Where to get laptop batteries that don't suck?

[Mel0n.]

Where's a good place to buy batteries for older (10-ish year old) laptops that the manufacturer doesn't sell batteries for anymore? I've bought some off eBay but with terrible luck ("58wh" battery was only 32wh), and I'd rather not go down that road again. I also don't want to spend like $80 on a battery for a laptop worth barely over that amount. 
Should I just re-cell the batteries myself? I'm pretty experienced with electronics so I could easily wire one up. All I'm concerned about there is opening them safely.

Thanks!

[manikyath]

if official batteries arent an option, it's likely that all options you have will suck.

 

also, swapping the cells may actually confuse the shitty-ass controllers in the battery, and you have no more percentage readout in windows.

[jaslion]

If it uses the typical round cells sure why not thats what I've done before. The controllers dont always like it tho

 

Its not too hard just make sure to have a battery burnout bin ready to take outside.

 

Small edit for safety stuff:

 

My battery burnout bin is a bin with water in it. Lithium stuff stops burning under water.

 

Foam extinguishers are the only ones that can potentially also stop one. Powder ones tend to make it worse and co2 ones do nothing.

 

Sand also works to some extent

 

[Bombastinator]

47 minutes ago, Mel0n. said:

Where's a good place to buy batteries for older (10-ish year old) laptops that the manufacturer doesn't sell batteries for anymore? I've bought some off eBay but with terrible luck ("58wh" battery was only 32wh), and I'd rather not go down that road again. I also don't want to spend like $80 on a battery for a laptop worth barely over that amount. 
Should I just re-cell the batteries myself? I'm pretty experienced with electronics so I could easily wire one up. All I'm concerned about there is opening them safely.

Thanks!

The issue is getting non-counterfeit battery cells which may prove quite difficult.  An older laptop may use a cell based battery rather than a LiPo block.  If it does an old battery can be refurbished with new cells.  Non-counterfeit cells are possible to find, though it takes some effort, but a 10 year old cell is likely to use an obsolete chemistry which may not be findable.  If it’s a LiPo block then I know of nothing.

[manikyath]

40 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

The issue is getting non-counterfeit battery cells which may prove quite difficult.  An older laptop may use a cell based battery rather than a LiPo block.  If it does an old battery can be refurbished with new cells.  Non-counterfeit cells are possible to find, though it takes some effort, but a 10 year old cell is likely to use an obsolete chemistry which may not be findable.  If it’s a LiPo block then I know of nothing.

nah.. they havent changed all that much, if anything they're 3.6 volts per cell instead of 3.7, but you can still get those if you so desire.

[Bombastinator]

8 minutes ago, manikyath said:

nah.. they havent changed all that much, if anything they're 3.6 volts per cell instead of 3.7, but you can still get those if you so desire.

They’ve changed a lot as far as recharging methodology is concerned, and the computer will still think it has a particular type of battery in it that has to be treated in a particular way.  If the battery pack is NiMH calls but you buy LiPO or lifepod instead it won’t work.   It’s critical to get a cell with the same chemistry type.  There’s at least one Li type that isn’t even made anymore.  There was only one factory and it burned down.  Battery chargers often can test cells, determine what type they are, and charge accordingly, but a laptop likely won’t have that capacity.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Bombastinator

[manikyath]

22 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

 If the battery pack is NiMH calls but you buy LiPO or lifepod instead it won’t work.  

well yes.. obviously.. but as far as i'm aware, every battery tech ever put in widely available laptops is still fairly available today, or a compatible chemistry is.

 

also.. NiCd (afaik NiMH never made it into laptops..) hasnt been used for laptops since pretty much the turn of the century. it's all either li-ion, or lipo.

[Bombastinator]

6 minutes ago, manikyath said:

well yes.. obviously.. but as far as i'm aware, every battery tech ever put in widely available laptops is still fairly available today, or a compatible chemistry is.

 

also.. NiCd (afaik NiMH never made it into laptops..) hasnt been used for laptops since pretty much the turn of the century. it's all either li-ion, or lipo.

But is the genuine one available?  Remember the requirement is “not suck”.  One wants to avoid mislabeled, shoddily made, or outright fake batteries.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Bombastinator

[manikyath]

4 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

But is the genuine one available?  Remember the requirement is “not suck”.  One wants to avoid mislabeled, shoddily made, or outright fake batteries.

presuming the genuine battery or a decent aftermarket alternative is available the matter of battery chemistry isnt even a debate..

 

aftermarket batteries for laptops is a huge market, with plenty of players that do a good enough job.. because as it turns out people pay extra for a decent battery and EU return policies are horrid for shitty product manufacturers.

they often cheap out on the controller instead of the cells, because you cant really measure a shitty controller, but a shitty battery is immediately obvious.

[Bombastinator]

4 hours ago, manikyath said:

presuming the genuine battery or a decent aftermarket alternative is available the matter of battery chemistry isnt even a debate..

 

aftermarket batteries for laptops is a huge market, with plenty of players that do a good enough job.. because as it turns out people pay extra for a decent battery and EU return policies are horrid for shitty product manufacturers.

they often cheap out on the controller instead of the cells, because you cant really measure a shitty controller, but a shitty battery is immediately obvious.

Ive seen a lot of specifically shitty cells.  We differ on the good enough job.  I’ve bought batteries not knowing they were counterfeit that had 80% of the capacity and less than half the service life of the actual ones.  I consider this “suck”. A shitty battery is generally not obvious within the first few weeks without a wall of specialized equipment.  Though that may have gotten simpler.  I’ve got some stuff that can test actual capacity but only by charging and draining the battery.  When I bought it it was pretty rare, but that was years ago. To detect life cycle you need graph shapes. A new full lithium battery is going to read 4.2v no matter what it’s capacity and duty cycle is.  To predict service life one has to graph the voltage output as it drops in voltage multiple times.  It needs equipment much more exact than “well that seemed like the same amount of time” There has been massive rewrapping scams that will take a low quality battery and rewrap it with a different shrink wrap cover (which cost Pennies) that has more acceptable numbers on it and is worth twice as much.  Remember a battery that has half the duty cycle has half the value because it has to be replaced twice as often.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Bombastinator