# 18650 Batteries



## jimdoc (Sep 15, 2017)

I (carefully) dismantle laptop battery packs for the 18650 cells, and use them to build flashlights, and universal power tool battery packs. I don't save any unless they are over 2.5 volts or damn close. I gut a bad tool battery pack and run the connections out to hook up the universal battery pack. Then use a Nitecore charger to safely charge the batteries. The battery packs I build are easy to switch out the cells for fresh ones. And any bad batteries are easily replaced unlike when they are spot welded together. And I plan on putting one of those battery monitor sensors in packs I build for extra safety. I have a few hundred good cells at this point.

On a few super bright flashlights that I bought on Ebay that take four cells have contacts that easily get scratched up from any remnants of the spot weld on the ends of the batteries. 
these lights;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/22000LM-SKYRAY-9-x-CREE-XM-L-T6-LED-3-Mode-Flashlight-Lamp-Torch-US-SHIPPING/331826851330?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

So for those I found these like shown in this Youtube video at Walmart for $4 per four pack;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plNo8PQYHBo 

Figured on sharing the Walmart closeout info for anyone interested. You can't really go wrong with a buck a battery.


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## Iggy-poo (Sep 15, 2017)

jimdoc said:


> I (carefully) dismantle laptop battery packs for the 18650 cells, and use them to build flashlights, and universal power tool battery packs. I don't save any unless they are over 2.5 volts or damn close. I gut a bad tool battery pack and run the connections out to hook up the universal battery pack. Then use a Nitecore charger to safely charge the batteries. The battery packs I build are easy to switch out the cells for fresh ones. And any bad batteries are easily replaced unlike when they are spot welded together. And I plan on putting one of those battery monitor sensors in packs I build for extra safety. I have a few hundred good cells at this point.
> 
> On a few super bright flashlights that I bought on Ebay that take four cells have contacts that easily get scratched up from any remnants of the spot weld on the ends of the batteries.
> these lights;
> ...


I bought some of those clearance 2000mah cells an a Nitecore charger last year. That's the way to go. I like the way it senses what battery type it is and is set up like four separate charging circuits. I wouldn't use anything else.


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## patnor1011 (Sep 16, 2017)

Same here. I do have about 60-70 charged cells and couple hundred of spare. When you take failed laptop battery it has about 6-9 cells (most of them). Out of these there is like one - two failed cells rest are still good. Nitecore is the best.


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## Iggy-poo (Sep 17, 2017)

One note about the Nitecore charger:
each cell bay acts as a separate charger, as I mentioned in a previous post, besides being able to charge 18650 cells, it will also charge 1.2 V. Nickel Metal Hydride cells as well as others. You can also mix different cell types in each bay and the charger will sort them out. I put a 18650 in one bay and a AAA NiMH in an other and it works fine.


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## shmandi (Sep 18, 2017)

I also use laptop cells for different products. They are free and usually good qualiti. 
Just don't forget to use basic protection circuit (BMS).


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## Iggy-poo (Sep 18, 2017)

shmandi said:


> I also use laptop cells for different products. They are free and usually good qualiti.
> Just don't forget to use basic protection circuit (BMS).



Good point. These cells store a lot of energy. If you accidentally short them, the results can be serious.
A friend did that with another type of battery and spent three months in hospital with serious burns.


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## canedane (Sep 18, 2017)

A friend of mine is building a house supply cell in Tesla car cell size.
All in 18650 cells, all tested and packed in series with the same ampere limit.
Free energy from the sun, and can be used in the night  
If anybody here have an interest, i will post pictures and a description how to do it. (eu 220v)
Henrik


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## 4metals (Sep 18, 2017)

> If anybody here have an interest, i will post pictures and a description how to do it. (eu 220v)



Henrik

I would like to see some details about doing this.

Thanks


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## jimdoc (Sep 18, 2017)

I don't think I would trust a homemade Tesla power wall in my house.
I would have to have a fireproof outhouse to keep it in.


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## Iggy-poo (Sep 18, 2017)

jimdoc said:


> I don't think I would trust a homemade Tesla power wall in my house.
> I would have to have a fireproof outhouse to keep it in.



For a stationary system, such as for home use, Lead Acid cells are hard to beat. Weight is not an issue, and the cost per watt is very low.


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## Topher_osAUrus (Sep 18, 2017)

Iggy-poo said:


> jimdoc said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think I would trust a homemade Tesla power wall in my house.
> ...



It is pretty easy to get lead acid cells for free too.
Many people have their car battety "die", and give up on it.
It is very easy to fix the majority of them.

Some just need a little distilled water added, some need a little acid, some need to have a cycle charge done on them to desulfide them.
If they have been drained flat, a variable power source is a great thing to have.

Of course, sometimes the electrodes are too far gone, but with enough time and money anything can be fixed!
I have a few 12v cells I am reconditioning for my sons' power wheels, so I can make them 24v beasts. And a couple deep cycle ones that I am going to have in my battery bank for when I get my "off grid" gear done.


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## jimdoc (Sep 18, 2017)

For the power wheels I would definitely go with lithium cells.


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## jimdoc (Sep 18, 2017)

For tool power packs, and even flashlights, I take a length of 1/2" PVC long enough for the amount of batteries plus 3/4" wooden dowel plugs on the end and slice it down the middle with a Dremil. 
I then heat it with a heat gun and push it down over a 3/4" dowel or aluminum pipe and let it cool.

That will allow the batteries to easily slide in and out to replace with charged ones when needed.
The dowel plugs on the end get drilled through for a bolt to hold into place. I sometimes use springs on the ends inside the dowels end caps to keep the batteries tight. And I sometimes use pennies for the contacts under the springs, or without springs.

So most of this stuff is free from scrapping stuff. Even if you buy it the 1/2" PVC conduit is like $2 for 10 feet. The batteries are free from laptop packs. The Nitecore charger costs about $20 on Ebay. I bought 12 volt LED spotlight bulbs that I fit in the end of the same PVC conduit (not sliced on the bulb end) with a little heat to make flashlights. I got one lot of 100 bulbs for about $12.50 shipped, and another lot of 100 for $2.31 shipped. So even the lights come in easily under a dollar each. And the 18650's charge lasts a long time. Wire is always free when you scrap electronics, and often have the right connectors that you need.


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## Topher_osAUrus (Sep 18, 2017)

Nice.

I was thinking about just using lithium batteries for running the headlights I'm installing, but, now I may go with lithium for the whole shebang.


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## jimdoc (Sep 18, 2017)

I just got a Neuton EM 4.1 cordless lawn mower yesterday. It comes with a pack that contains two 12 volt UPS type batteries. They were dead, and the others I had were a little too small to switch them out with the way the contacts are. So I built two 24 volt battery packs with six 18650 cells in each, and wired them together for extra capacity with alligator clips to connect it. That would probably get the power wheels going.

I then had fabricate a key to replace the missing one, just a u-shaped piece of bent copper wire about the width of a fuse. The original key has a circuit breaker in it, but I didn't get that with it.
If the motor burns up, then so be it, it was free.

It works, and is nice and quiet. I just have to get the blade off to sharpen it, and I think it may be in upside down. 

This spring I got a corded mower they guy said was "burned up" and he brought it to me to recycle.
I had it fixed about five minutes after he left. It was just the plug that the extension cord connects to that was burnt. I spliced an end from a computer power cord on it, and have been using it to cut my lawn all summer. My regular mower needs carb work, and I hate small engine work.

I am still keeping my eyes open for a more powerful cordless mower as 24 volts is a bit wimpy for a mower.


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## Shark (Sep 18, 2017)

For batteries I use the ones I get from UPS Backup systems. Seems I get quite a few of them these days. 

They make pretty good batteries for the Power Wheels also. We just upgraded my great-nephews car from 6 volt to 12 volt. We had considered 18 volt but the 12 volt makes that little car move fast enough for a 3 year old. On 6 volt he was clocked at 3.5 miles per hour on flat ground, with the 12 volt he clocked in at 6.8 mph. This is in one of the smaller cars. 

I have several solar panels as well from old game feeders that, after a good polishing, they work just fine to recharge these batteries. I need to test a few more batteries and see how long they will last using 12 volt bulbs for a light source. The newer LED bulbs should work pretty good.


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## canedane (Sep 18, 2017)

Henrik

I would like to see some details about doing this.

Thanks
My friend have done 90% ,and i will send pictures when all is finish and working.
Here is a bunch of links from my friend related to reuse 18650 cells.

How to connect the cells to a power wall.
https://youtu.be/Mvy3g_NIr8s
https://youtu.be/JQa5gn-7D74

Some about cell chemi
https://youtu.be/fcDyiiXekbE
https://youtu.be/0KSFitqvap0

Tesla style power wall
https://youtu.be/T_JesCvR1Rs

Uk power wall
https://youtu.be/MFhqUAkK_Xk

Pete from Australia.
HBPowerwall
https://youtu.be/g1ZhM2Zq30E

Make your own electric bicycle
https://youtu.be/Tg8L6vKX0ho


18650 big value is not in the scrap price but how to reuse them


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## wadesrc (Sep 19, 2017)

I have cycled hundreds of laptop batteries cells and keep the good one but you need to be careful to separate the 3.6V cells from the 3.7V cells. I normally arrange good cells in a 3S10P configuration and this will provide substantial 12V back up power. I once used a 30 cell pack to light my home with 12V LEDs during a hurricane and it lasted 3 solid days and never dropped below 10 volts, Love the power density of lithium batteries!


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## Iggy-poo (Sep 19, 2017)

Another source of cheap lead-acid batteries is after hunting season, wally world sells off their lead-acid rechargeable 6 V lantern batteries used in game feeders and trail cameras. They hold a charge well. I had one that I left back on the shelf for over two years and it was still almost fully charged. I picked-up a couple of chargers and two of the solar panels, wired them in series to make a 12 V panel to recharge the 2 lantern batteries in series 12V packs. It works great. Now I have several packs sitting in the window being trickle charged using schottky diode isolators so I can charge them in parallel and have packs fully charged in case of emergency. If I need a pack, it's just a matter of disconnecting the alligator clips from the panel


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## jimdoc (Sep 19, 2017)

These look pretty cool for building battery packs;

https://vruzend.com/product/vruzend_basic_kit/

If I was going to spend any money for building packs, I would probably go with them.


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## jimdoc (Oct 2, 2017)

EVTV Friday Show -Tesla Model S Battery Pack Solar Energy Storage


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zO11Q237nA


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