Test Report Summary: This is a great performing cell but it has a very short life. When new it is the best performing 18650 over 3000mAh at low power levels and also equals the Samsung 30Q at 15A. But it loses that performance very quickly.
I cycled two Hohm Alone cells 200 times at 2A charge/4A discharge (mildly abusive) and they lost about 27% of their capacity, a huge amount. I also cycled two Samsung 30Q’s and two Sanyo NCR1850650GA cells 200 times. These other cells are, in my opinion, the nearest competition for the Home Alone cell at low to medium power levels.
After those 200 cycles the Samsung 30Q’s lost about 9% of their capacity and the NCR18650GA’s lost about 14%. After 400 cycles the Samsung 30Q’s still lost only about 15% of their capacity.
Both Home Alone cells had slightly bulged can bottoms due to internal gas pressure (from cell aging) and were essentially useless at their 15A rating after the 200 cycles. Both the Samsung 30Q and Sanyo NCR18650GA only lost a little performance and would be usable for many more cycles. But a new 30Q or NCR18650GA did not perform as well as a new Hohm Alone cell.
According to Hohm Tech the Hohm Alone cell had to sacrifice cycle life in order to achieve the great performance this cell has when new. They say we can’t have a high current rating, high capacity rating, and long cycle life all at the same time. If we want one of those to be very high then one or two of those other things have to be lowered.
I am frustrated that Hohm Tech didn’t publicly reveal that these cells had a short life until I posted the preliminary cycle life test results on Patreon. In fact, as of today the Hohm Tech web page for this cell still says “This battery is built for the long haul.” (HΩ ALONE 18650 (2 pack) 3.6V 3309MAH 15.3A 44W INSANELY-HIGH Drain Rechargeable Li-ion Battery Cell). I strongly disagree.
If maximum when-new performance is your top priority though then consider giving these cells a try. But you might be replacing them more often than other cells you have used.
I cannot say how long these will last for you before their performance drops to the levels of others cells or how long before they reach the end of their life. To try to slow down the performance loss I recommend staying under 5A-7A (15W-21W), pulsed or continuous, and charging at 0.5A or lower.
The four Home Alone cells I tested delivered 3366mAh to 3376mAh. This is fantastic consistency and Hohm Tech’s oddly specific 3309mAh rating seems reasonable. Their 15.3A continuous current rating (also oddly specific) seems reasonable for decent performance when the cell is new but I feel the Hohm Alone cell should only be used at much lower current levels to try to slow down its aging.
Four cells were donated for testing by Hohm Tech (https://hohmtech.com). Thank you!
Ratings graphic: Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/2RHTK4y
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These tests only note my personal 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” or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.
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Testing batteries at their limits is dangerous and should never be attempted by anyone who has not thoroughly studied the dangers involved, understands the risks, has the proper equipment, and takes all appropriate safety precautions.
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/