Disposable batteries

[skippydiesel]

These days there is a bewildering supply of batteries and associated pricing (just this am I saw a single 9 volt battery for $17 while right beside it was another for $4.50) - which give the best bang for the buck?

[SSCBD]

Link?

[kgwilson]

If they are like for like then it is a better comparison. For example if one says heavy duty and the other Alkaline or perhaps NiMiH or Li-Ion there will be a difference in both performance and price. Then there is Alkaline and what some manufacturers call Super Alkaline. I think the only way to determine the best is to buy both and have them power identical items in a specific test. Then of course there may be variability in manufacturing of the same item which is likely to be far greater at the cheaper end of the spectrum. After some experience with basic double & triple A plus 9V batteries I have found the Activ Energy Super Alkaline batteries from Aldi give the best bang for the buck.

[Jase T]

9 volts are a special beast as they can be used in fire alarms for rental properties. The expensive ones apparently have a safe life if 5 years so can sit dormant that long with needed to be changed. The cheaper ones are yearly I think??? Probably last as long when being used?

[old man emu]

The expensive ones apparently have a safe life if 5 years so can sit dormant that long with needed to be changed

 

 

But in NSW rental properties, the batteries in smoke detectors have to be changed every 6 months, and if there is other fire-fighting equipment, it also gets checked every 6 months. Each year the owner of the premises has to submit a Fire Safety Statement to local government and the Fire Brigade reporting that all equipment is suitable for expected fires and is ready for use.

[skippydiesel]

I just used the 9 V as an example - AAA, AA, etc all have lots of different catch names (& bunnies doing unnatural things), claimed internal chemistry & wildly varying cost/price. I have never seen any sort of performance critique/reviews on what is best suited for what application or on "bank for the buck" eg above comments on fire/smoke alarms - may a few $$ change every year (easy do same date), pay mega $$ change (if you remember ) every 15 years (may have turned into some sort of crystalline mass by then).

 

My main interstate is use in aviation applications; AA back up power for my Garmin GPS, 9 V for my noise cancelling (only used on very long trips) head set, AAA for my emergency touch, etc etc

 

AND THEN

 

What might the merits, or otherwise, be of the rechargeable equivalents??

[kgwilson]

My experience with AA & AAA rechargeables is that they can be recharged umpteen times but do not last anywhere near as long as disposables. As they age the charge lasts less and less as well. I used them for years but don't bother with them any more. The one rechargeable I do use is for my LED torch which uses a single 3.7 volt PCB 18650 Li-ion battery & this seems to fully recharge well in under an hour and hasn't started degrading in over 5 years of use so far. The PCB stands for Protection Circuit Board which monitors discharge rate and internal temperature. Unprotected ones can get very hot if the discharge is excessively high & burn if there is a short circuit.

[onetrack]

I've found wild variations in small battery life and we certainly need some good comparison sites, outlining technologies used, and average lifespans.

I went over to reputedly, high-quality, Japanese-brand, NiMh AA and AAA batteries a few years back, and found they did not meet performance expectations, and were not good value.

Their lifespan was shorter than claimed, and they didn't produce the useage life after charging, that I expected they would produce. They went flat quicker than alkaline batteries.

 

I went back to disposable batteries (which appear to have reduced in price since rechargables appeared), and find that the "known brands" generally provide superior performance to the "unknown brands".

I bought alkaline AA and AAA batteries from Target because they were the cheapest around, and they didn't provide the performance and life I expected from alkaline, so I've gone back to the "known brands".

 

I notice some disposable battery manufacturers are now promoting their "green" credentials by claiming their batteries are made from recycled batteries.

I often wonder what their long-term performance is like, as compared to batteries made from virgin materials. Currently, they're running at 4% recycled material, they claim that will go to 40% by 2025.

As always, the end-user will be the test bed for battery life in batteries made from recycled materials, and it may take several years for the differences to show up.

 

http://batteryrecycling.org.au/energizer-launches-a-aa-battery-with-4-recycled-batteries/#:~:text=ABRI%20News-,Energizer%20launches%20the%20first%20alkaline%20battery%20made%20from%20recycled%20batteries,contains%204%25%20recycled%20battery%20material.

[skippydiesel]

So I guess the low response rate and subjective nature of the same (all welcome to be sure) means that this is an area of little interest, study & measurement.

 

Kinda surprising as we all depend on these little blighters for so many things in our daily life, let alone systems in light aircraft.

 

I wonder has Choice done any research here??

[Cosmick]

I use 9v batteries commercially. I dont buy Eveready or duracell any more, too dear. I prefer Woolies and Coles own alkalines also AA and AAA. Aldi comes in 3rd.

[kgwilson]

So I guess the low response rate and subjective nature of the same (all welcome to be sure) means that this is an area of little interest, study & measurement.

 

Kinda surprising as we all depend on these little blighters for so many things in our daily life, let alone systems in light aircraft.

 

I wonder has Choice done any research here??

Choice did a review in 2016 but you have to be a member to see the results. Otherwise HERE is a 2019 review from Canstar

[skippydiesel]

Choice did a review in 2016 but you have to be a member to see the results. Otherwise HERE is a 2019 review from Canstar

You are good man KGwilson. Thanks for that,

 

Seems Eveready dont do so well, with Duracell & Aldi being the front runners and all others dismal trailers. I will bear this in mind next time I purchase batteries. My thanks again

[marshallarts]

Thanks from me too, kgwilson. The Canstar scores confirm my (generally bad) experience with Varta rechargeables, both AA and AAA. They were OK for the first few charge/discharge cycles, but it didn't take many before the capacity started going south. Won't buy any more of them.

[ClintonB]

I think duracell and eveready are both made by American carbide, so when they make their claims of being better than the competitors they don’t get sued. Bulk buying packs are best value with the long shelf life available now.

[pluessy]

The problem with disposable batteries is that the manufacturer doesn’t have to disclose the battery capacity. So you have no means of comparing batteries based on $/mAh.

The other factor is when they start to leak and wreck your appliance/instrument. I lost many because I forgot to remove the batteries before putting them away.

[spacesailor]

Same here with leaking batteries, also the stated life of NiCd batteries is no were near as the makers claim,

The NiMi batteries don,t seem much better, the number of use,es that they claim soon passes with the few months of work.

spacesailor

[Bruce Tuncks]

I used to use rechargeable Ni-Cads in model plane transmitters, but these days I prefer the cheap Varta AA from Bunnings for $10 for 30.

I sure agree that it would be nice to know the mAh figure AND the "shelf life" figure. The manufacturers sure know these figures but don't tell us.