@katbyter@werehatrack
I dunno, they used to be. The last set if Energizers and last two sets of Duracells rhat I’ve gitten have had a lot of leaking batteries, but 1) these are different Everreadys, and 2) i got those others off Amazon, so they may have been really good knock-offs. With probably all batteries being made overseas nowadays, it really is a crapshoot what you get.
For example, you can get really high quality stuff from China, and really low quality stuff from China, and for things like batteries, you can’t tell until several months later when they start leaking.
OTOH, I’ve been using Amazon Basics batteries for a couple years and have had none of then leak.
I’ve only had alkaline AA and AAA batteries leak on me (and often ruin the electonics they’re in, if they haven’talready leaked in the package. I’ve never had NiCad or lithium batteries leak. I’ve never had rechargeable batteries leak, and i highly recommend eneloops, which are generally too good to be featured on Meh.
If you have a remote, flashlight or fake candle that’s hard to replace and you really like it, i recommend ponying up for rechargeable or lithium batteries
@katbyter@mrdancer@MrJazz@werehatrack I just got my order of 200 AA AmazonBasics yesterday, but I always get the deals, so I ordered one of each here. But now you have me thinking.
I need to stay disposable for all the people that come to my office and ask for some, but I could really consider rechargeable for my personal things.
@katbyter@mrdancer@werehatrack I’ve had pretty good luck using vinegar on a q-tip to clean electronics where the battery leaked. It literally dissolves the crud.
@elfunkman@jmoor783
For the sake of all the rest of the stuff I ship via FedEx Ground, I very much hope Meh isn’t selling snowballs, ever. (Any shipment of theirs is going to pass through the same regional processing center as mine, in Hutchins, TX.)
@medz You asked when they expire. That would be September 2030 as Energizer states they have a shelf-life of 10 years and these were manufactured in September 2020. No, you can’t “use these for 10 years” but properly stored you could put them to use years down the line. They’re not going to run out of juice in “a few months” while stored if not in use.
@ExtraMedium@medz No, the listing claims “Ready to use for up to 10 years in storage.” In other words, you can store them for up to ten years right out of the box, which is useful if storage is what you use your batteries for.
The text gives them a shelf life (not a will-last-in-use life) of “up tp” ten years. To me, that says “In ten years, we know that most or all of these will be dead.” If they said “Guaranteed to retain at least half-charge for ten years when properly stored”, and I had confidence that collecting on said “guarantee” was going to be economically worthwhile, I might place some weight on the statement. But as it’s given, it doesn’t give much of an assurance at all. And nothing is stated about leakage, which is by far the absolute most important factor in deciding whether an alkaline battery is worth buying or using. It’s even more important than how long they allegedly last in storage, as I have discovered to my disgust more than a few times.
@danpritts It made even less sense than a farm and livestock feed company making kids’ breakfast cereals, Chex, which was a unit they sold off a couple of decades back. But then, Proctor & Gamble owning Pringles didn’t make a lot of sense either. Or back in the '70s, AMF owned Harley-Davidson for a while.
@werehatrack breakfast cereal and dog food are actually pretty similar products if you look at the production and distribution chains. Slightly different inputs but very similar production. I’m sure they used separate plants for marketing reasons but they could’ve been made in the same place.
P&g also owned other food products (notably Jif) and of course soap is sold in grocery stores so marketing and distribution again overlap.
I guess pg is a good example of what rp was thinking. Consumer product conglomerate, marketed and sold in the same places and ways. Just seems so different on the face of it.
@werehatrack Bullshit. Refrigerators are real - I’ve seen them with my very own eyes! In fact, I have several refrigerators full of the freshest, happiest batteries you’ve ever seen…
@lordjynx Yeah, but they wouldn’t let you order more than 2 “sets” so if you need more (or want to annoy folx w/ XMas gift stocking stuffers) this here is the thing.
@aolshove VMP is the old premium membership program, but it ended back in early 2017. Only the people who have kept their VMP since then are still in it. VMPs have a shield with a V by their name, instead of a shield with a heart, as you do.
I do battery testing at work. We use lithium primaries, AA alkalines and 9V in our products for the most part. I recently did a AA test and was shocked (haha…pun intended) that Energizer Industrial came out on top over Panasonic in ambient, hot and cold testing under a constant load or cycling. As Mr. Project Farm would say: “Very Impressive!”
A great way to buy high performance batteries like that is from Digi-Key. I think Energizer Industrials end up being about 33 cents each.
A final warning…NEVER buy Duracell batteries. they are total crap. I think they were once good batteries but now they fail early and leak faster than anything else I tested. Complete garbage.
Best brands in my tests (alkalines):
Energizer, Panasonic, Fujitsu
@danpritts@tweezak I remember that tests, as of about 2010 (when I was needing copious amounts of batteries for camera flashes) that Duracell was one of, if not the best. Now, everybody says they’re garbage. (SAD FACE).
Kirkland, according to everything I’ve read, is rebranded Duracell. (Also SAD FACE)
Was also buying Duracell from Costco, and am this week trying to research a move to rechargable, and a different brand alkaline for backups. Bought some Energizer (even though everyone says Eneloop is better) because of their warranty covering devices their leaks might damage.
I’ve also heard that Lithiums don’t leak, but Gah, expensive and wasteful if they aren’t rechargable (and if there’s a super-reputable rechargeable lithium AA, I haven’t read about it yet.)
@danpritts@Eggers@tweezak Power tools, hand tools, or even rocks can be used on lithium batteries to get them to leak. On the other hand, companies will end up bankrupt if they sell very many lithium batteries that leak without extreme provocation.
The usual corporate response to a handful of lithium battery containment failures is a massive recall.
It isn’t true that lithium batteries never leak, but it is very rare.
@danpritts@Eggers@tweezak
Be aware that the lithium rechargeable 14500 battery looks and fits like a AA, but at 3.7 to 4.2V it will fry most devices. I have a bunch of them that I use in small but bright LED pocket lights.
@danpritts@Eggers@tweezak I had been buying Kirkland (Costco) batteries for several years. So far, FIVE devices, ranging in price up to $125, have been totally ruined by spontaneous leaks. I switched to Duracells, also sold at Costco, and have had no leaks in the past two years.
The leaking is infuriating, and seems to happen quite quickly, within 3-6 months of installation. I’m thinking it’s time to switch to Eneloops or Energizer…
@tweezak Have you tested Duracell’s Procell line? Those have seemed to hold up pretty well for me. I use them for all of the HID reader door locks.
I’d be open to trying something else out next time though.
@MrNews - I have had leak trouble with Kirkland too. Switched to Duracell as a result, hoping they would be better. Since I have a small sample size I also wondered if @tweezak had tested them.
Others - I wasn’t clear in my request about the lithiums - I specifically meant the lithium chemistry AA’s sold by Energizer (maybe others). NOT LiIon/LiPo/LiFe/whatever rechargeables.
@danpritts@MrNews@tweezak
One user I know for the 1.5V Lithium Energizers reports zero leakers even when a fully discharged cell has been inadvertently left in a device for six months or more, so yeah, it looks like they really don’t leak. OTGH, while I had LOADS of problems with leaky-in-package Duracells a decade back, they seemed to catch a clue about four years ago; the latest ones haven’t been leaking in the storage box, at least. But I use more ACDelco (very good deal there), Energizer (zero leakers for several years now if replaced promptly when dead) and Amazon Basics (best bang for the buck) these days.
BTW, the yellow “Thunderbolt” batteries from Harbor Freight are HF-tastic-ally-bad. They are probably even worse than you think that a battery from that company would be.
@gwrankin The Duracells I tested were copper top but I don’t remember off hand what exact model. Most of the batteries were ones we expected customers might put back into devices. We tested them alongside others that we put in from the factory.
@kjschweitzer All the batteries I tested had dates that were in the future. I figured that in when estimating the age of the battery and if shelf life might have played a part in the results.
@danpritts@Eggers I haven’t tested lithium AA batteries but from experience I know they last much longer than alkalines in many circumstances. Bottom line: I can’t answer your question.
Keep in mind that how a battery is used can play a role in how long it lasts. Different battery chemistries will last longer or shorter depending on conditions even within the same “family” (alkaline, zinc, etc.). Heavy loads for short periods, long periods of low drain, sudden pulse, slow ramp, temperature variations, months in a drawer without use, high vibration environment, etc. Get your mind out of the gutter, mehtizens.
In other words, one battery type might be great for a personal massager but not be good for a smoke detector.
@danpritts@Eggers@hamjudo Yep. Because of the fire hazard and toxicity of lithium battery chemistry they are typically very reliable.
FWIW, the best single use (primary) lithium batteries I have tested are made by FDK (parent company of Fujitsu). Something like 50% more lifespan than the batteries we usually use. Crazy good.
I didn’t really need to spend another $54 but over 100 each of AA and AAA alkaline batteries, from a fairly decent brand, that were recently manufactured? Couldn’t pass that up. This will keep me from buying batteries for a long time.
Amusing footnote. When I saw the giphy I got with my post, I mused out loud, “Hey, Goku.” and my Google Home Mini piped up. Note to self: the speaker’s name is now Goku. LOL
You know, I’m thinking these might be good enough for trail cameras. Those things don’t like NiMH rechargeables because the voltage is a little too low.
@skellington
Kirklands have had a rep for leaking, but that may have been addressed. Although these are made by or for the same outfit that makes Energizer, they wouldn’t be branding these differently if they were a genuine threat to the marketability of their flagship brand. I tried some of their “Eveready Gold Alkaline” a few years back, and those were awful. I can’t find any hard details on test results for this type, and I don’t want to be the beta tester myself.
@gwrankin@Odorous
I’ve had leakage that corroded through the battery holder contacts of multiple devices with Ray-o-vac, Duracell, older Energizer (but not the ones from 2018 on), and Varta alkalines. I had a 3-D-cell special edition maglite that Ray-o-vacs nearly destroyed; I wrote a blog entry about what I had to do in order to extract the leakage-encrusted mess. I’ve also had several electronic devices like pocket voltmeters on which the leakage ate some of the traces off of a PC board, and I know that one of the early versions of a desktop personal computer used a two-AA-cell external battery pack for CMOS maintenance because they could not risk mounting that on the motherboard.
@gwrankin@Odorous@werehatrack Yeah I had to finally dispose of a vintage 3-D-cell Maglite I’d had since, like college. Decades ago. Tried the various online extraction techniques other than the ones that needed special equipment to be fabricated for the drilling process since all the other stuff didn’t do it. And ultimately even if I’d “repaired” it I’d want to get an upgraded LED bulb/control assembly which would cost about the same as a new Mag-Lite. But it was the sentimental value of it mostly. (and the “they don’t make 'em like they used to.” thing).
I think I had an old PC motherboard with an external battery pack also. Actually made sense since it’s much easier and cheaper swapping in new AAs than trying to extract a 2025 or 2032 which might be under a bunch of other cables and boards, and if the clock circuit drew more power as they did then, AAs would run a lot longer than a 2032 battery. And of course the leakage concern you mention, though I’m not sure that was the only thing.
@Willijs3
Gee, that sounds like an experience similar to what I had with the Duracells and Ray-o-vacs I bought in 2008. In less than six months, about half of the batteries in the unopened clamshell packages were leaking. Sadly, I had installed some of the Ray-o-vacs in a special edition Maglite, and it was pure hell getting them back out and repairing the unit.
@Willijs3 Me too-- I’m having flash-backs to the Lucas batteries. 1/3 of them leaked within the packages, another 1/3 leaked within the gadgets I put them in. Bad news.
These AAs are 25c per battery, Amazon’s are 27c per AA (100 pack). I’ve yet to have an Amazon battery leak; these-- who knows?
@WaltC@Willijs3
Lucas really screwed up with those batteries. I mean, face it, they’re Lucas, with the reputation of an entire nation’s industrial might to protect, don’t they understand that regardless of whether their batteries work, they have to leak OIL?
@Sardinicus
The specs say “manufactured September 2020”, and the image of the AAA shows “PD 09 2020” as the date there. Given that most of the competing units are labeled with their “supposed to last in storage until” date, this is a bonehead way to date these.
Lashing out the action, returning the reaction
Weak are ripped and torn away
Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower
Batteries are here to stay
Smashing through the boundaries
Lunacy has found me
Cannot stop the batteries
Pounding out aggression
Turns into obsession
Cannot kill the batteries
there’s nothing worse than the panic you feel when the tears start flowing because that thing you spent half of a paycheck on won’t power up.
Oh, ghods, been there, done that. And often it was when half a paycheck was also a month’s rent; I wasn’t exactly flush. I’m still not. And that’s why I get really nervous about buying anything expensive - which is pretty nearly everything these days.
Combo deal would be nice. I quit buying Duracells, they leaked in the package. I returned them to my local hardware store for exchange. Second package also leaked… I sent Duracell pictures to let them be aware… I usually use Energizer Lithium & get them on sale or on Ebay with good expiration date…
@sudynim Were those the Eveready Gold, perchance? That version is truly craptastic, just barely better than the Harbor Freight Thunderbolt. (And maybe not.)
Specs
What’s Included?
OR
Price Comparison
$65.82 at Amazon AA Batteries
$132.58 at Amazon AAA Batteries
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Aug 11 - Tuesday, Aug 16
Hello police! I would like to report a battery.
@yakkoTDI, you mean, AA Battery, or AAA Battery?
On the scale of Meh to Crap-friggin-tastic where do these go?
@pmarin
Between “Hey, I just changed it” and “This will teach that jerk not to filch my AA stash.”
@pmarin They go in the fridge, as always.
@pmarin @rpstrong
Not so much.
@werehatrack - the fridge thing is a long standing joke on here.
For those times when you don’t care if it doesn’t last very long.
@werehatrack isn’t Everready one of the better names in batteries?
@katbyter @werehatrack it’s wonderfully Meh according to Project Farm:
@werehatrack Just keep 'em in your fridge, and they’ll always be fresh and long lasting! True story!!
@PHRoG but if you got them cheaper it would boost the MaH per penny calculation.
@shahnm @werehatrack and delicious too!
@shahnm @werehatrack Bad timing for these – my fridge (and freezer) are still full from Thanksgiving left-overs.
@phendrick @werehatrack Your priorities are all wrong! Kids these days…
/giphy shaking head
@katbyter @werehatrack
I dunno, they used to be. The last set if Energizers and last two sets of Duracells rhat I’ve gitten have had a lot of leaking batteries, but 1) these are different Everreadys, and 2) i got those others off Amazon, so they may have been really good knock-offs. With probably all batteries being made overseas nowadays, it really is a crapshoot what you get.
For example, you can get really high quality stuff from China, and really low quality stuff from China, and for things like batteries, you can’t tell until several months later when they start leaking.
OTOH, I’ve been using Amazon Basics batteries for a couple years and have had none of then leak.
I’ve only had alkaline AA and AAA batteries leak on me (and often ruin the electonics they’re in, if they haven’talready leaked in the package. I’ve never had NiCad or lithium batteries leak. I’ve never had rechargeable batteries leak, and i highly recommend eneloops, which are generally too good to be featured on Meh.
If you have a remote, flashlight or fake candle that’s hard to replace and you really like it, i recommend ponying up for rechargeable or lithium batteries
@katbyter @mrdancer @werehatrack I’m with you - I’ve gone almost totally rechargable. Only use disposable batteries in disposable items!
MEH.
@katbyter @mrdancer @MrJazz @werehatrack I just got my order of 200 AA AmazonBasics yesterday, but I always get the deals, so I ordered one of each here. But now you have me thinking.
I need to stay disposable for all the people that come to my office and ask for some, but I could really consider rechargeable for my personal things.
@shahnm
Not so much true about storing them in the fridge.
BatteryGuy tested this one - for Alkalines, it’s baloney.
@werehatrack Never distract me with data!
@katbyter @mrdancer @werehatrack I’ve had pretty good luck using vinegar on a q-tip to clean electronics where the battery leaked. It literally dissolves the crud.
@werehatrack “if it doesn’t last very long” … that’s what she said
@dskin1127 @werehatrack
No…
She never said that.
The perfect gift for the Eagles fan in your life
@jmoor783 For the sake of Santa, I hope Meh isn’t selling snowballs tomorrow.
@elfunkman @jmoor783
For the sake of all the rest of the stuff I ship via FedEx Ground, I very much hope Meh isn’t selling snowballs, ever. (Any shipment of theirs is going to pass through the same regional processing center as mine, in Hutchins, TX.)
When the expiration date?
@medz I think what you’re looking for is in the specs:
@ExtraMedium I seriously doubt one could use these for 10 years. Maybe a few months they run out of juice.
@medz You asked when they expire. That would be September 2030 as Energizer states they have a shelf-life of 10 years and these were manufactured in September 2020. No, you can’t “use these for 10 years” but properly stored you could put them to use years down the line. They’re not going to run out of juice in “a few months” while stored if not in use.
@ExtraMedium ah, so not “Ready to use for up to 10 years” as the listing claims.
Thanks
@ExtraMedium @medz I can tell you a thing or two about proper storage… Ok, that’s a little inaccurate. I can tell you one thing about proper storage…
@ExtraMedium @medz A few months untill they start to LEAK.
@ExtraMedium @medz No, the listing claims “Ready to use for up to 10 years in storage.” In other words, you can store them for up to ten years right out of the box, which is useful if storage is what you use your batteries for.
The text gives them a shelf life (not a will-last-in-use life) of “up tp” ten years. To me, that says “In ten years, we know that most or all of these will be dead.” If they said “Guaranteed to retain at least half-charge for ten years when properly stored”, and I had confidence that collecting on said “guarantee” was going to be economically worthwhile, I might place some weight on the statement. But as it’s given, it doesn’t give much of an assurance at all. And nothing is stated about leakage, which is by far the absolute most important factor in deciding whether an alkaline battery is worth buying or using. It’s even more important than how long they allegedly last in storage, as I have discovered to my disgust more than a few times.
Eveready by Energizer?? WTF? When did this become a thing?
@PHRoG I dunno but you know I have three crazy children and it’s almost Christmas! Come over. You bring cookies and I’ll throw batteries at you.
@PHRoG After Ralston=Purina sold off Eveready which was placed under Energizer Holdings.
@sillyheathen sure thing…as soon as they ship the damn cookies
.
Ralston-Purina owned Eveready? Now that is some obvious synergy there.
@danpritts It made even less sense than a farm and livestock feed company making kids’ breakfast cereals, Chex, which was a unit they sold off a couple of decades back. But then, Proctor & Gamble owning Pringles didn’t make a lot of sense either. Or back in the '70s, AMF owned Harley-Davidson for a while.
@werehatrack breakfast cereal and dog food are actually pretty similar products if you look at the production and distribution chains. Slightly different inputs but very similar production. I’m sure they used separate plants for marketing reasons but they could’ve been made in the same place.
P&g also owned other food products (notably Jif) and of course soap is sold in grocery stores so marketing and distribution again overlap.
I guess pg is a good example of what rp was thinking. Consumer product conglomerate, marketed and sold in the same places and ways. Just seems so different on the face of it.
Do these leak?
@ThoR294
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Trying to turn me on with cheap batteries
@Num1Zero
Did it work?
(Asking for an alleged mutual friend.)
Eveready by Energizer Silver?
I don’t know about that.
Can it power this?
@mehcuda67
Aletha sez “Uh huh”.
/image refrigerator
@shahnm
/image snake oil
@werehatrack Bullshit. Refrigerators are real - I’ve seen them with my very own eyes! In fact, I have several refrigerators full of the freshest, happiest batteries you’ve ever seen…
@shahnm @werehatrack Very true. I once saw a Refrigerator score a touchdown in a Super Bowl …
I’ve got the power
/youtube I’ve got the power
/giphy power
@thenagman Heh! That meter in the giphy is keeping time with the music in the video just above. It’s just like a metronome.
Random thought:
Is that little statue in the garden, in the big city, a metro-gnome?
U dicks… Sidedeals was $29 when I bought on BF… now the same shit for $27. Meh… Meh… Meh… that’s $2 I wasted… thanks a lot
@lordjynx Yeah, but they wouldn’t let you order more than 2 “sets” so if you need more (or want to annoy folx w/ XMas gift stocking stuffers) this here is the thing.
FYI it’s a buck cheaper on sidedeals for VMPs.
KuoH
@kuoh Thanks. I never remember to check them. There has to be some benefit to VMP. A buck is better than years of nothing at all.
@kuoh How do I find VMP deals there? And, 2, how do I know if I’m a VMP? And, 3, how do I become a VMP?
@aolshove you can’t become a vmp anymore. Only a measly member like you and me.
@aolshove VMP is the old premium membership program, but it ended back in early 2017. Only the people who have kept their VMP since then are still in it. VMPs have a shield with a V by their name, instead of a shield with a heart, as you do.
WISH THEY HAD A MIXED PACK, THAT SUPER CHARGER I BOUGHT ON HERE WORKS GREAT, LOOKS LIKE A MEH-RAH-THON ITEM IN 2 WEEKS TIME. GOOD JOB TEAM MEH.
@mellowirishgent Why are you yelling?
Batteries?
@mexicantacos
Included.
I do battery testing at work. We use lithium primaries, AA alkalines and 9V in our products for the most part. I recently did a AA test and was shocked (haha…pun intended) that Energizer Industrial came out on top over Panasonic in ambient, hot and cold testing under a constant load or cycling. As Mr. Project Farm would say: “Very Impressive!”
A great way to buy high performance batteries like that is from Digi-Key. I think Energizer Industrials end up being about 33 cents each.
A final warning…NEVER buy Duracell batteries. they are total crap. I think they were once good batteries but now they fail early and leak faster than anything else I tested. Complete garbage.
Best brands in my tests (alkalines):
Energizer, Panasonic, Fujitsu
@tweezak just replaced everything I had (post fire, everyone is ok). With Duracells from Costco. NOW you tell me.
How do the Kirkland (Costco store brand) work out?
Is it true that lithium cells never leak?
@danpritts @tweezak I remember that tests, as of about 2010 (when I was needing copious amounts of batteries for camera flashes) that Duracell was one of, if not the best. Now, everybody says they’re garbage. (SAD FACE).
Kirkland, according to everything I’ve read, is rebranded Duracell. (Also SAD FACE)
Was also buying Duracell from Costco, and am this week trying to research a move to rechargable, and a different brand alkaline for backups. Bought some Energizer (even though everyone says Eneloop is better) because of their warranty covering devices their leaks might damage.
I’ve also heard that Lithiums don’t leak, but Gah, expensive and wasteful if they aren’t rechargable (and if there’s a super-reputable rechargeable lithium AA, I haven’t read about it yet.)
@tweezak I thought the date on the battery was the expiration date, not the manufacture date.
@danpritts @Eggers @tweezak I learned the hard way about Duracells. I switched to Amazon Basics batteries and have not had a leak in years.
@danpritts @Eggers @tweezak Power tools, hand tools, or even rocks can be used on lithium batteries to get them to leak. On the other hand, companies will end up bankrupt if they sell very many lithium batteries that leak without extreme provocation.
The usual corporate response to a handful of lithium battery containment failures is a massive recall.
It isn’t true that lithium batteries never leak, but it is very rare.
@danpritts @Eggers @tweezak
Be aware that the lithium rechargeable 14500 battery looks and fits like a AA, but at 3.7 to 4.2V it will fry most devices. I have a bunch of them that I use in small but bright LED pocket lights.
@danpritts @Eggers @tweezak I had been buying Kirkland (Costco) batteries for several years. So far, FIVE devices, ranging in price up to $125, have been totally ruined by spontaneous leaks. I switched to Duracells, also sold at Costco, and have had no leaks in the past two years.
The leaking is infuriating, and seems to happen quite quickly, within 3-6 months of installation. I’m thinking it’s time to switch to Eneloops or Energizer…
@tweezak Have you tested Duracell’s Procell line? Those have seemed to hold up pretty well for me. I use them for all of the HID reader door locks.
I’d be open to trying something else out next time though.
@MrNews - I have had leak trouble with Kirkland too. Switched to Duracell as a result, hoping they would be better. Since I have a small sample size I also wondered if @tweezak had tested them.
Others - I wasn’t clear in my request about the lithiums - I specifically meant the lithium chemistry AA’s sold by Energizer (maybe others). NOT LiIon/LiPo/LiFe/whatever rechargeables.
@danpritts @MrNews @tweezak
One user I know for the 1.5V Lithium Energizers reports zero leakers even when a fully discharged cell has been inadvertently left in a device for six months or more, so yeah, it looks like they really don’t leak. OTGH, while I had LOADS of problems with leaky-in-package Duracells a decade back, they seemed to catch a clue about four years ago; the latest ones haven’t been leaking in the storage box, at least. But I use more ACDelco (very good deal there), Energizer (zero leakers for several years now if replaced promptly when dead) and Amazon Basics (best bang for the buck) these days.
BTW, the yellow “Thunderbolt” batteries from Harbor Freight are HF-tastic-ally-bad. They are probably even worse than you think that a battery from that company would be.
@gwrankin The Duracells I tested were copper top but I don’t remember off hand what exact model. Most of the batteries were ones we expected customers might put back into devices. We tested them alongside others that we put in from the factory.
@kjschweitzer All the batteries I tested had dates that were in the future. I figured that in when estimating the age of the battery and if shelf life might have played a part in the results.
@danpritts @Eggers I haven’t tested lithium AA batteries but from experience I know they last much longer than alkalines in many circumstances. Bottom line: I can’t answer your question.
Keep in mind that how a battery is used can play a role in how long it lasts. Different battery chemistries will last longer or shorter depending on conditions even within the same “family” (alkaline, zinc, etc.). Heavy loads for short periods, long periods of low drain, sudden pulse, slow ramp, temperature variations, months in a drawer without use, high vibration environment, etc. Get your mind out of the gutter, mehtizens.
In other words, one battery type might be great for a personal massager but not be good for a smoke detector.
@danpritts @Eggers @hamjudo Yep. Because of the fire hazard and toxicity of lithium battery chemistry they are typically very reliable.
FWIW, the best single use (primary) lithium batteries I have tested are made by FDK (parent company of Fujitsu). Something like 50% more lifespan than the batteries we usually use. Crazy good.
@werehatrack
I got those when they used to have coupons to get them for free. They weren’t even worth it at that price.
@tweezak Hey! Just wanted to say, thanks for all the great info in this thread. I, we, really appreciate it.
@Eggers Glad to do it. I figure someone should benefit from that work and the $16k tool we are renting for that purpose.
TBH, I’m getting a charge out of the comments.
@mike808 Yes - they’re electrifying!
@mike808 @shahnm Half Positive, Half Negative comments too…hmmm.
@mike808 @shahnm @TuxFL So we are becoming more polarized?
I didn’t really need to spend another $54 but over 100 each of AA and AAA alkaline batteries, from a fairly decent brand, that were recently manufactured? Couldn’t pass that up. This will keep me from buying batteries for a long time.
/giphy melodious-warm-friendship
@PooltoyWolf
Amusing footnote. When I saw the giphy I got with my post, I mused out loud, “Hey, Goku.” and my Google Home Mini piped up. Note to self: the speaker’s name is now Goku. LOL
You know, I’m thinking these might be good enough for trail cameras. Those things don’t like NiMH rechargeables because the voltage is a little too low.
@tweezak Don’t use them if you value the camera, last bunch leaked like crazy.
@Odorous “Last bunch of Eveready Silver” or “Last bunch of batteries from Meh, but some other brand”?
What is the correct wine pairing with the AAs? Do they complement a Caesar salad well?
@twinesurge Maybe a nice chargedonay?
*I’ll see myself out, stop pushing, I’m going!!
@Achromatter @twinesurge a nice Chianti and fava beans?
@katbyter
Silly. That’s for liver.
Only $46 on Amazon for 168 AAA
Does anyone know if the AAs are 1.5V?
@ACraigL
Yes. Yes.
I can’t even consider the batteries, because now I just want Dibbly, The Foul-Mouthed Singing Crow.
@ravenblack
If You Like Dibbly, You Might Also Consider This Singing Cactus
@ravenblack To my ears, crows/ravens always sound like they are cursing and complaining.
)
(Present company excluded, of course.
@macromeh Oh I should not be excluded from that.
Anyone near Clearwater, FL wanna split these?
(I buy one, you buy the other - we meet somewhere and split them)
This is a ridiculous amount of batteries. But I guess it wouldn’t be ‘Meh’ if it was a deal that passed for “normal”.
$10.99 for 48 Kirkland batteries (AA or AAA)… Meh.
@skellington
Kirklands have had a rep for leaking, but that may have been addressed. Although these are made by or for the same outfit that makes Energizer, they wouldn’t be branding these differently if they were a genuine threat to the marketability of their flagship brand. I tried some of their “Eveready Gold Alkaline” a few years back, and those were awful. I can’t find any hard details on test results for this type, and I don’t want to be the beta tester myself.
This is the brand (9 lives ) that leaked and destroyed some of my electronics. NEVER AGAIN.
@Odorous I’ve had quite a few leaks, but they’ve never destroyed any of my electronics. What happened?
@gwrankin @Odorous
I’ve had leakage that corroded through the battery holder contacts of multiple devices with Ray-o-vac, Duracell, older Energizer (but not the ones from 2018 on), and Varta alkalines. I had a 3-D-cell special edition maglite that Ray-o-vacs nearly destroyed; I wrote a blog entry about what I had to do in order to extract the leakage-encrusted mess. I’ve also had several electronic devices like pocket voltmeters on which the leakage ate some of the traces off of a PC board, and I know that one of the early versions of a desktop personal computer used a two-AA-cell external battery pack for CMOS maintenance because they could not risk mounting that on the motherboard.
@gwrankin @Odorous @werehatrack Yeah I had to finally dispose of a vintage 3-D-cell Maglite I’d had since, like college. Decades ago. Tried the various online extraction techniques other than the ones that needed special equipment to be fabricated for the drilling process since all the other stuff didn’t do it. And ultimately even if I’d “repaired” it I’d want to get an upgraded LED bulb/control assembly which would cost about the same as a new Mag-Lite. But it was the sentimental value of it mostly. (and the “they don’t make 'em like they used to.” thing).
I think I had an old PC motherboard with an external battery pack also. Actually made sense since it’s much easier and cheaper swapping in new AAs than trying to extract a 2025 or 2032 which might be under a bunch of other cables and boards, and if the clock circuit drew more power as they did then, AAs would run a lot longer than a 2032 battery. And of course the leakage concern you mention, though I’m not sure that was the only thing.
The last time I bought batteries from Meh most of them exploded/leaked within a month. Based on that experience, I do not recommend.
@Willijs3
Gee, that sounds like an experience similar to what I had with the Duracells and Ray-o-vacs I bought in 2008. In less than six months, about half of the batteries in the unopened clamshell packages were leaking. Sadly, I had installed some of the Ray-o-vacs in a special edition Maglite, and it was pure hell getting them back out and repairing the unit.
@Willijs3 Me too-- I’m having flash-backs to the Lucas batteries. 1/3 of them leaked within the packages, another 1/3 leaked within the gadgets I put them in. Bad news.
These AAs are 25c per battery, Amazon’s are 27c per AA (100 pack). I’ve yet to have an Amazon battery leak; these-- who knows?
@WaltC @Willijs3
Lucas really screwed up with those batteries. I mean, face it, they’re Lucas, with the reputation of an entire nation’s industrial might to protect, don’t they understand that regardless of whether their batteries work, they have to leak OIL?
What did the battery say to the potato chip?
I’m Eveready if you’re Frito Lay.
@bookerttt
Picture shows an apparent expiration date of 10/2020
@Sardinicus
The specs say “manufactured September 2020”, and the image of the AAA shows “PD 09 2020” as the date there. Given that most of the competing units are labeled with their “supposed to last in storage until” date, this is a bonehead way to date these.
Lashing out the action, returning the reaction
Weak are ripped and torn away
Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower
Batteries are here to stay
Smashing through the boundaries
Lunacy has found me
Cannot stop the batteries
Pounding out aggression
Turns into obsession
Cannot kill the batteries
Cannot kill the family
Batteries are found in me
Batteries
Batteries
@Limewater
Savages?
@Limewater
Batteries in Box
Too many to imagine
And still I must buy!
Considering that these will be used pretty much solely in Wii controllers and TV remotes…I’m in.
/giphy merry-sharing-gremlin
@nubby0614
That’s probably the best place for them. Bon chance!
Oh what the heck, in for a set of AA and AAA.
/giphy cherished-crisp-celebration
/giphy polar-fantastic-toboggan
Oh, ghods, been there, done that. And often it was when half a paycheck was also a month’s rent; I wasn’t exactly flush. I’m still not. And that’s why I get really nervous about buying anything expensive - which is pretty nearly everything these days.
/giphy familiar-neighborly-snowplow
It’s probably a good thing you didn’t offer a combo package with including NaCl in the deal. Otherwise you’d be promoting A Salt and Battery.
Combo deal would be nice. I quit buying Duracells, they leaked in the package. I returned them to my local hardware store for exchange. Second package also leaked… I sent Duracell pictures to let them be aware… I usually use Energizer Lithium & get them on sale or on Ebay with good expiration date…
Just saw a 4 pack of these at the dollar store, which would mean $42 bucks for 168 batteries. So, a better deal hear, but they’re dinner store brand.
@sudynim Were those the Eveready Gold, perchance? That version is truly craptastic, just barely better than the Harbor Freight Thunderbolt. (And maybe not.)
Back in the day it was Energizer by Eveready.
Got 16 extra AA batteries, but was missing 9 AAA batteries. I guess it balances out.