DuraHELL batteries

[chronos42]

Or they are trying to figure out how much cheaper they can go to maximize profit before ruining the brand. Anyhow, I prefer store brand alkalines from Aldi, IKEA and Lidl because they offer the best performance to price ratio and don't leak more often than premium priced brands. AFAIK, there are only a few battery manufacturers left and brands simply order batteries with specific specs, similar to component suppliers in the automotive industry.

The Lidl AEROCELL branded AA and AAA batteries with the "made in Germany" notice on the package are actually manufactured by Varta, these batteries are really good, I never had any problems.

[bdunham7]

[NoisyBoy]

Yike, I hope the corrosion did not damage your meter.  Time for lithium.

[SilverSolder]

Their products simply aren't fit for use in anything more expensive than dollar store flashlights and the like.

[duckduck]

So for flash lights it is rechargeables or the Milwaukee's that work with my lithium tool libraries.  As expensive as those flash lights are I'm pretty sure they have already saved me money when it comes to buying new flashlights.

I recently joined Team Makita and the Makita LED flashlight with a 5.0 Ah Li-ion pack is the greatest thing ever.

EDIT:

Also, after reading posts by some wise old folks I have swapped out the alkaline 9V batteries in my Fluke DMMs for NiMH 9V batteries and I sleep better now.

[chronos42]

I have introduced two "battery days" per year, every 6 months all batteries in all battery-operated devices will be checked. I have already been able to prevent damage several times with this method. I have found some batteries that are started to leak, in most cases cheap chineese brands that came with cheap chineese test instruments. I do not only a visual inspection, but also a load test. This also brought sometimes interesting results. At the last inspection I have checked 4 AA batteries from a test instrument, which was suddenly not working as it should. All four batteries were from the same package and still had 4 years left until the expiration date. Three batteries were in perfect shape and fully charged, one was completely dead and showed -0,2V Volts without load. I suspect a manufacturing defect of this battery. A perfect candidate for leaking. This instrument worked without problems a few weeks ago. Within a short time this batterie died without any external reason.

[Cubdriver]

I suspect that the decline of the Duracell battery (I now refer to them as Corrodacells) over the past fifteen-twenty years or so is a combination of chemistry changes due to environmental regulations and cheapened construction thanks to optimization by bean counters who look at the bottom line rather than the big picture.  I too have had 'new' ones leaking and spewing white fuzz in their packages well before their printed expiration dates, and have also had to discard flashlights and the like due to the damage caused by their corrosive vomit.  On the other hand, I'll occasionally find something that's had the batteries in it for decades, cringe as I open it, and find that they're dead as door nails, but still sealed up tight. They truly did make 'em better back in the day.  I've seen Energizer alkalines leak, too, though not as frequently as Corrodacells. I don't trust the bunny's batteries anymore, either.

For most things now I've gone to Eneloops or similar - don't have enough personal experience with them yet to be certain, but nearly a decade into using them NONE have leaked so far.  It's nice to be reasonably confident that my photo flashes, differential probes and other small electronic devices are probably safe from battery barf.

[cheeseit]

Are there any "known good" brands of alkaline batteries still out there?  Or is the only way forward to use lithium batteries?

If Philips still makes these alkalines I'll buy some. Found these in a remote for a piece of equipment I bought. I guess OCT 2000 is the expiration date as usual but guess it could be the production date, either way they're at least 20 years old, hasn't leaked and still measure 1.25V. When left for years, which I suspect is the case here, batteries in remotes usually leak.

[MiroS]

Or they are trying to figure out how much cheaper they can go to maximize profit before ruining the brand. Anyhow, I prefer store brand alkalines from Aldi, IKEA and Lidl because they offer the best performance to price ratio and don't leak more often than premium priced brands. AFAIK, there are only a few battery manufacturers left and brands simply order batteries with specific specs, similar to component suppliers in the automotive industry.

The Lidl AEROCELL branded AA and AAA batteries with the "made in Germany" notice on the package are actually manufactured by Varta, these batteries are really good, I never had any problems.

I had bad experience with "made in Germany" AEROCELL or Varta from Lidl. I am not buying anything anymore with   Varta brand on it.

For batteries I stick now with three brands only:  IKEA Alkalisk, Panasonic (garanteed 10 years in storage) and MARQUANT from Jula store.  They do job for me without any issue. They have capacity and last long, no leakage so far (used for last  6-7 years ).
I am starting  to substitute bateries with IKE LADDA 2450 mAh, but only for current hungry devices like FK-289.

I tried to use TRONIC from LIDL, but after some tests it looks to me like  a junk, only bad experience with them.

[Black Phoenix]

Well, Duracell Procell claimed my Fluke 54-II with a expensive repair I still have to do. It also almost claimed my 289 if I didn't catch at time, this back in 2010.

Throw them to the place were they belong, the trash and bought Panasonic Evolta's. Till today still didn't saw them leak, three packs later. One pack the expiration date is gone, they still have charge and are still used (not in the DMM, they were retired for Eneloop's in 2013) in other equipments.

Currently my Fluke 87V had come with an Energizer, that thing is out and away from the DMM, only put inside when needed. Still need to buy a Evolta 9V for it. Around home, Eneloop's for me and my stuff (Eneloop Pro AAA on the TI89 Titanium with a Panasonic SR44 Silver Oxide and a pack of 4x Eneloop Pro AA for my needs currently) and Panasonic Rechargeable (in some markets it's called Evolta Rechargeable, in China/HK is just Rechargeable) for the kid's toys, remotes, portable lantern, weight scales, etc.

GP is also very good, I have a close friend here that I converted to Rechargeable and non for the GP ones (as a lab mice for me to check if they could be an alternative for some use cases), and still until now, almost 2 years later he talks wonders of them.

[Refrigerator]

Funny you guys mention VARTA batteries https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/just-gonna-take-this-dead-9v-battery-apar-what-the/msg1228680/#msg1228680
Anyways, personally i've never had an alkaline leak except for duracells. And the fact that they so shamelessly brag about their non-leak this and long-life that on a package full of leaky cells just proves that their entire brand is just a cash cow by now.
Me being a cheapskate i don't even use alkalines that often, the zinc stuff works well enough for me and doesn't even live long enough to leak, imo. And i've never seen a 9V battery leak ever until i entered this thread.
But if i need something to stay up for a long time i'll chuck in some cheap alkalines.
Also this thread made me panic a bit and i checked my precious TI-82 STATS just to make sure it's not in danger, but since i'm not using duracells it's fine. Rather i have some "GP Super" alkalines, really splashed out on those.
Like 99% of all leaking cells i've witnessed are Duracells, it's ridiculous. I guess that's one upside of being a cheapo, because duracells are just too damn expensive for me 
BigClive has done tests on the expensive and cheap battery capacity and some of the cheapo brands are not far off the expensive stuff. Spoilers he had a DOA duracell.

[Refrigerator]

Bonus nachos, from almost 10 years ago no less! And guess what, the Duracell underperformed.

Funny how Dave regards Duracell as a "quality brand", i wonder what he thinks of them now.

[eti]

I once bought one of the larger "Maglite" torches for £15, I think. After having used Duracells in it for a while, one day I opened the cap to replace them and they'd leaked EVEYWHERE, ruining the torch. I contacted Proctor and Gamble, submitted a claim for £80 (around the new price of a replacement Maglite) and they paid up!

(Attached, the damage caused.)

[Fungus]

I once bought one of the larger "Maglite" torches for £15, I think. After having used Duracells in it for a while, one day I opened the cap to replace them and they'd leaked EVEYWHERE, ruining the torch. I contacted Proctor and Gamble, submitted a claim for £80 (around the new price of a replacement Maglite) and they paid up!

I guess they've done the match and it's cheaper to pay up than to manufacture a decent battery.

[SilverSolder]

I once bought one of the larger "Maglite" torches for £15, I think. After having used Duracells in it for a while, one day I opened the cap to replace them and they'd leaked EVEYWHERE, ruining the torch. I contacted Proctor and Gamble, submitted a claim for £80 (around the new price of a replacement Maglite) and they paid up!

I guess they've done the match and it's cheaper to pay up than to manufacture a decent battery.

Most people probably don't send in a claim.  So, they can keep selling garbage.  Only informed consumers (like us, reading this board) will know to avoid this brand, so it can go on like this for a long time.

[AMR Labs]

I am surprised nobody here seems to have mentioned the word "counterfeit", or perhaps I missed it by only quickly skimming through this thread.

In my opinion worsening battery quality of ALL the well known brands is not the biggest issue, which I am 100% sure is happening, but the main reason for this explosion of battery leakage across the board is rather related to the chinese counterfeit batteries that are flooding the global markets for some time. Nowadays you really never know what you are getting, no matter where you are buying them on the planet.

For some years now I only use Panasonic/Eneloop NiMH's, which also cuts down on the recurring battery cost issue and helps avoid pollution. It's crazy just trying to imagine how many batteries get thrown out daily into the garbage in the US alone.

[SilverSolder]

I am surprised nobody here seems to have mentioned the word "counterfeit", or perhaps I missed it by only quickly skimming through this thread.

In my opinion worsening battery quality of ALL the well known brands is not the biggest issue, which I am 100% sure is happening, but the main reason for this explosion of battery leakage across the board is rather related to the chinese counterfeit batteries that are flooding the global markets for some time. Nowadays you really never know what you are getting, no matter where you are buying them on the planet.

For some years now I only use Panasonic/Eneloop NiMH's, which also cuts down on the recurring battery cost issue and helps avoid pollution. It's crazy just trying to imagine how many batteries get thrown out daily into the garbage in the US alone.

In my case, the leaking Duracells were bought at retail stores like Costco etc., there is nearly zero percent chance that they are counterfeit.   The simplest explanation that fits the facts is that quality has dropped unacceptably low, most likely due to cost savings.

[AMR Labs]

In my case, the leaking Duracells were bought at retail stores like Costco etc., there is nearly zero percent chance that they are counterfeit.   The simplest explanation that fits the facts is that quality has dropped unacceptably low, most likely due to cost savings.

With all due respect, how can you be so sure? I doubt Costco buys directly at the Duracell factory door, or if they are really picky about where the batteries really come from specially if they can make a couple of extra cents. There is still a good chance the chinese counterfeit stuff can get in even at the very large scale distribution chain level. Its not just newspaper stands or corner convenience stores that get their batteries from alternate "lower cost" sources. Although I have to admit that poor quality manufacturing and control must also have suffered and certainly plays a part as well. Millions of dollars involved either way.

But I wonder in any case how come that this poor quality situation has been allowed to get so bad, and still no one is raising their voices publicly, a 60 Minutes investigation, or the government taking some kind of action. Everybody needs to use batteries, and being the US such a litigious society where almost any problem is solved by suing, I would have expected a class action suit to be brought forward against the battery manufacturers ages ago since this situation started to escalate. So after they loose the case, if there is a chance for any affected person to get $150 or so from a compensation fund to cover the damage that the leaking batteries caused him or her, who's not going want to sign up.

Any lawyers on this thread?   

[floobydust]

I think the problem is they're too big to sue in a class action. Revenue $68B in sales, and $4B profit last year, CEO $17.3M in pay. As if he gives a rat's ass. It would be risky as they surely have an armada of lawyers in house.

I've had Duracells manufactured in USA, china, Malaysia - all leak. That's from three plants. All purchased from various legit stores. I'd welcome counterfeits because they'd work better than the garbage Procter and Gamble (edit: now Berkshire Hathaway) is peddling.

Procter & Gamble's entire business model is about making products as cheaply as possible and selling for max price. Run a brand into the ground, then sell it off or kill it. I boycott all their junk, especially overpriced Gillette shaving, hand lotions with soybean oil, Tide laundry detergent with unknown chemicals that gives people a rash.
The funny thing is they just keep doing cost improvements and further ruining products.

[madires]

FYI, P&G sold Duracell to Berkshire Hathaway in 2014.

[floobydust]

When did they start leaking? 
I've run into old Duracells that are 10 years old and doing fine. I thought it coincided with the mercury phase-out but this was in 1996 for watch batteries and not sure when it affected alkaline batteries and their construction.

Next was the attack on using bitumen for the seal but it seems to be still there from batteries I've taken apart.

[Cubdriver]

When did they start leaking? 
I've run into old Duracells that are 10 years old and doing fine. I thought it coincided with the mercury phase-out but this was in 1996 for watch batteries and not sure when it affected alkaline batteries and their construction.

Next was the attack on using bitumen for the seal but it seems to be still there from batteries I've taken apart.

I've noticed that Corrodacells seem to have gotten orders of magnitude worse leak-wise over the past ten-fifteen years.  Older ones were much better in that regard.  Back in the 90s they seemed pretty much bullet proof; now they leak while still in the damned package!  As a side note, I recently started cleaning out (finally) the POD that I got on site in 2011 when I started the home renovation.  Inside was this funky squarish lantern thing powered by three D batteries.  I picked it up and thought "Well, this thing will be toast inside", and tried turning it on.  I was shocked when light emerged.  Opened it and it has Energizer D cells in it; didn't look at their vintage as I started using it as I unloaded things in the dark but it has likely been in there since late 2011, so it's been going through cycles of baking in  the summer and freezing in the winter for close to eight years now.  I was surprised enough that the batteries hadn't puked their guts out, nevermind that they are still working.

I think we can mostly safely say as far as alkaline batteries, they really did make them better back in the day.

-Pat

[E-Design]

I am surprised nobody here seems to have mentioned the word "counterfeit", or perhaps I missed it by only quickly skimming through this thread.

In my opinion worsening battery quality of ALL the well known brands is not the biggest issue, which I am 100% sure is happening, but the main reason for this explosion of battery leakage across the board is rather related to the chinese counterfeit batteries that are flooding the global markets for some time. Nowadays you really never know what you are getting, no matter where you are buying them on the planet.

For some years now I only use Panasonic/Eneloop NiMH's, which also cuts down on the recurring battery cost issue and helps avoid pollution. It's crazy just trying to imagine how many batteries get thrown out daily into the garbage in the US alone.

When I had my final instance of puking Duracells, I checked for this. There is info on the web on how to check for an authentic Duracell. They are indeed counterfeited often.

However, in my case, they were authentic and total crap. I'm convinced, we are better off having the counterfeits in there instead of legit Duracells. Got a source for getting these? 

[SilverSolder]

In my case, the leaking Duracells were bought at retail stores like Costco etc., there is nearly zero percent chance that they are counterfeit.   The simplest explanation that fits the facts is that quality has dropped unacceptably low, most likely due to cost savings.

With all due respect, how can you be so sure? I doubt Costco buys directly at the Duracell factory door [...]

Costco will have negotiated a deal directly with Duracell, because they move so much product and will want the best prices and best quality (yes... I know).

But I wonder in any case how come that this poor quality situation has been allowed to get so bad, and still no one is raising their voices publicly, a 60 Minutes investigation, or the government taking some kind of action.

I reckon the problem is that we, the long suffering consumers, are "split up" - most of us just throw away the leaky batteries, or perhaps we make use of the replacement guarantee - in either case, we as individuals don't think this is enough of a problem to worry about, in the bigger scheme of things.   

I think Duracell is exploiting this fact and pushing the quality as low as possible - they can always hide behind their guarantee (knowing that few will bother to claim) and argue that consumers are not damaged - in the same sense that a reckless taxi driver could argue that his insurance covers his passengers!

[Refrigerator]

Don't forget toys and other products that drain batteries long before they get a chance to leak. People who buy them only look for something that will last the longest because buying more batteries is a bother.
And since Duracells claim to last, and whatever other whiz-bang stuff they do, people buy them.