How Often and When Do You Change Your Batteries?

[Jason Freeland]

I came to the conclusion a while back that once a year I needed to change my sight and weapon light batteries whether they needed it or not. This is after having some sights run out before a year was out. Weapon lights I could probably push it to two years, but I'd rather just do it all at once. I picked Christmas as a time to do it, just because, but missed it by a bit (did it today). How often and when do you change yours?

 

[GC7]

When they die. I used to do the whole once a year thing, but I've stopped having that "oh **** everything will go wrong at the worst moment" mentality because I think it's a marketing scare tactic by the gun/defense industry.

If I'm in a situation where I have to use my gun in the dark and the batteries in my WML are dead because I didn't think to replace them in advance, that really is the least of my problems generally speaking.

 

[rc508pir]

Bday

 

[ratski]

For me it really depends. I have some optics (and other stuff) that I remove the batteries when they are down for a while. I've had WAY too many instances where the batteries leaked and that really ruined my day!! Had a batch of Eveready batteries that leaked very prematurely, like 5-6 years before their expiration dates. Since then, I don't trust batteries not to leak.

 

[rockchalk06]

My birthday. Everything gets swapped out. Cheap insurance

2032's get saved for Key FOB's, Glucose Monitor and some candles we have that use them.

123's get saved for the few lights I have in the reloading room that are not important.

Nothing is wasted, just repurposed.

 

[El Pablo]

I just carry spares and change out when needed.

 

[Snattlerake]

I don't know how many times I have found a ruined piece of equipment because the batteries leaked.

Yearly during daylight savings time change for smokes. Long term storage for other items.

 

[67RS/SSx2]

Alkalines will always leak. Never use them in anything you value. You can get lithium primaries in AA, AAA, and CR123. Use those or some of the re-chargeable batteries.

 

[swampratt]

20 years from now a cyborg asks how often do you change your batteries?

 

[HFS]

I don't know how many times I have found a ruined piece of equipment because the batteries leaked.

Yearly during daylight savings time change for smokes. Long term storage for other items.

And in my experience, Duracell is the absolute worst of the "name brand" alkaline batteries for this.