Where to find a new T43 battery? What about eBay battery?

[Faenad]

Hi! I’m new here, but I have been lurking for a while since I have purchased a T43 in 2006.

I still find my T43 sufficiently snappy for my needs, but my original battery is in poor condition and I need a new one to be able to keep using my T43 as my main workhorse.

Does any of you already tried one of the compatible battery proposed on eBay?
Is the build quality good enough (tight fit? Plastic color and texture comparable to the Thinkpad?)
How does it compare in term of actual capacity compared to Lenovo 6 cells or 9 cells batteries?

As an alternative, is there somewhere in the US or elsewhere where I can purchase new, Lenovo branded T43 battery?
Last week there was an user selling some 6 cells on the forum, but I searched it again today and didn’t found back his post.

Thanks!

[RealBlackStuff]

T4x battery: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 2&p=542441
Or for 'green' batteries: http://www.drbattery.com/boston-power-g ... d+t43.aspx
Buy on eBay only if you know/trust the seller.

[Norway Pad]

A new 6-cell battery for your T43 can still be bought from Lenovo for $159, part number 92P1101. That will give you the same battery as the laptop came with as new.

When it comes to non-Lenovo batteries, others will have to give an answer on that.

I would honestly like to know for my own part too, as I will need a new battery for my T42 soon. So I am looking into exactly the same questions as you do here.

[dsvochak]

Last week there was an user selling some 6 cells on the forum, but I searched it again today and didn’t found back his post.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=80692

[sktn77a]

As I've said before on this forum, I've had ZERO luck with aftermarket batteries - they usually last less than a year (but don't completely fail, so you can't get them replaced under any warranty). Try the Lenovo scratch and dent site - they have good betteries for lower than e-bay!

[fredstev]

And as long as we're on the subject of batteries - what do you folks think of the Rayovac batteries as sold by Batteries plus? Doing some searching on the forum, there has been discussion, but not much as to their longevity or fit and finish. They run about 80% of the cost of Lenovo replacements.

[Faenad]

Thanks for your replies & for the link.

As I've said before on this forum, I've had ZERO luck with aftermarket batteries - they usually last less than a year (but don't completely fail, so you can't get them replaced under any warranty). Try the Lenovo scratch and dent site - they have good betteries for lower than e-bay!

What about the fit and build quality? Was it OK, or does it looked like cheap plastic?
Was it recognized by the Thinkpad Power Manager? At the "advertised" capacity or at a lower capacity?

Was it this model that you purchased ?
http://cgi.ebay.com/9-CELL-Battery-for- ... 56386aeb94

They claims 84.24 Wh for $42 shipped worldwide. Not bad if it's true

[Norway Pad]

Seems like I have some options here.

Regarding the Boston Green 6-9 cell batteries, what is the price on these? The site didn't list a price on anything.

[Faenad]

BTW, does any T43 owners with a similar T43 than mine could tell me how much battery life I could expect with a new 6 cell battery?
I'm weighing whether to go for a 6 or a 9 cell.

I would use the Maximun Battery life power profile, screen at 40% brightness, Wifi & Bluetooth on, while doing a mix of surfing & office 2007.
(I have a XGA 14" T43 1872-CTO with Intel graphics, a 1.7Ghz Pentium M., Ram 2Go & a 160Go 5400rpm HDD)
I'm afraid my own battery meter is not quite reliable anymore - my battery is supposedly @ 48% capacity but despite a gauge reset I'm not sure I can base myself on its indications anymore.

[RealBlackStuff]

Regarding the Boston Green 6-9 cell batteries, what is the price on these? The site didn't list a price on anything.

Currently on Sale at $68.33 + shipping
http://www.laptopcharge.com/category/no ... 42-gs.aspx

[Faenad]

I finally purchased a genuine 9 cell from eBay. New, 64$ including worldwide shipping. I will let you know after receiving it how it worked out.

[Norway Pad]

I am now using an IBM 6-cell battery that I ordered from "virge" here on the forum. For those of you who wonder about batterylife, I can mention that this battery (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth On, CPU-Low, LCD-Level 4, Fan-Balanced) gives around 2.30 hours in my T43.

At this point I am at 75% and estimated 2 hours left. This might not be applicable to other Thinkpads, but it gives a clue. This is after 3 charge/discharge cycles.

[burwij]

I purchased a 9-cell battery from eBay earlier this month - $45 with free worldwide shipping (LINK, 15 days from Hong Kong to PA, USA). The battery was a bit of a tight fit when first installing it on my T42 but everything works fine. Battery life seems to be in the neighborhood of ~4 hours though I haven't kept a close eye on it.

It looks to be the same battery that someone linked earlier in the thread (LINK). Battery Information says it's a SANYO battery with an FRU part number of 'IBM-COMPATIBLE' and manufacture date of 2007-01-08. The recognized Design Capacity is 71.28Wh at 10.80V, which comes out to 6600mAh if I'm doing my math right - not quite the advertised 7800mAh.

Not sure how long it'll last but for $45 it's a gamble I was willing to take.

[americo24]

I purchased a 9-cell battery from eBay earlier this month - $45 with free worldwide shipping (LINK, 15 days from Hong Kong to PA, USA). The battery was a bit of a tight fit when first installing it on my T42 but everything works fine. Battery life seems to be in the neighborhood of ~4 hours though I haven't kept a close eye on it.

It looks to be the same battery that someone linked earlier in the thread (LINK). Battery Information says it's a SANYO battery with an FRU part number of 'IBM-COMPATIBLE' and manufacture date of 2007-01-08. The recognized Design Capacity is 71.28Wh at 10.80V, which comes out to 6600mAh if I'm doing my math right - not quite the advertised 7800mAh.

Not sure how long it'll last but for $45 it's a gamble I was willing to take.

Ahh... I see alot of false advertising with the "Mah" I purchases a new 6 cell battery what said "4800 mah" but I'm pretty sure its the 4400, and If you can get about 2 hours out of your 9 cell I should be able to get 2.5 hours using your same settings lol, do you mind sharing your settings?

[meumar]

I'm very interested in learning more about the non-IBM batteries too - ie., if anybody has any experiences from a particular ebay seller. I have an x61 tablet w/ a battery that needs to be replaced, and I want an 8-cell battery. I only paid $600 or so for the comp, though (bought it used), so don't want to spend too much on a new battery.

I might just check the lenovo scratch and dent site - thanks for that idea.

[Faenad]

I finally purchased a genuine 9 cell from eBay. New, 64$ including worldwide shipping. I will let you know after receiving it how it worked out.

I received the battery earlier this week. Shipping took about 12 days from Singapore to Mexico. The Battery was brand new and well packaged, although quite old -manufactured in may 2005-.
Still, it hold a charge well (75.82Wh compared to design capacity 77.76Wh ; it's a Sanyo).
I'm well pleased, now I don't have to drag the power adapter and the cord along!
I purchased it here : http://stores.ebay.com/good-battery168