i look at it as a chance for duracell or energizer to upgrade what ever they leak in 
not sure if these new lowes BF specials i got have any kind of guarantee, probably not
Alkies have ruined almost every single toy that my toddler owns. He now knows better and removes them after play to avoid the same issues. But I wouldn’t trust alkies in higher end equipment. Some battery companies even state in fine print that they won’t be held responsible for damages arising from alkie usage. Finally I’ve seen that blackish-green crud spewing out of AAs while they were still sealed in the blister pack even before their expiry date! Took them back to the agents for a refund but they offered more of the same in exchange instead. Had to give them away after that. Going for lithiums now but even the rechargeables are not that cheap yet.
Generally speaking, L91/L92 lithiums are about the same price as Duraloops (give or take). Anyway, just today, I thought I would get a four pack of L92 lithium primaries as emergency batteries for the emergency penlight that I keep in my glovebox. When I got to the checkout, the guy actually tried to talk me out of buying the lithiums because they had some value pack of no-name house brand alkaline AAA batteries on sale for $5. NO WAY!
I think you’re right about the price comparison for Lithiums Vs Duraloop batteries. Like Lithiums (Energizers and Duracell), the 18650s don’t come cheap in some places. Also considering the options of RCRs, LiPo, LiMn (IMRs) and their chargers.
I put in a fully charged Eneloop in a wall clock 2 days ago. Clock’s not keeping time. I tested the battery, it’s at 1.36 volts. Went back to an alki (1.58 volts) for that particular clock. Hmm, maybe I’ll go w/ an Energizer Lithium AA for it?
I normally use the safer slow drain primary disposable zinc–carbon batteries like Evereadys in clocks having learnt from experience. But I wouldn’t use alkies cos they just leak and spoil the quartz clock movements too often. Also the clock dealers told me that the fast drain alkies are designed more for equipment with heavier loads and tend to burn out the delicate clock circuits too. So you may want to test the voltage of that Lithium battery before you try to pop it inside your clock?
This summer i opened a package of engergizer C batteries (cellophane around batteries in carboard tray) that were purchased ~2003. i didn’t check expiration.
two of them were dead. Nothing leaked - no residue or rust visible - but the anodes had a couple perforations from some kind of corrosion.
Yep that sure sounds like alkalines and that would never happen to Lithiums from what I am told. They are supposed to last for at least 10 years on the shelf esp in the blister pack. And they would never crap crud in any battery compartment of any light, tool or toy.
not in the capsule form a ’course. 
Understood of course! And that’s why your nick is not spelled with an “N” 
. But I doubt I’m any better considering the fact that we are labelled as ‘flashaholics’. :Sp
Btw : As medicine, Lithium pharmacology refers to the treatment of bipolar disorder where Lithium compounds and Lithium salts are also helpful for related diagnoses, such as schizo-affective disorders and cyclic major depression. The active principle in these salts is the lithium ion Li+.
I went to the Duracell site today and found the following in their FAQ. I’m going to email them regardless as I have a clock that has been ruined by one of their batteries, which “expires” Mar 2014.
I have a coast g10 that got leaked in from a Duracell I found this past weekend… Time to contact them for a new light and some free batteries
Going by my memory of before they had that name they must be completely different things
Would probably bother me if I used them with any regularity; the only use I have for alkalines is AAA in remote controls (mostly) , AA in clocks, and 9v in fire alarms. All in, the total number of alkalines I go through is basically negligible.
AA seems the worse offender with a fair % having leaked in clocks. Though this is probably exacerbated by my habit of not changing them when dead, I rarely pay attention to them given so many other devices display the time.
I can’t remember any 9v leaks and except for a keyboard ruined by AAA corroding the contacts they haven’t leaked. They do appear more sealed for their capacity, but this could all be cause they’re all in devices where you can’t ignore dead batteries. A clock running low on charge neither beeps incessantly nor stops you from using a device you regularly check.
Still I’ve probably run down and left more nimh in devices than all alkalines I’ve ever had put together and nimh hasn’t leaked in a device (had some really old ones leak in storage), so alkalines come out very poorly.
Supposed to have been a good deal Home Depot was running once on a light. I went to check it out and found a packaged light hanging on the display rack with 2 visible alakalines, with one of them leaking in the package! Name brand, totally unexpected. Of course I took that one to a salesperson.
Modded a 2D Mag for my daughter, who lives with her mom in the country. Changed out the incan with a decent led, she was very impressed and loved it. Less than a year later it was destroyed, leaky alkalines wouldn’t come out of the tube and the light was trashed. Again, top brand name new batteries installed when I gave it to her.
That pretty much sealed the deal for me. No more alkalines.
My friends new, expensive camera flash ($530) was ruined when the batteries leaked inside. It was beyond repair. I told him to stick with NiMh batteries, but of course that was after the fact. I wouldn’t use alkalines in expensive equipment, and if the item only worked with 1.5v alkalines, then I’d remove the batteries straight after using it. Better safe than sorry :_(
+1 esp if I can’t remember to take them out after each use!
I’ve had more than my fair share of leak events, but I’ve rarely seen any device completely ruined by a leaking alkaline. Usually it takes some cleaning with a damp towel or q-tip. In more severe cases I take a file or sandpaper to the contacts, and it works again, even if you can’t get to all the leaked stuff.
one of my first LED flashlights had a complex 4 x AA holding system for the batteries that could not be taken apart and was made from plastic and metal, and was uncleanable without smashing it apart like humpty dumpty
I’ve not been so lucky with the majority of alkaline leaks I’ve had.
Here, a corroded Maglite tailcap after cleaning. The spring no longer fits.
I had to use a pin and vinegar to help free a pair of AAA’s stuck inside a Fluke volt pen. I cleaned up the contacts but the electronics are dead. The same for a clock which I also painstakingly cleaned. Duracell reimbursed me for the loss, at least. I won’t buy alkalines now, if I can help it.
I’ve completely stopped buying alkalines a few years ago because of leakages. Having a favorite Sony shortwave radio ruined by CorrosionTops was the last straw. Now it’s Eneloops or Lithium primaries only.