Duracell Batteries.....

Discussion in 'Knives, Gear, Guns And Other Tools' started by Andy the Aussie, Oct 24, 2020.

  1. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    ......suck a big hairy pole....there I said it !!!!! I know that this is now no secret and I should be ashamed of myself for even having the mongrel things in my house but there was a time when they WERE the best but that is long gone. Over the past five years I have lost more gear to these bloody things than I care to think about, at least two C Cell Maglites, one AA, two LED Lensers and a few damaged remotes. We had so many of their damned batteries they just kept winding up in things. Even unopened packs, batteries melting down in the blister packaging with YEARS left on their "good till" dates.

    I like to think I have learned this lesson but on my last trip bush it was hammered home again. I was showing a mate my Zebralight AA and noticed it was a little dull, I said hold on I will stick a new battery in it (almost all rechargeable now) and opened the endcap. To my horror it had a failed Duracell in it that the base had ruptured on and was stuck fast in the body. A stuck cell is normally the end of a tube body torch. I was freaking seething......at myself mostly as I would have only placed it in that light as a expediency but had clearly forgotten it and with my lack of travel the past couple of years (this lives in my hunting pack).....here we are. While I was away the only bulk lubricant we had was a spray bottle of Lanoguard so I gave it a douse in sheep scent sealed it up and tried to ignore it. Fast forward nearly six weeks and I was looking at it sitting on the bench in the shop an thought I need to have a go at it and just throw it out if I fail. Though I had no home of it being salvageable.

    Added a bracket and long course threaded screw and bugger me if it didn't break the hold and allow me to drag it out far enough to grab with some vice grips....

    [​IMG]

    On inspection there didn't seem too much internal damage and none down at the positive end near the circuitry.

    Mongrel thing out, interesting the Lanoguard had penetrated all the way down and coated the body of the battery....

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
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    Some work with a little steel wool and WD40 and the gunk was cleaned off and I gave it a light buff with a soft head on a Dremel.

    Ver happy when it lit up....

    [​IMG]

    And all beck together and clean with the SC62 I bought while cranky about the other being "stuffed up"....

    [​IMG]

    Even just today I found six AAs in a case in my truck, best date of 2022 and two were already leaking. Buy lithium or rechargeables and don't be a idiot like me...!!!
     
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  2. Delkancott

    Delkancott Member

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    P&G used to provide replacement value for products their batteries leaked in. I think they stopped doing that a few years ago though.
     
  3. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    These days they are blaming the end user because they should have known better than to leave a battery in. They sell enough that the few sales they loose are but a blip on the radar.
     
  4. Bozho

    Bozho Member

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    Duracels are trash, Varta also leaks often.
    No name, super market branded cheap batteries are a lot better.
     
  5. olderguy

    olderguy Member

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    For the same reason as what happened to your flashlight I switched over to rechargeable Panasonic Eneloops a few years ago. Little bit more expensive but well worth it. I haven't bought any batteries in over 3 years now.
     
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  6. Bozho

    Bozho Member

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    The black Eneloops are awesome
     
  7. IW17

    IW17 Member

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    I've honestly never had a single issue with durecell, but this is pretty damming feedback. To be honest I use mostly Rayovac from Lowes. A 60 pack of aa batteries is around $20. They don't last quite as long but for the price I'm happy with them.
     
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  8. Jeff Randall

    Jeff Randall ESEE Knives / Randall's Adventure & Training Staff Member

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    Sadly, most brands are made in the same factory and just labeled differently. Has nothing to do with it being a Duracell, Energizer or whatever. It's just a name. Alkaline batteries suck if you leave them in a device for long periods of time.
     
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  9. ASH

    ASH Member

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    I had to stop buying rayovac because they were going bad in the package. Those new duracell batteries in the plastic tray are horrible. The old quantum's were awesome, now I try to buy energizer lithiums, but I only find them in aa and aaa and haven't seen them in the larger packs recently.
     
  10. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    .......yep, Eneloop Professionals are what I have mostly gone to in AA and the normal (white) ones in AAA.

    I still keep some Energizers for Mrs Andy mostly and have yet to have them fail as spectacularly as the Duracells (and none in the packaging).
     
  11. TerryD

    TerryD Member

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    Nothing but Energizer here. I've lost enough stuff to Duracell in the past. Most recently was a 3D cell LED Maglite.
     
  12. Bozho

    Bozho Member

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    They also have a nice charger, I got one and it works fine. Charges up to 4 of them, no matter if they are mixed AA and AAA
     
  13. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Just back from the shops $254 later).....

    Batteries.jpg
     
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  14. FAL'ER

    FAL'ER Member

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    Where are you folks finding the Eneloop for at the best price?
     
  15. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Well I am probably not too much help to you ;) Bitch of a drive to pick them up where I do. I would say just be careful where you get them from online as I read about knockoff versions being common. I shop at at place called Jaycar (retail shop front) that is a respected national chain. Not worth their reputation to sell fake gear. I do need some more AAAs after working my way through the house today, I thought there was more running AA .
     
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  16. IW17

    IW17 Member

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    I'd love to start buying high end rechargeable batteries but unfortunately I'm the only person in my household that wouldnt lose them. So it wouldn't be a smart financial decision for me.
     
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  17. TerryD

    TerryD Member

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    YES.... And honestly I buy the big pack of Energizer from Home Depot for reasonable cost and they last a pretty good while here. The only things we have that need them are a few clocks and TV remotes. Pretty much everything else already is rechargeable.
     
  18. Ballenxj

    Ballenxj Member

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    I was going to say something similar. They don't currently have the same warranty?
     
  19. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    No all I have read now are that they provide advisories that pretty much mean any damage caused by a failure is operator error !!! I think (not sure) that they stopped adding dates to them as well.
     
  20. Bozho

    Bozho Member

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    Something similar happened to my father's Olight with an unknown battery, I couldn't even get it out, the screw popped from it.

    IMG_20201029_214856.jpg IMG_20201029_214904.jpg

    I will try with a bigger screw tomorrow and if it fails again, a friend of mine will send me a replacement body, as the head is fine and this is where all the electronic is. The battery is like welded in it. I will have to get some Eneloops for Dad.
     

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