Many thanks to everyone who requested this video! Rechargeable batteries are known for self-discharging while not in use. So, is the Eneloop better than AmazonBasics NiMH AA battery? 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
Project Farm when you were playing with gas you mentioned adding water to ethanol would cause the suspended water to fall to the bottom. Would this be an effective way to remove it?
Thanks for this one--like many others, I've accumulated a bucketload of AA NiMH rechargeables that just quit performing--I went to lithium primary cells as being more reliable, if not more expensive. You've improved my opinion of the AA rechargeables somewhat. I see that some of my solar-powered outdoor lighting incorporates lithium ion-phosphate batteries, which are supposed to be more durable over many charge-discharge cycles. Do you have any firsthand experience with these?
I’m so glad to see your channel grow at such an exponential rate. Your content is top notch and as unbiased as it can get. Thank you for your hard work
Yeah :) Down to earth kind of stuff with statistics and ever improving integrity! I like black hole studies and all that a lot, but those things I can't grasp - PF's studies I can. And in the end they both seem to satisfy the same kind of curiosity - "what could this mean in a practical sense".
Wow, Man- what a technical and detailed review! Changes in technology- 30 years ago I had a Rayovac Black Cat flashlight, 4 D cell, incandescent bulb + 1 in the base. It weighed a few pounds because of batteries, flimsy case, not very bright, lasted maybe an hour. Now- I have a Coleman camp flashlight, aircraft aluminum, 3 AAA NiMH, 1 SMD LED. Super bright, white light- lasts for hours. Waterproof, very rugged.
yes true indeed..... rechargeable battery and the light bulb made quantum leaps in improvement and reliability!! I light up a large LED with 2 D cell cheap batteries and place it in the living room and it stays lit for months!!
I don't know if it has been mentioned or not, but there is only one NiMH battery factory in Japan. And that is the Fujitsu/Sanyo/Panasonic Eneloop Pro/White Label Industrial plant. So if you buy an NiMH battery that says "Made in Japan" on it....it is, for all intents and purposes, an Eneloop battery. This is why the Ikea, Amazon Grey/White, Energizer, and Duracell batteries all perform similarly. Because they are all effectively the same, and within margin of error tolerance in manufacturing. Now, the white label manufacturing side of the plant DOES do custom orders. And as such some batteries may be rated at a lower mAh, or have a higher or lower C rating, or have a weaker shelf life. But, the point is, if you buy an NiMH battery from Japan, you know you are getting a quality manufactured product, with quality materials, in a state of the art facility, made by people who know what they are doing. Unfortunately, both Energizer and Duracell have started to put Chinese made cells in. And I suspect some of the people here who have expressed bad experiences with them, have likely gotten a batch of Chinese batteries, and not the top tier Japanese ones. Anyway, some interesting food for thought I thought you might want to know, and that country of origin does matter.
@@AFlyingCookieLOL totally agree, i-phones are made in china. You reckon it has anything to do with geography? heck no! it's dependent on each individual company and their quality control practices!
@@jonyjonsy when you switch to android then you'll see yes China does make inferior products such as nimh batteries.. They don't call them Chinese knockoffs for nothing
@@LS-yv8zh I prefer android over IOS, much more flexible and versatile. Cheap Chinese knock offs are a reality. However, this doesnt take away from the fact that American/Korean/(insert company here) companies that outsource their manufacturing process to China have their own quality control processes and produce quality products. Including apple. Also android is just as American as IOS, both are made in scilicone valley. China does the shit jobs and are better at it than us and we get to do the high end jobs.
I’m stuck in this loop of watching all of project farms videos. Loving every minute of it ! Awesome videos, very informative, thank you for your work .
Absolutely. As a part-time photographer, I am a huge fan of the ENELoops. They've saved me a fortune (I started out w/Energizer Lithiums, one EXPENSIVE albeit Long-Lasting Battery). That said and as you alluded to, the technology changes... so which battery self-discharges best (least)? which is the most cost-effective? Anyone who uses rechargeable batteries wants to know the answer to that question. And as far as we know, Project Farm is the only one asking it. So Yes & Thank You. If there was a Vote for Most Useful Channel on TH-cam, Project Farm would have my vote. Carry On.
I could watch you compare dictionary brands and be enthralled I know it is not really in your wheelhouse but Id love to see a side by side of silicone vs rubber windshield wipers. Do they really last longer and "coat the glass" producing a near rainX like effect or are they junk. There are so many shapes for traditional blades too, hard to see through the marketing to the truth. Thanks for what you do, your videos are always the highlight of my day, entertaining and informative. The whole family appreciates all you do
I would love a video like this, as I've been debating for a while now on whether I should purchase some (more expensive) silicone blades vs. the standard rubber ones. And then there's the triple-blade designs. With all the options out there, which one(s) are the best?
@@ProjectFarm I recall that Eneloop batteries claimed only a 15% loss after being stored for one year. I have never tested this claim, but they do work very long and well in my DSLRs while having kept in my flash unit for long periods of not using them. I'm sold on them.
Overcharging is often what kills batteries. A comparison of life with a smart charger compared with a dumb charger that is left to overcharge by a certain amount would also be an interesting comparison.
I would love to see updates on the life of the batteries! I say keep testing until the last one becomes ineffective! As always, thank you for performing these tests. It’s nice to have information I can trust to be unbiased!
Eneloops all the way for me. I recently put some xmas lights out on my boat in -4 degrees. The lights worked perfectly despite the weather. Eneloop pro's which are about 5 years old now.
Matt Rez Good idea.... I’ll save you the suspense and tell you that Shock Straps are the best for their intended purpose!! I’ve tried MANY straps and absolutely love the Shock Straps I’m currently using!
Not just toughness, but usability! I have some that I cannot hardly unwind even with silicone spray lube. I really have to jerk them to get the spindle to turn with the rachet fully open. I can't test them out in the store because it seems most rachet straps are in those thick-frustrating PET molded packages. I've had some bleed their orange dyes, and I've had some fall apart from sun exposure in no time flat.
I can tell you that home Depot hdx ones have destroyed my tailgate when they broke holding a 305 in my bed never again will I buy them crazy thing is I had 4 attached to it...
The newer green ones from Home Depot are pretty good. Thicker webbing than cheapy ones, smooth mechanism and good hooks with an integrated d ring to hook back on to form a soft loop. Reasonable price for the 4 pack as I recall for what they are.
Would love a windshield wiper test! I use exclusively "MICHELIN Stealth Ultra hybrid" wiper blades. In the very cold temperatures I've found nothing compares to them! Even after sitting against an uneven surface (ice chunks at the base of the windshield) they always come back to streak free shape. Every other wiper I've had, if it sat for a day or two on an uneven surface the blade was ruined. Love love love them for around here (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
18650 please !!! There’s sooo many it’s overwhelming to know what’s the best for your buck! I unfortunately spent 20 dollars for 2 batteries that only lasted about 3 weeks before giving out :( I thought the more I paid the better the result I guess.
Perhaps use a tool like this: lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650comparator.php Also, there are people doing quality tests on cells, such as Mooch: th-cam.com/channels/ePHh3NMvu3rW2LFJeOWo-Q.html And HJK: lygte-info.dk/info/batteryIndex.html Known reliable suppliers: budgetlightforum.com/node/63587
Lithium cells are such a complex topic that it might be difficult for Project Farm to properly cover them. There are only a handful of quality manufacturers, but their cells are wrapped with dozens, if not hundreds, of brands. Some cells are even rewrapped rewraps and there are tons of fakes. Enthusiasts of flashlights and vaping tend to be the best sources of information about li-ion round cells. I suspect that Project Farm has enough material for lots more videos at the moment and if he got started on lithium-ion cells he would be opening a bottomless pit. It might actually be good for the channel ;), but li-ion enthusiasts would NOT be satisfied with these tests and more casual viewers would want more and more cells to be tested; there are surely over 100 brand names. A can of worms best left to the specialists, in my opinion.
"spent 20 dollars for 2 batteries" - it's not only about the price, but also brand. Good thing can't be cheap usually, but a crap can be sold for high price as well.
Great video! I never heard of the Varta brand before this video. It's wonderful that you take the time to perform these tests that few others will do on TH-cam. A+
Awesome test. I got locked out of my house at 11pm on Christmas eve because of Rayovac rechargeable batteries. I had dual key or code entry on my front door to my house and got lazy about taking my physical keys out because I charged the batteries religiously. They were only a few months old and failed on me from a combo of charging too often and/or sitting without being used. I wish TH-cam land warned me that some batteries are worse than others for holding charge or charging too often. It would be good to get a balance of a mid priced battery that has a good shelf life plus does not gunge up if you charge it too often. Try finding a locksmith at 11pm on Christmas eve...Luckily I found one. His name was Smashy Mc Window.
To be honest, there's nothing wrong with having a very well hidden backdoor that only you know about for situations like these. A backdoor in the sense of getting your door opened that is. Such as hiding a key behind your house's paneling or something. EDIT: Just don't hide a key under a flower pot or mat or likewise though. That's too obvious. I mean a really good hiding place that one never would think of to check for a key. On a side note, i used to visit a family during the summers as a kid. I later went past their place and decided to pop in for a visit. Turned out they were out to a market and would return later that day. I remembered where they kept their key, which they even used to open the house all the time rather than in emergencies so i used that key and sat in their kitchen waiting. Boy were they surprised to see an unknown guy sitting there in their kitchen smiling. Until i had a chance to explain i was a much older version of the kid they used to know.
@@ProjectFarm I was impressed with how hard it was to smash the window. Modern applied science FTW. It was cheap because I repaired the window myself but after the dust and "glass" settled it made me realize that rechargeable is less finite than I expected
I have to back up comments on the battery size issue. What I can say for sure is that Amazon Basics grey batteries got larger in diameter in recent years. This has caused issues in devices where the batteries are arranged side by side. For example I have some devices with 4 or 6 batteries side by side. I have observed two problems in these situations, as you add batteries the fit becomes tight. Not to the point where you can't fit the last one, but it's tight and difficult to remove. The other issue I have noticed is that the Amazon Basics have a shorter button on the positive end than a standard alkaline battery. This causes a problem in those same side by side configs where the positive button may not make a good connection with the metal tab on the pack. Long story short it's been a problem and it's definitely frustrating. It's odd that there don't seem to be any reviews on Amazon that call this out. Thanks for the great video Project Farm!!
That is so true. Some read and reply to comments for the first hour or two after a video goes public and even that is more than a lot of them do. It seems like PF reads and replies to everyone, all the time. One of the better TH-camrs.
@@ProjectFarm I was just thinking that as I watched you scrubbing the headlight simulation with the Sylvania kid, all hand applied. I'll be purchasing on your recommendation. Thank you for the effort!
I thought I'd check TH-cam first before making my next rechargeable battery purchase after being disappointed by Rayovacs I purchased earlier this year. Great video, very informative! You answered all I was curious about and then some. After browsing your channel, you now have a new subscriber. Cheers!
@@boxenjoyerkona I have heard that before as well, people say that they are made in the same Factory but that doesn't mean they are made to the same standard. It would still be nice to see Enelope Pro tested. There are most likely other batteries that were tested that are made in the same factory and the performance is different.
I would most definitely like to see how these batteries fare after 100 days in solar lights. I’ve been using Eneloop for years. Nice to see how these other brands compare.
Thanks for the video Project Farm! Great you used the 1900mAh rating this time for the Eneloops :) If you are doing another (discharge/long run) test I'm very interested in seeing the results. Eneloops, and probably other LSD batteries have the quickest drop in the first 10%, then slows down over time. People have tested 10 and also 12 year old eneloops still holding between 60-70% charge.. Interesting results... the top 3 of lowest self discharge are all from the same factory in Japan.. Previously owned by Sanyo, and now part of Fujitsu FDK. This means that they are actually all Eneloops! (kind of anyway ;) If you are willing to do another discharge after 1year... that would be awesome! And I'm glad you are using a proper discharge to test this, instead of a dumb battery checker that is worthless to do these kind of tests. +1
Thank you very much for asking. I'm doing great and am having a lot of fun testing products viewers want tested. Hope you're doing well too. Thanks again!
Strange how we never think to ask the subtle questions. Good to hear you are doing fine 🙂 Would more than happy buy you a beer should I ever travel through your neck of the wood 🍻
I love these battery tests, especially for NiMH cells! I would love to see how one could bring a supposedly dead NiMH cell back to life by performing a 'shock test' on them. There are multiple ways to do this, and I'm not sure which is the most effective (maybe try them all?), but if this holds true people can keep shocking their old rechargeable batteries back to life and not buy any for years. That'll save a LOT of money! Maybe look into the resistance (IR) in cells, how it gets worse, and is there a way to improve it? I hope to see my suggests soon! Fantastic channel!
Excellent video as always. I am curious about one thing, would you be willing to store a set of batteries in the freezer and compare them to a set stored in room temperature to see if they discharge at the same rate? Thanks and keep up the good work!
Yes. This. Except you should freeze a set, simply refrigerate a set, and leave a set out at ambient temps. Might need to do winter and summer testing on this one.
+Python don Dodd And there should be one stored in a warm/hot place as well because heat is supposed to reduce battery life if I understand correctly. Basically, we need to see what effects temperature, a wide range of temperatures, has on battery life and performance.
This might be the most comprehensive review of rechargeables out there. I really like the "real world" testing, especially the honest evaluation of capacity (I have long thought that the rechargeables did not have the capacity they claimed), and what happens when they are charged and re charged through their cycles? "LET'S FIND OUT!" Great test as always. Looking forward to the long term results as well. OH, and love that you test so many different brands, you never know who will float to the top. I have gone on the rechargeables band wagon for a while, then dropped off, then back on.... I look at the tub of batteries I end up recycling then go back to rechargsables again. This test helps me to decide what devices to use rechargeables in.
I think I like the Duracells. They just fall under the 10% discharge rate you mention and have a higher capacity then the amazons blacks , panasonics, and energizers. Plus with sales they are comparative in price to the amazons.
Just curious why didn't you include the original factory batteries in the testing of the lights? I would be interested to see just how the "free" batteries compared.
Battery tech and this sort of review and testing are one of those few things that wont go out of usefulness. Humans will always need a source of portable power and this is a great resource of what the best ones are in the AA category (and probably other sizes of the same model types). Thanks
I appreciate your channel 200% man. I utilize almost every product you test. So you are definitely an influencer. I would suggest, because it'll help grow your channel, and get you some more revenue, that you create compilation videos as well. As in monthly recap, yearly recap, and best in class videos. With the top 3 products in each category and why. I think you do a great job, and you are clearly always learning new innovative ways of testing these products. Thank you for your hard work! Keep it up! ***ALSO*** Look into linking your product reviews inside Amazon.com and posting your own reviews as well. Your opinion and statements hold more water than most everyone else on there. And you are becoming the people's champion of product reviews.
Love this channel and the real world testing that you do without bias! I’d love to see the update on this video after they batteries have cycled that many times. Again thank you so much for the work that you do it definitely helps up consumers seeing non bias testing in every project you do. KEEP IT UP! 👍
Cool video, nice presentation, and nicely executed and consistent testing. I would be very interested in how these batteries perform under much lower discharge rates. Many electronics will only sip current compared to your lowest test of 300 mA. For example, I have a garmin GPS that runs about 24 hours off of a set of AA batteries, which I estimate puts it's discharge current at about 80 mA. I consider this device to be a relatively power hungry device! Also, I have some AA flashlights that have both high and low settings, some of which are supposed to last for several days in their "moonlight" setting. I am curious (and I'm sure I'm not alone) which rechargeable battery were last the longest in that type of use. I realize that a lower discharge rate will make the tests painfully slow, so I propose that you start with a selection of your 4 favorite, readily available batteries, e.g., Eneloop, Amazon, Energizer, Duracell, and do a 100 mA test and a 30 mA test. 100 mA and 30 mA are nice because they are exactly a factor for 10 below your 1000mA and 300 mA. The batteries' mAh values vs the discharge current could be plotted to show how ideal each battery's behavior is. This would also give insight as to each battery's Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR). Every battery has a small resistance that causes a voltage sag when under current load. That voltage sag (i.e., V_sag = V_unloaded - V_loaded) is equal to the current draw, I, and the internal resistance, R_internal: V_sag = I * R_internal When a battery powers a device, it is also dissipating power due to its internal resistance. Therefore, when you measure how much power the battery delivers, you are only measuring the power delivered after the internal voltage sag due to ESR. The battery is doing the work to power your device AND heat itself, P = P_internal + P_load. The classic equation for electrical power is P = V * I; hence, P_internal = V_sag*I and P_load = V_loaded*I. Therefore, we can write the total power is P = V_sag*I + P_load. Using our above equation for V_sag, we can see how the power dissipated by the battery due to its ESR is related to the discharge current: P = R_internal*I^2 + P_load. The internal resistance will affect the battery capacity in mAh in roughly a square relationship with the load current. Thus, batteries show better capacity with lower load currents, in part because they dissipate less of their power internally as heat. This is also why shorting out a battery can lead to an explosion: because the power dissipated to internal resistance could cause it to rapidly heat to failure. The important result here is that the battery's self-dissipated power is proportional to the SQUARE of the current draw. This is wasted power! Therefore, when choosing a AA battery for a high current draw devices, say 300 mA and up, it is really important to choose a battery with a low internal resistance (ESR). The batteries that you've tested that show the least capacity drop off at the highest current draw are probably the batteries with the lowest ESR. However, the flip side of this is that when using a device that only draws a small amount of current (say less than 100 mA), the ESR of the battery is relatively unimportant. Finally, because we live in an imperfect, complicated world, there are many other effects at play inside the battery, so I doubt your results will show a perfect current-squared relationship with the change in mAh capacity. That is why it would be really fascinating if you did a test with some batteries at the low current draw end of the spectrum, so we can see how the results change across different orders of magnitude of current draw. I wouldn't use a battery's performance at 1 Amp of current to determine which battery will last the longest in an LED flashlight in moonlight mode that draws 10s of mA. If you read this far, cheers!
I always get a bit excited? when you test AA-size batteries. Like you, I was disappointed with AA-rechargeables of, say, 12-15 years ago. Not understanding discharge rates, capacities, etc., I thought the higher mHa ratings meant that they'd last longer so I bought the highest rated batts I could find. Boy was I in for an expensive and rude surprise! Now I own a fairly large collection of Nimh brands that are almost utterly useless! That said, I enjoyed your informational vid and learned a lot. Thanks, again!
@@tikkidaddy I find files are cheap like borscht, doesnt matter that they suck when you can buy 3 or 4 of them for $20, and the lot of them will last you as well as one of those older ones
Can you test the different types of oil each car manufacturer makes? (Ford Motorcraft, AC Delco (Chevy), Mopar Maxpro, etc.) And see how they compare to normal oils like Valvoline, Mobil One, and the new Amazon oil?
Always great content! I have a flashlight addiction & for several years, I have used a life gear stormproof waterproof rechargeable flashlight! (model No YD2016SP-B01)Mine aged out & stopped working so, I ordered a new one yet, The price had doubled! (was $10.00 now with s/h almost $20.00) IT'S NOT A VERY BRIGHT FLASHLIGHT! It has 3 led's! The reason I like it is because of its oblong/ card like shape with curved sides & the fact that, I can hold it in my mouth while using my hands to work on a vehicle or whatever else I am working on! I ordered a new model & it was dropped one time & developed an issue! All of my older ones never had any issue's at all! They were used & abused, dropped many times & never a issue! I can not seem to use a round handled flashlight in the same manor so, I really like my type of flashlight & need to again order another! I really love this rechargeable flashlight & plan on ordering more of them!
there's another video about that, dear. sure enough he didn't consider these newer results, nevertheless the first video is a great baseline of what was to come.
Me and my boyfriend watch all your videos we think your brilliant and it’s so nice to see how happy and enthusiastic you are! Keep up the amazing work xx
Yes please! Continue testing and rating the rechargeable batteries, I appreciate free will you conduct your testing. I value your work and look forward to more content! Thank you.
I bought some Eneloop's back in 2011 -- and I'm still using them. I bought a bunch more in 2012 and I'm still using them as well. They are not getting recharged a ton, but they still seem to hold just about as good of a charge as they did when they were new and I've had no reason to want to replace them yet. It's a very impressive brand. Looking at my Amazon history I also bought some Energizer and Duracell rechargeables in 2012, was trying to save a few dollars, and those batteries were garbage and stop being used many years ago.
Yes please, continue updating on the rechargeable batteries... I've also had very poor luck with rechargeable batteries so hoping to find out which comes out on top over all.
I'm seriously surprised by the EBL ratings since I bought 4 packs of them almost 2 years ago and they are performing VERY well for everything that we use rechargeable batteries for... Game controllers, remote controls for devices, hand held cordless land line phones, Blood pressure cuff, etc... I will admit that ANY rechargeable battery dies out VERY fast in my regular old Mini Maglite. My Amazon Basic Black batteries are about 5 years old and are barely charging, the 20 or so Rayovac Rechargables are holding up well for the money and they vary in age from 4 years to 2 years. I have lost about 4 Rayovac batteries due to them not being able to be charged / discharged any longer. Great job on the testing!
YES! Please Do a number of cycles test, see what their mAmp capacity is every 250 cycles. So, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, 2000.... or until the battery "dies"
I'm glad the Eneloops did so well, I just loaded up on them from Costco this year. I've been very happy with them as they last just about as long as alkalines and hold 70% of their charge for 10 years with 2100 recharge cycles. I've got a LED 3D maglite flashlight and I'm running 3 AA batteries with AA to D adapters that came with my Eneloop kits and they're always ready to go and super bright. D cell alkalines are super expensive so what a money saver and I've got more rechargeables always at the ready. I used to use rechargeables for my walkman way back in the 80's and that saved me ton's of cash as batteries were more expensive back then. Now alkalines leak and I've lost far too many electronics to this. Thanks to the Eneloops, never again.
In our school we use rechargeable to avoid putting a lot of alkaline in the landfill. Because they use a lot of cells we turn them over quickly so shelf life/self discharge is less of an issue. It’s also a significant economy as well as environmental improvement.
One of my favorite videos from you. My biggest reason is because of the control of the tests. Very wise setup. Always a pleasure to watch your channel and I hope you continue to expand to other products. Can't wait for the future videos of this series! Well done, and good luck!
Another great video as always! Thanks to the Guy who sent the Varta and Aldi batteries, we have had both in the past, never bought either again, but it appears that Varta has really raised the bar! We bought the Duracell after your last testing, they gave the best value for money, very happy with the purchase!
Excellent testing methods. Makes me glad that I have a lot of Eneloop batteries in my emergency comms gear. None of my 54 batteries have given me problems.
It's my understanding that self discharge is a complicated topic. Some batteries may actually be designed to self discharge to protect the battery chemistry. For example Nimh isn't stable at the top end of the voltage range, so Eneloop will self-discharge from 1.5 volt down to 1.34 volt within just a matter of hours of charging, then they'll stay at that voltage for months. This makes the battery last longer for more cycles.
Just for the record. I go with Duracell, from personal experience I had Amazon (although I don't remember which type of Rechargeable Amazon's battery) and then Eneloop but after a while, I ended up with Duracell's and so far these have been the most consistent batteries to me. Good video.
HI ,I live in Europe .I bought the Varta recharge Accu power AA batteries. They may be more expensive but they hold their power for a long long time and they are totally worth it.They are awesome batteries!
Well done Tex ! What a work. Minus 2°F is -18.9°C. Very cold ! I don't think we went that cold even in the far north east of France this winter. About NiMH batteries, I had problems with my home phones. I watched your previous video, and then bought a Wolcraft IPC-1L charger-tester. I tested all my batteries in stock, and put the 4 best ones into the 2 phones, and it was still a no-go. I then bought a supermarket-brand 4-pack, and now everything is going well with my 2 phones. I think capacity is not all, minimum voltage is also to be considered.
One of my friends suggested that the simplest passive water heater is simply coiling or laying Black garden hose on your roof on the side that faces the sun and let it collect the solar energy in heat and pump it into a storage tank, and pump it into a radiator. Like you have in a car or truck. Put a solar powered fan behind it and you get free heating in some climates.
Quite impressive range of tests. As a firefighter, I depend heavily upon both my AA powered EDC LED flashlight (mini Maglite), as welll as my helmet mounted AA powered flashlight (Streamlight). I hate 'wasting' money on alkaline one-time use batteries, opting to use rechargeables instead. Yet, I have noticed a wide range of seemingly UN-quantifiable frustrations with performance related to battery brands/models. I really appreciate your thorough and methodical approach now, exposing/educating me as to now, finally, be able to quantify my frustrations and clarify which brands may increase my satisfaction. Finally, I especially appreciate your opening my eyes, both to previously unknown brands of batteries as well as a better charging bank than any of my current solutions (Sony & Energizer). Please keep up the great work!!! Very much appreciated!!!
Between the products I have personally used and various reviews on channels like yours, i am quickly becoming a fan of the Amazon Basics brand. They are rarely the best product, but they are usually good quality with a very good price to performance ratio.
We have once done a project that required a built-in low self discharge 2Ah Ni-MH battery pack. After testing multiple types of samples, we decided to use the "Kinetic" brand, that was both cheap and excellent. After few months of production, many of the packs turned out to discharge themselves very quickly (much worse than old, standard and cheap Panasonic cells we use for other applications) and to have problems with recharging. Disassembling few packs and testing individual cells has shown a consistent capacity, but the self-discharge rate turned out to vary extremely (some were *completely* discharged after 6 months). But even the best ones were much worse that the original samples. Now, we're using GP Recyko+ and GP Recyko+ Pro types, not a single problem with them for few years. The conclusion is: do not trust samples.
EBL 2300/2800 wont easily insert with some of the Mr.Beams motion LED lights. They bind up when inserted vertically....diameter issue. Thanks for the diameter measurements :)
Yes - please do put together a video about the number of charge/discharge cycles. In the end, the battery you can recharge 1000 times is "better" than the one that dies after 100! Thanks for doing these videos!!!
Ikea makes battery too?! Amazon brand really impress me, not only the motor oil is good, their battery is great too Thanks for your time for testing and put them all together
I'm curious about the Tenergy brand batteries. I'm also glad you are not testing the super cheap batteries like BTY and the other no names. Thank you for doing this testing, its really interesting to watch and it's actually confirmed a lot of my research, especially about the Ikea Ladda batteries. They seem to be making quite a splash in the rechargeable world right now.
It would be better if you put long term test in the tittle 😊 I would also like to see voltage testing because everything that uses batteries will stop working after the voltage is to low My energizer and eneloop can not go to 1.5 volt anymore after 1 year of use in a rc transmitter and recharging them at 1000 mA A good battery should produce more voltage then what its rated for
Many thanks to everyone who requested this video! Rechargeable batteries are known for self-discharging while not in use. So, is the Eneloop better than AmazonBasics NiMH AA battery? 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
I really like this test, I stopped using rechargeable for the same reason. Would love to see if they can keep up after 100+ charge cycles.
Project Farm when you were playing with gas you mentioned adding water to ethanol would cause the suspended water to fall to the bottom. Would this be an effective way to remove it?
Can you test AAAA batteries?
I'll just say YES and THANKS and BLESSINGS 2 yall!
Thanks for this one--like many others, I've accumulated a bucketload of AA NiMH rechargeables that just quit performing--I went to lithium primary cells as being more reliable, if not more expensive. You've improved my opinion of the AA rechargeables somewhat.
I see that some of my solar-powered outdoor lighting incorporates lithium ion-phosphate batteries, which are supposed to be more durable over many charge-discharge cycles. Do you have any firsthand experience with these?
I’m so glad to see your channel grow at such an exponential rate.
Your content is top notch and as unbiased as it can get.
Thank you for your hard work
Thank you!
Yeah :) Down to earth kind of stuff with statistics and ever improving integrity!
I like black hole studies and all that a lot, but those things I can't grasp - PF's studies I can.
And in the end they both seem to satisfy the same kind of curiosity - "what could this mean in a practical sense".
Ditto.👍👍
Wow, Man- what a technical and detailed review!
Changes in technology-
30 years ago I had a Rayovac Black Cat flashlight, 4 D cell, incandescent bulb + 1 in the base.
It weighed a few pounds because of batteries, flimsy case, not very bright, lasted maybe an hour.
Now- I have a Coleman camp flashlight, aircraft aluminum, 3 AAA NiMH, 1 SMD LED.
Super bright, white light- lasts for hours. Waterproof, very rugged.
Thank you very much for the positive comments! Great point on the technology advances! NiMH batteries and LED lighting has really changed things!
Lool I can relate. My old 6cell DD Maglite as a kid 20 years ago to my much much brighter 2AA LED metal torch now that lasts like 10x longer.
@@OctaApe I still got one D 6cell Maglite its more of a weapon than flashlight works still tho after many times it has had a swim or got dropped ..
yes true indeed..... rechargeable battery and the light bulb made quantum leaps in improvement and reliability!! I light up a large LED with 2 D cell cheap batteries and place it in the living room and it stays lit for months!!
@@VS-wp7pz haha yeah, mine was used to beat a roll of carpet we had, it broke because the battery's leaked to badly and I didn't know :(
I don't know if it has been mentioned or not, but there is only one NiMH battery factory in Japan. And that is the Fujitsu/Sanyo/Panasonic Eneloop Pro/White Label Industrial plant.
So if you buy an NiMH battery that says "Made in Japan" on it....it is, for all intents and purposes, an Eneloop battery.
This is why the Ikea, Amazon Grey/White, Energizer, and Duracell batteries all perform similarly. Because they are all effectively the same, and within margin of error tolerance in manufacturing.
Now, the white label manufacturing side of the plant DOES do custom orders. And as such some batteries may be rated at a lower mAh, or have a higher or lower C rating, or have a weaker shelf life.
But, the point is, if you buy an NiMH battery from Japan, you know you are getting a quality manufactured product, with quality materials, in a state of the art facility, made by people who know what they are doing.
Unfortunately, both Energizer and Duracell have started to put Chinese made cells in. And I suspect some of the people here who have expressed bad experiences with them, have likely gotten a batch of Chinese batteries, and not the top tier Japanese ones.
Anyway, some interesting food for thought I thought you might want to know, and that country of origin does matter.
Great information. Thank you
Just because it is Chinese made does not make the quality inferior. China produces a ton of batteries that are also top notch.
@@AFlyingCookieLOL totally agree, i-phones are made in china. You reckon it has anything to do with geography? heck no! it's dependent on each individual company and their quality control practices!
@@jonyjonsy when you switch to android then you'll see yes China does make inferior products such as nimh batteries.. They don't call them Chinese knockoffs for nothing
@@LS-yv8zh
I prefer android over IOS, much more flexible and versatile.
Cheap Chinese knock offs are a reality. However, this doesnt take away from the fact that American/Korean/(insert company here) companies that outsource their manufacturing process to China have their own quality control processes and produce quality products. Including apple.
Also android is just as American as IOS, both are made in scilicone valley. China does the shit jobs and are better at it than us and we get to do the high end jobs.
Did you have to assemble the IKEA battery?
That's a good one!
@@ProjectFarm thanks dad
I'm surprised you got all the parts in the kit..:)
Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde 😂😂
Yes. You have to seal the battery case like you do an envelope. With saliva
I’m stuck in this loop of watching all of project farms videos. Loving every minute of it ! Awesome videos, very informative, thank you for your work .
Thank you!
Stuck En-e-loop you say? (4 years have passed and nobody made that obligatory pun?)
I’d like to see how the Panasonics Black Professional holds up. Note Wranglerstar videos regarding this battery.
You are the hero we do not deserve. Thank you Todd!!!
Thank you for the positive comment!
Hey you used my idea! :D interesting results, I look forward to the next batch of data, solar lights was a brilliant solution!!
This was a terrific recommendation you made! I get the best test strategies from viewers. Thank you for recommending this one!
so it was a bright idea???
@@thomasmcdonnell1957 It really illuminated the situation!
Looking forward to it as well
Absolutely. As a part-time photographer, I am a huge fan of the ENELoops. They've saved me a fortune (I started out w/Energizer Lithiums, one EXPENSIVE albeit Long-Lasting Battery). That said and as you alluded to, the technology changes... so which battery self-discharges best (least)? which is the most cost-effective? Anyone who uses rechargeable batteries wants to know the answer to that question. And as far as we know, Project Farm is the only one asking it. So Yes & Thank You. If there was a Vote for Most Useful Channel on TH-cam, Project Farm would have my vote. Carry On.
Thank you very much!
I could watch you compare dictionary brands and be enthralled
I know it is not really in your wheelhouse but Id love to see a side by side of silicone vs rubber windshield wipers. Do they really last longer and "coat the glass" producing a near rainX like effect or are they junk. There are so many shapes for traditional blades too, hard to see through the marketing to the truth.
Thanks for what you do, your videos are always the highlight of my day, entertaining and informative. The whole family appreciates all you do
Thank you for the video idea and thanks for the positive comments!
I would love a video like this, as I've been debating for a while now on whether I should purchase some (more expensive) silicone blades vs. the standard rubber ones. And then there's the triple-blade designs. With all the options out there, which one(s) are the best?
It's because he doesn't take a breath. Weirdos tend to like people with unlimited lung capacity who never come up for air.
Seriously man, you are what makes youtube great!
Thank you!
Hey can you do a year recap and just include all "WINNING" products.
I.e(best epoxy- jb weld) and so forth.
Thank you for the video idea!
@@ProjectFarm Which battery is the best ???
This is a very good idea
@@rebuzz6866 Yeah, that's the thing. Tons of info, but I'd like more of a final summary of which Project Farm would buy.
@@ProjectFarm I recall that Eneloop batteries claimed only a 15% loss after being stored for one year. I have never tested this claim, but they do work very long and well in my DSLRs while having kept in my flash unit for long periods of not using them. I'm sold on them.
Yes, Please do a video on 365 days/one year of charge/discharge cycles... Much Thanks.
Thank you for the video idea!
Yes, it's a tall order but so much this. Long term tests are awesome. :)
I'd be interested in seeing how long the batteries would last in those solar lights.
Overcharging is often what kills batteries. A comparison of life with a smart charger compared with a dumb charger that is left to overcharge by a certain amount would also be an interesting comparison.
@@crimsonhalo13 He could possibly leave the batteries from today for another year and then test them all again.
I would love to see updates on the life of the batteries! I say keep testing until the last one becomes ineffective! As always, thank you for performing these tests. It’s nice to have information I can trust to be unbiased!
Thank you!
Might wanna grab a Snickers. Definitely not going anywhere for a while with this one. Still a good idea, though.
Eneloops all the way for me. I recently put some xmas lights out on my boat in -4 degrees. The lights worked perfectly despite the weather. Eneloop pro's which are about 5 years old now.
Thanks for sharing.
It would be neat to test the durability/longevity/value of ratchet straps from some of the most popular retailers
Great video idea! Thank you
Matt Rez Good idea.... I’ll save you the suspense and tell you that Shock Straps are the best for their intended purpose!! I’ve tried MANY straps and absolutely love the Shock Straps I’m currently using!
Not just toughness, but usability! I have some that I cannot hardly unwind even with silicone spray lube. I really have to jerk them to get the spindle to turn with the rachet fully open. I can't test them out in the store because it seems most rachet straps are in those thick-frustrating PET molded packages. I've had some bleed their orange dyes, and I've had some fall apart from sun exposure in no time flat.
I can tell you that home Depot hdx ones have destroyed my tailgate when they broke holding a 305 in my bed never again will I buy them crazy thing is I had 4 attached to it...
The newer green ones from Home Depot are pretty good. Thicker webbing than cheapy ones, smooth mechanism and good hooks with an integrated d ring to hook back on to form a soft loop. Reasonable price for the 4 pack as I recall for what they are.
Yes! Looking forward to the battery tests! Can you do a windshield wiper test?
Thank you for the video idea!
Second the windshield wiper test.
Love the wiper idea, just not sure how you would test longevity. I live on a farm and my wipers get eaten up by mud as I live 1 mile from pavement.
Would love a windshield wiper test! I use exclusively "MICHELIN Stealth Ultra hybrid" wiper blades. In the very cold temperatures I've found nothing compares to them! Even after sitting against an uneven surface (ice chunks at the base of the windshield) they always come back to streak free shape. Every other wiper I've had, if it sat for a day or two on an uneven surface the blade was ruined. Love love love them for around here (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
Oh man, wiper idea is REALLY GOOD!!! Those damn things are getting EXPENSIVE!!!! -angry-
18650 please !!! There’s sooo many it’s overwhelming to know what’s the best for your buck! I unfortunately spent 20 dollars for 2 batteries that only lasted about 3 weeks before giving out :( I thought the more I paid the better the result I guess.
Thank you!
Perhaps use a tool like this:
lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650comparator.php
Also, there are people doing quality tests on cells, such as Mooch:
th-cam.com/channels/ePHh3NMvu3rW2LFJeOWo-Q.html
And HJK:
lygte-info.dk/info/batteryIndex.html
Known reliable suppliers:
budgetlightforum.com/node/63587
Lithium cells are such a complex topic that it might be difficult for Project Farm to properly cover them. There are only a handful of quality manufacturers, but their cells are wrapped with dozens, if not hundreds, of brands. Some cells are even rewrapped rewraps and there are tons of fakes.
Enthusiasts of flashlights and vaping tend to be the best sources of information about li-ion round cells.
I suspect that Project Farm has enough material for lots more videos at the moment and if he got started on lithium-ion cells he would be opening a bottomless pit.
It might actually be good for the channel ;), but li-ion enthusiasts would NOT be satisfied with these tests and more casual viewers would want more and more cells to be tested; there are surely over 100 brand names. A can of worms best left to the specialists, in my opinion.
I usually get olights 18650/rcr123a’s tho curious to what ones are great
"spent 20 dollars for 2 batteries" - it's not only about the price, but also brand. Good thing can't be cheap usually, but a crap can be sold for high price as well.
Project Farm is the best!
Thank you!
Agreed. He puts the time in and amazes me each time of him trying to keep the results even.
Great video! I never heard of the Varta brand before this video. It's wonderful that you take the time to perform these tests that few others will do on TH-cam. A+
Thank you!
They are one of the older battery brands out there (founded in 1887). Even made the batteries for the German U-boats during WW2.
Varta is a EU brand - we had a saying as kids "Vartaaa!" for something that works well.
Yeah, you can google that company what they did during WWII... Hireing prisoners and letting them die on 12h shifts.
Yes, more videos on various aspects of rechargeable batteries, please. These are GREAT!
Thank you!
consistent with what i have found owning and using Duracell, EBL, Powerex , Harbor Freight rechargeable batteries
Thank you! It's nice when the test results are backed up by the experiences of viewers!
My experience over many years is that Duracells have the worst failure rate over time, by far.
@@hudefuk i agree they work untill they do not!
@@hudefuk i dont buy them. I bought varta. Eneloop. Energizer. Duracell. Eneloops are the only ones i use now.
They just work well for me. Theres probably dozens of better or equivalent. I just had good luck with them so i keep them
Awesome test. I got locked out of my house at 11pm on Christmas eve because of Rayovac rechargeable batteries. I had dual key or code entry on my front door to my house and got lazy about taking my physical keys out because I charged the batteries religiously.
They were only a few months old and failed on me from a combo of charging too often and/or sitting without being used. I wish TH-cam land warned me that some batteries are worse than others for holding charge or charging too often.
It would be good to get a balance of a mid priced battery that has a good shelf life plus does not gunge up if you charge it too often.
Try finding a locksmith at 11pm on Christmas eve...Luckily I found one. His name was Smashy Mc Window.
Oh no! I hope it didn't cost much to repair the window.
To be honest, there's nothing wrong with having a very well hidden backdoor that only you know about for situations like these.
A backdoor in the sense of getting your door opened that is. Such as hiding a key behind your house's paneling or something.
EDIT: Just don't hide a key under a flower pot or mat or likewise though. That's too obvious. I mean a really good hiding place that one never would think of to check for a key.
On a side note, i used to visit a family during the summers as a kid. I later went past their place and decided to pop in for a visit.
Turned out they were out to a market and would return later that day. I remembered where they kept their key, which they even used to open the house all the time rather than in emergencies so i used that key and sat in their kitchen waiting.
Boy were they surprised to see an unknown guy sitting there in their kitchen smiling. Until i had a chance to explain i was a much older version of the kid they used to know.
@@ProjectFarm I was impressed with how hard it was to smash the window. Modern applied science FTW. It was cheap because I repaired the window myself but after the dust and "glass" settled it made me realize that rechargeable is less finite than I expected
@@RealCadde Suprised as in terrified?
I have to back up comments on the battery size issue. What I can say for sure is that Amazon Basics grey batteries got larger in diameter in recent years. This has caused issues in devices where the batteries are arranged side by side. For example I have some devices with 4 or 6 batteries side by side. I have observed two problems in these situations, as you add batteries the fit becomes tight. Not to the point where you can't fit the last one, but it's tight and difficult to remove. The other issue I have noticed is that the Amazon Basics have a shorter button on the positive end than a standard alkaline battery. This causes a problem in those same side by side configs where the positive button may not make a good connection with the metal tab on the pack. Long story short it's been a problem and it's definitely frustrating. It's odd that there don't seem to be any reviews on Amazon that call this out. Thanks for the great video Project Farm!!
You are welcome!
I have yet to see someone that reads every comment of their videos as you do
Thank you very much!
That is so true. Some read and reply to comments for the first hour or two after a video goes public and even that is more than a lot of them do. It seems like PF reads and replies to everyone, all the time. One of the better TH-camrs.
This is the hardest working man on youtube.
Thank you
@@ProjectFarm I was just thinking that as I watched you scrubbing the headlight simulation with the Sylvania kid, all hand applied. I'll be purchasing on your recommendation. Thank you for the effort!
I thought I'd check TH-cam first before making my next rechargeable battery purchase after being disappointed by Rayovacs I purchased earlier this year. Great video, very informative! You answered all I was curious about and then some. After browsing your channel, you now have a new subscriber. Cheers!
Thank you very much!
I was hoping to see Eneloop Pro added, a great video none the less Thank you!
Thank you!
@@boxenjoyerkona I have heard that before as well, people say that they are made in the same Factory but that doesn't mean they are made to the same standard. It would still be nice to see Enelope Pro tested. There are most likely other batteries that were tested that are made in the same factory and the performance is different.
@@Tommydis There is another video on youtube comparing LADDA 2450 to Eneloop Pro. The discharge curve is identical.
I would most definitely like to see how these batteries fare after 100 days in solar lights. I’ve been using Eneloop for years. Nice to see how these other brands compare.
Great suggestion! Thank you.
Thanks for the video Project Farm! Great you used the 1900mAh rating this time for the Eneloops :) If you are doing another (discharge/long run) test I'm very interested in seeing the results. Eneloops, and probably other LSD batteries have the quickest drop in the first 10%, then slows down over time. People have tested 10 and also 12 year old eneloops still holding between 60-70% charge..
Interesting results... the top 3 of lowest self discharge are all from the same factory in Japan.. Previously owned by Sanyo, and now part of Fujitsu FDK. This means that they are actually all Eneloops! (kind of anyway ;)
If you are willing to do another discharge after 1year... that would be awesome! And I'm glad you are using a proper discharge to test this, instead of a dumb battery checker that is worthless to do these kind of tests. +1
Yes.... keep on testing please. Great info! 👍
PS... The Eneloop & Amazon Basics (black) are the same battery, just different wrappers. 😉
This makes sense considering the near identical performance. Thank you!
Hi mr PF, i feel everyone here just asks about videos but nobody actually asks how are you. How are you?
Thank you very much for asking. I'm doing great and am having a lot of fun testing products viewers want tested. Hope you're doing well too. Thanks again!
Strange how we never think to ask the subtle questions. Good to hear you are doing fine 🙂
Would more than happy buy you a beer should I ever travel through your neck of the wood 🍻
I love these battery tests, especially for NiMH cells! I would love to see how one could bring a supposedly dead NiMH cell back to life by performing a 'shock test' on them. There are multiple ways to do this, and I'm not sure which is the most effective (maybe try them all?), but if this holds true people can keep shocking their old rechargeable batteries back to life and not buy any for years. That'll save a LOT of money! Maybe look into the resistance (IR) in cells, how it gets worse, and is there a way to improve it? I hope to see my suggests soon! Fantastic channel!
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
I would love to see a video on masking/painters tape comparing brands like blue and 3m
Thank you for the video idea!
And frog ... cant forget about frog tape
Excellent video as always. I am curious about one thing, would you be willing to store a set of batteries in the freezer and compare them to a set stored in room temperature to see if they discharge at the same rate? Thanks and keep up the good work!
Thank you for the video idea!
I fully agree everybody says to freeze them to preserve them
Yes. This.
Except you should freeze a set, simply refrigerate a set, and leave a set out at ambient temps.
Might need to do winter and summer testing on this one.
+Python don Dodd And there should be one stored in a warm/hot place as well because heat is supposed to reduce battery life if I understand correctly. Basically, we need to see what effects temperature, a wide range of temperatures, has on battery life and performance.
And, just to cover bases, a variety of types of commercially available batteries. Alkaline, rechargeable alkaline, lithium, NiMH, NiCD, and NiZN.
This might be the most comprehensive review of rechargeables out there. I really like the "real world" testing, especially the honest evaluation of capacity (I have long thought that the rechargeables did not have the capacity they claimed), and what happens when they are charged and re charged through their cycles? "LET'S FIND OUT!" Great test as always. Looking forward to the long term results as well. OH, and love that you test so many different brands, you never know who will float to the top. I have gone on the rechargeables band wagon for a while, then dropped off, then back on.... I look at the tub of batteries I end up recycling then go back to rechargsables again. This test helps me to decide what devices to use rechargeables in.
Thank you
I think I like the Duracells. They just fall under the 10% discharge rate you mention and have a higher capacity then the amazons blacks , panasonics, and energizers. Plus with sales they are comparative in price to the amazons.
Great point!
Totally agree, we bought them after the last test, very happy with our choice!
Just curious why didn't you include the original factory batteries in the testing of the lights? I would be interested to see just how the "free" batteries compared.
Battery tech and this sort of review and testing are one of those few things that wont go out of usefulness. Humans will always need a source of portable power and this is a great resource of what the best ones are in the AA category (and probably other sizes of the same model types). Thanks
Thanks for the feedback.
Do a video on insulation, I'm building a tiny house this year
Thank you for the video idea!
MUFFINS!!! MUFFINS!!! I really like this idea
@n325aej Remember, flammable materials could be against building codes!
Insulation type doesn't make much difference. It's air infiltration and thermal bridging that matter.
Yes another video on the batteries after a lot of cycles!!!
Thank you
By far, the most comprehensive review of rechargeable batteries I've seen on youtube. Keep up the great work!
Thank you!
Is it a time already to revisit these rechargeable batteries?
Great point! It's getting very close. They are still cycling (charge and discharge) once per day.
@@ProjectFarm are we there yet?
@@mooseBanner yet?
Now?
th-cam.com/video/-jXQNY6rve8/w-d-xo.html
What happened to the 2 year self discharge test.
Still waiting for the last test!
I appreciate your channel 200% man. I utilize almost every product you test. So you are definitely an influencer.
I would suggest, because it'll help grow your channel, and get you some more revenue, that you create compilation videos as well. As in monthly recap, yearly recap, and best in class videos. With the top 3 products in each category and why.
I think you do a great job, and you are clearly always learning new innovative ways of testing these products. Thank you for your hard work! Keep it up!
***ALSO***
Look into linking your product reviews inside Amazon.com and posting your own reviews as well. Your opinion and statements hold more water than most everyone else on there. And you are becoming the people's champion of product reviews.
I like you. You're a cool dude. Keep up the interesting tests.
Thank you for the positive comment!
Thanks Tony!!
I greatly appreciate Tony sending the Varta and ActiveEnergy batteries!
Love this channel and the real world testing that you do without bias!
I’d love to see the update on this video after they batteries have cycled that many times.
Again thank you so much for the work that you do it definitely helps up consumers seeing non bias testing in every project you do.
KEEP IT UP! 👍
Thank you!
Great video as always. I would love to see Li-ion perf tests, maybe some ubiquitous 18650s? LiPo would be cool to compare as well.
Thank you for the video idea!
I also would like to see some 1.5V rechargeable batteries tested.
Yes please do another! I cant wait for the next episode!
Thank you!
thank you. you did working hard with too much things. but at the end, which one the best rechargeable battery?
"The EBL shown very small improvement from 2406 to 2407"
*You tried, EBL. You tried.*
Thanks for the feedback.
Cool video, nice presentation, and nicely executed and consistent testing.
I would be very interested in how these batteries perform under much lower discharge rates. Many electronics will only sip current compared to your lowest test of 300 mA. For example, I have a garmin GPS that runs about 24 hours off of a set of AA batteries, which I estimate puts it's discharge current at about 80 mA. I consider this device to be a relatively power hungry device! Also, I have some AA flashlights that have both high and low settings, some of which are supposed to last for several days in their "moonlight" setting. I am curious (and I'm sure I'm not alone) which rechargeable battery were last the longest in that type of use.
I realize that a lower discharge rate will make the tests painfully slow, so I propose that you start with a selection of your 4 favorite, readily available batteries, e.g., Eneloop, Amazon, Energizer, Duracell, and do a 100 mA test and a 30 mA test.
100 mA and 30 mA are nice because they are exactly a factor for 10 below your 1000mA and 300 mA. The batteries' mAh values vs the discharge current could be plotted to show how ideal each battery's behavior is.
This would also give insight as to each battery's Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR). Every battery has a small resistance that causes a voltage sag when under current load. That voltage sag (i.e., V_sag = V_unloaded - V_loaded) is equal to the current draw, I, and the internal resistance, R_internal: V_sag = I * R_internal
When a battery powers a device, it is also dissipating power due to its internal resistance. Therefore, when you measure how much power the battery delivers, you are only measuring the power delivered after the internal voltage sag due to ESR. The battery is doing the work to power your device AND heat itself, P = P_internal + P_load.
The classic equation for electrical power is P = V * I; hence, P_internal = V_sag*I and P_load = V_loaded*I. Therefore, we can write the total power is P = V_sag*I + P_load. Using our above equation for V_sag, we can see how the power dissipated by the battery due to its ESR is related to the discharge current:
P = R_internal*I^2 + P_load.
The internal resistance will affect the battery capacity in mAh in roughly a square relationship with the load current. Thus, batteries show better capacity with lower load currents, in part because they dissipate less of their power internally as heat. This is also why shorting out a battery can lead to an explosion: because the power dissipated to internal resistance could cause it to rapidly heat to failure.
The important result here is that the battery's self-dissipated power is proportional to the SQUARE of the current draw. This is wasted power! Therefore, when choosing a AA battery for a high current draw devices, say 300 mA and up, it is really important to choose a battery with a low internal resistance (ESR). The batteries that you've tested that show the least capacity drop off at the highest current draw are probably the batteries with the lowest ESR.
However, the flip side of this is that when using a device that only draws a small amount of current (say less than 100 mA), the ESR of the battery is relatively unimportant.
Finally, because we live in an imperfect, complicated world, there are many other effects at play inside the battery, so I doubt your results will show a perfect current-squared relationship with the change in mAh capacity. That is why it would be really fascinating if you did a test with some batteries at the low current draw end of the spectrum, so we can see how the results change across different orders of magnitude of current draw. I wouldn't use a battery's performance at 1 Amp of current to determine which battery will last the longest in an LED flashlight in moonlight mode that draws 10s of mA.
If you read this far, cheers!
Thank you for the video idea!
I always get a bit excited? when you test AA-size batteries. Like you, I was disappointed with AA-rechargeables of, say, 12-15 years ago. Not understanding discharge rates, capacities, etc., I thought the higher mHa ratings meant that they'd last longer so I bought the highest rated batts I could find. Boy was I in for an expensive and rude surprise! Now I own a fairly large collection of Nimh brands that are almost utterly useless! That said, I enjoyed your informational vid and learned a lot. Thanks, again!
Thank you very much!
It would be cool if you could test chisel toughness of cheap chisels
Thank you for the video idea!
@@ProjectFarm and file longevity...a good file is hard to come by Now days.
@@tikkidaddy I find files are cheap like borscht, doesnt matter that they suck when you can buy 3 or 4 of them for $20, and the lot of them will last you as well as one of those older ones
Can you test the different types of oil each car manufacturer makes? (Ford Motorcraft, AC Delco (Chevy), Mopar Maxpro, etc.) And see how they compare to normal oils like Valvoline, Mobil One, and the new Amazon oil?
Thank you for the video idea!
ACDelco is GM not Chevy, I'm a GM tech, just letting you know
@S 4 The difference is this, Chevy is a sub brand that GM produces, and GM is the company as a whole
@S 4 One key won't start either one these are Chevys!
Always great content! I have a flashlight addiction & for several years, I have used a life gear stormproof waterproof rechargeable flashlight! (model No YD2016SP-B01)Mine aged out & stopped working so, I ordered a new one yet, The price had doubled! (was $10.00 now with s/h almost $20.00) IT'S NOT A VERY BRIGHT FLASHLIGHT! It has 3 led's! The reason I like it is because of its oblong/ card like shape with curved sides & the fact that, I can hold it in my mouth while using my hands to work on a vehicle or whatever else I am working on! I ordered a new model & it was dropped one time & developed an issue! All of my older ones never had any issue's at all! They were used & abused, dropped many times & never a issue! I can not seem to use a round handled flashlight in the same manor so, I really like my type of flashlight & need to again order another! I really love this rechargeable flashlight & plan on ordering more of them!
I am married, so I have about a 98% self discharge....lol
That is actually rather impressive!
YOU NEVER INCLUDE PRICE TO PERFORMANCE METRICS!
there's another video about that, dear. sure enough he didn't consider these newer results, nevertheless the first video is a great baseline of what was to come.
Price fluctuates. Look up the current prices yourself and fo the math.
Me and my boyfriend watch all your videos we think your brilliant and it’s so nice to see how happy and enthusiastic you are! Keep up the amazing work xx
Thank you very much!
HI!
Hope you enjoy the video!
Nice profile pic.
Yes, what is that thing :D
@@jaakkopontinen Look up the flying spaghetti monster. :)
Ahhh... So that's that :P
I love you
Thank you!
Yes please! Continue testing and rating the rechargeable batteries, I appreciate free will you conduct your testing. I value your work and look forward to more content! Thank you.
Thank you
I bought some Eneloop's back in 2011 -- and I'm still using them. I bought a bunch more in 2012 and I'm still using them as well. They are not getting recharged a ton, but they still seem to hold just about as good of a charge as they did when they were new and I've had no reason to want to replace them yet. It's a very impressive brand. Looking at my Amazon history I also bought some Energizer and Duracell rechargeables in 2012, was trying to save a few dollars, and those batteries were garbage and stop being used many years ago.
Thanks for sharing.
You deserve some respect for all your hard work and kind manners!
Thank you
Yes please, continue updating on the rechargeable batteries... I've also had very poor luck with rechargeable batteries so hoping to find out which comes out on top over all.
I'm seriously surprised by the EBL ratings since I bought 4 packs of them almost 2 years ago and they are performing VERY well for everything that we use rechargeable batteries for... Game controllers, remote controls for devices, hand held cordless land line phones, Blood pressure cuff, etc... I will admit that ANY rechargeable battery dies out VERY fast in my regular old Mini Maglite. My Amazon Basic Black batteries are about 5 years old and are barely charging, the 20 or so Rayovac Rechargables are holding up well for the money and they vary in age from 4 years to 2 years. I have lost about 4 Rayovac batteries due to them not being able to be charged / discharged any longer. Great job on the testing!
Thank you for the feedback. Update video on all the rechargeables coming soon
I continue to be impressed with the Ikea Ladda batteries and you sure can't beat their price/performance ratio.
It's a great battery!
YES! Please Do a number of cycles test, see what their mAmp capacity is every 250 cycles. So, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, 2000.... or until the battery "dies"
I'm glad the Eneloops did so well, I just loaded up on them from Costco this year. I've been very happy with them as they last just about as long as alkalines and hold 70% of their charge for 10 years with 2100 recharge cycles. I've got a LED 3D maglite flashlight and I'm running 3 AA batteries with AA to D adapters that came with my Eneloop kits and they're always ready to go and super bright. D cell alkalines are super expensive so what a money saver and I've got more rechargeables always at the ready. I used to use rechargeables for my walkman way back in the 80's and that saved me ton's of cash as batteries were more expensive back then. Now alkalines leak and I've lost far too many electronics to this. Thanks to the Eneloops, never again.
Thank you!
I don't understand why this channel doesn't have more subscribers?
Thank you!!
In our school we use rechargeable to avoid putting a lot of alkaline in the landfill. Because they use a lot of cells we turn them over quickly so shelf life/self discharge is less of an issue. It’s also a significant economy as well as environmental improvement.
One of my favorite videos from you. My biggest reason is because of the control of the tests. Very wise setup. Always a pleasure to watch your channel and I hope you continue to expand to other products. Can't wait for the future videos of this series! Well done, and good luck!
Thank you very much!
Another great video as always!
Thanks to the Guy who sent the Varta and Aldi batteries, we have had both in the past, never bought either again, but it appears that Varta has really raised the bar!
We bought the Duracell after your last testing, they gave the best value for money, very happy with the purchase!
Thank you
This video was 1000 times more informative than i'd have expected a vid on batteries to be! Awesome stuff haha
Thanks!
Excellent testing methods. Makes me glad that I have a lot of Eneloop batteries in my emergency comms gear. None of my 54 batteries have given me problems.
Eneloops are great!
It's my understanding that self discharge is a complicated topic. Some batteries may actually be designed to self discharge to protect the battery chemistry. For example Nimh isn't stable at the top end of the voltage range, so Eneloop will self-discharge from 1.5 volt down to 1.34 volt within just a matter of hours of charging, then they'll stay at that voltage for months. This makes the battery last longer for more cycles.
Thanks for the feedback.
Just for the record. I go with Duracell, from personal experience I had Amazon (although I don't remember which type of Rechargeable Amazon's battery) and then Eneloop but after a while, I ended up with Duracell's and so far these have been the most consistent batteries to me. Good video.
Thank you. Duracell seems great!
HI ,I live in Europe .I bought the Varta recharge Accu power AA batteries.
They may be more expensive but they hold their power for a long long time and they are totally worth it.They are awesome batteries!
Thank you
Most thorough and imaginative reviews ever! You never fail to impress!
Thank you!
You where featured in an Jalopnik article, I nearly fell over. You're doing great. Love this channel.
Thank you very much!
Well done Tex ! What a work. Minus 2°F is -18.9°C. Very cold ! I don't think we went that cold even in the far north east of France this winter. About NiMH batteries, I had problems with my home phones. I watched your previous video, and then bought a Wolcraft IPC-1L charger-tester. I tested all my batteries in stock, and put the 4 best ones into the 2 phones, and it was still a no-go. I then bought a supermarket-brand 4-pack, and now everything is going well with my 2 phones. I think capacity is not all, minimum voltage is also to be considered.
Great point. Thank you!
One of my friends suggested that the simplest passive water heater is simply coiling or laying Black garden hose on your roof on the side that faces the sun and let it collect the solar energy in heat and pump it into a storage tank, and pump it into a radiator. Like you have in a car or truck. Put a solar powered fan behind it and you get free heating in some climates.
Interesting. Thank you
It's been seven months and I still keep coming back to your battery videos. They're so good! Can't wait for the update video on the rechargeables 😁
Thanks for the feedback!
I am such a nerd. I've watched all three AA battery test videos. I appreciated your analysis including cost per unit of energy.
Thank you!
I've had these solar lights outside with a replacement EBL battery and still is fully bright after one year I was very impressed by it
Thanks for the feedback!
Quite impressive range of tests.
As a firefighter, I depend heavily upon both my AA powered EDC LED flashlight (mini Maglite), as welll as my helmet mounted AA powered flashlight (Streamlight). I hate 'wasting' money on alkaline one-time use batteries, opting to use rechargeables instead. Yet, I have noticed a wide range of seemingly UN-quantifiable frustrations with performance related to battery brands/models.
I really appreciate your thorough and methodical approach now, exposing/educating me as to now, finally, be able to quantify my frustrations and clarify which brands may increase my satisfaction.
Finally, I especially appreciate your opening my eyes, both to previously unknown brands of batteries as well as a better charging bank than any of my current solutions (Sony & Energizer).
Please keep up the great work!!! Very much appreciated!!!
Thank you!
Between the products I have personally used and various reviews on channels like yours, i am quickly becoming a fan of the Amazon Basics brand. They are rarely the best product, but they are usually good quality with a very good price to performance ratio.
Thank you
quite possibly the best series of rechargeable battery test on youtube!
Thank you
We get Vartas in South Africa and they are the best I've found
Thanks for sharing.
We have once done a project that required a built-in low self discharge 2Ah Ni-MH battery pack. After testing multiple types of samples, we decided to use the "Kinetic" brand, that was both cheap and excellent. After few months of production, many of the packs turned out to discharge themselves very quickly (much worse than old, standard and cheap Panasonic cells we use for other applications) and to have problems with recharging. Disassembling few packs and testing individual cells has shown a consistent capacity, but the self-discharge rate turned out to vary extremely (some were *completely* discharged after 6 months). But even the best ones were much worse that the original samples. Now, we're using GP Recyko+ and GP Recyko+ Pro types, not a single problem with them for few years. The conclusion is: do not trust samples.
EBL 2300/2800 wont easily insert with some of the Mr.Beams motion LED lights. They bind up when inserted vertically....diameter issue. Thanks for the diameter measurements :)
Thanks for the feedback!
Great chanel. We need the AAA test video!
Great suggestion! Thank you
Yes - please do put together a video about the number of charge/discharge cycles. In the end, the battery you can recharge 1000 times is "better" than the one that dies after 100! Thanks for doing these videos!!!
Thank you for the video idea!
Ikea makes battery too?!
Amazon brand really impress me, not only the motor oil is good, their battery is great too
Thanks for your time for testing and put them all together
Thank you!
I too quit using them but this test seems to indicate I need to reevaluate my decision. Thanks for the report.
Thank you
Your channel is the ONLY one i actually let the commercials play all the way through.... i hope it pays off....lol
Thank you very much!
Thank you for all of the detail. Im appreciate your hard work and so much energy to this video
Thank you!
I'm curious about the Tenergy brand batteries. I'm also glad you are not testing the super cheap batteries like BTY and the other no names. Thank you for doing this testing, its really interesting to watch and it's actually confirmed a lot of my research, especially about the Ikea Ladda batteries. They seem to be making quite a splash in the rechargeable world right now.
Thank you for the video idea!
It would be better if you put long term test in the tittle 😊
I would also like to see voltage testing because everything that uses batteries will stop working after the voltage is to low
My energizer and eneloop can not go to 1.5 volt anymore after 1 year of use in a rc transmitter and recharging them at 1000 mA
A good battery should produce more voltage then what its rated for
Thanks for the suggestion.