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Old 11th Dec 2015, 11:56 pm   #1
Alvin
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Default Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

I spotted these today, one of Lidl's short lived 'while stocks last' offers, for £4.99 per pack of 8 - the AAs are 2300mAh and the AAAs 950mAh.

I took a punt and bought one of each but it's obviously too early to say how well they'll perform.

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Old 12th Dec 2015, 1:08 am   #2
Boater Sam
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidll

I bought some from Lidl on a previous offer, they were of a different make. Many of them have leaked. No further comment.
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Old 12th Dec 2015, 1:27 am   #3
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

Are you sure they were rechargeables? I've never known NiMHs from any manufacturer leak, no matter how knackered.

The normal Lidl prices for batteries are nothing special and I rarely buy them, despite being a regular visitor. Poundland and Primark for me
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Old 12th Dec 2015, 9:47 am   #4
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

They looked like NiMHs, , marked as NiMH, charged like them too.
If it sounds like a duck and walks like a duck as far as I am concerned, its a duck.
Agreed its unusual but they corroded around the + endcap, the AAA ones corroded on the - end till it was impossible to use them unless they were cleaned off, then after being cleaned several times, they perforated.

The construction was more akin to Zinc Carbon!
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Old 12th Dec 2015, 12:04 pm   #5
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

Fair enough.
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Old 12th Dec 2015, 2:09 pm   #6
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

For what it's worth, I've had a few packs of their "Tronic" brand AAA cells and found them to be reliable. I don't think any have failed yet. Can't speak for older types.
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Old 12th Dec 2015, 3:48 pm   #7
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

Paul - I have Poundland NiMH batteries in two of my DECT phones and they have performed faultlessly for two or three years but I was attracted to these by their higher capacity for more demanding situations.

Sam - as you say yours were a different brand and since posting I've found some encouraging reviews of the Tronic Eco. range. They claim to be of leak proof metal construction, also gas proof, and come charged ready for use with a low self-discharge rate.

The packaging is professional as they are sealed in strong plastic not flimsy cardboard, the card inlay is well printed and finally they are distributed by Eures GmbH in Germany whose contact details are readily available so I'm reasonably confident but of course only time will tell!

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Old 12th Dec 2015, 4:02 pm   #8
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

You are quite right, the Poundland NiMHs are very low capacity but otherwise OK.
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Old 12th Dec 2015, 5:44 pm   #9
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

I've seen even decent branded Nimh batteries leak, Varta for example. I think it happens if the charging arrangement isn't controlled properly. Some CMOS memory batteries just use a series resistor off the power supply and I believe Nimh are more susceptible to overcharging by this method.
A couple of years ago I bought an extra Doro phone handset off eBay as Farnell were selling off the corresponding bases for peanuts. When it arrived the 2xAAA Nimh green batteries had leaked out and corroded the pcb
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Old 16th Dec 2015, 12:15 am   #10
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

At work we have some equipment that uses 3 AA NiMH's. The equipment appears to be poorly designed as the batteries get rather warm. This equipment is not cheap Chinese copies or other but UK designed and made as far as I know. Power is required permanently so they are effectively used for short term backup. I have found these have leaked occasionally and battery life is a year or less. We only use high quality batteries.
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Old 21st Dec 2015, 9:01 am   #11
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

I had a lot of rechargeable AA s from Aldi which have all been excellent for several years but they have not been available lately. I keep looking in case they should appear again.
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Old 21st Dec 2015, 10:01 pm   #12
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

Quote:
Originally Posted by ionburn View Post
At work we have some equipment that uses 3 AA NiMH's. The equipment appears to be poorly designed as the batteries get rather warm. This equipment is not cheap Chinese copies or other but UK designed and made as far as I know. Power is required permanently so they are effectively used for short term backup. I have found these have leaked occasionally and battery life is a year or less. We only use high quality batteries.
NiMH cells are really ill-suited to the sort of C/30 continuous-float-charge regime often found in 'backup' type applications. NiCd cells would tolerate this OK, LiIon cells less-so. NiMH ones don't like it at all.

I see a lot of "sustained luminaires" [a.k.a. emergency-lights and emergency-exit signs] fail under test - it's clear the manufacturers have not bothered to adapt the charge circuitry for decades despite going from NiCd (or SLA) to LiIon/NiMH cells.
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Old 26th Dec 2015, 12:01 am   #13
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Default Re: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries at Lidl

Quote:
Originally Posted by saxmaniac View Post
I had a lot of rechargeable AA s from Aldi which have all been excellent for several years but they have not been available lately. I keep looking in case they should appear again.
I used to get these from Aldi, and noticed that they'd "done an Aldi"( = got some in, and when gone,they're gone) ,but on asking, Aldi staff tell me that they've stopped stocking rechargeable cells .
Shame, as they were good value.
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