purchased new Eneloops, but manufacture date is 16 months ago...

berk_gb · 2018-07-11T08:25:16.000Z

…and the box is quite tatty.

I bought some Eneloops from Amazon EU and I’m mildly irritated that they seem to have been sat in the warehouse for a long time. I certainly wouldn’t want to gift them given the condition of the packet, but I guess they should be fine to use assuming Amazon’s warehouses are temperature controlled.

Is it typical for Eneloops to already be more than a year old before they are sold?

What would be the best practice for these? start using them immediately or charge them first?

Thanks.

djozz · 2018-07-11T08:30:33.000Z

Eneloops are known for their longevity, 16 months old is fine. But I would have liked an intact packet too.

brad · 2018-07-11T11:07:08.000Z

I would be annoyed at the sloppiness of the seller but not bothered enough to make any great effort to get them replaced.

hIKARInoob · 2018-07-11T13:36:45.000Z

brad:

I would be annoyed at the sloppiness of the seller but not bothered enough to make any great effort to get them replaced.

Same here. Nevertheless, last year I bought AA Eneloops advertised with production date of 2012! The reason is that back then Eneloops were old school Sanyo, whereas today it’s Panasonic Eneloop. It’s just a cult thing I guess, but I was thrilled. :partying_face:

WalkIntoTheLight · 2018-07-11T13:41:25.000Z

They’ll be fine. I have 12 year old Eneloops that are still going strong.

Charge them first, since they only charge them 75% at the factory. You’ll gain a few percent more capacity after 2 or 3 full cycles, but I wouldn’t bother doing any refresh cycle on them. Just charge and use. You can even use them without first charging, but I’d rather have a full charge.

Gebe · 2018-07-11T16:19:44.000Z

Same here. I have many AA and AAA’s Eneloops well over a decade old and still performing great. Had one AAA stop taking a charge after a few years but the rest are fine.

I also recommend charging them after receipt.

ChrisGarrett · 2018-07-11T18:13:38.000Z

5th Anniversary Eneloop Glitters…

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Fresher is bester, but as you can see from my non-scientific study, they do pretty well just sitting in the packs for a few years.

Chris

WalkIntoTheLight · 2018-07-11T19:28:48.000Z

ChrisGarrett:

5th Anniversary Eneloop Glitters…

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Fresher is bester, but as you can see from my non-scientific study, they do pretty well just sitting in the packs for a few years.

Good info, IMO. I don’t get why you were flamed so much in that thread, but hey, I suppose it’s the Internet.

I’m going to run a capacity test on my 12 year old Eneloops, and post the results in a couple of days.

ChrisGarrett · 2018-07-11T19:40:31.000Z

WalkIntoTheLight:

ChrisGarrett:

5th Anniversary Eneloop Glitters…

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Fresher is bester, but as you can see from my non-scientific study, they do pretty well just sitting in the packs for a few years.

Good info, IMO. I don’t get why you were flamed so much in that thread, but hey, I suppose it’s the Internet.

I’m going to run a capacity test on my 12 year old Eneloops, and post the results in a couple of days.

Yeah, it’s not like I discharged them, which I did and then charged them up, using those numbers.

The Maha C9000 Break-In is a 40 hour process and tells us something.

You have to have thick skin, if you’re going to play on the Web.

Chris

Sprinkles · 2018-07-11T20:04:06.000Z

I bought a pack of eneloop AAA pros from amazon (USA), and they shipped me a pack that looks like it was meant for the European market. They were older, and they drain faster than I think they should. They spec out at 900mah, but their run times don’t add up. When compared to a regular eneloop AAAs, they don’t last nearly as long in my Tool AAA. Odd…. just sharing though.

WalkIntoTheLight · 2018-07-11T21:14:34.000Z

Sprinkles:

I bought a pack of eneloop AAA pros from amazon (USA), and they shipped me a pack that looks like it was meant for the European market. They were older, and they drain faster than I think they should. They spec out at 900mah, but their run times don’t add up. When compared to a regular eneloop AAAs, they don’t last nearly as long in my Tool AAA. Odd…. just sharing though.

Eneloop Pros don’t last as long as standard Eneloops. Depending how old they are, it’s possible they have aged enough that they won’t perform as well as standard ones. (Either lost capacity or high internal resistance.)

Or, maybe you got fakes? I’ve heard that it’s pretty easy to get fakes from Amazon, even if you’re buying from a reputable vendor. In most cases, the same goods from multiple vendors are lumped into the same Amazon bin, so you can be getting goods from any vendor that sells them.

RotorHead64 · 2018-07-11T21:32:35.000Z

I have a couple AA 2004 models that are still in use. “Kodak wrapped”

ChibiM · 2018-07-11T21:40:12.000Z

RotorHead64:

I have a couple AA 2004 models that are still in use. “Kodak wrapped”

2004..lol... Those must be the oldest " eneloops" I have ever seen...

Just giving you a hard time ;)

WalkIntoTheLight · 2018-07-11T21:48:01.000Z

ChibiM:

RotorHead64:

I have a couple AA 2004 models that are still in use. “Kodak wrapped”

2004…lol… Those must be the oldest ” eneloops” I have ever seen…

Just giving you a hard time

I’ve got Kodak AA’s as well. IIRC, I think I bought them in 2000, although it may have been 2003. 1450mAh and 1600mAh versions. I still use them in solar lights. I should do a capacity test on them, too. They still seem to have plenty of juice, though only for low-current use.

Sprinkles · 2018-07-12T01:18:23.000Z

WalkIntoTheLight:

Sprinkles:

I bought a pack of eneloop AAA pros from amazon (USA), and they shipped me a pack that looks like it was meant for the European market. They were older, and they drain faster than I think they should. They spec out at 900mah, but their run times don’t add up. When compared to a regular eneloop AAAs, they don’t last nearly as long in my Tool AAA. Odd…. just sharing though.

Eneloop Pros don’t last as long as standard Eneloops. Depending how old they are, it’s possible they have aged enough that they won’t perform as well as standard ones. (Either lost capacity or high internal resistance.)

Or, maybe you got fakes? I’ve heard that it’s pretty easy to get fakes from Amazon, even if you’re buying from a reputable vendor. In most cases, the same goods from multiple vendors are lumped into the same Amazon bin, so you can be getting goods from any vendor that sells them.

Funny enough, I thought they were fakes to. However, I did my due diligence and looked at that. But, I didn’t see any indication they were fakes. The packaging, rapper, and embossed numbers all checked out.

ChibiM · 2018-07-12T05:07:45.000Z

WalkIntoTheLight:

ChibiM:

RotorHead64:

I have a couple AA 2004 models that are still in use. “Kodak wrapped”

2004..lol... Those must be the oldest " eneloops" I have ever seen...

Just giving you a hard time ;)

I’ve got Kodak AA’s as well. IIRC, I think I bought them in 2000, although it may have been 2003. 1450mAh and 1600mAh versions. I still use them in solar lights. I should do a capacity test on them, too. They still seem to have plenty of juice, though only for low-current use.

Sure, but I thought he was saying he has "eneloops" from 2004 that have a Kodak wrapper.. Because eneloop only came to existance in 2005 :)

berk_gb · 2018-07-12T07:29:08.000Z

Thanks everyone. Returning is a hassle, I’ll probably keep them but I have the 30 day return window to decide.

WalkIntoTheLight:

…it’s pretty easy to get fakes from Amazon, even if you’re buying from a reputable vendor. In most cases, the same goods from multiple vendors are lumped into the same Amazon bin, so you can be getting goods from any vendor that sells them.

That’s unsettling. The are so may counterfeit items and dubious retailers to be wary of, I usually make a point of buying directly from Amazon EU S.a.r.L. The only time I look to Marketplace or eBay is when I can find the seller on the manufacturer or distributor where to buy list of authorized dealers.

Sprinkles:

…I didn’t see any indication they were fakes. The packaging, rapper, and embossed numbers all checked out.

Is there a guide anywhere to spotting fake Eneloops?

WalkIntoTheLight · 2018-07-12T08:53:41.000Z

berk_gb:

WalkIntoTheLight:

…it’s pretty easy to get fakes from Amazon, even if you’re buying from a reputable vendor. In most cases, the same goods from multiple vendors are lumped into the same Amazon bin, so you can be getting goods from any vendor that sells them.

That’s unsettling. The are so may counterfeit items and dubious retailers to be wary of, I usually make a point of buying directly from Amazon EU S.a.r.L. The only time I look to Marketplace or eBay is when I can find the seller on the manufacturer or distributor where to buy list of authorized dealers.

I’m not sure if Eneloop fakes are common, but I have heard of a few cases. You’re probably getting genuine Eneloops from Amazon, but it’s something to be aware of. I refuse to buy lithium-ion cells from Amazon, since those are much more easily faked and can be a safety hazard. Same with some electronics that are commonly faked.

I basically view Amazon as Aliexpress with a better return policy. If you pick a reputable vendor on Amazon that does their own shipping, then you don’t have to worry about the “bin mixup” issue when Amazon does the shipping. But, return policy is worse.

RotorHead64 · 2018-07-12T20:09:04.000Z

ChibiM:

WalkIntoTheLight:

ChibiM:

RotorHead64:

I have a couple AA 2004 models that are still in use. “Kodak wrapped”

2004..lol... Those must be the oldest " eneloops" I have ever seen...

Just giving you a hard time ;)

I’ve got Kodak AA’s as well. IIRC, I think I bought them in 2000, although it may have been 2003. 1450mAh and 1600mAh versions. I still use them in solar lights. I should do a capacity test on them, too. They still seem to have plenty of juice, though only for low-current use.

Sure, but I thought he was saying he has "eneloops" from 2004 that have a Kodak wrapper.. Because eneloop only came to existance in 2005 :)

Yeah, I have no idea. I assumed they must be enloops when I learned about enloops, like five years ago. Also, these 2 sat in a junk drawer (discharged in the old camera they came in) for at least 8 years. I threw away the camera and kept the batteries. One can run an zebra light sc52 on high still but the other one is only able to run it in medium.

ChibiM · 2018-07-12T20:20:57.000Z

@berk_gb, you could check some things here: https://eneloop101.com/batteries/real-or-fake/

@RotorHead64: no problem. They may definitely come from the same factory. Sanyo bought it from Toshiba before they invented "eneloop" so it's quite possible they came from there. Even now not all batteries that are made in the FDK factory are "LSD batteries".