Bench Test Results: EHPRO Silver-Black 2600mAh 40A 18650…EHPRO says do not use with e-cigs!
Bottom Line: EHPRO markets this cell to vapers but their web site clearly states it’s not meant for use with e-cigarettes and that it is a serious misuse of the cell.
We’ve seen retail vendors do this, it’s just a standard liability statement, but when the EHPRO Silver-Black 2600mAh 40A 18650 battery wrapping company does this with their own cells then is it done at our expense?
What should we do when a company is willing to sell us something, pocket the profits, and then say not to use what we bought? If you didn’t buy direct from their web site you’d never know they say not to use with e-cigs. Just something to consider. This is different than what Sony and LG do as they do not market to vapers and they actively try to keep us from using their cells.
Since EHPRO does not want anyone to use this cell with any vaping device I am giving it a Do Not Buy recommendation.
There is no rating on this cell other than “40A MAX”. But if you go to the EHPRO web site it says it has a 32A continuous rating. This cell doesn’t even have the tiny “max continuous discharge” and “max pulse discharge” ratings on the wrap that the 2000mAh and 2200mAh cells have.
No customer should have to go on a quest to hunt down the continuous rating of a cell they are using. Any “max”, “pulse”, or “max pulse” rating is useless as we don’t know the pulse length, time between pulses, and the criteria they used to set the rating (temperature? voltage sag? cycle life? A combination of those or other things?). We’re not able to compare this cell’s pulse rating to any other’s.
Unfortunately, the 32A rating is exaggerated a bit and results in short cycle life too. This appears to be a VTC5A rewrap…for now. That is an expensive cell to rewrap and anyone purchasing this cell to get VTC5A’s should carefully examine and test the cell to make sure it’s still a VTC5A that’s being rewrapped.
While Sony rates the VTC5A at 30A continuous that results in a shorter cycle life. This is why I rate the VTC5A at 25A, to give the VTC5A about the same cycle life as other cells you might be comparing it too. If we allowed other cells to get that hot their ratings would be higher too.
This EHPRO Silver-Black 2600mAh 40A 18650 capacity rating of 2600mAh matches the “nominal” (typical) capacity rating of the VTC5A but the “rated” capacity (the number I use) of the VTC5A is 2500mAh.
I am rating this EHPRO at 25A and 2500mAh for any non-vaping use.
Test report: http://bit.ly/2H2HXmX
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, LG, Panasonic, 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. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.
Any rating in the tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market or we get swamped with fakes. Please, never assume that the ratings in the table 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://