Came across the rechargeable Eneloop Family Kit 30% off reduced from $79.98 to $41.99 in store at Dick Smith Miranda. Picture
Kit includes:
Not really a valid neg…
I'm going to double down on my neg:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/help:voting_guidelines
I was voting according to the guidelines:
• The deal is not the cheapest available
The charger is the worst one they sell. Its designed to get you to spend more money on a bundle like this, and then to frustrate you enough that you fork out again for a better charger. I don't consider the charger to have any value as a result, which I explained in my comment.
The bargains on eneloops were $15 or less posted for 8. $2.50 a loop is a BARGAIN. $4? Not so much…
Which charger is better and why? I haven't seen eneloop chargers sold separately
Smart chargers are better than "dumb" chargers. The above deal has a "dumb" charger, i.e. it will charge the batteries for 14 hours, irrespective of how flat they are. This will usually overcharge the batteries, shortening their life to a couple of years.
"Smart" chargers measure the batteries as they are being charged, and stop charging when the batteries reach full charge. You should get close to the rated cycle life of the batteries - up to 2100 cycles for some models of Eneloops.
Here is an Eneloop smart charger:
https://www.masters.com.au/product/100679971
Even better are the (more expensive) smart chargers by LaCross, Maha and other brands. They have a proper display, so you can judge when a battery is performing sub-optimally. Sometimes NiMh batteries need a "refresh" treatment, the Eneloop chargers can't do that and won't tell you if the battery capacity is getting low.
Note that there are some chargers in the marketplace that falsely claim to be smart. I have seen an Energizer-branded charger like this. A true smart charger will charge your batteries in 2 to 3 hours. There are faster chargers - but these push the limits of the batteries, reducing their life. Slower chargers aren't smart chargers, you have to charge at the right rate (2-3 hours) for the charger to be able to correctly detect when the battery is full.
Then your existing batteries have probably been damaged already, expect them to die in a couple of years. Sometimes you can see the damage, it looks like the batteries have been water-stained near the positive end.
Hold off buying any more batteries until you get a good charger. Charger deals are listed pretty frequently here.
There is an exception to the "2-3 hours" rule, this charger looks pretty good:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/233512
On Amazon, read the comment by "NLee the engineer". apparently it does charge the batteries at the right rate to accurately determine full charge, but periodically "rests" the batteries, resulting in a 7-hour charge time.
I prefer 2-hour chargers - I can start charging after dinner, and they are charged before I go to bed, so I can turn everything off. I prefer Australian mains plugs too, the Amazon charger is a US plug, makes it a bit more difficult to use.
the charger of this family pack is so frustratingly designed. The angle you have to put the AAA's in is so bad
Cheaper last year at Dick (well before the infamous December clearout) and they call this a liquidation sale? https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/207881 Charger also has issues with many on here bypassing it. Not really a bargain price all considering <$35 and I think it would be worth a post.
So, someone wanting one of these now should buy it last August?
There are other sellers / retailers selling Eneloops, so there might be a better deal in future:
eBay: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/233921
Grays Online eBay https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/232748
Masters: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/230229
DigCamWhse: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/230180
OO.com.au: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/228363
GadgetBox: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/228045
Or wait until the DS 95% off in the dying weeks / days ~ and hope there's stock..
Typical dick
Dick Smith will be gradually lowering their prices to try and make as much money as they possibly can for their staff and debts etc.
It doesn't make sense to slash prices too much to begin with when this is the last opportunity to make as much money as they possibly can.
There's a good chance people will buy on the basis that this looks like a good deal..
The longer they have to pay staff the less they can make from liquidation.
Just bear in mind this description is misleading. DickSmith description says it's the adapters only, no C or D sized eneloop batteries included, making this a $41 for 10 batteries, 4 adapters and charger?
I can verify that the package I saw at the store did indeed contain not just the adapters, but the batteries too. I did not purchase a family kit as I have plenty of Eneloops already, but thought for those looking for something with a bit of variety, it seemed like a decent deal…for now :)
There are no size C or D batteries right? Just AA and AAA and some adaptors?
Panasonic do not market a family pack with D and C sized batteries included, just the adapters. They do look like batteries though so it could be confusing if you didn't know.
Pretty sure there are no C or D sized rechargeable batteries in that pack - Have a think about it, does it make sense for them to bundle it up, without a C/D sized charger?
There are no C or D sized batteries included. Just the adapters.
No Stock melb CBD
the tag say save 30% was 79.98 you pay 41.99
really? 30%???
could they do the math right? probably thats the reason why they are closed.
Eneloop Family Kit
Not much good for my family, we all use the same type of batteries.
Not really a bargain… especially if you already have (or are planning to buy) a better charger. Batteries can be bought for under $4 each from eBay or http://ru.nkon.nl any day of the week. If you have a specific need for the C/D adapters maybe?