Please let me know if you'd like to see a "2 year update" on the rechargeable batteries. Here are the links to the batteries tested. Thanks, Todd Products Tested In This Video (in no particular order): PowerEx: amzn.to/2EmrKwO Ikea Ladda: amzn.to/3j43iz6 Amazon Basics High Capacity: amzn.to/3lazUJl Amazon Basics: amzn.to/2Yodkn3 Eneloop: amzn.to/3j7QrMf Rayovac: amzn.to/3aKwUyJ EBL: amzn.to/32dwrRQ Energizer: amzn.to/32dLevH Harbor Freight Thunderbolt: bit.ly/34l6VMX
Hi Joe, Thank you very much for the question regarding affiliate links. I've received a lot of requests over the months to include affiliate links to allow viewers to help support the channel and to help viewers find the specific products I test. A Patreon contributor sent a very lengthy message explaining why it makes good sense to set up an affiliate account along with why affiliate links should not have any influence on objectivity. After all, I'd be providing all products tested, not a single brand. Subsequently, I reached out to several other friends with TH-cam channels asking them for their opinion. All of them suggested setting up an affiliate account and all agreed that it should not have any impact on objectivity of testing. They all agreed that an affiliate account is much different than accepting a sponsorship from a specific manufacturer and I agree. To this day, I have never accepted a single sponsorship offer and or a free product from a manufacturer and that's not going to change. Regarding the constructive feedback on the testing, thank you very much! Best regards, Todd
@@ProjectFarm Thanks for the response Todd. I agree with your logic. I was just looking for clarification because I watched a video specifically mentioning not using these links and wondered if you changed your stance. Project Farm deserves any support people want to provide. I don't have anything against affiliate links because it allows people to contribute to the channel without Patreon. I look forward to another battery video. Keep up the great work!
Joe, Thank you very much and great point about contributing without using Patreon. I've had a lot of viewers request other options. Thanks again and best regards, Todd
@@ProjectFarm I clicked on the link for the Amazon Basics. At that page, when I click on the "user manual" PDF, it indicates that the battery is made in China. However, you said it was made in Japan. Have they changed their production facility since you made the original video? Are they made in China or Japan?
Project Farm teaches a lot of the stuff we want to know, but don't have the patience, know-how, dedication and persistence to find out for ourselves. Priceless channel
But the conclusions are completely wrong. If you actually look at the data, the Chinese made EBLs is one of the best batteries because they still hold a seriously impressive 2392 mAh. On the other hand, the Energizer, Amazon, and Eneloop only retain about 1800-2000 mAh. So, same AA form factor, but much less usable capacity when charged and discharged over 300 times as compared to EBL.
Echoing this. People sometimes see these videos years later. Seeing the follow-up really leaves an impression on viewers about how this channel approaches the service it's providing, and I think it's very much to the creators' credit. If all review channels were operating at this level I wouldn't have to spend a month figuring out which channels are offering the quality of unbiased information I need to feel like I'm making informed decisions rather than impulse buys based on whims, marketing, or simply price points.
Yes checked couple days ago and send them back. That's problem with Amazon he changes manufacturer by price. but also its stated in description on website.
Yep, my silver's were made in China too. The ol bait and switch, I'm sure they aren't as good. I didn't get the same results I was expecting with mine.
@@ProjectFarm Hello mr. Tesla. Keith Kuhn here, I have an h4n zoom recorder. From your test results Would I'd be good to purchase Eneloop ? Thanks Keith Kuhn
Great suggestion! I'll do it if there are enough thumbs up to see if there's enough interest. If I test them, I'll try to test at least 10 brands. Merry Christmas!
@@ProjectFarm You should also test the amps they can produce. For some aplicatins like vapes you need really expensive 18650s usually from samsung. Thanks!
Two years ago I bought Amazon silver AAA batteries, they were made in Japan. A year later I purchased more Amazon silver AAA batteries and they were made in China even though the photographs in the description still showed batteries as 'made in Japan'. I also have some Duracell AA rechargeable batteries purchased 2-3 years ago, they are labeled as 'made in Japan'. On Amazon, the photographs in the description show them as 'made in china'. Caveat emptor.
@@ProjectFarm thank you man, I just finished up the see-through catalytic converter video today I'm going to try to post it on Saturday it was pretty interesting.
@@TheAgentAssassin the same Chinese culture that became the factory of the world, carried the world economy for the past decade, and is making the leader in free trade turn protectionist? This video is more about the superior quality control and and advanced manufacturing in Japan than an indictment of Chinese manufacturing. Notice there's no other countries in the rankings. For the Chinese factories to churn out batteries at 80-85% quality of the world leaders in 10 years time is itself a wake up call to other developing countries.
It's good to see confirmation of what I've experienced over the past years of using rechargeable batteries. It's also great to see new choices I may not have considered before watching your analysis. Eneloop batteries have been and remain my primary battery for AA and AAA. I also found Rayovac AA batteries to be a big surprise. They lasted considerably longer in my informal GPS test years ago and I still have some I use today.
Hey PF, With 2019 coming to an end, I wanted to express my appreciation for the excellent work you do. I've been a Consumer Reports subscriber for years, but they are increasingly preoccupied with high-dollar items like electronics and cars, leaving out many categories of products that matter a great deal to consumers. Your testing fills much of that niche, focusing on extensive testing of everyday items like batteries, duct tape and glue. The information you give us is thus VERY useful and important. The great thing about your channel is the fact that you are totally independent of manufacturer influence. You also show us your full testing process--I never cease to be amazed at your ingenuity and the lengths you go to in giving products the acid test! I know you put in a lot of time and effort in performing your testing, and this is one subscriber who appreciates it. I use your data to help me make informed decisions on what products will give me the best bang for my buck. Happy New Year, and keep up the great work. (PS: I've had questions about rechargeable battery quality for years. I now know the Duracells I got were the right choice.)
Please don't trust CR. I work for a major auto manufacturer who's transmissions literally fall apart at 40,000 miles, every single one of them. CR gives them good reviews.
These guys don't even have affiliate links in the description which honestly I would be fine with as long as the reviews remained honest but of course all advertising can corrupt. OG move.
We bought the Duracell ones after the last video, happy to report they are still going strong and have not noticed any decline in performance, glad to see the new video agrees!
I used to joke that companies who do well should put "rated very impressive" and the PF seal on their products. I'm not joking anymore. Thank you very much to PF for what you do!
Always top-tier videos, well-described testing methodology, and a pleasure to watch on so many different topics. Thanks for everything over the years! Keep it up. Cheers, Rob
Use them in my Apple "Magic Mouse", which eats regular batteries like TicTacs. Got 7 years out of them before they started to lose capacity - so I bought 4 more. Might give the LADDAs a try when 2027 rolls around. :-)
Thank you for this test! It's important to consider cost in this equation as the Eneloops, for example, cost double what the IKEA Ladda batteries do. So even if the Eneloops output 20mAh more or 1% of rated more, it's nowhere near worth it. Kinda the same story with the EBL. Though they were the worst at % of rating, they still output nearly 2400mAh and are very affordable.
Yeah usable mAh per dollar after the year in the solar lights is the main thing I would care about. But he does provide the data for me to figure that out which is good.
Funnily enough, I am fairly certain that Ladda is in fact a rebranded Eneloop (there is a fair bit of evidence for that), and I think Amazon Basic might be as well but I haven't had a chance to test that.
Appreciate the quality content! 👏 I have Duracell, Eneloop and LADDA. No complaints so far. Eneloop promises a LOT more recharge cycles than the others, but due to 1900 vs 2400 mAh you have a little less usage time/charge.
Amazon Basics Silver AA are now made in China. Brand new most of them are already over 100 resistance some over 200. I'm returning them for some Eneloop or Ikea Ladda.
@@amightygrizzly i don't think they makethe silver/black anymore it just the green ones that are made in china. The Renewed ones states made in Japan on the website the packaging provided in made in china
Personally I'm with Eneloop, I must have 50 of them, most are 15y old and still rocking! 😎😅 Super important video, durability, thank you x1000 for your work.
Same I have 4 that still work after 14 years. Though the other 4 died since I stopped using them for a couple of years which I guess killed them through non usage.. Still I decided to replace them because I was only getting 6 hours of controller playtime with them and that's Sony controller level of life bad.
The problem is that by the time someone is able to inform you that a certain product has worked for 15 years, the odds of the the same product bought today is slim.
Project Farm, I used your initial battery testing to persuade my wife to get a set of Duracell Rechargeable batteries plus the charger, it was a pretty big purchase battery cost wise, but so far they are better than most non-rechargeable batteries (especially the cheap ones) and we get to keep reusing them after a short charge. We have been using them for 6 months and have been quite happy with their performance, I can personally recommend the Duracell Rechargeable batteries and I think your test data is 100% on point. Thank you once again for doing unbiased tests like this, it really helps people out!
The same testing on the same brands, but lithium ion batteries. Especially the Duracell 2450 and Eneloop. And then AGAIN on 18650 batteries, especially Samsung! Keep up the great work!
I recently got a bunch of EBL, and agree that their self-discharge is uncomfortably high; however in terms of raw capacity, while their overrating is typical of many [Chinese] brands, their absolute capacity is quite good; i.e. if they were more truthfully marketed as having 2300 mAH capacity (typical for AA), they look a LOT better. I'm probably going to switch to Amazon Basics for things that might sit (flashlights), but will use the EBL in things that get used (like solar lamps).
Good to know. We use eneloop in our blink cameras. Have had them for 2 years with no issues. Bought them with no research, just ratings. Your videos are the best man! Keep up the great reviews!
You are nuts! I'm impressed and somewhat shaking my head at the knowledge that you left these batteries testing for a full year. Valuable channel. Thank you for going the distance.
I've been waiting for this one! I actually just re-watched the previous vids on this topic today, coincidentally. Just to point out, there is only one factory in Japan that makes ni-mh batteries; all those you tested came from the same factory and likely represent only two or three different battery types, regardless of branding and rating. The 2450-rated cells are likely versions of the eneloop Pro and the 1900-2000 are likely the same as 3rd or 4th generation eneloops. This factory was part of Sanyo, now fujitsu, and developed the low self-discharge technology. When Panasonic bought Sanyo, anti-trust laws in Japan prevented sale of this factory and the battery technology to Panasonic. Oddly, Fujitsu owns both the IP and the factory, though Panasonic owns the eneloop brand. At least, that is how I understand the story. Any ni-mh battery made in Japan comes from this factory, so you know you are getting a decent product. When it comes to Chinese ni-mh batteries, it's more of a mixed bag. I've not seen any rival Japan's low self-discharge, but I have had some Chinese cells with good capacity, low resistance, good longevity (cycles), and a lower price-point. And others (EBL is one) that are noticeably inferior. If you do your research and low self-discharge isn't as important, some Chinese brands can serve you well (e.g., Tenergy, PKcell) in my experience. You can almost think of these cells with an iron triangle approach: a good product can get you 1) high capacity, 2) low self-discharge, or 3) high cycle life; pick two of these. Lesser products can get you only one of those, at best, and certainly not the low self-discharge.
9:40 I've been an Eneloop fanboy for 10+ years but after seeing this review I just ordered 12 of the Duracell. Project Farm seems like a legit reviewer so I am putting what little buying power I have with his top performers. I've been disappointed in Eneloops for awhile since they advertise 2100 recharges but none of the 3 dozen I have bought lasted more than 150-200 times. Duracell states 400 times, so we will see and praying for good results. BTW I did not see a link for buying the Duracell so sorry you didn't get a commission for that.
Guys, isn't the chage current used for final test using the Wizzard Charger too high? I thought that a correct charging current would be 10% of the capacity. 500mA for a 2000mA is 25%. Am I wrong?
Project Farm Count my vote too. But if you do it, remember that the rating is usually grossly exaggerated unless it’s a reputable manufacturer. While exaggerated capacity is normally not a good thing, I bought some “Meco” brand 18650 rated for 4000 mAh (which is actually impossible with current technology) and they were all pretty good for the price, all having a nice capacity of about 2600 mAh, just like my Samsung ICR18650s which were twice as expensive. Then again, maybe they are rejects and the quality varies depending on the lot, so it’d be nice to test batteries in different lots.
Man this video is SOOOOO damn helpful, thank you. I had my faith in the EBL 2800's and I kept wondering why my wall clock keeps stop working. Thanks a whole bunch; really man, thank you
Yeah, I was intrigued as well, but somehow just had a bad feeling about these. High capacity usually comes at the cost of higher self-discharge rate and 2800 mah has gotta be the highest capacity AA ever, if that number wasn't exaggerated.
Since I've noticed that a couple other commenters have mentioned that Amazon has changed from japan to china I think we need a re-test just so we know who to trust.
@@ProjectFarm Truth spoken for the few but not so bluntly out loud so everyone can hear. I understand your conflict. We will have Chinese law & products only soon enough if people keep buying made in China.
@@ProjectFarm I wouldn't either but usually amazon tends to only use companies that make quality items so hopefully if they are switching it's not just because they found a cheaper deal. Maybe they know something we don't like whatever manufacturer they switch too had just upped their game. So it would be interesting to see the results of tests being done again.
@@illidur Why would you even ask that. What good would knowing that do you? But since you asked the reason I made my suggestion and comment is because I really appreciate and respect the work that Project Farm is doing and by giving suggestions and sharing my feelings about the subject in one way or another it will help him make better content. There's a reason he asks for suggestions and even if he doesn't do everything that suggested every little bit helps. So quit being cynical just enjoy the content that's provided.
For 5+ years I have had a set of Ikea rechargeable AAs that I use for musical instruments. I have rotated several sets, but over 5 years, the Ikea Ladda are the only ones that still work great. The others gave up a couple of years back, not able to hold a charge for very long. I originally picked the IKEA Ladda up because they were so cheap, and I thought I would use them until I bought a real brand... well IKEA rechargeables are amazing! As always, I love your videos. The only thing I wonder about is voltage fluctuation and consistency. Maybe it is not a concern. I have no idea, but I do have IKEA.
I went nuts about a year ago and wanted to test this myself. My findings match yours. I went with EBL because some swore by it. They discharge way to fast and were not consistent. The Eneloop's are far superior but the Duracell was a nice surprise! Very well done as usual.
as always, we all appreciate you taking one for the team and doing all these tests, someone has to do these to hold manufacturing companies accountable lol i'm glad i get all the important information from this channel. and yes i'm a patreon supporter so no i am not a freeloader lol. thank you again!!!
See, now this is produce testing that we can relate to. "I found these batteries in a drawer with a receipt from March, you think they're any good?" "Where's the receipt from?" "Harbor Freight." "Todd says they're dead." "Who?"
Never would have thought of doing a test like this but it is greatly appreciated!! I always bought Energizers but will switch to duracell! Thank you so much!
Tremendous effort, and courage to rely on small differences in certain tests. The mAh measurements are fine, but small differences in open circuit voltage, and internal resistance aren't significant. Opus instructions state battery IR can be very small and contact resistance can have a major influence. From slot-to-slot a 10 - 20% variation is normal. They say test twice and deduct the contact resistance, about 30mΩ. I got the most reproducible IR result by sliding the contact away from the battery, then letting it snap back into contact. (BTW, notice how close an Amazon Basic was to the Eneloop? Hmmm... 😉)
Been happy with the Eneloops. Currently learning more than I ever wanted to know about 9V rechargeables. Most of the lithiums don't supply enough voltage for smoke detectors and safes. Many of the Ni-MH will supposedly self discharge in a month. Low self discharge versions only have about 200mah. The Znter appears to have the best potential but has limited availability. Its designed to maintain 9.5v throughout the discharge cycle. Considering the number of smoke detectors that are supposed to get fresh batteries annually it seems like the rechargeable offerings should be better.
Hey Project Farm, I love your videos and the content you cover I can just imagine all the effort you put in them. Always make for a good evening watching them when a new one came out! Take care!
I bought a whole bunch of Duracell rechargeable AA from Costco a year ago and they were made in Japan. Went back recently to buy more, they are now made in China!
I've had a bunch of Eneloop Pro double and triple A batteries for years and they've been great. They've been charged and discharged who knows how many times and still work great. They're actually pretty impressive.
Eneloops are the go-to battle tested batteries of professional photographers, besides the large lithium ion batteries of Godox and other big battery packs of more recent flashes. I still have about 30 Eneloop batteries that are still working for about 20 years. Thank you Project Farm for such a time consuming test. Thank you for including so many brands especially Harbor Freight because those are pretty much everywhere and you can pick up an item the same day instead of having to wait for shipping. Too bad the HF batteries didn't do well in your tests.
There are rumors: "the amazon japan made batteries are made by panasonic and FDK, which is the former known sanyo. sanyo splited, the eneloop brand wass sold to panasonic and the factory(namely FDK) was sold to Fujitsu. FDK is also the maker behind a lots of well-known made in Japan brands rechargeable batteries and they have serveral grades. (for example, the Amazon Basic are FDK made if they are made in Japan, also the apple ones for their old wireless keyboards/touchpads. the chinese made one were rumored made by BYD, a chinese car and battery manufacture) FDK is not the manufacture of Eneloop anymore but Panasonic is, in another word, Eneloop is now a rebranded Panasonic evolta." These rumors have stormed some forums for some years. Please atleast check the Fujitsu one to see whether they are true Love your videos
Since you're doing rechargeable batteries, 18650 button or flat top batteries would be interesting to see too! I've been buying brown samsung 18650's religiously but I've noticed that the green LG 18650's are near identical, it would be really interesting to see the differences between the two
@@ProjectFarm I'd love to also see the true capacity of some of those generics on ebay and amazon claiming 4000mAh and higher which is obviously false.
FYI, 14 months ago I purchased Amazon silver basic AAA batteries and they were from Japan. Six months I made an identical purchase of AAA silver basics from Amazon and they were from China even though the photograph in the listing shows Japan on the wrapper. Buyer beware.
Same here in Europe, Black Amazon Basic AA batteries bought march 2019 were made in japan, same article, bought again in july 2019 were made in china. Picture was the same and article text said made in japan :(.
@@jeffstanley4593 I highly doubt there is a guy or gal running batch experiments for Quality Assurance in the same manner that PF just did on these batteries. So yea, "Made to specification." just means; The plastic label wrap is straight, not peeling or smeared. We sourced the chemicals from our dealers, but mixed according to recipe provided, and they hold current. Boxed up and ready to ship. Needless to say, the chemicals inside, mean a lot as far as what the battery will withstand. China will get some things right, but sometimes, they just won't hold a candle.
@@th3R0b0t Well a lot of the time the specs would read something like; Basic battery shape, able to hold a charge when fresh from the factory, nice looking label and cheap, real cheap, Kina cheap.
Is a side by side for several car wax / refinish products on your list at all? I did see the one video way back when with the 1 product but was curious about more products as well. Thank you, and great video as always!
I totally sound like a jerk and I'm sorry Project Farm, but Scott H "42 way coating" has been doing some testing for a very long time. As long as 2 years results.
the ikea ladda batteries are actually the cheapest when you buy them directly from the ikea store, 7 dollars for a 4 pack, i use them more than my eneloops now
I have a lot of experience with rechargeable AAs, I've been using them in camera hot-shoe flashes for decades. In my experience the rated output doesn't many anything, I've had 1800 batteries perform much better than 2400 batteries. Another wildcard is that lots of brands the batteries just fail, they won't charge anymore, for no apparent reason. By far the best battery I've every tried are the Eneloop. They work very well, keep working very well, and I've never had a failure.
Yesterday my neighbor came by: "hey can I borrow your lawn mower?" All I could do was think of my man from this channel and I was like "ummmm. Yeah I don't like lending my stuff out"
@Rene' D Around here we got the older, crappy tools still laying around just in case. Those are the ones if the good stuff breaks, or if someone asks to borrow a tool. You are still the nice guy that lent the tool and your good ones stay good.
Because of this review video I purchased the Ladda 2450maH batteries, which are still sold in Australia. Never knew how much we were getting ripped off by other battery manufacturers!
Question: Did you test the batteries when new to compare rated capacity vs actual capacity? I feel that comparing rated capacity when new to actual capacity after a year introduces inaccuracies. For example: a battery 80% of rated capacity new would look bad even if it retained 100% capacity over a year, compared to a battery 100% of rated capacity new that only retained 90% capacity after a year. Thank you so much for this amazing in-depth review! Please don't take my nitpicking as anything but constructive. PS: I would like to see this done with 18650 batteries.
Thank you for all of your time and effort in testing all of those batteries. I was quite surprised by some of the results. Would you be willing to do a test on the AA-AAA chargers? There are so many out there I'm not sure what to look for. Obviously getting a bad one could ruin your battery, I was hoping you could give us some guidance. Thanks again.
I'd like to see your unbiased review/opinion on some battery powered drills and impact drivers. Dewalt, Porter Cable, Craftsman, Black and Decker.. ect.
On the theme of batteries, I'd love to see some CR123s and RCR123s tested, since you're starting to see a ton of those used in "tactical" type lights on the market, and they're becoming common enough that you can get 'em in big packs at Lowes.
i LOVE tactical flashlights. i open carry a few magazines worth of them every day. the idea is that when i encounter an assailant at night, i cant pelt them with my tactical flashlights, and when i need to reload, i can easily find my spent flashlights and resume my barrage of tactical flashlights. when the bad guys come after you, are you going to wait for the good guys with tactical flashlights to arrive? or take on the bad guys your self with your own flash light arsenal.
something ive always wondered, and contemplated doing myself, is seeing how accurate the gas pumps are for getting what you paid for. Over 1000's of liters a year, how much does the gas station skim off the top. Ambient temp also plays a factor.
In Connecticut U.S., the state has surprise inspections at gas stations and check volume of each pump carefully. Any tampering would mean big fine and imprisonment.
They all seemed pretty good. Then you have to consider price. One was just rated to high at 2800 but still did good overall in complicity. Just lower than they claimed it should be. I mean if I can get a Chinese battery that is one to a few percent lower capacity but is 10-20 percent cheaper then the Chinese can be a better value.
@@VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM These are rechargeable batteries though, so your bang for your buck will also be in how long they last, and the Chinese battery's longevity is simply pathetic when considering it's degradation in these tests. Losing nearly twice the capacity compared to the other batteries in the same amount of time is downright abysmal.
i bought those EBL batteries at the end of summer & noticed they had the worst discharge i EVER saw. seeing your tests of the EBL was no surprise to me. the next worst batteries i ever tried were energizers from the mid 2000's. camera's would drain them in No time.after a yr they stopped hold a charge longer then 1 day doing Nothing.........i had probably a dozen of them & they ALL were like that.
Great video. This also reflects my personal experience with Rayovac and Energizer, the only two rechargeable brands I've used. I started with Rayovac because of the cheap price, but after a year had to replace them more and more often and ended up switching to Energizer. My experience with Energizer has been far better after about two years of use I have no issues with the original batteries I purchased. I use them for clocks, remote controls, gaming controllers (xbox one), and flashlights. The info you provide is awesome and I hope it keeps some people from making the same mistake I did. Keep up the good work :)
Before Amazon released their AMZ Basic products, I have been used Panasonic Eneloop for over 10 years on GPS, game controller, wireless keyboard, mouse, etc. Eneloop is really the top-end quality. You should try it. I don;'t thin Energizer is a good option for their prices
I have some suggestions for future tests: Tarps (weight? strength? waterproof? frost-resistance? radiation/UV?), Towels (strength, how much liquid can they hold, how quickly can they dry, how much fabric do they loose?), LED-lightbulbs (are energy input and light output as promised? How long/how many switch-on cycles do they survive?).
Yes, please! Batteries in my solar yard lights are unusable after less than a year. (On the other hand, I had one yard light with a 12V lead acid battery that went for 15 years until it got smashed by hail.)
@@WritesWithCare My big yard light is still doing well after a year with its LiFePO₄ battery. I believe that it's worth noting that most Priuses (Prii?) on the road use NiMH batteries. Some have been on the same set of batteries since 2001. Wish I knew the secret sauce for these things. I've got a set of near-worthless Eneloops that are only 3 years old and hardly used at all.
I love your reviews, thanks for doing them! (I do realize this is a 12mo. old video 😁) I was re-watching this one again to refresh my memory on the results and thought it would be awesome if you could do a similar test with these new lithium ion rechargeable AA and AAA that are now starting to come out. These batteries are claimed to be a true 1.5v (vs. 1.2v). There's at least a ton of import brands out there now like Kentli, PaleBlue, safeloop, Pownergy (what a cringe worthy name 🤦♂️), many others that seem to be the same designs at least so might be challenging to pick 6 brands or so that are actually using different cells.
this level of video content quality and the really deep test that strips the product naked is a first that I come across - impressive is an understatement. Respect from Bombay, India.
I had been a bit critical of your first AA battery videos but these are now extremely comprehensive, really amazing work, thanks. I'm surprised your 1yr Eneloop had self-discharged so much, mine are around 1.26v after sitting a year. But it did have the least amount of internal resistance change of any of them after 1 year in the garden lights. I think your tests are showing they aren't the cheapest or highest capacity, but longevity should be good which is certainly my experience (10 yrs). I've been ecstatic with mine but for some uses I'll definitely consider the cheaper or higher capacity cells now. About to watch your lithium AA video.
You have a knack to understand customer use cases! This is exactly how I would've tested the data. I would like to see charge/discharge rates over the course of the year. Thanks for your hard work! Thank you!
Great video! I was halfway through thinking "Well, what if there was a way to test how fast they can recharge a camera flash?", and then you covered it. I was tempted to try some ikea batteries after your last video, but then I noticed that they were only rated for 500 charging cycles. Now I'll go look up the others (big eneloop fan here).
Thanks for the good review, very revealing! I like to obtain internal resistance measurements from all four bays and average, or just use one bay for all. According to the manual: "Please note that ... contact resistance can be a major factor; thus with the same battery tested in a different slot or even in the same slot with different contact conditions, measurements can vary by 20% or more."
Please let me know if you'd like to see a "2 year update" on the rechargeable batteries. Here are the links to the batteries tested. Thanks, Todd
Products Tested In This Video (in no particular order):
PowerEx: amzn.to/2EmrKwO
Ikea Ladda: amzn.to/3j43iz6
Amazon Basics High Capacity: amzn.to/3lazUJl
Amazon Basics: amzn.to/2Yodkn3
Eneloop: amzn.to/3j7QrMf
Rayovac: amzn.to/3aKwUyJ
EBL: amzn.to/32dwrRQ
Energizer: amzn.to/32dLevH
Harbor Freight Thunderbolt: bit.ly/34l6VMX
Hi Joe, Thank you very much for the question regarding affiliate links. I've received a lot of requests over the months to include affiliate links to allow viewers to help support the channel and to help viewers find the specific products I test. A Patreon contributor sent a very lengthy message explaining why it makes good sense to set up an affiliate account along with why affiliate links should not have any influence on objectivity. After all, I'd be providing all products tested, not a single brand. Subsequently, I reached out to several other friends with TH-cam channels asking them for their opinion. All of them suggested setting up an affiliate account and all agreed that it should not have any impact on objectivity of testing. They all agreed that an affiliate account is much different than accepting a sponsorship from a specific manufacturer and I agree. To this day, I have never accepted a single sponsorship offer and or a free product from a manufacturer and that's not going to change.
Regarding the constructive feedback on the testing, thank you very much!
Best regards,
Todd
@@ProjectFarm Thanks for the response Todd. I agree with your logic. I was just looking for clarification because I watched a video specifically mentioning not using these links and wondered if you changed your stance. Project Farm deserves any support people want to provide. I don't have anything against affiliate links because it allows people to contribute to the channel without Patreon.
I look forward to another battery video. Keep up the great work!
Joe, Thank you very much and great point about contributing without using Patreon. I've had a lot of viewers request other options. Thanks again and best regards, Todd
@@ProjectFarm I clicked on the link for the Amazon Basics. At that page, when I click on the "user manual" PDF, it indicates that the battery is made in China. However, you said it was made in Japan. Have they changed their production facility since you made the original video? Are they made in China or Japan?
Why is the Duracell not listed here in the links?
Project Farm teaches a lot of the stuff we want to know, but don't have the patience, know-how, dedication and persistence to find out for ourselves. Priceless channel
Thank you very much!
Nor the tools. Excellent videos. To the point. I wonder if the presenter gentleman is military. He kind of talks as if he were.
And saves us so much money (and the environment!) in the process by showing us which products are unreliable.
@@pogtuber5146 great point about the environment.
But the conclusions are completely wrong. If you actually look at the data, the Chinese made EBLs is one of the best batteries because they still hold a seriously impressive 2392 mAh. On the other hand, the Energizer, Amazon, and Eneloop only retain about 1800-2000 mAh. So, same AA form factor, but much less usable capacity when charged and discharged over 300 times as compared to EBL.
One of the only youtubers that actually follows up on products after initial testing. Really appreciate the hard work!
Thanks so much!
Echoing this. People sometimes see these videos years later. Seeing the follow-up really leaves an impression on viewers about how this channel approaches the service it's providing, and I think it's very much to the creators' credit. If all review channels were operating at this level I wouldn't have to spend a month figuring out which channels are offering the quality of unbiased information I need to feel like I'm making informed decisions rather than impulse buys based on whims, marketing, or simply price points.
@@ProjectFarm no thank you!!
You should have a lifetime federal grant. Your information and testing videos are like gold for all American consumers. Thank you sir.
You are welcome!
Lets not encourage the shitbag politicians to get involved in good work please! =)
If the government takes ownership of project farm reviews I would not trust the reports!!
Wouldn't he then be in the governments pocket and no longer independent.
I'm pretty sure working for the government would be a massive pay cut
Your dedication to testing these products is just amazing. I'm so glad I found this channel!
Thank you for the feedback
Not sure about the Amazon Silver, but Amazon Blacks have been changed to a chinese battery. Just wanted to make sure everyone was aware.
This is great information! Thank you!
Yes checked couple days ago and send them back. That's problem with Amazon he changes manufacturer by price. but also its stated in description on website.
Yep, my silver's were made in China too. The ol bait and switch, I'm sure they aren't as good. I didn't get the same results I was expecting with mine.
Chance Rogers Wouldn’t that be interesting to compare Amazon Black China to Amazon Black Japanese.
Powerex isnt nearly the same quality as before either. With as expensive as they are, hard pass now.
Imagine living at project farm. “Don’t touch those batteries!!” Honey they been sitting there for two years. “I know”
lol. Yes, I keep them in a very safe place away from the wife and kids
Hide them under your bed. She'll never find them there. Thanks man for all your testing.
Imagine the oil can which is much older :)
@@ProjectFarm
Hello mr. Tesla.
Keith Kuhn here, I have an h4n zoom recorder.
From your test results
Would I'd be good to purchase Eneloop ?
Thanks Keith Kuhn
Stuff them in your man purse
This is such a good channel, it’s insane… you’ve overtaken Consumer Reports as a consumer info source. Thank you for the great analyses!
Thank you!
Consumer reports is corrupted just like our government paid off LOl
Oh China :( I wouldn't mind seeing 18650 batteries tested. Merry Christmas!
Great suggestion! I'll do it if there are enough thumbs up to see if there's enough interest. If I test them, I'll try to test at least 10 brands. Merry Christmas!
Agreed! I've seen high variation between different 18650s, even with those of the same brand.
@@ProjectFarm easier to test 5 different brands. many 18650 brands are rewraps and fake batteries
Hear hear, this is one I'd REALLY like to see! Especially since they're becoming so much more common now in lights!
@@ProjectFarm You should also test the amps they can produce. For some aplicatins like vapes you need really expensive 18650s usually from samsung. Thanks!
Two years ago I bought Amazon silver AAA batteries, they were made in Japan. A year later I purchased more Amazon silver AAA batteries and they were made in China even though the photographs in the description still showed batteries as 'made in Japan'. I also have some Duracell AA rechargeable batteries purchased 2-3 years ago, they are labeled as 'made in Japan'. On Amazon, the photographs in the description show them as 'made in china'. Caveat emptor.
IMO Japan has always made superior cells for some reason, maybe the chemistry or maybe just better Quality Control.
WP, you are right! Very impressed with their quality! Speaking of superior quality, your videos are amazing!
@@ProjectFarm thank you man, I just finished up the see-through catalytic converter video today I'm going to try to post it on Saturday it was pretty interesting.
Looking forward to seeing the see-through catalytic converter! That's awesome!
Superior quality and materials, no doubt.
@@TheAgentAssassin the same Chinese culture that became the factory of the world, carried the world economy for the past decade, and is making the leader in free trade turn protectionist?
This video is more about the superior quality control and and advanced manufacturing in Japan than an indictment of Chinese manufacturing. Notice there's no other countries in the rankings. For the Chinese factories to churn out batteries at 80-85% quality of the world leaders in 10 years time is itself a wake up call to other developing countries.
It's good to see confirmation of what I've experienced over the past years of using rechargeable batteries. It's also great to see new choices I may not have considered before watching your analysis. Eneloop batteries have been and remain my primary battery for AA and AAA. I also found Rayovac AA batteries to be a big surprise. They lasted considerably longer in my informal GPS test years ago and I still have some I use today.
Thanks for sharing.
I have also found Rayovac AA and AAA batteries to be long lasting. They are made in the USA, always a good thing. I found both sizes at LIDL stores.
Eneloop didn't fare that well imo. I saw it consistently in 3-7 positions.
Disclaimer: I love eneloop and wanted to see it win.
Hey PF,
With 2019 coming to an end, I wanted to express my appreciation for the excellent work you do.
I've been a Consumer Reports subscriber for years, but they are increasingly preoccupied with high-dollar items like electronics and cars, leaving out many categories of products that matter a great deal to consumers.
Your testing fills much of that niche, focusing on extensive testing of everyday items like batteries, duct tape and glue. The information you give us is thus VERY useful and important.
The great thing about your channel is the fact that you are totally independent of manufacturer influence. You also show us your full testing process--I never cease to be amazed at your ingenuity and the lengths you go to in giving products the acid test!
I know you put in a lot of time and effort in performing your testing, and this is one subscriber who appreciates it. I use your data to help me make informed decisions on what products will give me the best bang for my buck.
Happy New Year, and keep up the great work.
(PS: I've had questions about rechargeable battery quality for years. I now know the Duracells I got were the right choice.)
I drop Consumer Reports many, many years ago. They weighed into politics trying to tell me what was better for me.
@no name That's exactly the opposite of how an unbiased review system should work.
@no name , Seriously? That defies all logic. Can you say "bias"?
Please don't trust CR. I work for a major auto manufacturer who's transmissions literally fall apart at 40,000 miles, every single one of them. CR gives them good reviews.
These guys don't even have affiliate links in the description which honestly I would be fine with as long as the reviews remained honest but of course all advertising can corrupt. OG move.
We bought the Duracell ones after the last video, happy to report they are still going strong and have not noticed any decline in performance, glad to see the new video agrees!
This is great information! Thank you
I used to joke that companies who do well should put "rated very impressive" and the PF seal on their products. I'm not joking anymore. Thank you very much to PF for what you do!
Thank you very much!!
Yeah you know where about to see a " project farm approved " on boxes .
I'd have loved to seen that (the video, ranking, and seal!) last summer before I bought my EBL batteries based off reviews =(
Always top-tier videos, well-described testing methodology, and a pleasure to watch on so many different topics. Thanks for everything over the years! Keep it up.
Cheers,
Rob
No TH-cam creator goes to this length testing the quality of a product, this is true dedication, thank you Sir, for everything.
Thank you very much!
Kasumi
I have a whole bunch of AA Eneloops that are still good to use even after over 10 years of use. Never had one fail yet!
Same here. Bought a couple of them approx 10yrs ago for my camera and using them currently for low voltage xmas lighting _ long life ftw
Exactly same for me , four eneloop with year of use with my camera , they are ok and stable
I just got some recently, I wonder if they've improved?
Same here, I have some that are 5-9 yrs old and still hold a good charge😆😆😆
Use them in my Apple "Magic Mouse", which eats regular batteries like TicTacs. Got 7 years out of them before they started to lose capacity - so I bought 4 more. Might give the LADDAs a try when 2027 rolls around. :-)
Thank you for this test! It's important to consider cost in this equation as the Eneloops, for example, cost double what the IKEA Ladda batteries do. So even if the Eneloops output 20mAh more or 1% of rated more, it's nowhere near worth it. Kinda the same story with the EBL. Though they were the worst at % of rating, they still output nearly 2400mAh and are very affordable.
Thanks for the feedback.
Yeah usable mAh per dollar after the year in the solar lights is the main thing I would care about. But he does provide the data for me to figure that out which is good.
Funnily enough, I am fairly certain that Ladda is in fact a rebranded Eneloop (there is a fair bit of evidence for that), and I think Amazon Basic might be as well but I haven't had a chance to test that.
@@orientowitz1 a few people in the answers section on the amazon basics batterys have said they are rebranded eneloops.
Appreciate the quality content! 👏
I have Duracell, Eneloop and LADDA. No complaints so far. Eneloop promises a LOT more recharge cycles than the others, but due to 1900 vs 2400 mAh you have a little less usage time/charge.
Thanks!
“All batteries were requested by viewers”
That’s awesome, another reason why I love this guy, thank you Project Farm for always being awesome!
Thank you very much!
Hence why it's critical we must support him on Patreon.. he refuses sponsorships so we as viewers must do our part for this guy to continue
Amazon Basics Silver AA are now made in China. Brand new most of them are already over 100 resistance some over 200. I'm returning them for some Eneloop or Ikea Ladda.
Thank you for the feedback.
I love eneloop batteries
Are the Amazon Basics Black still made in Japan or China?
@@amightygrizzly i don't think they makethe silver/black anymore it just the green ones that are made in china. The Renewed ones states made in Japan on the website the packaging provided in made in china
Eneloop is made in China:)
You legitimately conduct better consumer studies than most labs do
Thank you for the feedback
Personally I'm with Eneloop, I must have 50 of them, most are 15y old and still rocking! 😎😅
Super important video, durability, thank you x1000 for your work.
You are welcome!
Same I have 4 that still work after 14 years. Though the other 4 died since I stopped using them for a couple of years which I guess killed them through non usage..
Still I decided to replace them because I was only getting 6 hours of controller playtime with them and that's Sony controller level of life bad.
The problem is that by the time someone is able to inform you that a certain product has worked for 15 years, the odds of the the same product bought today is slim.
Project Farm,
I used your initial battery testing to persuade my wife to get a set of Duracell Rechargeable batteries plus the charger, it was a pretty big purchase battery cost wise, but so far they are better than most non-rechargeable batteries (especially the cheap ones) and we get to keep reusing them after a short charge. We have been using them for 6 months and have been quite happy with their performance, I can personally recommend the Duracell Rechargeable batteries and I think your test data is 100% on point. Thank you once again for doing unbiased tests like this, it really helps people out!
Cant go wrong with IKEA Ladda. I Never use enything ells.
@@tomeng9520 the Ladda's did really well in the test on this video, I was actually surprised by the IKEA's.
The same testing on the same brands, but lithium ion batteries. Especially the Duracell 2450 and Eneloop. And then AGAIN on 18650 batteries, especially Samsung! Keep up the great work!
Great recommendations! Thank you!
I recently got a bunch of EBL, and agree that their self-discharge is uncomfortably high; however in terms of raw capacity, while their overrating is typical of many [Chinese] brands, their absolute capacity is quite good; i.e. if they were more truthfully marketed as having 2300 mAH capacity (typical for AA), they look a LOT better. I'm probably going to switch to Amazon Basics for things that might sit (flashlights), but will use the EBL in things that get used (like solar lamps).
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for explaining!
Good to know. We use eneloop in our blink cameras. Have had them for 2 years with no issues. Bought them with no research, just ratings. Your videos are the best man! Keep up the great reviews!
Thanks, will do!
WOW! This is hands down the best battery comparison I've ever seen! Thanks a lot
Thank you very much!
This is great but in the vape community there's a guy called Mooch that has single handedly built a damn database of battery test data
@@ProjectFarm have you ever tested the gel batteries used in electric mobility devices?
The first thing I do is click "thumbs up" because Project Farm videos are always certain to provide USEFUL information.
Thank you very much!
I’d like to see the difference between the Enloop and Enloop Pros
The IKEA Laddas are just rebranded Eneloop Pros.
No difference they discharge the same disappointment
You are nuts! I'm impressed and somewhat shaking my head at the knowledge that you left these batteries testing for a full year. Valuable channel. Thank you for going the distance.
You are welcome!
I don't know anyone else that does these long term test to simulate what real life hands us. Very much appreciated!!!!
Thank you very much!
I've been waiting for this one! I actually just re-watched the previous vids on this topic today, coincidentally.
Just to point out, there is only one factory in Japan that makes ni-mh batteries; all those you tested came from the same factory and likely represent only two or three different battery types, regardless of branding and rating. The 2450-rated cells are likely versions of the eneloop Pro and the 1900-2000 are likely the same as 3rd or 4th generation eneloops. This factory was part of Sanyo, now fujitsu, and developed the low self-discharge technology. When Panasonic bought Sanyo, anti-trust laws in Japan prevented sale of this factory and the battery technology to Panasonic. Oddly, Fujitsu owns both the IP and the factory, though Panasonic owns the eneloop brand. At least, that is how I understand the story. Any ni-mh battery made in Japan comes from this factory, so you know you are getting a decent product.
When it comes to Chinese ni-mh batteries, it's more of a mixed bag. I've not seen any rival Japan's low self-discharge, but I have had some Chinese cells with good capacity, low resistance, good longevity (cycles), and a lower price-point. And others (EBL is one) that are noticeably inferior. If you do your research and low self-discharge isn't as important, some Chinese brands can serve you well (e.g., Tenergy, PKcell) in my experience.
You can almost think of these cells with an iron triangle approach: a good product can get you 1) high capacity, 2) low self-discharge, or 3) high cycle life; pick two of these. Lesser products can get you only one of those, at best, and certainly not the low self-discharge.
Great information. Thank you!
You have by far one of the most useful channels on TH-cam! Fair, honest, and detailed reviews every time. Thanks for the great work.
Wow, thanks!
9:40 I've been an Eneloop fanboy for 10+ years but after seeing this review I just ordered 12 of the Duracell. Project Farm seems like a legit reviewer so I am putting what little buying power I have with his top performers. I've been disappointed in Eneloops for awhile since they advertise 2100 recharges but none of the 3 dozen I have bought lasted more than 150-200 times. Duracell states 400 times, so we will see and praying for good results. BTW I did not see a link for buying the Duracell so sorry you didn't get a commission for that.
Another superb video. I hope people appreciate that you put a LOT of work into these.
Thank you very much for the positive feedback!
Guys, isn't the chage current used for final test using the Wizzard Charger too high? I thought that a correct charging current would be 10% of the capacity. 500mA for a 2000mA is 25%. Am I wrong?
A test on 18650 batteries would be cool; they all look the same and cost roughly the same but there's a noticeable difference in them
Another vote for 18650s. Thank you!
@@ProjectFarm Keep up the good work!
Definitely! A lot of use use them for revitalising power tool batteries.
Project Farm Count my vote too. But if you do it, remember that the rating is usually grossly exaggerated unless it’s a reputable manufacturer. While exaggerated capacity is normally not a good thing, I bought some “Meco” brand 18650 rated for 4000 mAh (which is actually impossible with current technology) and they were all pretty good for the price, all having a nice capacity of about 2600 mAh, just like my Samsung ICR18650s which were twice as expensive. Then again, maybe they are rejects and the quality varies depending on the lot, so it’d be nice to test batteries in different lots.
YES!!!! I am about to try rebuilding one of my drill batteries and this would be quite helpful
I'm sure someone has said this, but the retail price on the ikea batteries is only 6.99 for four, which makes them kind of an insane value.
That's how they get you.
If you want that price you need to go to IKEA, and then god knows how long you will be in there for.
Every time I'm looking to compare something, you have the perfect video already out! You are my go-to source for product review!
Thanks!
Man this video is SOOOOO damn helpful, thank you. I had my faith in the EBL 2800's and I kept wondering why my wall clock keeps stop working. Thanks a whole bunch; really man, thank you
Yeah, I was intrigued as well, but somehow just had a bad feeling about these.
High capacity usually comes at the cost of higher self-discharge rate and 2800 mah has gotta be the highest capacity AA ever, if that number wasn't exaggerated.
When I saw your last chart, I thought: “Thanks god he has a rank after all of that” 😄👍
lol. Thank you!
👊🏻😅😂😂😂
Since I've noticed that a couple other commenters have mentioned that Amazon has changed from japan to china I think we need a re-test just so we know who to trust.
Great point! The ones I tested have "made in Japan" on the battery. I would NOT buy them if they're now made in China.
@@ProjectFarm Truth spoken for the few but not so bluntly out loud so everyone can hear. I understand your conflict. We will have Chinese law & products only soon enough if people keep buying made in China.
@@ProjectFarm I wouldn't either but usually amazon tends to only use companies that make quality items so hopefully if they are switching it's not just because they found a cheaper deal. Maybe they know something we don't like whatever manufacturer they switch too had just upped their game. So it would be interesting to see the results of tests being done again.
@@mute8s Is this wishful thinking or purchase denial and cope?
@@illidur Why would you even ask that. What good would knowing that do you? But since you asked the reason I made my suggestion and comment is because I really appreciate and respect the work that Project Farm is doing and by giving suggestions and sharing my feelings about the subject in one way or another it will help him make better content. There's a reason he asks for suggestions and even if he doesn't do everything that suggested every little bit helps. So quit being cynical just enjoy the content that's provided.
Never fails. Every time I am looking for something, you did it. Thanks. Keep it up man
Thanks, will do!
New Subscriber here: Great job on these battery tests. So helpful! Tons of work to make this I know. Thanks!!!
Thank you very much!
Thank you
Thanks
@@ProjectFarm no, thank you
THE BUILD SHOW
For 5+ years I have had a set of Ikea rechargeable AAs that I use for musical instruments. I have rotated several sets, but over 5 years, the Ikea Ladda are the only ones that still work great. The others gave up a couple of years back, not able to hold a charge for very long. I originally picked the IKEA Ladda up because they were so cheap, and I thought I would use them until I bought a real brand... well IKEA rechargeables are amazing! As always, I love your videos. The only thing I wonder about is voltage fluctuation and consistency. Maybe it is not a concern. I have no idea, but I do have IKEA.
Thanks for sharing.
and now they are 10$ per pack of 4 , wish they had bulk pkging
I went nuts about a year ago and wanted to test this myself. My findings match yours. I went with EBL because some swore by it. They discharge way to fast and were not consistent. The Eneloop's are far superior but the Duracell was a nice surprise! Very well done as usual.
This is great feedback! Thank you!!
as always, we all appreciate you taking one for the team and doing all these tests, someone has to do these to hold manufacturing companies accountable lol i'm glad i get all the important information from this channel. and yes i'm a patreon supporter so no i am not a freeloader lol. thank you again!!!
You are welcome! Thanks for your part as a Patreon! Really appreciate it.
I love how you get straight to the point, no bullshit. Awesome video, really shows how much care goes into manufacturing IKEA and Duracell batteries.
Thank you very much! I have great respect for people's time and try to edit out 100% of non-essential content. Thanks again!
See, now this is produce testing that we can relate to. "I found these batteries in a drawer with a receipt from March, you think they're any good?"
"Where's the receipt from?"
"Harbor Freight."
"Todd says they're dead."
"Who?"
lol. Thank you!
Hilarious! Also accurate...
hehe 🙂
Never would have thought of doing a test like this but it is greatly appreciated!! I always bought Energizers but will switch to duracell! Thank you so much!
Thank you
Ready for the 2.5 year review. Excited to see the results as i own a ton of LADDA batteries.
man, you must be eternally happy if you can get excited over a battery test, im so jaded i even meh when i open christmas presents...
You kept my interest, as always. I have always had good luck with Duracell products, but I do keep an open mind. Well done.
Tremendous effort, and courage to rely on small differences in certain tests.
The mAh measurements are fine, but small differences in open circuit voltage, and internal resistance aren't significant.
Opus instructions state battery IR can be very small and contact resistance can have a major influence. From slot-to-slot a 10 - 20% variation is normal. They say test twice and deduct the contact resistance, about 30mΩ.
I got the most reproducible IR result by sliding the contact away from the battery, then letting it snap back into contact.
(BTW, notice how close an Amazon Basic was to the Eneloop? Hmmm... 😉)
I'm guessing that means they are just rebranded? 😅
I'm trying to find a quality charger. Do you recommend Opus? Model?
Been happy with the Eneloops. Currently learning more than I ever wanted to know about 9V rechargeables. Most of the lithiums don't supply enough voltage for smoke detectors and safes. Many of the Ni-MH will supposedly self discharge in a month. Low self discharge versions only have about 200mah. The Znter appears to have the best potential but has limited availability. Its designed to maintain 9.5v throughout the discharge cycle. Considering the number of smoke detectors that are supposed to get fresh batteries annually it seems like the rechargeable offerings should be better.
Thanks for sharing.
Noice
Thanks for this work. I’ve been using the same set of Eneloop batteries for years with no obvious signs of problems.
You are welcome! Thanks for sharing.
Hey Project Farm, I love your videos and the content you cover I can just imagine all the effort you put in them. Always make for a good evening watching them when a new one came out! Take care!
Thank you very much!
I wonder if the Ikea and duracell are the same battery.
I believe you are right! They tested incredibly close to the same and both are made in Japan.
possibly. I do know the amazon batteries are made by enloop
I was thinking the same thing.
@@ProjectFarm Ikea Ladda and Panasonic Eneloop are made in the same factory in Japan.
What i know only one battery manufacturer for ready charged batteries left in Japan. 🤪
I bought a whole bunch of Duracell rechargeable AA from Costco a year ago and they were made in Japan. Went back recently to buy more, they are now made in China!
Great information! Thank you
I noticed that Costco doesn’t have the Eneloops anymore. They sell the Energizers. (I think)
I've had a bunch of Eneloop Pro double and triple A batteries for years and they've been great. They've been charged and discharged who knows how many times and still work great. They're actually pretty impressive.
Thanks for sharing.
Eneloops are the go-to battle tested batteries of professional photographers, besides the large lithium ion batteries of Godox and other big battery packs of more recent flashes.
I still have about 30 Eneloop batteries that are still working for about 20 years.
Thank you Project Farm for such a time consuming test. Thank you for including so many brands especially Harbor Freight because those are pretty much everywhere and you can pick up an item the same day instead of having to wait for shipping. Too bad the HF batteries didn't do well in your tests.
Thanks and you are welcome!
There are rumors:
"the amazon japan made batteries are made by panasonic and FDK, which is the former known sanyo. sanyo splited, the eneloop brand wass sold to panasonic and the factory(namely FDK) was sold to Fujitsu.
FDK is also the maker behind a lots of well-known made in Japan brands rechargeable batteries and they have serveral grades. (for example, the Amazon Basic are FDK made if they are made in Japan, also the apple ones for their old wireless keyboards/touchpads. the chinese made one were rumored made by BYD, a chinese car and battery manufacture)
FDK is not the manufacture of Eneloop anymore but Panasonic is, in another word, Eneloop is now a rebranded Panasonic evolta."
These rumors have stormed some forums for some years.
Please atleast check the Fujitsu one to see whether they are true
Love your videos
Since you're doing rechargeable batteries, 18650 button or flat top batteries would be interesting to see too! I've been buying brown samsung 18650's religiously but I've noticed that the green LG 18650's are near identical, it would be really interesting to see the differences between the two
The best 18650 batteries are made from Panasonic actually
Thank you for the video idea!
Battery mooch on TH-cam does this
@@psirvent8 how do you know ? , and what's to say you are not buying fake Panasonic?
@@ProjectFarm I'd love to also see the true capacity of some of those generics on ebay and amazon claiming 4000mAh and higher which is obviously false.
I’m an electrical engineer. This is a great test as are all your videos. Excellent. Thank you.
Thanks and you are welcome!
FYI, 14 months ago I purchased Amazon silver basic AAA batteries and they were from Japan. Six months I made an identical purchase of AAA silver basics from Amazon and they were from China even though the photograph in the listing shows Japan on the wrapper. Buyer beware.
Great information! Thank you
Not trying to defend Chinese made crap but their crap is made to our specifications.
Same here in Europe, Black Amazon Basic AA batteries bought march 2019 were made in japan, same article, bought again in july 2019 were made in china. Picture was the same and article text said made in japan :(.
@@jeffstanley4593 I highly doubt there is a guy or gal running batch experiments for Quality Assurance in the same manner that PF just did on these batteries.
So yea, "Made to specification." just means; The plastic label wrap is straight, not peeling or smeared. We sourced the chemicals from our dealers, but mixed according to recipe provided, and they hold current. Boxed up and ready to ship.
Needless to say, the chemicals inside, mean a lot as far as what the battery will withstand.
China will get some things right, but sometimes, they just won't hold a candle.
@@th3R0b0t Well a lot of the time the specs would read something like; Basic battery shape, able to hold a charge when fresh from the factory, nice looking label and cheap, real cheap, Kina cheap.
Is a side by side for several car wax / refinish products on your list at all? I did see the one video way back when with the 1 product but was curious about more products as well. Thank you, and great video as always!
I would love to see store-bought consumer products tested against the stuff professional porters and detailers use
Thank you for the video idea!
Collinite 845 for the at home user, end of story :-) It's amazing, cheap, and widely supported by the entire detailing community.
I completely second this suggestion!
I totally sound like a jerk and I'm sorry Project Farm, but Scott H "42 way coating" has been doing some testing for a very long time. As long as 2 years results.
the ikea ladda batteries are actually the cheapest when you buy them directly from the ikea store, 7 dollars for a 4 pack, i use them more than my eneloops now
Cant go wrong with IKEA Ladda. I Never use enything ells. they are made in Japan at the Panasonic factory.
Aren't they basically eneloops? Google search suggests so
I am curious which Eneloop was tested? BK-3MCC?
I have a lot of experience with rechargeable AAs, I've been using them in camera hot-shoe flashes for decades. In my experience the rated output doesn't many anything, I've had 1800 batteries perform much better than 2400 batteries. Another wildcard is that lots of brands the batteries just fail, they won't charge anymore, for no apparent reason. By far the best battery I've every tried are the Eneloop. They work very well, keep working very well, and I've never had a failure.
Thanks for sharing.
Over a year! That’s some great commitment 👍
Thank you!
Yesterday my neighbor came by: "hey can I borrow your lawn mower?"
All I could do was think of my man from this channel and I was like "ummmm. Yeah I don't like lending my stuff out"
lol. Great choice!
Babayega X just like never lend baby out.
@Rene' D Around here we got the older, crappy tools still laying around just in case. Those are the ones if the good stuff breaks, or if someone asks to borrow a tool. You are still the nice guy that lent the tool and your good ones stay good.
You and EEVblog uploaded a video about battery testing in the same day. Interesting to say the least.
I need to watch that video!
Because of this review video I purchased the Ladda 2450maH batteries, which are still sold in Australia. Never knew how much we were getting ripped off by other battery manufacturers!
Great choice! Thank you
Question: Did you test the batteries when new to compare rated capacity vs actual capacity?
I feel that comparing rated capacity when new to actual capacity after a year introduces inaccuracies.
For example: a battery 80% of rated capacity new would look bad even if it retained 100% capacity over a year, compared to a battery 100% of rated capacity new that only retained 90% capacity after a year.
Thank you so much for this amazing in-depth review!
Please don't take my nitpicking as anything but constructive.
PS: I would like to see this done with 18650 batteries.
Nice, I've been using the Duracell rechargeable for a while and they've always worked very well.
Thanks for sharing.
金霸王電池沒有不好，但多次漏液損壞了我的設備，尤其是已經過保的產品，為了設備安全再也不用他了。
This is a highly appreciated testing and conclusion about batteries!
Thank you very much!
Bought eneloop batteries YEARS ago and they are still going strong
Thanks for sharing.
Where is the “very impressive” t shirt? Always impressed with you tests, sir.
I'd buy one
Yeppers me too
I’d buy a Project Farm shirt in a heartbeat to support this channel....after an episode about “what is the best brand work t-shirt” of course. 😅
TH-camr Davie504 already has a 'Very Impressive' t-shirt.
Yeah but we need a project farm branded one
Huge respect for the effort!
Thank you very much!
Thank you for all of your time and effort in testing all of those batteries. I was quite surprised by some of the results. Would you be willing to do a test on the AA-AAA chargers? There are so many out there I'm not sure what to look for. Obviously getting a bad one could ruin your battery, I was hoping you could give us some guidance. Thanks again.
I use much more AAA Batteries than any other. So, I would agree on liking to see a review of that size.
The Project Farm TH-cam channel is my first stop before making a purchase. Thanks for the work on this channel.
Thanks for your support for the channel! I really appreciate it!
I'd like to see your unbiased review/opinion on some battery powered drills and impact drivers. Dewalt, Porter Cable, Craftsman, Black and Decker.. ect.
Great recommendation!
Can't have a power tool test without milwaukee as a baseline
I professionally used Dewalt Pro drills for 11 years and Ridge is better.
Check out AvE BOLTR reviews. Different style, but very knowledgeable
@@daftnord4957 murican?
Hitachi over Milwaukee N E day
On the theme of batteries, I'd love to see some CR123s and RCR123s tested, since you're starting to see a ton of those used in "tactical" type lights on the market, and they're becoming common enough that you can get 'em in big packs at Lowes.
Thank you for the video idea!
i LOVE tactical flashlights. i open carry a few magazines worth of them every day. the idea is that when i encounter an assailant at night, i cant pelt them with my tactical flashlights, and when i need to reload, i can easily find my spent flashlights and resume my barrage of tactical flashlights. when the bad guys come after you, are you going to wait for the good guys with tactical flashlights to arrive? or take on the bad guys your self with your own flash light arsenal.
Just bought identical Amazon basics, all made in China! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!
Thank you for the feedback
in amazon india its still made in japan.
Sounds like it's time for a RETEST!! They will switch manufacturers, to make more profit.
same :(
Simply the best testing out there. I've been buying nothing but Eneloops since 2008 or so. Still have all of them going strong!
Thanks!
something ive always wondered, and contemplated doing myself, is seeing how accurate the gas pumps are for getting what you paid for. Over 1000's of liters a year, how much does the gas station skim off the top. Ambient temp also plays a factor.
Great video idea! Thank you
In Connecticut U.S., the state has surprise inspections at gas stations and check volume of each pump carefully. Any tampering would mean big fine and imprisonment.
@@ohger1 And you trust the people doing the inspections? Honest people get weeded out of many positions like that.
@@truthhurts2149 Wow. People with that much distrust of everything must live miserable lives.
To summarize: make sure your rechargeables are made in Japan 😂
Great point!
They all seemed pretty good. Then you have to consider price. One was just rated to high at 2800 but still did good overall in complicity. Just lower than they claimed it should be. I mean if I can get a Chinese battery that is one to a few percent lower capacity but is 10-20 percent cheaper then the Chinese can be a better value.
@@VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM These are rechargeable batteries though, so your bang for your buck will also be in how long they last, and the Chinese battery's longevity is simply pathetic when considering it's degradation in these tests.
Losing nearly twice the capacity compared to the other batteries in the same amount of time is downright abysmal.
i bought those EBL batteries at the end of summer & noticed they had the worst discharge i EVER saw. seeing your tests of the EBL was no surprise to me.
the next worst batteries i ever tried were energizers from the mid 2000's. camera's would drain them in No time.after a yr they stopped hold a charge longer then 1 day doing Nothing.........i had probably a dozen of them & they ALL were like that.
or just try to never get anything made in china
Great video. This also reflects my personal experience with Rayovac and Energizer, the only two rechargeable brands I've used. I started with Rayovac because of the cheap price, but after a year had to replace them more and more often and ended up switching to Energizer. My experience with Energizer has been far better after about two years of use I have no issues with the original batteries I purchased. I use them for clocks, remote controls, gaming controllers (xbox one), and flashlights. The info you provide is awesome and I hope it keeps some people from making the same mistake I did. Keep up the good work :)
Thanks, will do.
Before Amazon released their AMZ Basic products, I have been used Panasonic Eneloop for over 10 years on GPS, game controller, wireless keyboard, mouse, etc. Eneloop is really the top-end quality. You should try it. I don;'t thin Energizer is a good option for their prices
Good thing ikea came the past year to my country, Chile. Im gonna buy them!
Thanks for sharing.
I have some suggestions for future tests: Tarps (weight? strength? waterproof? frost-resistance? radiation/UV?), Towels (strength, how much liquid can they hold, how quickly can they dry, how much fabric do they loose?), LED-lightbulbs (are energy input and light output as promised? How long/how many switch-on cycles do they survive?).
Great video ideas! Thank you
Yes, please! Batteries in my solar yard lights are unusable after less than a year. (On the other hand, I had one yard light with a 12V lead acid battery that went for 15 years until it got smashed by hail.)
@@WritesWithCare My big yard light is still doing well after a year with its LiFePO₄ battery. I believe that it's worth noting that most Priuses (Prii?) on the road use NiMH batteries. Some have been on the same set of batteries since 2001.
Wish I knew the secret sauce for these things. I've got a set of near-worthless Eneloops that are only 3 years old and hardly used at all.
I love your reviews, thanks for doing them! (I do realize this is a 12mo. old video 😁) I was re-watching this one again to refresh my memory on the results and thought it would be awesome if you could do a similar test with these new lithium ion rechargeable AA and AAA that are now starting to come out. These batteries are claimed to be a true 1.5v (vs. 1.2v). There's at least a ton of import brands out there now like Kentli, PaleBlue, safeloop, Pownergy (what a cringe worthy name 🤦♂️), many others that seem to be the same designs at least so might be challenging to pick 6 brands or so that are actually using different cells.
Thanks for the video idea.
Project Farm vs Google? What's better?
lol. Thanks for the positive comment. Google is hard to beat!
Project farm
@@ProjectFarm You're a LOT more consistent! LOTS!
Project Farm, then duckduckgo, screw google.
Google tends to recommend propaganda and advertisements lol
this level of video content quality and the really deep test that strips the product naked is a first that I come across - impressive is an understatement. Respect from Bombay, India.
Thanks so much!
The Duracells can only be charged "up to" 400 times before they start to go bad. Eneloops can be charged "up to" 2100 times.
This is the information I didn't know that I needed. Incredibly useful, thanks for sharing!!!
Subscribed.
Thank you!!
I had been a bit critical of your first AA battery videos but these are now extremely comprehensive, really amazing work, thanks. I'm surprised your 1yr Eneloop had self-discharged so much, mine are around 1.26v after sitting a year. But it did have the least amount of internal resistance change of any of them after 1 year in the garden lights. I think your tests are showing they aren't the cheapest or highest capacity, but longevity should be good which is certainly my experience (10 yrs). I've been ecstatic with mine but for some uses I'll definitely consider the cheaper or higher capacity cells now. About to watch your lithium AA video.
Thanks for watching!
You have a knack to understand customer use cases! This is exactly how I would've tested the data. I would like to see charge/discharge rates over the course of the year. Thanks for your hard work! Thank you!
Thanks and you are welcome!
This could be the most relevant set of testing that I’ve seen in months. Really nice job and thanks for doing what we all wish we took the time to do!
Thank you!
The Ikea and Duracell seem so close - makes me think the ikea might just be re-branded duracell.
That's what I was thinking!
Great point. I believe they are both rebranded Eneloop Pros
Best value ikea ftw
Lot of people tested them, they are Eneloop pro b choice.
Ikeas are the best value by far... All best performers are made by Panasonic, though I'm afraid the LADDAs are made in China still.
Great video! I was halfway through thinking "Well, what if there was a way to test how fast they can recharge a camera flash?", and then you covered it. I was tempted to try some ikea batteries after your last video, but then I noticed that they were only rated for 500 charging cycles. Now I'll go look up the others (big eneloop fan here).
Thanks for the good review, very revealing! I like to obtain internal resistance measurements from all four bays and average, or just use one bay for all. According to the manual: "Please note that ... contact resistance can be a major factor; thus with the same battery tested in a different slot or even in the same slot with different contact conditions, measurements can vary by 20% or more."
Yea.. a little finger grime' can change Mr