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BobK207
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

Question for the group.............

Has anyone had this experience?

Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.

At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but
now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the
buld leaked & got stuck)

I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient
clearance for the battery?

Any thoughts on this?

Also since I only have one 4 cell flashlight (there rest are 3 cells) &
I thought the bulbs were bad I wound up using a 3 cell buld in the 4
cell. It's REALLY bright & I like it but the bulb life must be
reduced?

cheers
Bob

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Richard J Kinch
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

BobK207 writes:

Any thoughts on this?


All batteries leak.
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CBHVAC
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction


"BobK207" wrote in message
ps.com...
Question for the group.............

Has anyone had this experience?

Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.


Any battery will leak....

At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but
now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the
buld leaked & got stuck)


Get a SureFire and be done with it.


I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient
clearance for the battery?

Any thoughts on this?


BAtteries leak..we know this...as such, we need to check MagLites often???
I dunno..I quit using em.

I bought a X200 SureFire for one of my Glock 40cals and then got a C3
Centurion and I tell you what...get even a basic G2 Nitrolon and you will be
hooked. Puts a Mag to shame.
I keep an A2 on my van, and its all I use when I need a light for
diagnosis....if Im gonna be under the home, or in a basement and need more,
Ill pull out the halogen work lights, but for a BRIGHT light source, you
cant beat em.


Also since I only have one 4 cell flashlight (there rest are 3 cells) &
I thought the bulbs were bad I wound up using a 3 cell buld in the 4
cell. It's REALLY bright & I like it but the bulb life must be
reduced?

cheers
Bob



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m Ransley
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

Dont leave old batteries in, they leak when they are dead.

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Jim Elbrecht
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

"John‰]* wrote:

-snip-
Got mad and sent the four cell to Duracell with a letter complaining
about their cheap, crappy batteries. Got a very nice letter in return
with a check for $38 to replace my two ruined flashlights and $12 worth
of coupons for any Duracell product. If the damage to the flashlight
was caused by the flashlight they probably would have ignored my letter
or politely told me to get bent.

-snip-

I would tend to agree that Duracell would point a finger at Maglight
if they thought they could support it.

But as a couterpoint- I have been using Duracells exclusively for 20
years. [recently I've begun usinf NiMH fo cameraflashes] I've had
them in camera flashes, cd-players, radios and kids toys. I've
're-discovered' flashlights that were hidden behind or under furniture
for years. But I haven't seen a leaky one in 20 years. I thought
battery makers had figured out how to make them leakproof.

I've never owned a maglight because I couldn't justify spending real
money on something that would most likely get lost in a year or two.
Back in the days when I did experience leaky batteries it seems like
the way they most likely would leak was if the appliance was left on
causing a drain past the battery's life. Is it easy to leave one
turned on or turn it on accidently?

Jim


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Patrick Cleburne
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

"BobK207" wrote in message
ps.com...
Question for the group.............

Has anyone had this experience?

Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.

At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but
now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the
buld leaked & got stuck)

I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient
clearance for the battery?

Any thoughts on this?

Also since I only have one 4 cell flashlight (there rest are 3 cells) &
I thought the bulbs were bad I wound up using a 3 cell buld in the 4
cell. It's REALLY bright & I like it but the bulb life must be
reduced?

cheers
Bob


I've had the very same problem three or four times-- but with Eveready
Energizers. I send the flashlight back to Eveready and they either replace
or send a check for batteries, flashlight and shipping.

Patrick


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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

i have 4 cell maglight . i use nickel rechargeable batteries in
it.been useing the same batteries for over 10 years. the key is to use
12 volt bulb. lucas

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

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Jim Yanik
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

"BobK207" wrote in
ps.com:

Question for the group.............

Has anyone had this experience?

Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.

At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but
now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the
buld leaked & got stuck)

I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient
clearance for the battery?

Any thoughts on this?

Also since I only have one 4 cell flashlight (there rest are 3 cells) &
I thought the bulbs were bad I wound up using a 3 cell buld in the 4
cell. It's REALLY bright & I like it but the bulb life must be
reduced?

cheers
Bob



I stopped using Duracells,as they seem to have a greater tendency to leak
than onther brands.

FYI,household vinegar is good for removing corrosion from alkaline cell
leakage.(acidic vinegar neutralizes alkaline electrolyte)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
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Jim Yanik
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

wrote in news:7954-43959E05-2441@storefull-
3256.bay.webtv.net:

i have 4 cell maglight . i use nickel rechargeable batteries in
it.been useing the same batteries for over 10 years. the key is to use
12 volt bulb. lucas

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm



Why use a 12 volt bulb with batteries that only add up to 4.8 volts?
(NiCds)
Your light output is greatly reduced,and NiCds have a self-discharge rate
making them VERY poor for stored emergency lighting.

IOW;bad advice.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
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Roger Taylor
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction


"BobK207" wrote in message
ps.com...
Question for the group.............
Has anyone had this experience?
Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.
At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but
now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the
buld leaked & got stuck)
I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient
clearance for the battery?
Any thoughts on this?
Also since I only have one 4 cell flashlight (there rest are 3 cells) &
I thought the bulbs were bad I wound up using a 3 cell buld in the 4
cell. It's REALLY bright & I like it but the bulb life must be
reduced?
cheers
Bob

I have a 3 cell maglite and it goes years without leaking batteries. This is
not common, unless you have a bad flashlight. There may be an intermittant
or high-resistance short somewhere in your flashlight, that slowly drains
the batteries, as they tend to leak when low or dead, but cell life can be
years without leakage in normal flashlights. I recently popped a "fresh" aa
alkaline battery in a small flashight that had a 1990 expiration date on it,
and it worked like new.

As an aside, I think there are much better flashlights around than the
relatively clunky maglites. For small intense, narrow angle lights, I like
the surefire nitrolon, uses two 3 volt lithium batteries. The flashlight is
only 5 inches long, but comes close to outshining my 3-cell (D) maglite, tho
battery life is short. For general use flashlights with wider beam and
really long battery life, I prefer the led lights such as the lightwave 3000
or 4000 (the latter can be used as a club, as well, like the maglite).




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Bubba
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

On 5 Dec 2005 20:31:10 -0800, "BobK207" wrote:

Question for the group.............

Has anyone had this experience?

Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.

At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but
now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the
buld leaked & got stuck)

I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient
clearance for the battery?

Any thoughts on this?

Also since I only have one 4 cell flashlight (there rest are 3 cells) &
I thought the bulbs were bad I wound up using a 3 cell buld in the 4
cell. It's REALLY bright & I like it but the bulb life must be
reduced?

cheers
Bob


First off, if its Duracell and its leaking, DONT touch it. Box it up
and send it to Duracell. They are more than fair with what they do to
remedy your problem.
I sent in a JB Vacuum gauge a few months back (check the archives).
It was a meter worth about $185 or so. 4 AA batteries leaked in it
that were about 2 wks old. A couple weeks later I got a letter from
Gillette with a letter, a few bucks in coupons and something like a
$400 or more check!! I almost called to tell them they made a mistake
till I saw that by signing the check I released them of all damage
that may have been done? What damage? I didnt have a clue but, "Who
Cares"?
Ive used Duracell for years and found them to last the longest. Ive
used Maglites and dont really like them. Seems that they are real
bright at first and then the switches get cranky and you have to hit
the light to make it work or stay bright. I gave up on me.
I got a Stinger HP rechargeable by Streamlight.
http://streamlight.com/stinger-serie...ifications.htm
Brightest damn flashlight Ive ever had in my Life! 70,000 candle power
and it was only the size of a couple C batteries with a large head on
it. Only good for one solid hour of on time though. Now I have a
Streamlight 2-D with 5 LEDs, 10 LEDs or 1 Xenon bulb.
http://streamlight.com/tasklight_info.htm
Not real thrilled with the Xenon but I think the bulb may be
defective.
Bubba
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Posted to alt.home.repair
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

wrote: Why use a 12 volt bulb with batteries that only add up to
4.8 volts? (NiCds)
Your light output is greatly reduced,and NiCds have a self-discharge
rate making them VERY poor for stored emergency lighting.
---------------------------------------- my 4 cell lasts
2 hours with nicads, i use the 12v bulb because it lasts 10 times longer
than the bulb its supposed to use. true its not as brite ,but pretty
darn good.. lucas

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

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BobK207
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

A little more info on my latest case of leaking Duracells in a 4 cell
Maglite.

The flashlight was working fine, the batteries weren't dead (2010 date)

I dropped the flashlight & it stopped working. I thought a had broken
the bulb but a new bulb didn't return the unit to working order.

It was at this point I discoved the leaking / stuck cell.

I have a small Surefire flashlight (a gift) that is pretty nice but the
Surefire line seems kinda pricey for (in my case) a tool the will
spend most of it's life in my car.

On Duracell making good on flashlights destroyed by
leakers................over the last 15 years I have sent in three
flashlights (not mine, friends & family); on the third one Duracell
basically said "don't send in any more, you've used up all your
warranty"

cheers
Bob

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Jim Yanik
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

"BobK207" wrote in
oups.com:

A little more info on my latest case of leaking Duracells in a 4 cell
Maglite.

The flashlight was working fine, the batteries weren't dead (2010 date)

I dropped the flashlight & it stopped working. I thought a had broken
the bulb but a new bulb didn't return the unit to working order.

It was at this point I discoved the leaking / stuck cell.

I have a small Surefire flashlight (a gift) that is pretty nice but the
Surefire line seems kinda pricey for (in my case) a tool the will
spend most of it's life in my car.


But priceless when you NEED it. 8-) (I couldn't resist!)

On Duracell making good on flashlights destroyed by
leakers................over the last 15 years I have sent in three
flashlights (not mine, friends & family); on the third one Duracell
basically said "don't send in any more, you've used up all your
warranty"

cheers
Bob



The high and low temperatures in an auto may be why the alkaline cells are
leaking. If you want a flashlight that has good storage in such
conditions,a lithium(123) cell based light is the way to go.The cells have
a 10 yr storage life,and are much less affected by heat or cold.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
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clifto
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

BobK207 wrote:
Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.


I don't remember where I learned it, but I learned a long time ago that
alkaline batteries in a Mag-Lite will swell, leaking and becoming too big
to slide out easily. It's apparently caused by some sort of outgassing
from the batteries, though no one I know is aware of any reason for
batteries to pass gas. The cure is to open the light, take the batteries
out, put them back and close the light, once a month or so.

--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.


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z
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction


Jim Elbrecht wrote:
"John‰] wrote:

-snip-
Got mad and sent the four cell to Duracell with a letter complaining
about their cheap, crappy batteries. Got a very nice letter in return
with a check for $38 to replace my two ruined flashlights and $12 worth
of coupons for any Duracell product. If the damage to the flashlight
was caused by the flashlight they probably would have ignored my letter
or politely told me to get bent.

-snip-

I would tend to agree that Duracell would point a finger at Maglight
if they thought they could support it.

But as a couterpoint- I have been using Duracells exclusively for 20
years. [recently I've begun usinf NiMH fo cameraflashes] I've had
them in camera flashes, cd-players, radios and kids toys. I've
're-discovered' flashlights that were hidden behind or under furniture
for years. But I haven't seen a leaky one in 20 years. I thought
battery makers had figured out how to make them leakproof.

I've never owned a maglight because I couldn't justify spending real
money on something that would most likely get lost in a year or two.
Back in the days when I did experience leaky batteries it seems like
the way they most likely would leak was if the appliance was left on
causing a drain past the battery's life. Is it easy to leave one
turned on or turn it on accidently?

Jim


I generally have good luck with Eveready and Duracell, though some
leaks with both, but lately having tried Rayovac, too many leaks.

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BobK207
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

Jim-

Good point on the "priceless whne you need"

cheers
Bob

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Art
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

I just pulled out an electronic flash and camera not used for 10 years.
There were slight AA battery leaks which I cleaned with vinegar.


"z" wrote in message
oups.com...

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
"John?] wrote:

-snip-
Got mad and sent the four cell to Duracell with a letter complaining
about their cheap, crappy batteries. Got a very nice letter in return
with a check for $38 to replace my two ruined flashlights and $12 worth
of coupons for any Duracell product. If the damage to the flashlight
was caused by the flashlight they probably would have ignored my letter
or politely told me to get bent.

-snip-

I would tend to agree that Duracell would point a finger at Maglight
if they thought they could support it.

But as a couterpoint- I have been using Duracells exclusively for 20
years. [recently I've begun usinf NiMH fo cameraflashes] I've had
them in camera flashes, cd-players, radios and kids toys. I've
're-discovered' flashlights that were hidden behind or under furniture
for years. But I haven't seen a leaky one in 20 years. I thought
battery makers had figured out how to make them leakproof.

I've never owned a maglight because I couldn't justify spending real
money on something that would most likely get lost in a year or two.
Back in the days when I did experience leaky batteries it seems like
the way they most likely would leak was if the appliance was left on
causing a drain past the battery's life. Is it easy to leave one
turned on or turn it on accidently?

Jim


I generally have good luck with Eveready and Duracell, though some
leaks with both, but lately having tried Rayovac, too many leaks.


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BobK207
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

Now we're getting somewhere! I had a strong feeling that that it was a
battery / MagLite interaction. Because I have nver experienced (at
least in the 25 years) Duracells leaking in a really cheap flashlight,
even if allowed to go dead.

cheers
Bob

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Joe Rockwell
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

On 5 Dec 2005 20:31:10 -0800, "BobK207" wrote:

Question for the group.............

Has anyone had this experience?

Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.

At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but
now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the
buld leaked & got stuck)

I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient
clearance for the battery?

Any thoughts on this?


I just found a badly leaking D battery in my 4-battery Maglite, tried
to get it out with no luck. According to Maglite's website they will
fix or replace these under warranty if you ship to them.
http://www.maglite.com/faq_details.asp?faqProd=D

I'm sending this one to them!



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Jim Yanik
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

"BobK207" wrote in
ups.com:

Now we're getting somewhere! I had a strong feeling that that it was a
battery / MagLite interaction. Because I have nver experienced (at
least in the 25 years) Duracells leaking in a really cheap flashlight,
even if allowed to go dead.

cheers
Bob



I've had Duracells leak in TV and VCR remotes,in flashlights,a portable
radio.I no longer buy Duracells. I buy Everready or Fuji Novel.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
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clifto
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

Jim Yanik wrote:
I've had Duracells leak in TV and VCR remotes,in flashlights,a portable
radio.I no longer buy Duracells. I buy Everready or Fuji Novel.


Leak shmeak, for me Duracells last about as long as carbon-zinc batteries.
Every few years I buy a set to remind myself why I never buy them. The
best deal going around here is Ray-O-Vac from Menard's. I get about the
same life out of Ray-O-Vac as I do Eveready, and I get 24 (sometimes 30)
AA's for under ten bucks.

--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.
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boden
 
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Default Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

I just went through a bunch of flashlights getting ready for winter and
found that several Duracell's had leaked. All but one flashlight was a
MagLite. I'm guessing that Duracell has a quality problem.

Boden

John‰]
wrote:
In article om,
BobK207 wrote:


Question for the group.............

Has anyone had this experience?

Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4
cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.

At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but
now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the
buld leaked & got stuck)

I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient
clearance for the battery?

Any thoughts on this?

Also since I only have one 4 cell flashlight (there rest are 3 cells) &
I thought the bulbs were bad I wound up using a 3 cell buld in the 4
cell. It's REALLY bright & I like it but the bulb life must be
reduced?

cheers
Bob



If the battery *leaks* it's a bad battery; I don't see how one
flashlight or another can cause an otherwise good battery to leak.

I lost a mini-maglite and a four cell in the last 60 days to the same
thing. On the mini I was able to run a long screw into the back of the
battery and lever it out with a pair of visegrips, but the leaky
battery left so much crap in the barrel that I couldn't get a new
battery in.

Got mad and sent the four cell to Duracell with a letter complaining
about their cheap, crappy batteries. Got a very nice letter in return
with a check for $38 to replace my two ruined flashlights and $12 worth
of coupons for any Duracell product. If the damage to the flashlight
was caused by the flashlight they probably would have ignored my letter
or politely told me to get bent.

Sometimes creative complaining can be profitable.

John


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