I am sold on the benefit of rechargeable batteries and have been using ones like These from eBay for years, they work out at around $.40ea.
Eneloops seem to be about 5 times more expensive (when on sale) so I am after somebody to tell my why they are 5 times better.
Admittedly when I get the batteries its not unheard of for one to be DOA but that doesn't change the economics that much, I have heard of some peoples Eneloops still going years later and while some of my eBay buys fit that category too that is the exception not the norm.
One other thing I do like about the cheapies is that when I find the kids have left them out in the garden, under the fridge that hasn't been moved for a couple of years, in toys that have been long abandoned etc I don't really care and throw it out as the were cheap.
But if Eneloops are the better investment then that's what I want pointed out to me.
FYI I have this Maha MH-C808M Charger
Why Eneloops
Poll Options
- 1I buy Eneloops based on value in comparison to alkaline batteries.
- 19I buy Eneloops based on value in comparison to normal and other rechargeable batteries.
- 3I buy other rechargeable batteries based on value.
- 28I just buy them because everyone else did.
- 5I still don't know why I bought them.
Comments
Good point, what do you normally buy then?
I've bought many different types. Off the top of my head:
Aldi ones - cheap, not very good
Energizer/Duracell - ok, not very cheap
Woolies - ok, cheap
Turnigy - decent, cheap"I've never bothered with eneloops…"
I note that the highest rating you give to any rechargeable you've bought is 'decent'. Or 'OK' (I'm not sure which is better, to me there's no obvious difference between 'OK' and 'decent'). Do these terms equate to 'average'?
I urge you to 'bother with' Eneloops, at least one lot. I bet you find them above average, i.e. better than 'OK'/ more than just 'decent', re both LSD and duration of use once fully charged. That's why people buy them. They're better than average, and if you get them at the (frequently) discounted price of ~$15 for eight batteries, they're relatively cheap.
@GnarlyKnuckles: By "ok", I mean average - fair. Works, but not as well as others.
Tests on the Turnigy ones show them to be better than standard (2000mah) eneloops except under the heaviest of loads - when they drop off a bit compared to eneloops. When I bought them, I think I paid $1 each for them.
Energizer/Duracell are notoriously overpriced and I've had quite a few Duracells leak. I didn't think batteries leaked in this day and age but Duracell has put paid to this theory.
Energiser Low Discharge is very very ordinary and not worth buying since Eneloops are more of the lest the same price but with much better shelf life
Eneloops hold their charge well… Most generics (and certainly the ones I used) would self-discharge quickly and would be flat every time you wanted to use them.
Just wanted to add that most eneloops have higher life cycles as well. Although, with the introduction of the china made eneloops, I think they may have declined…
I'm just an Eneloop currency speculator. :) But seriously I use them in high drain appliances. In low drain locations like remote controls and electronic scales they are wasted.
High drain high use or high drain infrequent use?
High drain moderate use, e.g. camera, torches.
"In low drain locations like remote controls and electronic scales they are wasted."
I used to think the same G-poss, but I'm now reconsidering. After all, the alternatives for such devices are:
A really cheap/really crappo battery, which will do the job temporarily, but is not advisable to use due to the risk of eventual structural failure (leakage) trashing the device it's mounted inside. Using such batteries could be considered 'penny wise pound foolish', due to the risk that they could damage something much more valuable than themselves, due to their crapness.
A "decent quality" alkaline battery, i.e., one that costs $1 or more per battery. This is better than option 1 (above), for the same reason; you can be reasonably confident it won't fail/leak into your appliance, ruining it. But if you actually ever need to replace it, at a cost of another $1 or more, you would have been better off with an Eneloop in there; because Eneloops cost <$2 each, hold a decent charge for 5 years, and from what I can gather, pretty much never leak (cause they're built to withstand hundreds of recharges).
I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts on this…
A left over alkaline cell from another application after being used. Often I get them with new appliances so I haven't bought any for a while. Usually they can serve out their life in the low drain location.
I have wondered this why Eneloops as well? The only Eneloops I have purchased were during a trip in Japan.
Believe it or not, if you bought them from the markets in Tokyo's Akihabara or Osaka'a Den-Den Town, they were very likely fakes. I was caught this way. The batteries worked but their capacity was not as stated. Search on "fake eneloop" for information on how to identify these Chinese rip-offs.
I actually bought them in a Yodabashi Camera store in Ikebukuro, Tyokyo. Yodabashi Camera is a large electrical department chain, so I would hope they were not fake. I only bought them for my mum's cordless landline phone.
I buy Eneloops based on quality as well as value compare to other rechargeable batteries.
for me, made in China Eneloops still better value than other rechargeable batteries.I bought Eneloops mostly because it makes me feel like slightly more of an OzBargainer :P My Bose headphones (which are the only place I use them so far) do drain them pretty quickly, so I imagine the cheaper and even lower capacity rechargeable batteries would be even worse.
I bought Eneloops mostly because people here recommend them ,that's good enough for me.
I buy them as I see everyone also buy it
Typical OzBargainer to buy something just because it's cheap but might not need
Peer pressure
Baught mine as they worked out to be $3 for pack of 8 delivered when catch of the day had $10 off codes.
Great for portable digital radios
You have a $100+ charger and cheap out on the actual batteries?
Yep, but pretty sure I got it cheaper then that. I tend to buy things based on value not price and for me and my needs and the time it was the best value. My question about the eneloops isn't that I think they are too expensive, I just didn't see what more they offered me for the price but as they were so popular here I wondered if I were missing something about them or just the bandwagon. Their LSD feature will be enough for me to give them a try though.
Aldi currently have a reasonable charge for sale.. it shows battery levels and charges six simultaneously..
It was after having a couple of (different model) Aldi chargers fail and somehow kill a number of batteries I decided to spend more and get a better one.
I could have just been unlucky though.
Are LSD batteries only recommended if you're a Hippie or live in Nimbin? ;)
I buy them for high-drain devices that get occasional use, such as my Nikon L310. I can put in 4 eneloops, 4 more as spares, and know that I will have enough power for a days shoot at centre events, and the batteries will not drain, or leak and damage the device. Nor will I need 18 hours notice to drop two sets of normal rechargeables to ensure they are up to the job. If I were to leave the camera for 5 years,, I'd still be able to pick it up, point and take a photo!
How long do Eneloops last on the shelf before they start to deteriorate?
I ask because I just received my Eneloop "Rouge" batteries from the Dick Smith sale. I got the "Rouge" version because someone stated in another thread that they were made in Japan and were supposed to hold their charge better over time. They are indeed made in Japan, but the manufacture date on the plastic packaging says "2012-10". So the batteries have been sitting on the shelf for about 2.5 years. Will they still hold as much charge as the new Eneloops? I understand that they retain like 70% charge even after 5 years, but how about if they haven't been used for 2.5 years?
I've never bothered with eneloops, but I do make sure to only by LSD batteries. If a battery isn't charged when you need to use it then it's next to useless. If it's for something that you use all the time then it's not such a big deal, but if it's for something that you only use once every month or two then you might find that the standard NiMH batteries are pretty lacking by the time you use them.