A BATTERY MOOCH POST: Molicel INR20700A 35A 2800mAh 20700…the five “leg” battery rewrapped by many

This is the five “leg” top contact 20700 that was rewrapped by so many companies earlier this year. It is a true 30A cell that is the best choice for over 25A use since the Sanyo NCR20700A and NCR2070C are not available anywhere.

If you only need a 20A-25A rated cell though, about 60W-75W in a regulated device, then the “tabbed” top contact 3000mAh iJoy or the Golisi S32 3200mAh would probably give you a bit more vaping time before recharging. 

E-One Moli Energy Corp. (“Moli”) and N-Power Energy, Ltd (their distributor for the vaping community) sent me four cells from Taiwan for testing that they said were Grade A. This will allow me to detect when a battery wrapping company is using unauthorized lower grade cells. 

Moli won’t be making this cell directly available to us in its original wrapper, due to agreements with their existing customers, but it is rewrapped by several companies. I will be testing/retesting some of these rewrapped cells soon. Some vendors might still have this cell in its original wrap though, described as an “OEM” cell.

The datasheet for this cell lists it as having a 35A “maximum discharging current” rating but it also says “cycle life is reduced at high rates”. I agree as this cell reaches almost 90°C at 35A and that is much too high a temperature for 35A to be a rating that ensures good cycle life. 

The datasheet lists the minimum capacity at 2800mAh but the typical capacity in my testing is about 3000mAh. The four Molicels I tested delivered 3006mAh – 3029mAh at 600mAh (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is fantastic consistency.

I am rating this Molicel at 30A and 2800mAh minimum/3000mAh typical.

Four cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Moli (http://www.molicel.com/hq/about/aboutus1.html) and N-Power Energy, Ltd. Thank you!

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/TpfaiZq

Test report: https://bit.ly/2y8JcxK

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

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 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.

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Author: John Muchow