If you were going to replace your Thinkpad battery...

...would you purchase a "genuine OEM" replacement or one of the aftermarket units. I know an OEM replacement is more expensive but if the quality, performance, and reliability is significantly better it would be worth it to me. If the best option is to purchase an aftermarket unit, is there a consensus on which vendor from out of the multitudes online sells the best quality battery.



I ask because normally I try to maintain OEM configuration when replacing parts whether on my auto, appliance, or electronic device but I have seen more than one comment where it was stated that the newer OEM batteries don't seem to be as good as they were a couple years ago?



thanks for any feedback

 

Convention has it that most here go with OEM. I am at this crossroads now as well for my T61p and I hope to get some information that saves me a few bucks... Tuned in.

 

Be sure and ask your supplier when the battery was manufactured. I bought the 6 cell for a T61p on Amazon not long ago (Oct 2011) that was advertised as new and manufactured by Lenovo.

It was manufactured by Lenovo alright. In 2008.

That isn't my definition of new.

 

I try and look for genuine batteries when I can, the problem with generic batteries is that they can vary in quality and the Power Manager tends to constantly nag you for using a generic battery.

On some occasions you may see some genuine batteries cropping up on eBay at a good price, I managed to find a genuine 6 cell T61 battery brand new for a 1/3 of what Lenovo wanted so it's not impossible but it is tricky given the amount of generic batteries flooding the market as well as unscrupulous people selling generic batteries as originals.

 

My experience with third part batteries is they don't last as long and tend to wear more quickly, but they're less expensive. If you're OK with those, they may be worth a look. You will get the non-OEM battery pop up when using a third party battery.

 

Soon we won't have a choice anyways:

Lenovo laptops will reject third-party batteries, starting with ThinkPad Edge in May? | The Verge

 

well it is not surprising that manufacturers are banning third party batteries, after all batteries are consumables that most people have to buy for their notebooks. Also, there is always element of danger with using third party batteries.

But don't worry just as companies have figure out ways to limit third party batteries in their machines, there will be companies that will hack the system.

It is a game of cat and mouse.

 

I've used T61 aftermarkets, which for $26 on ebay its a steal, but I also have used real Lenovos, which are better in terms of longevity, but is it worth the $90+ cost.

For my T420s I have an aftermarket cd bay battery, which works great, still was $55 though. It does not fit as good as the real also :\

 

The 12-cell is tempting, but I worry about the cell quality. It would be pointless to buy one if it just turns out as performing the same as a 6-cell.

I go OEM for now. Best bet for low prices is at the Lenovo outlet.

 

I got one from lenovo outlet, it's OEM at a discount.

 

I stick with OEM batteries for my Thinkpad as I have an IBM discount, if the OEM stopped making new ones I'd use a company which is trustworthy(ex: Batteries Plus, BTI, etc).
I'm not in the market for a battery at the moment, my 7-cell is still at 95% health for my widescreen T61 and refurb nVidia 14" 4:3 T61 I bought recently had a new 9-cell Lenovo battery.

My mum bought a no-name generic battery for her old PowerBook G4 from Amazon, after 6 months battery health dipped 15% and I'm sure within three years it'll be toast in terms of realistic run time. She could have spent more for a NewerTech, BTI or Batteries Plus(Rayovac) but stubbornness kicked in.

 

I tend to use "generic" ones, but good generic ones. There are a few non-Lenovo suppliers that produce batteries of equal quality and reliability.

They're also not *that* much cheaper than Lenovo batteries, and they're definitely not the $20/pop no-names that you find when you sort eBay listings by lowest price.

 

@ThinkRob,
A link to one or two of these vendors would be great.

 

Sure:

Dr. Battery is probably the best non-Lenovo vendor I know of. I've also had good experiences with eznsmart batteries (obtained via Amazon.)

 

Good price... Have you had any issues with Power Manager not recognizing batteries?

Also, anyone know anything about this seller eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices seems legit though the batteries could be old I guess... but at half the price might be worth the risk considering I would have PayPal protection.

 

If it's an old laptop which I don't really care about anymore (probably 3 or so years old) then an a cheap aftermarket battery would be fine for me.

but if it's still a daily driver and I need the performance and if it still has warranty then I'd get the manufacturer's battery

 

My T500 is in need of a new batt. I think I will order one from dr.battery

 

Performance is not the only criteria you should be thinking of; safety is also a concern.