PSA alkaline batteries are trash

lunas

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Apr 18, 2014
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I have a no name AAA light i kept in my car visor just in case just tested it and it didn't work opened it up low and behold Duracell damage the white fuzzy i sighed opened the other side pushed the battery out into the garbage the anodization on the inside pitted and gone the spring in the tail cap the gold color is gone brass plating? Now looks shiny silver like stainless steel with gold further down where the corrosion did not reach.
cleaned it out put a new battery in light still works. Need to not skimp even on cheap lights lithium or rechargeable only.
 
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busseguy

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Jan 24, 2010
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I have a no name AAA light i kept in my car visor just in case just tested it and it didn't work opened it up low and behold Duracell damage the white fuzzy i sighed opened the other side pushed the battery out into the garbage the anodization on the inside pitted and gone the spring in the tail cap the gold color is gone brass plating? Now looks shiny silver like stainless steel with gold further down where the corrosion did not reach.
cleaned it out put a new battery in light still works. Need to not skimp even on cheap lights lithium or rechargeable only.





You would think the battery companies would have figured out a way to stop them from leaking by now.
 

Lynx_Arc

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You would think the battery companies would have figured out a way to stop them from leaking by now.
When most people don't file claims when their stuff is damaged the amount they pay for leakage is an acceptable amount that is accounted for in their profit margin. If thay have to make sure alkalines don't leak the cost and profit would be unacceptable. In other words there is less profit to be had in non leaking alkalines.
 

busseguy

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When most people don't file claims when their stuff is damaged the amount they pay for leakage is an acceptable amount that is accounted for in their profit margin. If thay have to make sure alkalines don't leak the cost and profit would be unacceptable. In other words there is less profit to be had in non leaking alkalines.





Great point. I never thought about that.
 

Lynx_Arc

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Great point. I never thought about that.
Guess who profited the most in the past when a battery leaked in a flashlight that was thrown away.... you got it, battery makers get to sell you another flashlight if you don't take advantage of the warranties. I used to wonder why they give you free heavy duty batteries with some lights.... because if they leak they have no replacement warranty.
 

Lynx_Arc

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Wait, people actually still use alkalines? :crackup:

Yup, for some things they make some sense as some devices the lower operating voltage of nimh causes them to quit running in less than half the time alkalines would and some devices lithium primaries are too high of a voltage too. For a once in a rare time use in a device they make some sense instead of investing in batteries costing several times a much to use something once and never using it again.
 

Lynx_Arc

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Been using rechargeable Nimh batteries since they first came out, haven't looked back. (Also had some Ni-cad batteries in 1996)
I went from nicad to RAM to nimh to LSD nimh with along the way Lead Acid to finally lithium ion 18650s as my main power source.
Alkalines tend to go bad in storage for me now as I only buy a few of them compared to bricks of them back in the 90s.
I've all but entirely abandoned C/D cell use and am making headway on abandoning 9v devices I use a lot when I find them in AA or AAA cell format as I find at least with them I can use LSD nimh cells or lithium primaries and avoid leaks. I just with they would start making mutlimeters using standard lithium ion or AA/AAA cells instead of 9v as 9V rechargeables and lithiums are too costly and the rechargeables are hard to source locally plus a specific charger for one adds to the cost.
 

Burgess

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I have a no name AAA light i kept in my car visor just in case just tested it and it didn't work opened it up low and behold Duracell damage the white fuzzy i sighed opened the other side pushed the battery out into the garbage the anodization on the inside pitted and gone the spring in the tail cap the gold color is gone brass plating?


Gosh --

I'd sure hate to hafta' diagram THAT sentence !

:eek: :p lovecpf
_
 

MidnightDistortions

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Lynx_Arc,
Yeah I don't have much use for C or D cells (other than the D cell Maglites I got). The D NiMH cells are too costly and the set I have are not LSD. So they're pretty much junk. I haven't used them in awhile though. It's easier sticking in 3 Eneloops in a D adapter, using it that way. I bought a Tenergy charger with 2 9V batteries and so far after 4 years, they're doing pretty well. Thinking about buying more but for now I got alkaline 9V so when those are empty I'll get more Tenergy 9Vs.
 

Lynx_Arc

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Lynx_Arc,
Yeah I don't have much use for C or D cells (other than the D cell Maglites I got). The D NiMH cells are too costly and the set I have are not LSD. So they're pretty much junk. I haven't used them in awhile though. It's easier sticking in 3 Eneloops in a D adapter, using it that way. I bought a Tenergy charger with 2 9V batteries and so far after 4 years, they're doing pretty well. Thinking about buying more but for now I got alkaline 9V so when those are empty I'll get more Tenergy 9Vs.
I think this is sort of why there are fewer D cell maglights in the stores, as people are realizing that AA cell lights are cheaper to fuel and can get the job done for long enough and many have lower modes that extend battery life long enough that larger more expensive batteries aren't as popular. As for 9v batteries if I had a nimh 9v battery and a dumb charging port on my old rayovac 1hr charger that worked but the nimh 9v was not LSD and needed recharging in about 3-4 months. If I were to need 0v batteries often I would consider lithium ion versions. I've tried to do away with devices that use 9v batteries whenever I can as they have gotten insanely expensive.
 
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