Thinkpads Forum

Hi, title says it all : I'm looking for experts advice in finding a X61s battery. So far, I've found some sellers on eBay (mainly shipping from HK) : are there some better options? More generally, what do I have to look carefully before buying a battery?
Thanks!

In general, any "compatible" packs will work, but the generic (non-Lenovo) ones will vary greatly in quality. They might not charge to 100%, they might cause the computer to due suddenly when operating under battery power at less-than-empty (or remotely close to empty) charge levels. My only experience with one was that it ran fine for about a year (despite wearing out quickly), then suddenly it started dying unexpectedly at a 90% ish charge.

The genuine Lenovo cells are more likely to operate as designed for a reasonable length of time. If the seller knows how to and is willing to provide it, a screenshot of the Power Manager information so you can see the battery details yourself is very valuable. Something like what this seller did: http://www.ebay.com/itm/272390380213?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

Sanyo cells have traditionally been the least desired as they wear out more quickly. LG cells are good quality, but Panasonics are the best out there.

One other thing to consider is if you intend to use the X61s on an X6 Ultrabase: some aftermarket battery packs may NOT allow the X61s to mate to an Ultrabase. It has to do with the physical dimensions of the battery:

http://www.kawakami-ca.com/ibm_x60/8-ce ... rket_1.jpg
http://www.kawakami-ca.com/ibm_x60/8-ce ... rket_2.jpg

I've bought a few cheap Ebay batteries for my X6x series models, and none have had any problems fitting in my docks. I guess I have been lucky so far, however I will maybe get my measuring tools out now to check!

Thanks everyone for replying to me! I finally got a battery from ebay, with 82% remaining capacity... and 0 cycle count. I guess it was a pretty good deal. Battery was made in 2008...

1. I buy from Amazon. Returns are dead easy.

2. I do NOT buy old NOS batteries. Lithium cells degrade continuously from the day they are manufactured.

3. I look at reviews and do my best to buy a battery that seems to have good feedback. But I also don't spend a lot of money. I can replace my $20 battery several times for what one OEM battery costs so I am not terribly concerned about maximum performance.

Paul