Fake 18650 Li-Ion cells from China

As a rebuilder it is amazing what is offered in the replacement cells for power tool batteries.

I am no novice but like others I reach out for good deals to keep the rebuilds price comparable.

I purchased a box (100} of Li-Ion cells for stock  from a supplier in China. I was hoping to get 50% of the listed capacity out of the cells and as always I test each batch before installation.

To my amazement these cells produced less that 20% of their listed capacity and are practically unusable.

I pulled the wrapper off the cell to see what I had and discovered that the outer wrap was installed over another wrap that covered what I assume was the original wrap. There were no markings on the inner wraps but it was evident that the assembly of these cells was from at least three differing manufacturers.

This makes me wonder how many of our Asian suppliers are taking reject cells and repackaging them for the western market.

This is my own fault, I know better but you can not stand on your hands and not research new products.

This is an ongoing deliberation that will end up in frustration, but that's life.