How do different batteries rank in terms of performance and cost?
You may have come across terms like “heavy duty”, “super heavy duty”, and “longer lasting”. However, they do not necessarily reflect the service time of batteries, as battery performance depends very much on intrinsic qualities. Despite the higher initial cost, alkaline batteries last five to ten times longer than zinc carbon batteries on higher current drains, making it more economical when the current drain is high. Rechargeable batteries are more expensive than alkaline batteries especially when you include the upfront cost of the charger. However do not forget that they can be recharged up to 1000 times. Hence they end up much more economical in the long run. NiCd and NiMH batteries display similar characteristics, but for the same size, NiMH batteries can double the run time compared with NiCd batteries per charge.
