rejects of the better battery manufacturers. Some even use old batteries harvested from used laptop computers, re-wrap them, and sell them as new. The battery market in Japan is fiercely competitive and some of the companies are rather shady. Some go to the length of making counterfeit batteries. Buyer beware.

Did you say Japan? Never knew Japan does shady stuff as well,

 

[Big Hit]

What brand and model were they? Batteries are not created equal. A battery is not just a battery.

Huge difference between brands. Batteries from companies like Trustfire, Surefire, & Ultrafire allegedly use the rejects of the better battery manufacturers. Some even use old batteries harvested from used laptop computers, re-wrap them, and sell them as new. The battery market in Japan is fiercely competitive and some of the companies are rather shady & deceptive. Some go to the length of making counterfeit batteries. All the AW batteries from Alibaba are counterfeit. Buyer beware.

These batteries from FastTech:

 

[Big Hit]

What brand and model were they? Batteries are not created equal. A battery is not just a battery.

Huge difference between brands. Batteries from companies like Trustfire, Surefire, & Ultrafire allegedly use the rejects of the better battery manufacturers. Some even use old batteries harvested from used laptop computers, re-wrap them, and sell them as new. The battery market in Japan is fiercely competitive and some of the companies are rather shady & deceptive. Some go to the length of making counterfeit batteries. All the AW batteries from Alibaba are counterfeit. Buyer beware.

I doubt that China is counterfitting their own batteries.
When you buy a XXXfire battery it is new not used.
It is a lot cheaper for China to manufacture a new battery than buy used batteries and re-label them.
I know that the Ultrafire batteries are authentic and have the quality that China richly deserves.