Cheap Batteries

I agree with you for I buy cheap batteries when I go grocery shopping at Don Quiote and Marukai Wholesale Mart. The sell 6 batteries for 1.89 alkaline double a batteries that I use in my automatic toothbrush and they work good. I like the prices and they work just like your dollar store ones. The other name brand ones are high priced and too high for me.

 

I think the best way to figure this out is to just make a scientific study where you test and time each set of batteries with the same devices and determine which really gives the most use when compared to the price of each. I myself favor expensive batteries just because I like not having to change the batteries all that often and also I think the tail end where the battery is almost out but still has power is a little frustrating in some devices so I'd much rather have less of it with the expensive batteries compared to experiencing it multiple times changing cheap batteries.

 

I don't know if it's just me, but I find even the bigger brand batteries don't seem to last that long! I don't like the cheap brands because they don't last long enough for you to even blink. But I hate paying more only to have the same thing happen. I usually buy some for my dictaphone, but they just don't seem to last that long! I doubt they last me a week, even if I'm not using it on a daily basis. Unless it's also dependent on the device? But my dictaphone is a small, hand-held one. So I'm stumped!

 

My husband once bought a cheap set of rechargeable batteries for his digital camera. After a week of using, he noticed that the charge of the battery is getting shorter. From the 4 hours of charging, it was now 2 hours and shorter as days pass. In short, the charge of the battery was just about 10% of the original just a month after. So now he is buying Eveready, the energizer type which is very expensive but worth the value of the quality. It lasts longer and his old batteries are still running good after 2 years.

 

I buy cheap batteries but I also have name brand rechargeable batteries. I do not find much difference in the batteries but I have never really kept track of how often I change the batteries. I think the cost of name brand batteries is outrageous and they take advantage of the consumer. I really do not think there is really that much difference and I will continue to buy cheap ones.

 

I like to buy Duracell batteries although I just heard that Costco's Kirkland batteries work just as well and cost about half the price. The next time I need batteries I'm going to give these a try. I like to use the brand name batteries because I find it a pain to continually change batteries. That's my time being used unnecessarily. More expensive batteries do last longer and are better for items like game controllers or my son's leapster. But things like tv remotes I'm sure cheap batteries would do just fine. I found an interesting article comparing cheaper and more expensive batteries.

Log In

 

I've had some bad experiences with cheap batteries. Most of the ones I bought had a very short life span compared to more expensive batteries. Though they cost less, since I had to replace them more often after some time I stopped buying them. I don't know if they make any cheap batteries that "stay alive" longer but I have no intention of finding out any time soon.

 

We purchase packs of batteries every time we go to the Dollar store to have a bunch of them in the house for all of the things that need batteries. The kids play games needing batteries, remotes need batteries, it seems we are always needing batteries.

 

I have tried rechargeable batteries, regular batteries and everything in between. IMHO it doesn't matter much which ones you use - if your purpose is normal stuff. But, if you really do need something heavy duty, then duracel batteries do last long or you can use rechargeable ones. So, if there's a device that eats up batteries like crazy, try duracel or simply use rechargeable batteries. Although, I hate charging things, thanks to my iphone. So, rechargeable ones are out of the question for me.

 

I've never had much luck with cheaper batteries - although I have to admit that it does appear to depend on what I'm using them in - but as I've found that cheaper batteries not only need replacing more frequently - and more importantly - that performance of the device that I'm using them in seems to suffer noticeably too - particularly as everything - apart from the initial splurge immediately after replacing the battery - seems to run on half power for almost the entire life of the battery - I now only buy brand name batteries.

Which I have to say hasn't made much - if any - difference from a cost point of view - mainly because - as cheaper batteries generally only last a short time and therefore need replacing more often than brand name batteries which last longer - the cost per unit of energy is usually about the same - making the overall cost more or less equal in the long term.

 

Brand is not as important as whether the batteries are alkaline or not. Alkaline batteries last longer, but they do cost a bit more. I always try to remember to buy that type. I am not sure if Dollar Tree has those, they probably just sell the non alkaline batteries. I will have to look next time i go there.

 

Well I have only used Panasonic, Eveready, and Energizer, and they are all brand names, and I think they all perform just the same. If you want to save money, then I suggest that you buy a branded set of rechargeable batteries as compared to repeatedly buying the disposable ones.

 

I would be careful with cheap batteries, especially if you are putting them in expensive equipment. It's one thing to throw cheap batteries into something like a $2 flashlight. But it's another thing to put them into something like a $500 camera flash. Several years ago I invested a few thousand dollars into all sorts of camera equipment. I ended up destroying one of my flashes by using cheap batteries. Generally they recommend you remove batteries from your equipment if you're not going to be using it for a long period of time. But in this instance, I had loaded them into the flash and had only left them in it for about 2 weeks. When I went to use the flash, I realized it wasn't working anymore, and when I opened the battery case, the batteries had all corroded.

 

I buy cheap batteries because I can get them in larger packs for less than half the price. So even though they might not last quite as long, they last a lot longer and I'm not paying out so much. So in my experience, if buying cheaper batteries it's best to buy in bulk.

Oh no, that's terrible! Thankfully I've never had this problem. I hope your equipment still worked okay!

 

I have had nothing but bad luck with cheap batteries and I never learn my lesson.
I bought new watch batteries from a discount retailer for $2. Put them in at night and went to bed. Got up and it was already dead!! Didn't even last a full 24 hours.
The best batteries you can get are always worth it, unless it's application specific (there are some batteries made for high drain and others for low drain devices.)
Hands down the best batteries I have ever used were Procell by Duracell. They are the industrial/commercial offering from Duracell and they work so well. Too bad you can't really find them in retail stores, they are really only sold bulk to large organizations.

 

I've had no luck with cheap batteries. I've bought them a time or two, and they haven't lasted long at all, so I steer away from them. I tend to keep a few of each type I'll need on hand, usually Duracell or Energizer, and I don't seem to go through that many, unlike other things, such as light bulbs. I saw a good deal on batteries the other day and almost bought them, but then I reminded myself that I still have a few here, and don't need them as much as I used to. I have a few wall clocks that use AA, and I also use them (and AAA batteries) for remotes and my computer track man, but I should have enough for those purposes, and don't need to go overboard, storing 48 batteries.