The 2032 Button Battery

[CatinKS]

Just an FYI, in a pitch, I have used a 2025 in my fit bit and it work very well. Maybe not try in a heart monitor though

 

[NW-Bound]

Just an FYI, in a pitch, I have used a 2025 in my fit bit and it work very well. Maybe not try in a heart monitor though

I believe the thicker lithium cells have more capacity and last longer. The voltage is always 3V between them.

So, if it fits physically it should work, unless the device draws more current that a 2032 can put out but the skinny 2016 cannot.

 

[Major Tom]

I have a little Morse code keyer for my homebrew ham radio projects that uses a CR2032. I ordered a 2-pack of Energizers from eBay, taken from bulk packaging, for $2.40 including shipping. Cheaper if I order more but I don't have too many devices that use them. It arrives today, and I'm looking forward to taking this little keyer for a spin. Dah-di-dah-dit, dah-dah-di-dah and all that guff.

 

[jollystomper]

I have a bunch of things that use them (multiple motherboards, key fobs, etc.) so I tend to order a set from Amazon as needed. Last bought a 10 pack for $5.69 in July 2021.

 

[Luvtoride]

I have a bunch of things that use them (multiple motherboards, key fobs, etc.) so I tend to order a set from Amazon as needed. Last bought a 10 pack for $5.69 in July 2021.

This is one of those items that there is such a large price differential between the single Duracell pack (was it $6.99) and the Amazon 10-pack at $5.69! Someone is paying a lot for advertising or making a lot of money off the name brand!

 

[Jerry1]

This is one of those items that there is such a large price differential between the single Duracell pack (was it $6.99) and the Amazon 10-pack at $5.69! Someone is paying a lot for advertising or making a lot of money off the name brand!

Keep in mind that there are also knockoffs and complete ripoffs. Need to be a little careful buying batteries on line. I look for batteries sold and shipped by Amazon so that at least if I do get some crap batteries, the handling of my complaint is handled by them.

 

[Aerides]

I drive no distance at all to order batteries from Amazon. I stick with name brands that I know and hope they are not counterfeit. So far, so good. I have failed on standardizing button cells, but try to limit my purchases to AA battery devices where I have a choice.

I agree with name brands on things like this.

The problem with amazon on items with an end date - you might get old stock. Particularly if a 3rd party seller is/was also selling that item.

And even if it says "sold by amazon" that is not to mean the unit you will receive was amazon's own stock. They co-mingle inventory from all the sellers in the warehouse and the "sold by" just means the seller that's getting the dollars for that transaction.

 

[ERD50]

...

On the flip side, I almost never use D cell batteries anymore, and rarely C cell, nor 9v for that matter as my newer smoke alarms (supposed to replace these every few years ...) use AA batteries.

If you have a few things that still take C or D, you can buy a little 'shell' adapter that takes an AA, so it physically fits. Saves you from needing to stock C/D cells.

Like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Mechanics-Battery-Converters-Rechargeable/dp/B08KYJBRX5

-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

I agree with name brands on things like this.

The problem with amazon on items with an end date - you might get old stock. Particularly if a 3rd party seller is/was also selling that item.

And even if it says "sold by amazon" that is not to mean the unit you will receive was amazon's own stock. They co-mingle inventory from all the sellers in the warehouse and the "sold by" just means the seller that's getting the dollars for that transaction.

Yes, it's a bit of a crap-shoot on Amazon for these. I've read that some people suspect they got old stock that might have sat a year or more in a hot warehouse. That can drain some life out of even a quality lithium coin cell.

And often, changing the cell can be a bit of a pain (crack open a case), so a short life isn't fun.

I seem to have good luck with Harbor Freight 2032 cells. Good price and seem to be good quality. I keep a small stock on hand, but prefer to buy things with AA if I can.

-ERD50

 

[COcheesehead]

I buy them in 10 packs. They are in our window blind remotes, bike computer, bike lights…

 

[OldShooter]

... The problem with amazon on items with an end date - you might get old stock. Particularly if a 3rd party seller is/was also selling that item ...

I have never had this problem and I seriously doubt that Amazon's inventory management is so incompetent that they let this happen.

... They co-mingle inventory from all the sellers in the warehouse and the "sold by" just means the seller that's getting the dollars for that transaction.

Is that your own fact? Doing this would be terminally stupid management.

... Saves you from needing to stock C/D cells. ...

At the cost of much more frequent battery changes due to the much smaller power capacity of the AA.

 

[OldShooter]

One more:

... And even if it says "sold by amazon" that is not to mean the unit you will receive was amazon's own stock. ...

In my experience, when Amazon is selling for third parties the words are "Fulfilled by Amazon." I consider this to be almost as good as buying directly from Amazon since it means that the product exists and the seller has been vetted. https://sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon

 

[Aerides]

One more:
In my experience, when Amazon is selling for third parties the words are "Fulfilled by Amazon." I consider this to be almost as good as buying directly from Amazon since it means that the product exists and the seller has been vetted. https://sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon

I can absolutely assure you this does not happen. Until a customer or the brand complains, or it's a product that amazon has added extra hurdles to, it is incredibly easy for any third party to jump onto any listing, send in their product and have it sold to customers. True, it's harder to do this with well known branded products, but it's a lot more wild west than most folks are aware.

But to explain it further: Let's say both you, and me, and Amazon are selling these batteries. We both send in our boxes full of them. Amazon effectively puts them all in a big bucket and then credits the sale to the seller with the best rating/price, etc. (they call this the buy box).

When Q's Laptop goes to buy it, they might say it's a sale by Aerides, Fulfilled by Amazon, because Aeri has the best price at that moment. But, when they reach into that bucket of batteries to ship it to Q, the physical unit that shipped might be their own, or might be Oldshooter's.

 

[Sunset]

I can absolutely assure you this does not happen. Until a customer or the brand complains, or it's a product that amazon has added extra hurdles to, it is incredibly easy for any third party to jump onto any listing, send in their product and have it sold to customers. True, it's harder to do this with well known branded products, but it's a lot more wild west than most folks are aware.

But to explain it further: Let's say both you, and me, and Amazon are selling these batteries. We both send in our boxes full of them. Amazon effectively puts them all in a big bucket and then credits the sale to the seller with the best rating/price, etc. (they call this the buy box).

When Q's Laptop goes to buy it, they might say it's a sale by Aerides, Fulfilled by Amazon, because Aeri has the best price at that moment. But, when they reach into that bucket of batteries to ship it to Q, the physical unit that shipped might be their own, or might be Oldshooter's.

+1
I worked with a fellow, and he told me about how Amazon co-mingles products. It was quite an eye-opening bit of information.

So basically, you never really know which seller provided the stuff you get regardless of who you think you are buying from.

 

[OldShooter]

I can absolutely assure you this does not happen. Until a customer or the brand complains, or it's a product that amazon has added extra hurdles to, it is incredibly easy for any third party to jump onto any listing, send in their product and have it sold to customers. True, it's harder to do this with well known branded products, but it's a lot more wild west than most folks are aware.

But to explain it further: Let's say both you, and me, and Amazon are selling these batteries. We both send in our boxes full of them. Amazon effectively puts them all in a big bucket and then credits the sale to the seller with the best rating/price, etc. (they call this the buy box).

When Q's Laptop goes to buy it, they might say it's a sale by Aerides, Fulfilled by Amazon, because Aeri has the best price at that moment. But, when they reach into that bucket of batteries to ship it to Q, the physical unit that shipped might be their own, or might be Oldshooter's.

I understand what you believe. What I don't have is any actual facts that would support your theories. @Sunset has a hearsay anecdote. I guess that's slightly above zero for facts, but not far. As someone who has managed inventories, I know that this kind of commingling would be foolish and dangerous. I would never permit it.

Regarding vetting third party sellers there is a bit of an agency problem in that Amazon is acting as agent for the buyer and has a conflict. So Amazon would like to have the seller but not if they are likely to cause problems for the buyer. Fulfillment by Amazon reduces the potential for problems but cannot eliminate them. So I am more likely to consider your belief that vetting is inadequate than I am the idea that products from unknown sources are deliberately commingled with known-good Amazon stock.

Probably we'll never know.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

I understand what you believe. What I don't have is any actual facts that would support your theories. @Sunset has a hearsay anecdote. I guess that's slightly above zero for facts, but not far. As someone who has managed inventories, I know that this kind of commingling would be foolish and dangerous. I would never permit it.

Regarding vetting third party sellers there is a bit of an agency problem in that Amazon is acting as agent for the buyer and has a conflict. So Amazon would like to have the seller but not if they are likely to cause problems for the buyer. Fulfillment by Amazon reduces the potential for problems but cannot eliminate them. So I am more likely to consider your belief that vetting is inadequate than I am the idea that products from unknown sources are deliberately commingled with known-good Amazon stock.

Probably we'll never know.

I buy a lot of these for Iot devices, specifically temperature sensors and open/closed sensors that I have about my house. These devices tell you the % of battery life left - and I've had, from Amazon some of these bought in quantity (e.g.10 or 20) where quite a few of them started at levels as low as 55% or so.

Also, if you were to frequent slick deals where things like SD cards are discussed, there are many cases of issues with counterfeit goods coming from Amazon...to the point where they will try to get Best Buy or some other retailer to price match to be sure they are getting legit stuff.

 

[Sunset]

I understand what you believe. What I don't have is any actual facts that would support your theories. @Sunset has a hearsay anecdote. I guess that's slightly above zero for facts, but not far. As someone who has managed inventories, I know that this kind of commingling would be foolish and dangerous. I would never permit it.

.....

Probably we'll never know.

You are correct, that I only have the word of the person I worked with about how Amazon co-mingles stuff. It is a choice that sellers do have, you don't have to co-mingle your product, but I don't know what the rules are based upon.
This fellow was not your average joe selling stuff out of a garage, he had a warehouse, and sent truckloads of stuff to Amazon that he imported.

I take it as truth what he said, as there was zero reason to lie to me, but I get that it is heresay..... Just like men landing on the moon...

 

[ERD50]

If you have a few things that still take C or D, you can buy a little 'shell' adapter that takes an AA, so it physically fits. Saves you from needing to stock C/D cells.

Like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Mechanics-Battery-Converters-Rechargeable/dp/B08KYJBRX5

-ERD50

.... At the cost of much more frequent battery changes due to the much smaller power capacity of the AA.

Sure, but if it is something that only sees occasional use, these can be a nice option. As always, the proper tool for the job is needed. These won't fit every application.

-ERD50

 

[JoeWras]

There are some good battery dealers on Amazon that ship direct (don't send them to Amazon's warehouse at danger of co-mingling) and are still pretty prompt. They are worth trying. Check the "sellers rating" before you buy.

As for Harbor Freight, this guy got really good results. I'll summarize: in his test, Duracell was best, Harbor Freight right behind, and Energizer stunk. I actually watched all 13 minutes of the video last year. Must have been a slow day.

 

[CincyDave]

If you have a few things that still take C or D, you can buy a little 'shell' adapter that takes an AA, so it physically fits. Saves you from needing to stock C/D cells.

Like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Mechanics-Battery-Converters-Rechargeable/dp/B08KYJBRX5

-ERD50

Or make your own for free. They do work, but certainly wouldn't use for critical applications. I use them in bait aerators.

 

[JoeWras]

I never knew a AA battery was only 130 calories. Yum!

 

[CincyDave]

I never knew a AA battery was only 130 calories. Yum!

Compared to those 500 calorie D size

 

[jim584672]

I just bought a refurb PC that needed a new CR2032. Today I got one at Microcenter for $1.99 Duracell.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I understand what you believe. What I don't have is any actual facts that would support your theories. @Sunset has a hearsay anecdote. I guess that's slightly above zero for facts, but not far. As someone who has managed inventories, I know that this kind of commingling would be foolish and dangerous. I would never permit it.

Regarding vetting third party sellers there is a bit of an agency problem in that Amazon is acting as agent for the buyer and has a conflict. So Amazon would like to have the seller but not if they are likely to cause problems for the buyer. Fulfillment by Amazon reduces the potential for problems but cannot eliminate them. So I am more likely to consider your belief that vetting is inadequate than I am the idea that products from unknown sources are deliberately commingled with known-good Amazon stock.

Probably we'll never know.

Actually, we do know.

I sell on Amazon and commingling of SKU's does happen with "shipped by Amazon, sold by Vendor X." It need not happen, though, if the seller places barcodes on their products before they send them to Amazon distribution centers to identify the products as their particular inventory. But not all vendors do this barcoding. Their products might be commingled.

"Shipped and sold by Amazon" are products that vendors sell directly to Amazon. They could be commingled if the SKU is bought by Amazon from two different distributors, but it is unlikely. If the SKU is bought directly from the manufacturer commingling likely does not occur.

 

[ncbill]

...At the cost of much more frequent battery changes due to the much smaller power capacity of the AA.

Sure, but what are they used for?

Radios are the only thing I have that use "C" size batteries.

With such low power draw an "AA" in a "C" size adapter works great.

My flashlights all use ether "AA" or "D" size batteries, so I still buy alkaline "D" cells...reluctantly.

For "AA" batteries...either eneloop rechargeable or Energizer lithium.

I try to avoid anything that uses "AAA" size batteries given their capacity is only about 1/3 that of an equivalent "AA" battery.