Test Report Summary: It’s been a couple of years since I tested samples of this cell and now they’re finally available. Good thing too. These perform just about as well as the Sanyo NCR18650GA, making them one of the best performing ultra-high capacity 18650’s, and the M35A should be about the same price.
As the cells from the other major manufacturers become harder and harder to find it’s great to see Molicel expand the number of cells we can use.
Molicel rates them at 3350mAh minimum/3450mAh typical and at 10A max but they note in the datasheet that cycle life is reduced at this 10A level. Like all ultra-high capacity cells I recommend staying below 50%-70% or so of the continuous current rating in order to reduce voltage sag, decrease risks, and extend the overall life of the cell. This means staying at 5A-7A (15W-21W) or lower.
Maximum charge rate is 1.7A so I recommend staying at 1A or lower to help extend cell life.
The two cells I tested delivered 3482mAh and 3503mAh and had DC internal resistances of 51.3mOhm and 50.7mOhm. This is decent consistency and both cells exceed Molicel’s minimum and typical capacity ratings.
These cells were purchased at 18650BatteryStore (www.18650batterystore.com).
Photos, discharge graphs, ratings graphic: Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Full Test report: https://bit.ly/2NNqc3O
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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 and you use them AT YOUR OWN RISK. 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/