# Rayovac Rechargeable Review



## eMacMan

Posted this earlier in the Photography Anyone thread, then realized there would be more chance of it being read if I gave it its own thread.



> Began using these batteries well over a year ago. When one pair is discharged, I charge the other pair, then run that pair. The last charge held for four months while taking over 90 images, plus some on camera image reviews.
> 
> Compare this to the Energizers I had been using previously. At the tender age of one year, the Energizers would probably not have held a charge for a week, even if we had not taken any pictures.
> 
> So a big thumbs up to the Rayovac Pre-charged, rechargeable batteries.


EDIT: I have no connection with Rayovac or anyone who sells these. But they are so superior to the other NiMH batteries I have tried, that I thought it worthwhile to pass along this info.

It is with great reluctance that I am removing my photos from this thread. The line in my sig requesting that the implied copyright of my photos be respected was removed without my permission. That removal implies that the implied copyright will not be respected and therefore the photos have been removed.


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## okcomputer

I concur. I have four types of rechargables on the go for my to speedlites and these are the best. Recharge time on the flashes is the best with these an they keep their charge between shoots much better as well!


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## Joker Eh

Well I will have to give these a chance. I purchased the Duracell at Costco about a month ago. Charge them removed the charger from the wall went away for 4 days and when I came back, a couple of them had exploded.


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## SINC

These are rare in stores I frequent and haven't seen any in years now. Any tips on where a guy should look for them in this area Bob?


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## Joker Eh

SINC said:


> These are rare in stores I frequent and haven't seen any in years now. Any tips on where a guy should look for them in this area Bob?


Found them on Walmart website. So they may have them in store.


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## Lawrence

Speaking of batteries, Anyone seen "AAAA batteries" (Yes, That's 4 A's) sold in a normal store and not just online?
I've given up looking for them at Walmart or any other big box store.


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## eMacMan

I got mine at Walmart. About the same price as the more common and totally useless Energizers.

Seem to recall hearing that Rayovac was undergoing some sort of re-organization so hopefully these batteries were not lost in the shuffle.

Will be by Wally World later this week so will let you know what I find.


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## SINC

Thanks guys, we have a Walmart Super Centre here, so will go have a peek today. I need some for my pepper grinder with a built in recharger in the motor home. The Superstore brand lasted only one summer.


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## eMacMan

SINC said:


> Thanks guys, we have a Walmart Super Centre here, so will go have a peek today. I need some for my pepper grinder with a built in recharger in the motor home. The Superstore brand lasted only one summer.


Don the big advantage with these is that unlike the other varieties they hold their charge for a very long time, up to six months. I wish I knew how compatible that is with not letting them run down between re-charging.


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## SINC

I can unplug the charger unit and use them until they run down. My problem now is the replacement set I have, lose their charge by the time I need them to swap into the grinder. My hope is that the Ray-O-Vacs will hold from your experience.


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## eMacMan

Don,

The way I handle them is I use a pair until they are too weak to run the camera. Then I charge the alternate pair, which takes about 5 hours using the same charger I used to use with the Energizers. This set is probably somewhere close to two years old and still very strong.

A lot will depend on how quickly the motor depletes the batteries, but probably should still give at least double the life of other varieties.


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## SINC

Got them! Charger, two AA and two AAA, $13.97. Will let them run right down, but they ran the grinder great right out of the package.


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## okcomputer

Nice price! Let us know how they work for you.


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## vancouverdave

I have had good luck with the Duracell pre-charged batteries. It is great, this new technology that lets rechargeables hold their charge between uses. 

I use them in my electronic bagpipe and in all the kids toys.


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## Joker Eh

vancouverdave said:


> I have had good luck with the Duracell pre-charged batteries. It is great, this new technology that lets rechargeables hold their charge between uses.
> 
> I use them in my electronic bagpipe and in all the kids toys.


Be careful I have had new ones out of box explode. I purchased the Duracell ones at Costco .


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## eMacMan

> I have had good luck with the Duracell pre-charged batteries. It is great, this new technology that lets rechargeables hold their charge between uses.
> 
> I use them in my electronic bagpipe and in all the kids toys.





Joker Eh said:


> Be careful I have had new ones out of box explode. I purchased the Duracell ones at Costco .


They should not be charged right out of the box as they should already be almost fully charged.


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## Joker Eh

eMacMan said:


> They should not be charged right out of the box as they should already be almost fully charged.


But they shouldn't explode from being charged and then left to sit. It says right on the box the charger will not over charge and there is no fear of leaving them in the charger.


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## eMacMan

Joker Eh said:


> But they shouldn't explode from being charged and then left to sit. It says right on the box the charger will not over charge and there is no fear of leaving them in the charger.


If it was a new charger I would be thinking a defective charger was the cause.


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## vancouverdave

Joker Eh said:


> Be careful I have had new ones out of box explode. I purchased the Duracell ones at Costco .


Exchange them. Costco has a good return policy.


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## eMacMan

An update. After another three years I am still using the original four batteries and getting 2-3 months per charge.


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## IllusionX

Interesting. I've been using Duracell from Costco and they dont hold well charge. I replaced them with Energizers and have been running great in my Logitech mx900 bluetooth mouse for over a year now


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## eMacMan

These are the pre-charged variety and after five years of mostly light use they continue to hold their charge extremely well. As I said depending on use 2-4 months between charges. 

The regular Energizer NiMH-AAs that I started out using were pretty much toast after a year and even after 6 months would only hold their charge for about a week, even if I did not use the camera at all.


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## Rob

Sanyo pioneered the pre-charged NiMH several years ago with their Eneloop branded version of rechargeable batteries. These had a lower 2,000mAh rating for AA batteries, but this allowed them to hold the charge for a year or more, and also be free of the "memory effect". These were a godsend, since you could leave the batteries in your device for a long time without worrying they'd be dead after a couple of weeks.

The only disadvantage was the lower mAh rating. Some of the other rechargeables would get up to 2,600mAh, or more, so they'd last longer if they were constantly under load. An example would be a video camera where you were shooting for long stretches, and an extra 10 or 20 minutes before changing batteries would be a big advantage.

Nowadays, just about every manufacturer makes pre-charged versions. They all work the same way. You get a lower mAh rating, but long storage life. Keep an eye on the mAh rating though. I've seen some cheapy pre-charged batteries at dollar store type places, but the mAh rating is really low. Some are less than 1,000mAh for an AA battery. That's less than half the mAh rating of the better pre-charged versions. They'll last a long time in storage, but not very long in use. As always, you get what you pay for.


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## vancouverdave

Good to know Rob, thanks. 
We been using the Eneloop at the office for two years now; so far so good...

I just bought a LOT of the Eneloop from DELL (very inexpensive if you have a lot of children's toys  )
Dell

edit: they were $21.99 per 8 in December


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## Rob

I was surprised to see the Panasonic name on the Eneloop pic you linked to, Dave.

It turns out that Panasonic bought Sanyo in 2013. 

Here's a history of Eneloop batteries from Wikipedia Eneloop - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I only buy pre-charged type rechargeables now. It's the only way to go. I've bought Eneloop, Duracell, President's Choice, Rayovac, and Energizer pre-charged NiMH batteries, and they're all good. Shop on price, but make sure you check the mAh rating. If the mAh rating isn't marked, then it's probably poor.


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## Rob

The better pre-charged NiMH batteries are rated at about 2,000mAh (or more) for "AA", or about 800mAh (or more) for "AAA". 

If you can find a pack of 4 for $10 or less, you've got a really good deal. Costco.ca shows a pack of 16 "AA" for $54 (about $13.5 for 4). This should give you some idea of pricing at the low end.

I tend to wait to find a good deal, and then buy a bunch.


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## SINC

SINC said:


> I can unplug the charger unit and use them until they run down. My problem now is the replacement set I have, lose their charge by the time I need them to swap into the grinder. My hope is that the Ray-O-Vacs will hold from your experience.


My two sets are still going strong, a great buy and good batteries.


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## eMacMan

The original 4 are still going strong, at least 2 months per charge, and that is on 6 or 7 year old batteries.

I believe they were 1350 MAH variety but that is quite adequate with the Kodak camera. 

Thankfully they are still available at Lowe's for sure. Have not seen them at Walmart in the last year or two, probably because they hold up so well.


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## macintosh doctor

I still have my bucket of apple batteries - which are AAs - 4 years later and still charing .. i hear they are actually eneloop rebranded as Apple.. 
BTW - ikea has rechargeable batteries as well 
LADDA Rechargeable battery - IKEA
they usually have in store deals on multi packs..


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## eMacMan

Well it's been 9 or 10 years since I first purchased these and they are finally showing their age. Will be looking to replace them with the same.

Walmart no longer carries them, must have been cutting into their sales of other batteries. Not seeing them on Lowe's site either. 

Amazon does list them at about $10 for 4.


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