Lithium AA rechargeables Rayovac. Any good?

[thermarest]

Anybody used these? I've been seeing Rayovac AA rechargeables for pretty low prices compared to fancier-branded NiMh. Currently 4 for $4 shipped from Adorama http://www.adorama.com/BYRAA404.html. The low price and the fact that several minutes of googling turned up no real info on this particular type of cell make me skeptical. Rayovac website has 3 different product lines of NiMh but no mention of Lithium nor any products with packaging that looks like these. I'm thinking maybe an ill-fated product line now relegated mostly to eBay and Amazon Marketplace sellers?

Edit: looks like they are not Lithium. Package says "like" Lithium with the "like' in small print.

From a Fat Wallet post:

"I have a 4-pack of these Rayovac 4.0 batteries in my hand.
These are NOT Lithium.
They state on the box "Ready to use LIKE Lithium"
Also on the box "Works in all chargers"
They are 1.2V NiMH, capacity not stated anywhere on the pack or the batteries.
They are pre-charged like the eneloops and say that they retain 80% of capacity after 6-months."

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/expired-deals/970786

[Jimmypoo]

I see Rayovac and other brands (but Rayovac in particular) package their stuff with sweepstakes and/or
charity stuff (pink ribbons, etc.) and those have expiration dates, while the BATTERIES do not (at least not
for a few more years past the contest).

Those I've seen cleared (including NiMH) at great rates in Grocery - $1 for 4 pack alkalines, etc.


Also note -- Duragarbage now has their NiMH up to 2650 for AA sized NiMH. Sitting right next to it at
Staples was a pack of 2000s for $4 less.

As battery tech improves, they gotta clear the older ones out.

Also - am seeing pre-charged NiMH (which has to be worthless unless it was 3 days ago). In addition, I
bought into their precharged Alkaline about 6 years ago and used them to death (they were rechargable,
of course), and was as pleased with them as any of them, if not more so.

Have never had a Rayovac vent on me or in my equipment - and that's not a claim Energizer or DuraGarbage can make from my home.

Without repeating the Duragarbage tales - different owners, but ex-wife as plant shift spv at a lithium military battery plant that also made various button cells. Never in my life have I heard about worse
quality control (fire department moved their station to their parking lot and charged them $300/night to station a truck there, which was used on average, 1-2x per night, EVERY night) --- anyway, never
seen anything worse except that KFC in NY that had rats everywhere while they made and served food.

Remember that one --- ??? It was a UTube sensation ---- people shot films of rats everywhere before
the store opened, which all scattered when the lights came on, until more chicken was ready.

Same with DuraGarbage. When they split from Mallory, they became a worthless institution. (True of Energizer and Union Carbide too, as far as I'm concerned).

Saft bought all the DOD ops from Dura, and even scraped that North Carolina plant from the ground.

[kap]

Jimmypoo wrote:

Remember that one --- ??? It was a UTube sensation ---- people shot films of rats everywhere before
the store opened, which all scattered when the lights came on, until more chicken was ready.

I heard they tasted like chicken.

:barf:

[AllGold]

I haven't used the "new 4.0" Rayovac but I have used their older LSD (Low Self-Discharge) NiMH. The Sanyo Eneloop is considered to be a better battery.

I don't know how much the 4.0 version is improved if any, but that price at Adorama sure is pretty incredible.

[Jimmypoo]

AllGold wrote:
I don't know how much the 4.0 version is improved if any, but that price at Adorama sure is pretty incredible.

It is indeed --- and thinking 2 packs for my Nikon because it uses 4 --- and Liths will get me, according
to the op guide, 900 vs 375 pics.

At $1 each.... hard to argue.

[Jimmypoo]

I ordered two packs of 4. I have a few chargers around - says any will work. Mine are little
wall warts for 4 AAs at a time (NiMH), so.... I'll let you know what I think.

I mean... about the batteries.

Trust me, you don't want me to open up the rest of the vault.

[Bernie]

I have had such bad luck with Rayovac that I will by any off branded battery over them. I was dis-assembling some old test equipment at work and an ever-ready from the 60's or 70's was in it. No leakage. It was made in the USA too! Dural cell for things that sit at this household.