Why Batteries for everything now?

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
reply to post by UberL33t

 

I used to tinker with things that same way.

But you reminded me of another thing. It used to be that cordless drills were made in such a way that you could use them with the converter plugged in. If your battery was low, you just plugged the thing into the wall and got to work while simultaneously charging it. Now they're some complex affair where the battery has to be completely removed and put into a proprietary charger. Now you need 2 expensive batteries--in fact, better to buy 3 of the damn things, because one of them is going to go defective the second time you use it....

ETA: In fact, now that I think about it, a LOT of things used to be that way. You could carry the converter around and charge them while in use. Hmmm....

edit on 11/15/2012 by Ex_CT2 because: (no reason given)

I will have to take your word for it, the only cordless tool I have ever owned was a B&D screwdriver and it was a Christmas gift.

From the get go it was a piece of junk that would not even drive in a screw into soft wood 1/4 inch and I kid you not.

I had to keep it for years lest my gift giver ever came over and asked about it.

Give me corded and give me quality.

Regards, Iwinder

Originally posted by Iwinder

Originally posted by gwynnhwyfar
Yup, they just nailed us on our alarm system. The thing began to shriek every night and had to be reset, until we bought a new one, which had to come from a specialty battery store.

What do you figure the life is on that battery pack and what will it cost you to replace it?
Thanks for making my rant here a real rant!
Regards, Iwinder

Hi - The special battery was about twenty-ish bucks, I think. We bought the house newly built, so it was brand new, lasted five years before it failed. We took the old one in to the specialty shop the next week, since we didn't know how else to dispose of it. They can apparently recycle these kinds of batteries, and we were able to support a local small business, so it all worked out in the end.

The object with much of the battery powered stuff is not only to force you to buy batteries, but to force you to buy their particularly shaped piece of crap battery.

I use their battery until it gives up the ghost, then I pull it apart, refit it with Li-ion 18650 batteries and then everything runs on one type of rechargeable battery. One type of battery, one charger and spare batteries so I never run out.

There are other cheap things such as devices that raise the voltage great for running 18 or 24 v power tools from a lower voltage.

Yes it takes a bit of learning but in the end you never throw something out because the batteries are too expensive or they stopped making it.

P

My windup Sangean radio is my most cherished piece of kit.

Never needs batteries (although it can run on 2AA's if required or your too lazy to crank the handle).

Other than that, I have a few sets of re-chargeable batts that serve me well. Some are +2 years old and have been recharged dozens of times.

Hardly ever buy batteries.

Oh I agree!!

Batteries aren't cheap either and they never last like they say or are suppose to.

I just got a Wii and asked my fiancee where the batteries were and he said there was a box full of them. What he doesn't realize is that I have 6 remotes that ALL require 2-4 batteries so a big pack of batteries goes quick! I had to take batteries out of one remote to put in the Wii remote lol. Guess I'll be making a battery run tomorrow.

Back when was an OTR trucker I once went to pick up a load of batteries. I noticed my load
was mixed with various pallets of name brands and cheap brands so I asked a question.

"Is this a warehouse and ya'll just store all these here?"

"Nope...we manufactured them all...just put different labels on them for different companies."

...I've never bought name brand batteries since that day. Just buy the cheapest alkaline
batteries I can find.

....and they keep going, and going, and going......doesn't matter what label they have

Originally posted by rival
Back when was an OTR trucker I once went to pick up a load of batteries. I noticed my load
was mixed with various pallets of name brands and cheap brands so I asked a question.

"Is this a warehouse and ya'll just store all these here?"

"Nope...we manufactured them all...just put different labels on them for different companies."

...I've never bought name brand batteries since that day. Just buy the cheapest alkaline
batteries I can find.

....and they keep going, and going, and going......doesn't matter what label they have

Thanks for your personal insight on this battery thing, I have heard stories like yours for example that Heinz Ketchup makes the no-name brands as well although I have no proof.

Regards, Iwinder

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
Oh I agree!!

Batteries aren't cheap either and they never last like they say or are suppose to.

I just got a Wii and asked my fiancee where the batteries were and he said there was a box full of them. What he doesn't realize is that I have 6 remotes that ALL require 2-4 batteries so a big pack of batteries goes quick! I had to take batteries out of one remote to put in the Wii remote lol. Guess I'll be making a battery run tomorrow.

Ditto here, we have batteries coming out of our Ying Yang but yet seem to run out all the time.......
4 fobs for two cars, two remote garage openers, one controller for the garage in the garage, one auto key padded opener in the house for those cold mornings........

Thermostat for the furnace, remote for the tv, dvd, vcr, portable dvd.........


3 smoke alarms, A battery back up for our new gas stove because if the juice is out you cannot light the new stoves as they take a good kick to get the oven going.......that sucker cost us about 50 bucks and will only last a few years.


Our land line phone even needs batteries now for the call display etc.......
I am making myself ill just typing this list.....

Regards, Iwinder

reply to post by Ex_CT2


There are different kinds of environmentalists. I am an environmentalist and I buy incadecent bulbs.

Corporate preys on the environmental community just like every other demographic, and everything is labled "green" whether it is or not.

Just look at cleaning products. How many try to brush themselves off with a "natural" label, meanwhile it has essence of hawaiian flower and nothing else, there is nothing natural about it.

Originally posted by Iwinder

Originally posted by rival
Back when was an OTR trucker I once went to pick up a load of batteries. I noticed my load
was mixed with various pallets of name brands and cheap brands so I asked a question.

"Is this a warehouse and ya'll just store all these here?"

"Nope...we manufactured them all...just put different labels on them for different companies."

...I've never bought name brand batteries since that day. Just buy the cheapest alkaline
batteries I can find.

....and they keep going, and going, and going......doesn't matter what label they have

Thanks for your personal insight on this battery thing, I have heard stories like yours for example that Heinz Ketchup makes the no-name brands as well although I have no proof.

Regards, Iwinder

From my experience this is the norm. Another instance was cat litter. Same cat litter going into
different packaging for different companies---one a name brand at twice the cost, the othe
a cheap bargain brand.

My biggest eye opener was picking up bottled "Spring" water. Big warehouse full of bottled water==
processing regular tap water thru two small (water-heater sized) filters and then adding 8%
spring water off of a tanker truck and calling "Spring Water." I won't name the company, but
that is business as usual in the bottled water industry.

Back on the topic of batteries (or at least related) why can't we come to a consensus of
agreement on just one size of charger tip for electronic devices. Why does every electronic
device with chargeable batteries need its own damn proprietary charger...what a waste of
resources and cause of frustration.

reply to post by rival

Regarding your last post here I agree fully and I think almost every poster on this thread will agree as well.

Thanks for the post and semi rant which I loved.

Regards, Iwinder