Reputable UK source of bare 18650 cells?

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Hi

I need some bare (unprotected) 18650 cells - so many fakes and dross around; where can I buy genuine, reasonable quality cells with believable capacity ratings? UK preferred.

Thanks
John

[amyk]

Original (not "subsitute"/"compatible") laptop batteries could have good cells inside. But looking at these reviews, you can buy them "loose" as well:

http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650Summary%20UK.html
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Panasonic%20NCR18650B%203400mAh%20(Green)%20UK.html

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Anything with "fire" in the name is trying to give you a hint.

Yes, I had heard that hint!

 

Try Rapid / Farnell / RS, their stuff is usually not fake. Get Panasonic.

Only a single hit in those three - for a Samsung Li-ion with flat ends. Tricky to get hold of the little beggars. I don't really want to dismantle a laptop battery - that seem like an expensive way of going about it.

John

[amyk]

Actually these are pretty good... although supposedly there are fake *fire batteries too.

(Yes, I'm aware of this, but in that case he was charging them with 12.5V! )

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Actually these are pretty good... although supposedly there are fake *fire batteries too.

(Yes, I'm aware of this, but in that case he was charging them with 12.5V! )

Hi

Sadly, protected; I'm looking for unprotected.

John

[amwales]

I bought some from http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/
I think if you search for flashlight companies you should find some other retailers.
Flashlights seem to be a 'big thing' apparently, I just thought they were flashlights, but some
people kinda obsess over them.
Good luck.

[amwales]

I have bought some from http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ecoluxshop/ in the past.
They have yet to catch fire, you may like to give them a try.
As the others posters have said, the big named sellers are most likely to carry non fakes.

I was a little concerned looking at the batteries with 3 tabs at the bottom, those look like
spot welds that have been pulled off, the same I achieved when I harvested some from a
laptop battery tearing them free, it does make you wonder about their origins.

[PlainName]

I bought some 18650's from Ebay to repair a FLiR battery pack. So far they seem to be OK - they charge, run the kit, haven't caught fire, etc. My particular bid is lost to the mists of history but this is a very close match from the same vendor:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330909647762

[Neganur]

Not a UK shop, but you can get unprotected industrial cells at www.reichelt.de - 6.50 EUR for either LiFePO4 or Li-ion Manganese cells.
They have datasheets of them too.

hope this helps