Energizer Ultimate Lithium Battery in Fluke 87 V?

[Sal Ammoniac]

I have a couple of Fluke 87 V DMMs and am concerned about battery leakage. These 87 Vs currently have alkaline 9v batteries installed, but based on the number of alkaline batteries (mostly AA and AAA) that I've had leak in other equipment recently, I'd like to replace them with something less likely to leak.

As anyone tried Energizer Ultimate Lithium 9v's in the 87 V? Is it a suitable replacement for alkaline in these meters?

[HKJ]

I have a couple of Fluke 87 V DMMs and am concerned about battery leakage. These 87 Vs currently have alkaline 9v batteries installed, but based on the number of alkaline batteries (mostly AA and AAA) that I've had leak in other equipment recently, I'd like to replace them with something less likely to leak.

9V battery do not leak nearly as often as AA/AAA batteries, because they have two layers of enclosure. The 1.5V cells inside the  battery and the 9V cell.
I opened a lot of 9V batteries here: https://lygte-info.dk/info/BatteryDisassembly9VAlkaline%20UK.html Some of them had leaked inside the 9V battery, but not outside.

[Fungus]

9V battery do not leak nearly as often as AA/AAA batteries

Plus: 9V battery clips are very easy to replace if they ever do, unlike AA battery compartment terminals which are usually custom made pieces of metal.

[aargee]

In answer to your question, yes I run the lithium Energizer in my Fluke with no problems.

Energizer/Duracell 9V batteries can be a problem, I have had them leak, not as badly as AA/AAA types but the problem is that they leak through the terminals.
I have seen cases where, over time, this travels by chemistry or capillary action into the connector, down the wires and onto the PCB.
Believe me - electrolyte chemistry attacks on meter PCBs is what you don't want.

[Sal Ammoniac]

In answer to your question, yes I run the lithium Energizer in my Fluke with no problems.

Energizer/Duracell 9V batteries can be a problem, I have had them leak, not as badly as AA/AAA types but the problem is that they leak through the terminals.

Thanks. One of my two meters is used infrequently and that's the one I fear damage from leaking batteries the most.

Duracell is just crap these days. I have several packages of AA and AAA that are less than a year old yet several of the batteries in the unopened package are already leaking. I don't remember this happening years ago, so it appears that the Duracell bean counters mandated cost reductions that impacted the quality of the product.

[BravoV]

My 87V with 9v alkaline ...  -> YARA2

[james_s]

I use a NiMH "9V" batter in mine, it works fine, lasts months, best part is I don't worry about using the backlight as much as I want since I can just recharge it.

Alkaline works fine too though, it's very rare for 9V batteries to leak due to the extra casing, I don't recall ever having something damaged by one, even the nearly 30 year old Radio Shack battery I found that had gotten rusty around the bottom end didn't damage the scanner it was in.

[JxR]

I use that 9V lithium in all my handhelds meters that take 9V (and rechargeable in anything else).  Alkalines always present extra risk imho.  I've had too many things destroyed over my lifetime to trust alkaline batteries in anything I really care about.

[all_repair]

9V alkaline leak through the button connectors, and flow to the motherboard through the wire.
Recently I have upgraded from NiMH 9V to rechargeable 9V Li.  Those that need 2S to charge seem to have less leakage and able to run longer.  They have saved me quite a bit money, I  am using them for all digital door knobs which eat batteries quite fast. 

[Corner]

I use this exact 9V Lithium battery in all my non-crap meters. Never had any problem.

[med6753]

Another endorsement. I've used 9V lithium in my 87 for the past few years with no issues.

[Fungus]

I wasn't saying not to use them just that I don't think there's anywhere near the same level of worry as with AAs.

ie. No need to panic, you can wait for the existing one to die before replacing it with a Lithium.

[Marco1971]

Using Energizer Lithium Ultimate 9 Volt in Fluke 79III without any issue.

Marco71

[ebclr]

I bought this recharble battery for my 87's  and I'm quite happy, It's impossible to leak

https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/32950419657.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.4d32705cm6JFV8&algo_pvid=2bec41ec-41ad-42f6-a8f0-b238dd55e9ed&algo_expid=2bec41ec-41ad-42f6-a8f0-b238dd55e9ed-39&btsid=0ab6d70515950875993507752e0f60&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

[Johnboy]

I use that 9V lithium in all my handhelds meters that take 9V (and rechargeable in anything else).  Alkalines always present extra risk imho.  I've had too many things destroyed over my lifetime to trust alkaline batteries in anything I really care about.

Same here for the 9V UL's for my Fluke meters. I have also been using Ultimate Lithium AA's in the lone Fluke I have that uses them, but due to its battery-hog nature, I am contemplating switching to rechargeable NIMH's this time when they wear down. I am a little more concerned about the Ultimate Lithium AA's, more because of the when-new voltage in series than because of the potential leak factor. The Flukes I've used seem to be overengineered to some degree in their specs to be rugged, and don't seem to mind the slightly higher voltage, but Fluke does not recommend their use. There are some multimeters that more obviously do not like lithium batteries.

Energizer makes some bold claims for their Ultimate Lithium's, which may or may not justify the price tag. As has been posted in older threads, the alkalines were similarly heralded as leak-proof when they first arrived on the market. Whether Energizer is going to jump to offer to replace your F289 is questionable anyway. My perspective on the leak factor is that any product produced on as large a scale as batteries have to be are going to have quality control issues somewhere, and until some new technology emerges that allows for a failsafe production method, there is no one "truly safe" battery for these expensive meters; you've got to keep an eye on them and replace them occasionally. Even the newer rechargeables have been known to leak in isolated circumstances, which is the other reason why I haven't made that jump yet. The 9V lithiums have (so far) not seemed to invite any widespread reports of damage... yet.

[james_s]

The 9V lithium batteries do work fine, I tried them in a few smoke alarms back before LSD NiMH batteries in that form factor were available. They're not price competitive anymore though, I can buy two NiMH 9V batteries or a rechargeable li-ion type for the cost of an Energizer lithium primary battery.

[Corner]

I'd also like to add my experiences about alkaline 9V batteries.

I've always used alkaline batteries in all my cheapie meters. One of the meters I have that eats 9V like no tomorrow is UT61E. I sometimes forget to turn it off and the battery drains dry as a result. I've never had it leak at all. The batteries I use mainly are Coles branded and Target branded ones. Never had any of them leak over the years.

[rsjsouza]

To the OP: I don't think there'll be a problem with the Lithium 9V cells on your meter either. I use lithiums on several meters, but never used 9V on them given that historically I had one, perhaps two accidents.

On the other hand, AA and AAA problems are very real - having lost several new and irreplaceable equipment over the years, I use Lithium cells on the most valuable ones. I don't use rechargeables as, in my use case, they become a burden to manage charges, etc. (Too many gadgets, kids toys, etc).

I have noticed that the chance of alkalines leaking are with equipment with a standby mode that slowly discharges the battery over time, as well as equipment that is subjected to mechanical abuse (flashlights, for example). Most of the stuff with a mechanical ON/OFF switch seems to preserve the batteries for a lot longer.

I too had the offending leaking batteries on their original packaging. I wonder if they were stored improperly or subjected to mechanical abuse.

[duckduck]

I use a NiMH "9V" batter in mine, it works fine, lasts months, best part is I don't worry about using the backlight as much as I want since I can just recharge it.

Thank you, wise old denizens of the EEVblog forum. I just now swapped out the alkalines in my Fluke 179 and Fluke 26III for NiMH. I have never been compromised by a turncoat 9V alkaline, but I have lost good men in the war against alkaline batteries. I've got a fancy Garmin GPS full of white crust from a failed AA and I'll do anything to avoid that awful sinking feeling again.

[bc888]

I'd also like to add my experiences about alkaline 9V batteries.

I've always used alkaline batteries in all my cheapie meters. One of the meters I have that eats 9V like no tomorrow is UT61E. I sometimes forget to turn it off and the battery drains dry as a result. I've never had it leak at all. The batteries I use mainly are Coles branded and Target branded ones. Never had any of them leak over the years.

It can happen. Not as common as the AA and AAA regular debacles we all see. I bought a lot of 9 non-working Fluke 27/FM's off Ebay. One of them was a mess. Exactly as noted just upthread: "I have seen cases where, over time, this travels by chemistry or capillary action into the connector, down the wires and onto the PCB.  Believe me - electrolyte chemistry attacks on meter PCBs is what you don't want."

Exactly what occurred to the one. The electrolyte had run all over the board, and had been so strong that it corroded completely through the copper of the battery wires. 

I think designers could make an easy access battery compartment an important design consideration.  If you could pop it open and pull a 9V out after use with ease. Maybe Dave is listening? Looking forward to your new $150 meter...more so if it has this feature:-)

[Johnboy]

It can happen. Not as common as the AA and AAA regular debacles we all see. I bought a lot of 9 non-working Fluke 27/FM's off Ebay. One of them was a mess. Exactly as noted just upthread: "I have seen cases where, over time, this travels by chemistry or capillary action into the connector, down the wires and onto the PCB.  Believe me - electrolyte chemistry attacks on meter PCBs is what you don't want."

Exactly what occurred to the one. The electrolyte had run all over the board, and had been so strong that it corroded completely through the copper of the battery wires. 

The 27/FM has rubber gaskets to seal the compartment airtight (I can't recall whether there are tiny ones under the screwheads as well). I had wondered how that sealed environment might be affected by the gassing-out-rather-than leaking-electrolyte effect of the 9V Ultimate Lithiums in that particular meter model over time.

[bd139]

Stick a 9v alkaline battery inside a zip lock bag with tape around it. You’ll lose the battery clip but that’s acceptable loss.

GP ultra cells have never been an issue for me.

[deadlylover]

I use a lithium in my 87V, I only switched over because another member showed their Fluke with some corrosion on the battery clip.

I can live with the $10 or so every few years because my main meter just uses AA batteries (eneloops). The peace of mind is worth it for a meter that only sees occasional use.

[james_s]

If you're already using Eneloops in your main meter, why not LSD NiMH in the 87 too?

[maginnovision]

I just switched over to energizer lithium in my U1282A after the alkaline batteries decided to leak all over costing me a couple hours of clean up. In less than a week it ate up the metal clips and the plastic of the case and started on its way to the actual PCB. Luckily the spring contact was able to be saved and the board was safe.