As the year comes to a close, I’m wandering around the house checking batteries in various devices. About a year ago I had a MagLite self-destruct when the batteries crapped out. The usual scenario….flashlight doesn’t work, you unscrew the tailcap, and when you finally get it open the guts of the thing are full of the corroded guts of a battery. Freakin’ hate that.
So, I decided I’d keep a list of what devices I kept around in a state of readiness with batteries already in them, and I would periodically inspect those devices so that if the batteries started to go Tango Uniform I might catch them before the device was irrevocably damaged. As it turned out, thus far, no batteries have gone south this year. BUT….that doesn’t mean they won’t and it doesn’t mean that periodic inspections are a bad idea.
So, I’ll update the little sticker I have on the devices to reflect the periodic inspection and tuck the devices away in their usual spots.
My experience has been that I have had absolutely no problems with lithium batteries. I’ve yet to have one leak and ruin a device…for what those stupid things cost, I should hope they’d be more stable than the current crop of Duracells. It’s at the point where, for mission critical or expensive devices, I won’t use anything but lithiums. I’d rather ten bucks for a pack of lithium batteries than $175 for a new GPS unit, y’know?
So, while your swapping batteries for all the kids toys this holiday season go check your own toys and make sure the batteries didn’t crap the bed.
I have also had much better results with lithium AA and AAA batteries than regular Duracells. Only place I have had troubles is 9v Lithium batteries in locks, like gun safe locks or outdoor locks. They don’t have enough snort to release the solenoid every time, or even most of the time.
alkaline battery leaks, clean with lemon juice or vinegar with an old tooth brush/Q tip. Acid from battery 50/50 ratio of baking soda to water. I have saved many devices that were hammered by leaking battery.
EDC excepted, I don’t keep batteries in any prepper gear: radios, flashlights, etc. There are few emergencies that can’t wait 30 seconds for fresh batteries.
I just threw away my EDC flashlight as it quit working…cracked it open and what do I spy…the stupid AAA Duracells had corroded and welded themselves in there.
No more Duracells for me. I’ve had better luck with the cheapos from Harbor Freight than I have with crappy Duracells.
Duracell, another brand that sold off its quality and reputation for a quick buck. A work over with vinegar/coke may of saved your light.
Couldn’t figure out why our Dakota Alert sensors were going through batteries so quickly. Finally bought a cheap battery tester and found the answer. We’ve been buying the big packs of batteries at Sam’s, and testing each one before installing it I found about 1 in 10 to be at about 20% or less charge right out of the pack.
Old Boy Scout trick, in series, reverse last battery to interrupt current flow(break the circuit) as a small “vampire” draw seems to be the cause of discharge and leaks. In series all polarities should be the same(mark with tape to quickly restore positions). This is also a good test to determine if someone it a “hit and throw away” or if they”fix” a problem(never let #1 borrow tools,#2 will get it back to you..
Duracell lost my business 2 years ago,bought a supply of “20 year guarantee” and went to use them and all were dead(or close),called customer service and still having recipt(do you save recipts?) offered to replace them but got them to refund total cost,I just had to return batteries,they paid shipping to “test” failed batteries.
youtube channel ” Project Farm ” ran a long term battery comparison that finished recently.
tl;dr: avoid all Chinesium batteries, and go with the Japanese made ones. Also batteries from IKEA were good.
Commenters were pointing out that some vendors have recently switched production from Japan to China, even though their marketing still says Japan. Buyer beware! Check all packages for origin, and return if you find this discrepancy.