Rechargeable Batteries - Yes or No?

TheFifthElephant asks: "I currently use quite a few devices that require various size batteries and I feel horrible just tossing them when they die. I saw a recharger at a retail store today and was thinking to myself how much waste it would reduce by using rechargeable ones. Which units have you used happily and/or which units have you heard of/read about satisfying someone else? Are the more expensive units better? What chemical rechargeable batteries last the longest/recharge the most?"

Comments

Re:All About the Same

[Kaa]

Most of the brands of rechargeable batteries have about the same performance.

Bullshit. First, there are different kinds of rechargeables -- NiCd, NiMh, Lithium, to name a few most widespread. Their characteristics are quite different. Second, as usual you typically get what you pay for.

But not buying batteries from an electronics store is good advice. They are horribly overpriced there, any brand...

Rechargeable batteries, like toothpaste, is a commodity product.

Toothpaste? You mean you alway buy the cheapest toothpaste you can find?? :-)

When you buy a product, you indirectly support the value system in the country of origin.

I do? How interesting... Is it one of those "if you do drugs you support terrorism" rants?

"Made in USA", "Made in Japan", or similar Western-country label is usually a safe bet in terms of (1) the quality of the product and (2) the value system in the country of origin.

Thanks for a good laugh... To start with, Japan is not a Western country. To continue, US produces large amounts of very shoddy products. "Made in USA" is definitely not a guarantee of quality. And what was it about value system again?