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Saft 14250 batteries - rechargeable equivalent?

Janger

Janger

(John)
Vendor
Premium Member
I need Saft 14250 3.6V lithium batteries for my tooling probes. They look like about 1/2 of an AA. I need about 4 of these per year, and the last set cost $80. $20 a battery? I was getting them for about $35 for 5 on amazon but I've deleted my amazon accounts (yes I really did, I'm expecting the worst with the CUSMA negotiations) So I need an alternative. The probe is very persnickety about the batteries apparently so I have not tried anything else, generics or what have you. But I saw these rechargeable lithium batteries on Ali for about $20 for the pair. I decided to take a flyer and see. Well, after charging they read 4.15V not 3.6V. I'm not going to risk trying them. Any thoughts?


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Tom Kitta said:
www.aliexpress.com

14250 3.7V 300mAh Rechargeable Lithium Battery For Probes, Thermometers, Sights, Thermostats, Monitoring systems,Alarms,1/2AA - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
www.aliexpress.com www.aliexpress.com

15

for 4

all rechargeable.

lots and lots of options.... non rechargeable are like 2 cad each. with shipping.
Click to expand...
That is exactly what I bought. I also ordered some disposable from aliexpress - we will see how they measure in terms of voltage. I'm gun shy for sure - If they leak it could be catastrophic for the tool probe.
 
Saft is a brand name. The 1/2AA format is available from other manufactures. Those are very common batteries. Gemini excerpt

Specifically, it is a world specialist in the design and manufacture of high-tech batteries for industrial, professional, and military uses.
The number "14250" in the Saft 14250 battery name is a dimensional standard. It is a common designation for a battery size, with the numbers corresponding to the battery's dimensions: 14 refers to the diameter in millimeters (mm). 250 refers to the height in tenths of a millimeter (mm), so 25.0 mm. This dimensional standard is also known by the common name 1/2 AA, as its size is approximately half that of a standard AA battery. Other battery manufacturers also produce batteries with the 14250 designation, such as the ER14250.

On a full charge it is normal for voltage to be a bit higher than 'nominal', but that 4.15v sounds a bit high. You can see spec sheet here, open circuit voltage = 3.67v & what the curve shows.
AliExpress is ok for things you don't care about but you might want to be picky. They lie notoriously about specs & certainly brands.

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I'm sure I've seen these in electronics or camera type stores. if you gassed your Amazon account, maybe a dedicated battery/electronics place like this. I checked Digikey which should have been slam dunk easy & super fast shipping etc. But many not showing as available or a crazy ship fee which is abnormal. But maybe you can check on your own under 14250 & you will get other brand hits. Also note there are many tab configurations for the same cell. You don't want weld tabs because it sounds like its dropping into a battery holder type deal? Also 14250 says nothing about maH capacity. You may find suitable ones with more or less. More is always better if its legit. Be very careful (as in DONT) buy out of USA. Not just the tariff sh*t show. Lithium batteries can attract some whopping shipping fees. They are supposed to follow a watt rule & low cell counts are supposed to be OK, But there are some $$ horror shows.

 
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I don't think you will find this form factor & voltage combination in alkaline leakers. They were available in NiCD & NiMH but that was more like 1.25v/cell & that's ancient history. If you happen to see it in LiPo (lithium polymer) avoid for your purposes because those might be 4.x volts plus other significant differences. Gemini again but corroborates what I was thinking. Saft uses a flavor of lithium but its not the only one.

Yes, the 14250 battery format is available in Canada with different chemistries, though they are still a type of lithium battery.
While Saft 14250 batteries use a chemistry called Lithium Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl₂), which has a nominal voltage of 3.6V, you can also find batteries of the same physical size with a different lithium chemistry: Lithium Manganese Dioxide (Li-MnO₂) or "CR".
The key difference is the voltage:
Li-SOCl₂ (ER14250): Nominal voltage of 3.6V. This is the chemistry used in the Saft 14250, and it is known for its high energy density, long shelf life, and wide operating temperature range. This is the more common chemistry for this specific battery size.
Li-MnO₂ (CR14250): Nominal voltage of 3.0V. This chemistry is also very popular and is often used in applications like cameras, memory backup for computer motherboards (CMOS batteries), and other devices that require a stable, lower-voltage power source.
It is extremely important to check the voltage requirements of your device before replacing a 3.6V Li-SOCl₂ battery with a 3.0V Li-MnO₂ battery (or vice-versa). The difference in voltage can cause a device to malfunction or be damaged.
In short, while you won't find traditional non-lithium chemistries like alkaline or nickel-cadmium in the 14250 format, you can find different lithium chemistries with different voltages. These are widely available in Canada through specialized battery suppliers and electronics retailers.
 
Also to confuse matters, some of these special application cells have little on-board computers to manage charging, preventing depletion past terminal voltage, temp/discharge limits... And some don't. I have not messed with these cells specifically but this is just a generic statement. Its what allows some appliance cells plug into a 120VAC with no special charge adapter. There may be other letter/number designations of the battery beyond the 'can' dimensions & electrical specs, so be sure about this from your manual.
 
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