Leak resistent disposable batteries: Are they avaiable?

[Tarheelgarage]

I use quite a few AA size batteries in various electronic items in home and shop and usually am pretty good about rotating out old batteries and installing fresh.

If there any battery brand or technology that is less resistent to leaking when the battery gets old?

Guy in the shop had a nice snapon vantage mt2400 get ruined when his D cells batteries leaked out and destroyed it.

thanks

 

[trboxman]

My observation is that batteries leaked a lot till the late 70's, early 80's and then they got pretty good about not leaking till about 2003 and since then they're all **** regardless of brand. I've gotten to where if I'm not using it on a regular basis I just take the batteries out. The hassle is less than replacement cost.

 

[puttsy]

The best I've used are the Energizer Lithium batteries. You pay a heck of a premium for them but I've never had an issue using them. Normally I prefer Duracell batteries, I've had far fewer Duracell's leak after over-discharge then anything else but it still happens. I mainly only buy the 'top' brand batteries: Duracell and Energizer because they usually have better warranties for damages done by their batteries corroding. I would say stay away from the 'Energizer Industrial' batteries though. I can't tell you how many Maglites I've warrantied because Energizer Industrial's cracked and leaked. I work in the entertainment industry and we use them in wireless mic transmitters (Sennheiser) and ear monitor receivers [IEM]( also Sennheiser) and for short-time use they work well but for extended installation they are quite bothersome. Note we remove the batteries after each performance so they don't leak/corrode in the body-packs but, it's not uncommon to find old ones in the rehearsal battery box to be leaking.

Again, Lithiums are the ones I've had the best luck with BUT, they are crazy expensive thus, I don't use them for body-packs etc...where you're installing 50+ at a shot but, in Maglites they work well. Note that the amperage and voltages are slightly different in the Lithiums so some report shorter bulb-life in Maglites...I use my flashlights for hours on end so my bulbs/bats don't last regardless...but I HAVE gotten much better "go" life from them.

 

[Danglerb]

I had a Kodak lithium in my best DMM, something in my tool bag pushed the slide to ON and when it fully discharged it swelled and cracked the case.

Duracell and Energizer are good, but none are 100%.

Anybody send anything back to a battery company?

 

[Greatbear]

I've installed Energizer lithium batteries in various stuff that sees little use but needs to be ready when I need it, test equipment, some flashlights carried in the cars and trucks, etc. So far there hasn't been any leakage as with alkaline cells. While it hasn't happened to me, over on the Candlepower Forums and a couple other places people have had some of the lithium cells vent in creative ways, some involving fire. It seems rare and usually happens with items that draw a great deal of power and/or get hot or stored in very hot places.

I've taken a liking to the new low self dischard NiMH cells from Sanyo (Eneloop), Duracell (Pre-Charged) and Powerex (Imedion). They will hold a decent charge for well over a year, and most NiMH/NiCd cells I've ever encountered rarely leak, and when they finally do, it's very slight. I've installed the LSD cells in most stuff that tolerates the slightly lower voltage, including some radios and test equipment that sees only occasional use. Sure, they will eventually need to be recharged and the cost is more than for disposables, but it's a one-time buy for hundreds of reuses.