Sourcing Lithium button cells in Australia (CR/BR 2032 etc...)

[Halcyon]

I've checked both Mouser and DigiKey, neither of them will ship primary lithium coin cells to Australia due to shipping restrictions.

Can anyone suggest a reliable supplier locally?

[Whales]

I normally use element14 for these.

EDIT: Huh they want more than $1 each at the moment.  I think they used to have more options.

[Halcyon]

I normally use element14 for these.

EDIT: Huh they want more than $1 each at the moment.  I think they used to have more options.

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/search/products?searchTerm=cr2032

Still 3-4x cheaper than retail stores. What's going on?

[RoGeorge]

Since it's a restriction, must have been put in place for your own good. 

I buy CR2032 from random brick and mortar supermarket chains (e.g. in EU, from LIDL).  The cell brand doesn't seem to matter much if you put them to use immediately.  However, the shelf life is better for brand names CR2032, brand names can still be good to use after 5-10 years in storage, while a no name will develop high internal resistance in 2-3 years and become unusable.

Another thing that might help, if there is enough room inside the appliance, often the CR2032 button (no more than 3.3V when brand new) can be directly replaced by a rechargeable Li-Ion cell (3.7V avg, or 4.3V top most when fully charged, but you don't have to charge it fully, it is not much energy stored over 3.8V anyway).  At first I was worried the 4.2V might fry the appliance, but turned out I was lucky so far and didn't damage anything yet.

Did such CR2032 -> Li-Ion replacement already for a body-weighting scale (more than a year ago, time to measure the voltage again, calculations tell one recharge will last for 10-20 years    https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/li-ion-cell-instead-of-a-cr2032-for-a-domestic-wight-scale/msg5339312/#msg5339312 ), and for a 7 segments mains clock which has had a CR2032 backup for its RTC.

The Li-Ion rechargeable are from former mobile phones, the battery will still work for decades after they get bulged, and no matter how much capacity they lost, they will still have 3-5 times more than a CR2032.  And no, old bulged Li-Ion from former mobile phones do not suddenly ignite, or explode in flames simply because they are bulged.

[Halcyon]

Since it's a restriction, must have been put in place for your own good. 

They can go and get fucked. 

[SmallCog]

I buy them in bulk from https://batteryspecialties.com.au/

They've got a few different brands, I use panasonic but to each their own.

Unless something has changed in the last few weeks they'll sell them to commercial users in trays rather than fiddly little child safe blister packs. They do however also sell them in child safe blister packs as well if this is your preference.

I also use the same people to buy VRLA batteries.

[switchabl]

Since it's a restriction, must have been put in place for your own good. 

It hasn't. The reason is that shipping (loose) lithium batteries internationally is a pain and Digikey doesn't want to deal with that. They are classified as "dangerous goods" (UN 3090) and in particular that means the package cannot be transported as cargo on a passenger plane. Carriers will charge extra for those shipments, if they take them at all.

[Halcyon]

I buy them in bulk from https://batteryspecialties.com.au/

Thanks for that. I'll check them out. Having a quick look at their website, I don't see anything other than Procell branded lithium batteries. Do you have a trade account? Perhaps there's more I'm not seeing?

[SmallCog]

I buy them in bulk from https://batteryspecialties.com.au/

Thanks for that. I'll check them out. Having a quick look at their website, I don't see anything other than Procell branded lithium batteries. Do you have a trade account? Perhaps there's more I'm not seeing?

Apologies missed this! I do have a trade account but mostly just purchase via credit card over the phone for smaller orders (ie less than a few thousand dollars)

They do tend to push the procell at me but they also stock my preferred brand, panasonic, and I think others.

Button batteries are cheap enough and the panasonics have proven reliable so I'm in no rush to change.

I also buy SAFT lithium cells from them as well as Yuasa lead acids.

Nice people and easy to deal with, prices have proven to be competitive every time I've checked (not sure, I might be on a discount structure)

[Bud]

IKEA ?

[Halcyon]

IKEA ?

Ikea (in Australia anyway) only stock AA and AAA NiMH batteries.

[vk6zgo]

I normally use element14 for these.

EDIT: Huh they want more than $1 each at the moment.  I think they used to have more options.

Most people might buy one CR2032 in a year or so, making the cost per cell immaterial.

Back in the Dreamtime, there used to be "Manufacturer's Representatives" who not only sold stuff to the large resellers, but to much smaller businesses as well.

[Haenk]

I think every supermarket around here has a small selection of batteries, AA, AAA, often C (not as common as before, though) and CR2032. Isn't that an option in Australia?

[thm_w]

I think every supermarket around here has a small selection of batteries, AA, AAA, often C (not as common as before, though) and CR2032. Isn't that an option in Australia?

Yes OP linked them above as $2+ each. In volume they can be had for <50c each.

[SmallCog]

I think every supermarket around here has a small selection of batteries, AA, AAA, often C (not as common as before, though) and CR2032. Isn't that an option in Australia?

Yes OP linked them above as $2+ each. In volume they can be had for <50c each.

And more importantly (to me) in volume they're not in the horrible child safe packaging

I very much understand the dangers of coin cells, and the need for the packaging / product design to keep kids safe, but it's a right pain in the proverbial unpackaging them when you're doing a whole bunch at a time.

For now I can still buy them in bulk quantities in loose trays via spacialist wholesale suppliers where as supermarkets and the like are required to sell them in the safer packaging.