Thinkpads Forum

hey guys, i didn't see this posted but at www.directron.com i was able to buy an original T60 battery for $49 plus shipping. it is a 6-cell model. i decided to buy one just as a spare. just wanted to let you guys know. they've been running this sale for probably a month now, but i haven't been on the forum very often. just an FYI in case you guys were interested. i think the cheapest i could find for a 6-cell battery was $99 before i found it at Directron.

mods, if this doesn't belong here, i'll gladly move it to the marketplace, but i'm not selling this, i'm just letting the forum members know.

So, is it a Sony? All joking aside, this battery does not appear to be warranteed by Lenovo. Is it really theirs?

it's a Lenovo battery, would you like to see a picture of it? it's not a Sony battery, i checked the serial number against Lenovo's website, it's clear. it even has a Lenovo part number. they're original.

kaotic504 wrote:it's a Lenovo battery, would you like to see a picture of it? it's not a Sony battery, i checked the serial number against Lenovo's website, it's clear. it even has a Lenovo part number. they're original.

It doesn't appear to be warranteed by Lenovo.
Sorry if I seem skeptical but the price seems too good.

Do you actually have the battery and what does it say in the PM battery status?

they advertise that it's backed by IBM service and support. but like i said, i'm just a messenger. i bought it and although it DID NOT come in a 6-cell box (it came in a 9-cell box), i'm happy it works and i've been using it. if it last me a year (which i believe most warranties only last a year for the battery anyway), i think i've gotten my money's worth *knock on wood*.

Good luck with it. Maybe its the "fell offa da truck" type in which case you got a good deal.

What does it detect as in the lenovo power software? Battery model, serial, and wH? How many cycles, etc?

Interestingly, all the other Thinkpad batteries that they have are much more expensive.

Directron is a pretty good company. They are based in Houston and has a huge warehouse just off downtown.

I have bought from them for over 3 yrs now w/o any problem.
They are like the biggest pc parts store in Houston.
(If you don't count Fry's which often is way over priced)

own6volvos wrote:What does it detect as in the lenovo power software? Battery model, serial, and wH? How many cycles, etc?

here's information from PM:
img]http://members.cox.net/kaotic504/IBM%20battery.JPG[/img]

like i said, i got it last month, hence, first used date was last month. if any of you guys want me to take a comparison picture of this battery and my original battery, i will, but they look EXACTLY alike.

Looks good to me. Think I'll order one. Thanks.
Interesting that wattage is not displayed????? Ahhh, It must have plugged into ac when you took the snapshot.

Woa, I never knew that you could get all that battery/power information...Can't wait to get my T60!

steveg47 wrote:Looks good to me. Think I'll order one. Thanks.
Interesting that wattage is not displayed?????

how do i get the wattage displayed? i'll take another screenshot if you'd like.
i would have ordered 2 but why would i need 2 extra batteries??? people PLEASE do not buy them all out and resell them on ebay. i haven't posted this on any of the deal sites b/c i wanted Thinkpad owners to benefit.

Thanks for the screenshot. Looks like a great battery at a great price. I don't have a T60 but am tempted to buy one so that I can order this battery and use it!

kaotic504 wrote:how do i get the wattage displayed? i'll take another screenshot if you'd like.

Not necessary, I just realized that you must have had the ac plugged in when you did the screenshot. Wattage will not be displayed if connected to ac.

Also, buying extra batteries that are not used is not a good idea as I believe that they have a limited shelf life.

steveg47 wrote:Not necessary, I just realized that you must have had the ac plugged in when you did the screenshot. Wattage will not be displayed if connected to ac.

It was not plugged in, which is why it's showing "Remaining battery". The Battery Info on my X60s automatically shows wattage as soon as I unplug.

I just ordered, thanks a lot for the info... it sort of makes up for the feeling that I'd been duped during the order from Lenovo. Somehow if you order a T60 with a 9 cell upgrade they charge extra (that part seems fair and logical to me) but then if you look to purchase a separate 6 cell on its own, it costs MORE than the 9 would so you pay more again... what sort of strange math is that? Oh well, live and learn.

I ordered one from Directron three days ago. It arrived today, along with the T60. It came in a Lenovo box, with all the Lenovo stickers, FRU #, etc. It also had a little "ThinkPad Battery Reference Guide" that looked "official." I know this does not mean anything, but it seems legitimate.

I will post an update once I have tested it. If it's the real deal, as it seems it is, it's pretty darn cheap. Oh, by the way, it's a Panasonic.

Whats the deal with the two different 6-cells?

The $49.99 battery mentioned here is called the "Original Li-ion 6-cell battery" with part # 92P1137 ...

And there is also a $114.99 "Replacement Intelligent 6 cell Li-ion battery" a little farther down the page, with the same part number, possibly with the letters "ds" following.

Here is a link to the $114.00 model:

http://www.directron.com/92p1137.html#caption


... and here is a link to the $49.00 model:

http://www.directron.com/ibmbattery.html

I checked its rating, looking good enough.
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Directron

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am waiting for some deal for 9-cell battery though. There is a seller on ebay selling T60 9-cell for only $100. Not sure if it is too good to be true.

justthinking wrote:Directron is a pretty good company. They are based in Houston and has a huge warehouse just off downtown.

I have bought from them for over 3 yrs now w/o any problem.
They are like the biggest pc parts store in Houston.
(If you don't count Fry's which often is way over priced)

kaotic504 wrote:although it DID NOT come in a 6-cell box (it came in a 9-cell box), i'm happy it works and i've been using it. if it last me a year (which i believe most warranties only last a year for the battery anyway), i think i've gotten my money's worth.

The primary concern with an unreal cheap li-ion notebook battery pack is not whether it lasts a year but Safety. About as low as I would go is to buy a cell replaced factory pack (a "rebuild") from a reputable company like BATTERYREFILL.COM. You are assured that the cells are not old & the entire pack is safe & you get higher mAh cells, which extends by about 40% the length each charge runs.

See the important article about li-ion batteries and safety in the current issue of Scientific American (Dec, 2006, p112-113).

By the way, Sony did not make the 58 million battery packs it recalled. Sony engineered & sold them, but they were manufactured by an Indonesian Company. As the Scientific American piece explains, there is constant pressure on li-ion battery makers to pack ever more ions into cells, to get longer use per charge from the same size & weight power pack, which results in increasingly thinning safety specs thinner.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/eBattery_Inc_8
The rating of BATTERYREFILL.COM is not that satisfactory (6.18/10).

BruisedQuasar wrote:

kaotic504 wrote:although it DID NOT come in a 6-cell box (it came in a 9-cell box), i'm happy it works and i've been using it. if it last me a year (which i believe most warranties only last a year for the battery anyway), i think i've gotten my money's worth.

The primary concern with an unreal cheap li-ion notebook battery pack is not whether it lasts a year but Safety. About as low as I would go is to buy a cell replaced factory pack (a "rebuild") from a reputable company like BATTERYREFILL.COM. You are assured that the cells are not old & the entire pack is safe & you get higher mAh cells, which extends by about 40% the length each charge runs.

See the important article about li-ion batteries and safety in the current issue of Scientific American (Dec, 2006, p112-113).

By the way, Sony did not make the 58 million battery packs it recalled. Sony engineered & sold them, but they were manufactured by an Indonesian Company. As the Scientific American piece explains, there is constant pressure on li-ion battery makers to pack ever more ions into cells, to get longer use per charge from the same size & weight power pack, which results in increasingly thinning safety specs thinner.

leo2002 wrote:http://www.resellerratings.com/store/eBattery_Inc_8
The rating of BATTERYREFILL.COM is not that satisfactory (6.18/10).

I went by what members in this forum report who buy from batteryrefill. I have seen nothing negative here. I got my order quickly and the battery pack is an opened IBM pack. Mine charged up and worked just as the seller claimed it would. There was a glitch in the ordering process so mine came a little late but it was sent overnight mail for $14.40 postage at no cost to me.

It may be possible Batteryrefill takes a risk refilling packs with higher mAf cells, since the buyer must carefully follow the directions he receives. As the seller says, I got only 30 minutes active use the first time. I put the battery through the charge-deplete cycle described by the seller four times to get two hour active use. Each time I deplete and charge the pack, I am still getting increased use time. Currently, I get 2 hours, 20 minutes.

I decided to put my 2001 battery through the same paces, since it was rarely used. I was delighted when its active use went from 20 minutes to 2 hours a charge!

I just ordered a spare from Directron for $50. It came in three days, as advertised. A good deal.

I am happy to report that the battery works as indicated. It holds the charge for about 3 hours or a little longer, depending on your settings. The battery manager says it's a Sanyo (not Panasonic, as I originally said), manufactured in August 2006 and first used in Dec. 2006 (which is true). It says it's in good condition and it gives the serial no., upc no. and the FRU number as well.

So, I am happy to report that all is well. The battery arrived in 3 days, as promised. the only thing, as stated by someone else (the OP I believe) is that it came in a 9-cell box instead of a 6-cell.