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I don't think this applies to Duracell or Energizer alkaline batteries unfortunately :( Of course reading the article they are talking about Lithium Ion batter

by graton 5y ago

I don't think this applies to Duracell or Energizer alkaline batteries unfortunately :( Of course reading the article they are talking about Lithium Ion batteries.

blibble 5y ago
you're paying for the brand, shelf position and other advertising cheap and reputable supermarket brand ones last just long
- Dylan16807 5y ago
  Looking at a couple stores, the difference is around 50 cents per AA vs. 70 cents per AA at moderate pack sizes. That's good in comparison but it's about the same price it was a decade ago. Even comparing to 1990, when "alkaline" wasn't yet the default, they were about the same price. "Alkaline: These cost about $2 to $3 a pair for C or D flashlight cells, and about half that for the AA and smaller AAA penlight batteries." At best you can say they've dropped along with inflation, which is a factor of 2.
- fspeech 5y ago
  GP meant price for alkaline batteries did not come down. Another point to consider is if you leave the alkaline battery in for too long will the chemical leak and ruin your device? The damage to your device from a broken battery could easily exceed the cost differential. I don't have solid evidence that brand names work better in this regard but I have definitely experienced repeatedly generic batteries having white corrosive crystaline stuff formed all around them.
  - lostapathy 5y ago
    People should quit buying alkaline batteries anyway. NiMH batteries are great for just about every application you'd use a throway for, and you only have to recharge them about twice to "get your money back."
    - Answerawake 5y ago
      The starting voltage is lower and drops faster making them not ideal for some applications and just annoying for some others (ie. motors start slow and get slower quicker than Alkaline). Charge speeds also suck unless you get some of the fancy expensive chargers.
      - lostapathy 5y ago
        Yeah, there are some things they aren't great on but for most things they are fine. > Charge speeds also suck unless you get some of the fancy expensive chargers. This has been a total non-issue to me. I have 30 or 40 batteries running around total, keeping 4 spares on the charger is no big deal
- adventured 5y ago
  No question. Same thing you see in the generic pain relief aisle (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, et al), and many common grocery items. 10 pack of AA Rayovac batteries at Walmart: $3.20 Eight pack of AA Duracell: $7.47 Pretty ridiculous. For $7.78 you can get a 24 pack of ACDelco AA batteries (granted I don't know how that brand stands up on quality).
- jl6 5y ago
  How do you tell the difference between a battery brand that is more expensive because the battery has greater capacity (“heavy duty”, “extra long life”, etc.) and a brand that is more expensive because of the brand name? Last time I looked in the supermarket there were no comparable metrics printed on the packaging.
  - buescher 5y ago
    You can't, and you don't know who is private labeling what, either. If you can get a data sheet, the better companies have more detailed data sheets. Personally, I like the Energizer (primary, i.e. disposable) lithiums for nice things like my old HP logic dart that will sit in a drawer for a long time between uses, and Panasonic (formerly Sanyo) Eneloop NiMH batteries for most other things, and the cheapo Costco batteries for when I really don't care. The three major US brands of alkaline batteries all have warranties for corrosion damage. I don't know of any other brands that do. I have seen corrosion in every brand of alkaline battery I've ever bought but have never tried to collect on any warranty. “Energizer will repair or replace, at our option, any device damaged by leakage from Energizer MAX® Alkaline batteries either during the life of the battery or within two years following the full use of the battery.” https://www.energizer.com/about-batteries/battery-leakage https://www.energizer.com/about-batteries/battery-leakage “Duracell guarantees its batteries against defects in materials and workmanship. Should any device be damaged due to a battery defect, we will repair or replace it at our option.” https://www.duracell.com/en-ca/technology/battery-care-use-and-disposal/ https://www.duracell.com/en-ca/technology/battery-care-use-a... "In the unlikely event of alkaline battery leakage, any battery operated device that is damaged by RAYOVAC® Alkaline Batteries will be repaired, replaced or refunded, at our option, as long as the batteries have not expired or been mixed by expiry date and/or battery type.” http://www.rayovac.com/support/warranties-and-guarantees.aspx http://www.rayovac.com/support/warranties-and-guarantees.asp...
    - Answerawake 5y ago
      I have a unproven suspicion that Rechargeable Energizer may actually be Panasonic cells. I tend to see them both marked as made in Japan and they both seem to be great quality.
- Answerawake 5y ago
  >cheap and reputable supermarket brand ones last just long Absolutely not. There are plenty of Youtubers testing this theory. Here is a pretty credible reviewer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7-ghrTqA44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7-ghrTqA44 I personally have had nightmarish results with Amazon Basics Alkaline. In my experience these batteries have a greater tendency than other brands to leak over time and have destroyed multiple electronic equipment that I have owned. It was a big mistake on my part because I bought a large package of them, installed them and then didn't realize that many of them leaked until it was too late and they have eaten away many terminals in the different devices I put them in.
  - blibble 5y ago
    > I personally have had nightmarish results with Amazon Basics Alkaline. I did say reputable! re: the video, he should really test more than a single pack of batteries of each type...
tamaharbor 5y ago
I used to get free batteries (size of my choice, I always chose the more expensive rectangular 9v ones) as an official member of the Radio Shack Battery of the Month Club.
- stevesimmons 5y ago
  Ah what memories. Tandy Radio Shack in Australia operated the same "Battery of the Month" club in the mid 1980s. I always got the 9V too, which I used for my "150 in 1" electronics kit.
aendruk 5y ago
> unfortunately Sounds good to me. Single-use, landfill bound products typically shouldn’t be as inexpensive to the consumer as we’re used to.
oh_sigh 5y ago
I would just buy some Panasonic eneloops(NiMH - not an ad, just the battery I have went with after researching this quite a bit) whenever you need to buy alkaline batteries. They are about twice as expensive but are rechargeable 2000+ times, hold their charge for over a year, and don't degrade very much. Eventually all of your devices will have eneloops in them and you will stop buying batteries altogeher.
- summm 5y ago
  NiMH have 1.2v instead of 1.5. That ist sometimes a problem for cheaper devices that don't have a good voltage regulator. For example Flashlights are notably dimmer.
- fomine3 5y ago
  eneloop is now produced by FDK, so there are many rebranded products. I often buy Fujitsu one because it's cheaper and they will never change OEM since FDK is owned by Fujitsu. https://eneloop101.com/batteries/rewrapped-batteries/ https://eneloop101.com/batteries/rewrapped-batteries/
- rootusrootus 5y ago
  I try to use NiMH as much as possible, but there are still a number of applications for which alkaline is superior. First, alkaline usually has more energy. Second, the voltage is more predictable. For devices like door locks that are battery powered and can detect a low battery, alkaline works great. NiMH has lower voltage and looks dead before it is. And lithium (not lithium ion) batteries have a very flat voltage curve and tend to die rather suddenly almost before the device can detect they're end-of-life.
retrac 5y ago
It's not nearly as dramatic. But they've surely gotten cheaper. As evidenced by how they have displaced carbon-zinc cells in almost all applications. I checked Radio-Shack's 1981 US catalogue. $2.79 for a 4 pk of store-brand AA alkaline cells. That's $8.20 or so today. You can today, apparently get an 8 pk of Duracell from Wal-Mart at $7.50. Or an 8 pk of store brand alkaline AA cells from Wal-Mart for $3.20.

by graton 5y ago

I don't think this applies to Duracell or Energizer alkaline batteries unfortunately :( Of course reading the article they are talking about Lithium Ion batteries.

blibble 5y ago

you're paying for the brand, shelf position and other advertising cheap and reputable supermarket brand ones last just long

Dylan16807 5y ago
Looking at a couple stores, the difference is around 50 cents per AA vs. 70 cents per AA at moderate pack sizes. That's good in comparison but it's about the same price it was a decade ago. Even comparing to 1990, when "alkaline" wasn't yet the default, they were about the same price. "Alkaline: These cost about $2 to $3 a pair for C or D flashlight cells, and about half that for the AA and smaller AAA penlight batteries." At best you can say they've dropped along with inflation, which is a factor of 2.
fspeech 5y ago
GP meant price for alkaline batteries did not come down. Another point to consider is if you leave the alkaline battery in for too long will the chemical leak and ruin your device? The damage to your device from a broken battery could easily exceed the cost differential. I don't have solid evidence that brand names work better in this regard but I have definitely experienced repeatedly generic batteries having white corrosive crystaline stuff formed all around them.
- lostapathy 5y ago
  People should quit buying alkaline batteries anyway. NiMH batteries are great for just about every application you'd use a throway for, and you only have to recharge them about twice to "get your money back."
  - Answerawake 5y ago
    The starting voltage is lower and drops faster making them not ideal for some applications and just annoying for some others (ie. motors start slow and get slower quicker than Alkaline). Charge speeds also suck unless you get some of the fancy expensive chargers.
    - lostapathy 5y ago
      Yeah, there are some things they aren't great on but for most things they are fine. > Charge speeds also suck unless you get some of the fancy expensive chargers. This has been a total non-issue to me. I have 30 or 40 batteries running around total, keeping 4 spares on the charger is no big deal
adventured 5y ago
No question. Same thing you see in the generic pain relief aisle (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, et al), and many common grocery items. 10 pack of AA Rayovac batteries at Walmart: $3.20 Eight pack of AA Duracell: $7.47 Pretty ridiculous. For $7.78 you can get a 24 pack of ACDelco AA batteries (granted I don't know how that brand stands up on quality).
jl6 5y ago
How do you tell the difference between a battery brand that is more expensive because the battery has greater capacity (“heavy duty”, “extra long life”, etc.) and a brand that is more expensive because of the brand name? Last time I looked in the supermarket there were no comparable metrics printed on the packaging.
- buescher 5y ago
  You can't, and you don't know who is private labeling what, either. If you can get a data sheet, the better companies have more detailed data sheets. Personally, I like the Energizer (primary, i.e. disposable) lithiums for nice things like my old HP logic dart that will sit in a drawer for a long time between uses, and Panasonic (formerly Sanyo) Eneloop NiMH batteries for most other things, and the cheapo Costco batteries for when I really don't care. The three major US brands of alkaline batteries all have warranties for corrosion damage. I don't know of any other brands that do. I have seen corrosion in every brand of alkaline battery I've ever bought but have never tried to collect on any warranty. “Energizer will repair or replace, at our option, any device damaged by leakage from Energizer MAX® Alkaline batteries either during the life of the battery or within two years following the full use of the battery.” https://www.energizer.com/about-batteries/battery-leakage https://www.energizer.com/about-batteries/battery-leakage “Duracell guarantees its batteries against defects in materials and workmanship. Should any device be damaged due to a battery defect, we will repair or replace it at our option.” https://www.duracell.com/en-ca/technology/battery-care-use-and-disposal/ https://www.duracell.com/en-ca/technology/battery-care-use-a... "In the unlikely event of alkaline battery leakage, any battery operated device that is damaged by RAYOVAC® Alkaline Batteries will be repaired, replaced or refunded, at our option, as long as the batteries have not expired or been mixed by expiry date and/or battery type.” http://www.rayovac.com/support/warranties-and-guarantees.aspx http://www.rayovac.com/support/warranties-and-guarantees.asp...
  - Answerawake 5y ago
    I have a unproven suspicion that Rechargeable Energizer may actually be Panasonic cells. I tend to see them both marked as made in Japan and they both seem to be great quality.
Answerawake 5y ago
>cheap and reputable supermarket brand ones last just long Absolutely not. There are plenty of Youtubers testing this theory. Here is a pretty credible reviewer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7-ghrTqA44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7-ghrTqA44 I personally have had nightmarish results with Amazon Basics Alkaline. In my experience these batteries have a greater tendency than other brands to leak over time and have destroyed multiple electronic equipment that I have owned. It was a big mistake on my part because I bought a large package of them, installed them and then didn't realize that many of them leaked until it was too late and they have eaten away many terminals in the different devices I put them in.
- blibble 5y ago
  > I personally have had nightmarish results with Amazon Basics Alkaline. I did say reputable! re: the video, he should really test more than a single pack of batteries of each type...

tamaharbor 5y ago

I used to get free batteries (size of my choice, I always chose the more expensive rectangular 9v ones) as an official member of the Radio Shack Battery of the Month Club.

stevesimmons 5y ago
Ah what memories. Tandy Radio Shack in Australia operated the same "Battery of the Month" club in the mid 1980s. I always got the 9V too, which I used for my "150 in 1" electronics kit.

aendruk 5y ago

> unfortunately Sounds good to me. Single-use, landfill bound products typically shouldn’t be as inexpensive to the consumer as we’re used to.

oh_sigh 5y ago

I would just buy some Panasonic eneloops(NiMH - not an ad, just the battery I have went with after researching this quite a bit) whenever you need to buy alkaline batteries. They are about twice as expensive but are rechargeable 2000+ times, hold their charge for over a year, and don't degrade very much. Eventually all of your devices will have eneloops in them and you will stop buying batteries altogeher.

summm 5y ago
NiMH have 1.2v instead of 1.5. That ist sometimes a problem for cheaper devices that don't have a good voltage regulator. For example Flashlights are notably dimmer.
fomine3 5y ago
eneloop is now produced by FDK, so there are many rebranded products. I often buy Fujitsu one because it's cheaper and they will never change OEM since FDK is owned by Fujitsu. https://eneloop101.com/batteries/rewrapped-batteries/ https://eneloop101.com/batteries/rewrapped-batteries/
rootusrootus 5y ago
I try to use NiMH as much as possible, but there are still a number of applications for which alkaline is superior. First, alkaline usually has more energy. Second, the voltage is more predictable. For devices like door locks that are battery powered and can detect a low battery, alkaline works great. NiMH has lower voltage and looks dead before it is. And lithium (not lithium ion) batteries have a very flat voltage curve and tend to die rather suddenly almost before the device can detect they're end-of-life.

retrac 5y ago

It's not nearly as dramatic. But they've surely gotten cheaper. As evidenced by how they have displaced carbon-zinc cells in almost all applications. I checked Radio-Shack's 1981 US catalogue. $2.79 for a 4 pk of store-brand AA alkaline cells. That's $8.20 or so today. You can today, apparently get an 8 pk of Duracell from Wal-Mart at $7.50. Or an 8 pk of store brand alkaline AA cells from Wal-Mart for $3.20.