Are these Duracell rechargeables any good?

[hatman]

What about these Duracell rechargeables?

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Charg...f=pd_sim_hpc_7

I bought some on sale at OfficeMax -- AA's and AAA's.

The AA's say 2400 MAH and include a "15 minute charger."

Got the charger and four of each battery size for under $30 total.

Question: Are these worth keeping or not?

 

[Bones]

What about these Duracell rechargeables?

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Charg...f=pd_sim_hpc_7

I bought some on sale at OfficeMax -- AA's and AAA's.

The AA's say 2400 MAH and include a "15 minute charger."

Got the charger and four of each battery size for under $30 total.

Question: Are these worth keeping or not?

Okay, the Duracell 'pre-charged' cells on Amazon may be either good or very good. It depends on whether they were made in China or Japan. The better ones are made in Japan.

The 15 minute charger and 2400mAh cells are definitely not worth keeping. By virtue of its extremely fast rate of charge, the charger will dramatically reduce the life-expectancy and long-term performance of any NiMH cell. The 2400mAh cells that were bundled with the charger utilize old technology that has proven fragile and unreliable.

The prevailing wisdom now dictates that cells should not be charged at a rate that exceeds their capacity, ie: a charger's output should not exceed 2400mA for a 2400mAh cell. The NiMH cell technology that is proving significantly better than anything that has come before has been termed 'low self-discharge'. The cells utilizing this technology are usually labeled as 'Ready-to-use' or 'Pre-charged'.

If you want to stay with the Duracell brand, you should consider their Mobile charger in lieu of their 15 minute charger for the reasons stated in this post:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com ... post3124814

The most reliable and robust NiMH cell Duracell markets is the pre-charged version you linked on Amazon. It's available in both AA and AAA sizes. As noted previously, however, they are being made in both China and Japan, with the better cell being made in Japan.

If you have access to an outlet that stocks a variety of chargers and cells, I suggest you look for the Duracell Mobile charger bundled with their pre-charged cells, preferably ones that bear 'Made in Japan' on their label.

This is what the Duracell Mobile charger bundle looks like:

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Charger-Batteries
-

 

[hatman]

Bones,

Thank you for your informative reply. The package says "Made in China."

I'll be taking back the batteries and charger.

 

[Bones]

Bones,

Thank you for your informative reply. The package says "Made in China."

I'll be taking back the batteries and charger.

A couple of just-in-case clarifications hatman:

The country-of-origin distinction only applies to the pre-charged cells. Insofar as I'm aware, both the 15 minute and Mobile chargers are made in China.

The most reliable indicator of where a cell is made is on the actual label of the cell. There have been instances reported of packages labeled wrongly, especially with respect to bundles where the charger is made in China and the cells are made in Japan.

Finally, you may encounter Duracell rechargeable cells that are made in Japan that are not pre-charged. These cells, although the best of their kind, are damned by their technology and not by their origin. This is especially applicable to cells with capacities in excess of 2100mAh.

 

[hatman]

Bones,

This was an impulse "sale" buy.

Should I look for eneloops instead?

 

[Bones]

Bones,

This was an impulse "sale" buy.

Should I look for eneloops instead?

Actually, if you're successful in locating the Duracell Mobile charger bundle we've been discussing, you will be purchasing Eneloops hatman.

The Duracell pre-charged cell that's sourced from Japan is a re-badged Eneloop. It's nick-named the 'Duraloop' in this forum, and when combined with the Mobile charger, it makes for a bundle that I consider unbeatable in its price range.

As well, many forum members are finding the 'Duraloop' much more commonly available, and it seems to be almost always on sale for significantly less than the Eneloop.

So, yes, do look for the Eneloop, but be sure you look for it in both the Sanyo display and in the Duracell display where it will be wearing its 'copper-top' jacket:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com ... post2996692
-