Where do you get your batteries.
Where do you get your batteries.
Author
Discussion

Greenmantle

Original Poster:

2,219 posts

139 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
Usually I always keep a stash of different batteries but I have noticed I have run low.
It has always been a PITA sourcing genuine batteries (usually from different places).
Even though I buy off Ebay regularly I never buy batteries. Once bitten decades ago twice shy!

I need the usual suspects AA AAA MN21/23 9v LR44 CR2025 CR2032 etc etc

Does anyone know of a genuine one stop shop and yes price is important.
Cheers.

Griffith4ever

7,037 posts

66 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
for button batteries you prob wat to try branded, like Duracel. I buy st loads of random brand button batteries off ebay and they vary wildly. Some go flat within a day, some last a year. But, they are so cheap, I just roll with it.

For AA and AAA I use eneloop and Amazon basics pre-charged rechargeables.

Road2Ruin

6,535 posts

247 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
Just keep an eye out at Tesco, Sainsbury. Etc. They always have offers on, often 50% off. Rarely buy elsewhere. I don't trust the banded ones off ebay or Amazon.

Russet Grange

3,179 posts

57 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
Toolstation

alscar

10,028 posts

244 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
Costco - particularly Duracell particularly AA / AAA / CR2032's.

ARH

2,161 posts

270 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
toolstation or screwfix for me whichever is cheapest or has stock. Always by aa aaa in boxes of 40.

Sheepshanks

41,282 posts

150 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
alscar said:
Costco - particularly Duracell particularly AA / AAA / CR2032's.
Costco's own batteries are made by Duracell - switched from Costco bought Duracell's to Kirkland AA ones in Tado TRVs and can't tell any difference in lifetime.


Generally, I think where you buy them is most important - Duracell button cells are widely counterfeited. A couple of our cars use CR2025's and sometimes even dealer changed batteries haven't lasted long.

Motorman74

500 posts

52 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
alscar said:
Costco - particularly Duracell particularly AA / AAA / CR2032's.
I've never had so many batteries leak than the AA/AAA ones from Costco - either their own brand or duracell. One of the few things that Costco sell that I won't touch any more despite the attractive pricing.

I use GP Ultra pretty much exclusively now and I've not had a single one leak and they last brilliantly.


RizzoTheRat

29,066 posts

223 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
I'm using IKEA LADDA rechargeables for AA and AAA, they're pretty good and very cheap. AAA are less than €1 each for 750mAh and the 2450mAh AA's are about €2 each. Obviously don't last quite as long as alkali but I never run out.

For button batteries (quite a few zigbee sensors around the house) I tend to just buy online and usually go for Varta or Duracel

biggiles

2,179 posts

256 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
Amazon Basics do big packs of AA/AAAs etc. A pack of 100 lasts a while, even with children. I keep a small stock of other/coin batteries as well, but there's slower turnover. A game-changer was getting a battery case, which holds lots of every kind of battery, and zips up. Keeps them all together.

(And yes I use rechargeables wherever practical).

Edited by biggiles on Thursday 10th September 17:12

OutInTheShed

14,853 posts

57 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
If you happen to be in Ikea, it's often worth picking up AA, AAA and some coin cells.

Other wise toolstation, or order coin cells as needed from ebay.

A few things which might have been AA or AAA in the past, like torches, I've shifted towards units with built in lithium batteries

9V PP3 style batteries always seem overly expensive, I try to avoid acquiring things which use them, but they are common in multimeters and the like.
I buy these batteries when needed, maybe from Aldi.

shtu

4,596 posts

177 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
Motorman74 said:
I've never had so many batteries leak than the AA/AAA ones from Costco - either their own brand or duracell. One of the few things that Costco sell that I won't touch any more despite the attractive pricing.
Likewise. To the tune of getting Costco to pay several hundred quid in compensation for damage caused by their stty batteries.

I now use Varta ones, usually bought from Screwfix. Haven't had a single leak.

Hoofy

80,150 posts

313 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
For watch batteries, unbranded off ebay. For AAs, the usual supermarkets.

southerndriver

285 posts

105 months

Wednesday 9th September
quotequote all
For button cells I always buy Maxell or Panasonic from the larger Ebay sellers and never had a problem.

For AA, AAA and PP3 usually small boxes of Energizer brand alkalines from aforementioned Ebay sellers and, again, never had a problem.

onny

355 posts

293 months

Thursday 10th September
quotequote all
RizzoTheRat said:
I'm using IKEA LADDA rechargeables for AA and AAA, they're pretty good and very cheap. AAA are less than 1 each for 750mAh and the 2450mAh AA's are about 2 each. Obviously don't last quite as long as alkali but I never run out.

For button batteries (quite a few zigbee sensors around the house) I tend to just buy online and usually go for Varta or Duracel
LADDA rechargeable are well known to be made by Eneloop. Re-branded...? But I'd had them for ages and they are still going strong and no difference to my Eneloop.

Tisy

2,224 posts

23 months

Thursday 10th September
quotequote all
The big supermarkets seem to exclusively stock Duracell these days at very lofty prices, presumably because they know most people will pay it as they need a new battery right now. Personally I've not found Duracell to last longer than anything else and they've only gotten their undeserved reputation for long-lasting batteries from TV ad campaigns.

I buy the cheapo own brand batteries from B&M and found they're as good as anything else. Just bought a pack of 6 CR2032s for £2.50. If you don't have a B&M nearby then Toolstation is the next best for value. Screwfix batteries are not value for money.

Those of you old enough will remember Morrisons was always the default place to get batteries as their own brand was excellent and won awards in longevity tests. Sadly they don't do them anymore.

lemonslap

1,029 posts

186 months

Thursday 10th September
quotequote all
I use batterystation and typically buy Duracell pro cells but they seem to have a large selection of different brands, I did previously use screwfix and Varta but had mixed results with lifespan.

alscar

10,028 posts

244 months

Thursday 10th September
quotequote all
shtu said:
Motorman74 said:
I've never had so many batteries leak than the AA/AAA ones from Costco - either their own brand or duracell. One of the few things that Costco sell that I won't touch any more despite the attractive pricing.
Likewise. To the tune of getting Costco to pay several hundred quid in compensation for damage caused by their stty batteries.

I now use Varta ones, usually bought from Screwfix. Haven't had a single leak.
Conversely I’ve never had a battery of any description or make leak in any device unless I’ve accidentally left something in say an old remote control for years without using it.
Clearly if you got Costco to pay compensation I assume this wasn’t an old device ?!

Sheepshanks

41,282 posts

150 months

Thursday 10th September
quotequote all
I've certainly had it happen with things like old kids toys etc, and only the other day an LCD thermostat stopped working and the battery had started to corrode, but it had been in there for years.

I'd never considering that it might be better or worse by brand - it's just one of those things that's always seemed to happen with alkaline batteries.

Gladers01

2,536 posts

79 months

Thursday 10th September
quotequote all
When in Wycombe I buy the Kodak zinc batteries from Poundland, 8 x AA for a £1, similar for the triple A batteries and they last well, have a look at their website.

Edited by Gladers01 on Thursday 10th September 11:10