Duracell AA 4 Pre-Charged Rechargeable NiMH Batteries DX1500
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Customer Reviews of Duracell AA 4 Pre-Charged Rechargeable NiMH Batteries DX1500
Customer Review: An eneloop by any other name...
Summary: 4 Stars
[Updated Dec 24, 2008]
I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid.
[Original review follows]
Judging from similarity of technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the Duracell Pre Charged AA is actually SANYO eneloop AA underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.
My own testing has shown that the capacity of eneloop AA cell is slightly above the claimed 2000mAh, and it is able to retain at least 85% of its charge after 5 months in storage. The Rayovac Hybrid AA starts with slightly higher capacity at 2100mAh, but it 'only' retains 80% capacity after 5 months. For all practical applications, both are equally good. Just pick whichever brand (Sanyo, Rayovac, or Duracell) is on-sale, and you can't go wrong.
One small problem with the Duracell 'Pre Charged' cell is that: it looked too similar to the well-known 'Copper Top' alkaline cell. So there is a good chance that people may mistaken it for a disposable cell. Personally, I prefer the distinctive-looking white case of the eneloop cell.
Customer Review: The only real replacement for alkalines
Summary: 5 Stars
2008-08-28
This is a great battery. It has total power similar to a good alkaline battery, and holds its charge for a year. Duracell calls them "pre-charged rechargeables," and they are often called "Ultra Low Self-Discharge (ULSD)" rechargeables.
It's the only rechargeable battery that works for "long-duration" uses, such as remote controls, thermostats, and other places where batteries have low drain for long periods of time. I've been buying and using these batteries for nearly a year now, with excellent results. I keep a spare set in my gym bag, for the headlamp and GPS I use when running at night, and they always have power after sitting unused for months. That's unlike other rechargeables which have invariably self-discharged by the time I need them.
The rule of thumb that I have heard and believe, is that if a battery is going to be stored or in use for over a month, ULSD rechargeables have more usable power than traditional rechargeables. Over the course of a month, a standard rechargeable loses at least 1/3 of its total power to self-discharge. These batteries potentially have fewer charge/discharge cycles before they start to degrade, but they need fewer charges because they don't self-discharge. Overall, it's a win for all my uses.
I'll be buying these exclusively for the foreseeable future.
2010-12-14
Still love these batteries. I have dozens of them, and I plan to leave them to my kids. :-)
Customer Review: Inconsistent Batches, this recent one is not recycling an external camera flash fast enough
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought a 4 pack Duracell Precharged 2000mAh about a year ago(does not say Precharged on the battery wrapping), and just bought another 4 pack a few days ago(does say Precharged on the battery wrapping), the recent pack is under performing marginally.
I tested the following brands of precharged batteries with an external camera flash, by taking 10 continuous shots, 3 trial each to get an average, to see how many times the flash will not fire.
* Duracell Precharged 2000 mAh (this pack is the old one that does NOT say Precharged)= missed 1 firing (always the last shot)
* Sanyo Eneloop 2000 mAh = missed 2 firing
* Rayovac Hybrid 2100 mAh = missed 6 firing
* Duracell (this is the new pack that does say Precharged) = missed 6 firing
>> UPDATE <<
I called Duracell on 3/12/2010, wanting to speak to someone about it to understand why the difference. They said that they'll have their quality control department call me back within 24 hours. Today as of 3/17/2010, 3 business days later, have not heard a word from them.
Gonna have to try something else next, maybe Energizer.
Customer Review: Decent batteries
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm a newspaper photographer and I burn through tons of batteries for my flash units. On any given day, I use three different units, all using AA batteries. I started out with standard non-rechargeable units and they got way too expensive. NiCad batteries were next but they built up a memory and didn't last. Then came NiMH batteries. I'm very satisfied with the Duracell batteries. They came charged, which isn't a big thing for me as I always keep a fast charger handy. They performed quite well the first week or so. I drained them then charged them to try to get the most out of the cells. I've always been told to FAST CHARGE them, not trickle charge so that's what I do. After about the first week, and constant high drain flashes, they still are performing ok. I've noticed they don't have the original capacity they did originally but they still function ok. I would recommend these to anyone who wants to save money over non-rechargeable batteries and just to keep a spare set just in case. There are higher capacity cells out there which may be an option, with a higher price but, you will be satisfied with these.Customer Review: not bad, but could be better
Summary: 4 Stars
* received pre-charged, but only at 50% capacity. Note, it is best to keep batteries charged at only 50% if they are going to be used immediately. So, it is understandable the factory only charged these to 50% for initial use (they don't know how long it will sit on the shelves)
After a few rounds of charge and discharge through regular use (in wireless keyboard and mouse), the full charge now shows at 75% or above.
You do need to use it and let it run below 10% power before recharging to get full benefit for recharging. It takes at least 3-5 rounds.
After that, it runs well, but seems to drain much faster than the regular alkaline non-rechargeable ones.
*compared both duracell and energizer, the duracell works better and recharges to a higher percentage (90% on dura** and only about 75% on energ**)
I like this 4 packs at only $9.99. They are good for anything, Wii remotes, flashlights, cd players (most people use iPod now...)
I keep a few charged in a plastic bag and rotate them regularly just in case of emergency.
recommended buy.