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Batteries suck!

2523 Views 26 Replies 22 Participants Last post by croessler, Oct 14, 2011

GaryK

Discussion Starter · Oct 12, 2011 (Edited by Moderator)

Since I have joined the digital age in the wood shop I now have to deal with batteries for a lot of things.

I have two digital protractors ($20 for one and the other one for free), A digital Angle gauge (Wixey) and a digital height gauge for the Planer and Router table. I think that's it, but the point is that they a lot of batteries.

It seems like every time I go to use one the batteries have died. Even when you are not using them they still draw power just looking to see if you have pressed the power on button. The good thing is that they all take the same CR2032 coin type battery. I tend to buy them by the dozen on ebay.

I have finally figured a way to save a lot of batteries. Every tool except the one on the planer is easy to zero or set.

So what I have been doing is to use one battery and just install it in whatever tool I happen to need and remove it when I'm done. I just keep it in the top drawer of my workbench so it's always handy. It only takes about 10 seconds to install the battery since none of them take tools to open.

Since I have started doing this about 6 months ago I am still using the same battery! At this rate I may make it to a year.

As for the planer I just wait for it to die before replacing it. Oh, well!

That's my tip for the day.

1 - 20 of 27 Posts

PurpLev

· #2 · Oct 12, 2011

yeah, I find that if you do not use something on a regular basis, having batteries in the shop only leads to annoyance in the long run - they always runout when you need to use that tool. with the exception of 1 tool (cordless drill/driver) I am battery-less and replaced all tools that were cordless (batteries) with corded version, or mechanical version (calipers). one less thing to worry about.

As for the batteries in the tools. what I used to do is similar (remove contact from batteries when not in use) I kept a piece of paper in the tools between the battery and the tool contacts so that when not in use the battery was not making contact with the tool circuits and thus 'not used up' then when I wanted to use it, I just slip the paper aside. this way the battery is always with the tool and I don't lose them.

JoeLyddon

· #3 · Oct 12, 2011

I hear YA!

You're LUCKY they all use the same battery! I would not be so Lucky… Murphy would be working!

I'm glad it's working for you!

I'll have to check what digitals I use…

Reminds of my wifes WIRELESS MOUSE…
If you leave the AA battery installed, it will last about a month…
If, after each session, you just lift one end of the battery out of its socket… and push it back in, when starting a new session, it will last for MONTHS! ... it lasts so long, you can't remember when you last got a fresh one!

On another PEEVE…
I have a Canon iP4200 printer that uses Color cartridges as well as a large Black one… they are expensive!
I do NOT print very often…
It seems that when I finally try to print something, I get a LOW INK LEVEL ALERT… and it shows me which one(s) are low! ...and I KNOW I didn't print enough to get it LOW… It's really starting to GET to me!
What I am thinking of doing, is a similar thing as you are with batteries…
I'm thinking of removing all of the Cartridges placing the little Caps back on them to keep them fresh! I think it will work… Does anyone else have the same problem? Are you doing anything to conserve the ink, etc.?

More frickin fun!

Thank you Gary, for your Tip…

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craftsman on the lake

· #4 · Oct 12, 2011

I gave up on color inkjet printers. You need a color photograph. You get a $28 cartridge and print it. Months later you need another color photo printed. The cartridge is dry so you pony up for another cartridge. Each picture costs $28. I have a color laser printer now but it doesn't print kodak photo quality. The best set up is to have an $80 black and white laser printer that will print thousands of pages for pennies each. Then if you need a photo take an SD card or thumb drive, or cd and print the photo in excellent quality at a drug store or walmart for a small cost.

280305

· #5 · Oct 12, 2011

^ I agree fully with that idea. My next printer will be a simple, inexpensive laser printer. I am tired of having to splurge on a new cartridge set every time I need to print something important like copies of my tax returns.

Dennisgrosen

· #6 · Oct 12, 2011

Joy many printers do make a socalled internel test from time to time
even thought it doesn´t write anything it just use ink that goes to one of severals spildtanks :-(
and when one of them is full you also get an error ... need go for a repair check on the screen ….
yah right ….its one of the bigger secrets in the cumputer repair wold ….....build in fail ********************tion
so they can get money out of you …. the only thing you have to do is chance the filter in the tank
the test is made so the writting head always have fresh ink …. you just have to lieve with that
after all …. I´m told the ink in the catrides is only fresh a year after they have been open…...
so welcome to the hailed future … :-((

Dennis

MrRon

· #7 · Oct 12, 2011

I contacted Wixey about the battery issue. The guy told me the Wixey draws a small amount of power when it's turned off. He told me to just take the battery out if not using it for a lenthy amount of time.

CharlieM1958

· #8 · Oct 12, 2011

You guys don't understand my problem… I always have to spend five minutes figuring out how to open the battery door!

GaryK

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 12, 2011

Charlie - Sounds like you need to stick with something simple like a hammer.

Dennisgrosen

· #10 · Oct 12, 2011

yaah a sledge hammer does it every time

Dennis

Karson

· #11 · Oct 12, 2011 (Edited by Moderator)

Joe get a laser printer. No ink to run dry.

I've got a HP color laser that I bought 4 years ago and I'm still printing with the same cartridges. I only turn it on when I need something color.

The printer I got from Sam's and paid $199.00 for it The replacement cartridges cost $335.00 so I bought a second printer just to get the cartridges. But I'm still using the original from the 1st printer.

I do have an ink jet all in one that I use for the scanner functionality and fax if I need it.

SPalm

· #12 · Oct 12, 2011

Printers….
I design printer controllers for a living (that is the computer board inside). We make all our money on toner and ink. You only will get a 'starter' cartridge when you buy a printer, and then we 'have' you. I hate it. It is the same way they sell razor blades; they give you the handle and first cartridge for cheap, and then… you know the rest. I wish it weren't so, but that is marketing for you. My wife and I only have a small black and white laser printer/copier, and love it. Color printers are so expensive to operate.

I agree with taking out the batteries. And please note that there is a big difference between no-name and brand-name batteries. Pay me now or pay me later.

Steve

Howie

· #13 · Oct 12, 2011

I buy my 2032 batteries at ….HF. Four for 2 bucks. At 3.59 each in the stores it's a bargain. Usually buy a dozen at a time, they don't always have them.
I finally got tired of the ink cartridge hassel and bought a Samsung laser. My wife does a lot of geneaology work and was breaking me up buying cartridges.

gfadvm

· #14 · Oct 12, 2011

GaryK - Great tip! I wonder if this would work on my digital camera? It eats aa batteries at an alarming rate.

TheOldTimer

· #15 · Oct 12, 2011 (Edited by Moderator)

I worked with a carpenter in my younger days during the summer. When things would not line up, He said "Hey Kid go get me a bigger hamer" I agree, I have a digital caliper and every fall I have to replace the battery. Went back to the non-digital caliper. I also went back to corded drills in the shop.

Racer2007

· #16 · Oct 12, 2011 (Edited by Moderator)

Yea I hate batteries, all my battery powered power tools have been sold an replaced with corded models. I don't do much work where there is no power, and I just bought a 800 watt generator for $79 from HF , Ok I know it is HF but my friend at work has the same unit and has been useing for camping to run a tv and small microwave and a charger for the battery in his camp trailer for 2 years now and says it hasent faild him yet. And his unit is the exact same as the one I bought not like some things at HF that have the same model # but are no where near the same item as one that somebody else bought 3 or 4 years ago.

gfadvm, have you tried the Eveready Lithium batteries for digital cameras? They are the ones with the blue wraper on them, I switched to them for my older camera that uses AAA batteries and they lasted 3 or 4 times as long as the standard AAA ones did.

CharlieM1958

· #17 · Oct 12, 2011

Steve: So you're the guy behind those evil printers!

Not only do they get you with the ink and toner, but they change designs every few months so you can never wind up with two printers that take the same supplies. I purchase a lot of printers for my department. Every time I need a new one, I try to get one like I already have so I won't have to stock a new toner cartridge. Usually I find that the last one I purchased six months ago has been replaced by a different model that takes… you guessed it…. a cartridge that is different from any of the 42 others I'm already stocking.

lilredweldingrod

· #18 · Oct 12, 2011

The CR2032 wafer batteries are what most blood glucose meters operate on. All batteries have a shelf life, so it is best to by them where there is a high volume in sales. That way you get fresher, longer lasting ones. I get mine free through the VA. lol

Tootles

· #19 · Oct 12, 2011

I'm like TheOldTimer. The battery in my digital verier went flat when left in so I learnt to put it in when using it and take it out afterwards. Trouble is, that takes longer than just getting and using the non-digital vernier, so I simply don't use it often.

DMIHOMECENTER

· #20 · Oct 13, 2011

I have or have had Canon, Epson, HP, Lexmark, Brother and Kodak. They all (except Kodak) go through at least a mini cleaning routine when powered up, so I never turn them off. All things considered (quality of print, quality of photos, ink cost, ink longevity, ability to print in truly black or grey scale without using color, unit cost, and cost per page, high speed USB, 80211 n wireless, etc. etc.), the kodak all in ones (copier, scanner, fax, printer) are by far the best bang for the buck for the 8 1/2×11 format. Ten bucks for a full size black cartridge. About twenty bucks for the single muti-color cartridge. The $60 Walmart emergency one ( from March 15th at 9 pm when I had three hours to finish the taxes for the LLC and the lexmark caca'd its chonies) is the oldest and it works as good as the usually $180 model I got for $119 form Tigerdirect. I really am glad I found them. We have five printers (three at work and two at home) and a dedicated fax line printer, so I do not have the inclination to play around. Nothing has given me greater pleasure than to throw a n Epson in the dumpster and go replace it for less than the four cartridges it needed.

I wish they would make replacements for my HP large format DesignJet monster, but HP has that market.

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