Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Recommended/Trustworthy Third Party Batteries for Macbooks

K

knemonic

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 14, 2009
682
153
Hey everyone,

I was curious if anyone could toss me a recommendation for a trustworthy third party battery seller. I bought one from ebay a few months ago for my macbook and it gave me issues, so I sent it back (when the ac was plugged in, the system would randomly turn off).

I use my macbook connected to my TV and right now, there is no battery in it, which kills the cpu, which slows things down a lot.

I need a battery but dont want to drop tons of money, since I am not really going to use the battery.

You guys heard anything about these guys?

http://www.level8technology.com/apple-ma561lla-battery-apple-ma561lla-macbook-battery-white-10287

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
 
I would never trust or recommend a battery that didn't come from Apple. It's not just about the cost of the battery; it's about the value of your MacBook. It's worth getting a battery that's designed to work with your Mac. Also, it's not a good idea to run on AC power with the battery out.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
 
GGJstudios said:
I would never trust or recommend a battery that didn't come from Apple. It's not just about the cost of the battery; it's about the value of your MacBook. It's worth getting a battery that's designed to work with your Mac. Also, it's not a good idea to run on AC power with the battery out.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
Click to expand...

I am well aware that some third party batteries are bad but I have read articles that say some companies actually get their batteries from the same manufacturers as Apple does.

I disagree in some situations of having the battery plugged in all the time the AC is. The last battery that I had in there actually became bloated, I mean it started to turn into a balloon and expanded. I wonder if this could of been caused by the AC being plugged in all the time and was worried about it doing something weird, like leaking.

I dont want to invest a huge amount of money into a battery that I will never use, so this is tricky.

Thanks for the links above, I will definitely check them out.
 
GGJstudios said:
It's worth getting a battery that's designed to work with your Mac.
Click to expand...

So are you implying that 3rd party batteries aren't designed for the Mac they're made for? Mine seems to be designed for my Mac pretty well... until you take it out, it looks just like an OEM battery. Works exactly like one too. I imagine that a battery not designed for my Mac wouldn't fit.

I have a NewerTech battery from OWC, it works just fine. You could always find a used battery on eBay for dirt cheap. It doesn't have to have much capacity, just some.
 
iThinkergoiMac said:
So are you implying that 3rd party batteries aren't designed for the Mac they're made for? Mine seems to be designed for my Mac pretty well... until you take it out, it looks just like an OEM battery. Works exactly like one too. I imagine that a battery not designed for my Mac wouldn't fit.

I have a NewerTech battery from OWC, it works just fine. You could always find a used battery on eBay for dirt cheap. It doesn't have to have much capacity, just some.
Click to expand...

Ya, ive debated about just finding something used. I really want the extra cpu juice. I don't think I can invest $80 into something I am basically not going to use.
 
I've had two of the NewerTech batteries fail on me within a month. I am not giving it a third try. Back to Apple for me.
 
iThinkergoiMac said:
As long as the battery can hold 5 minutes or more, you should be fine in terms of getting full power from your CPU.
Click to expand...

Check this out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/OEM-Apple-White...p_Batteries&hash=item336536c5e3#ht_500wt_1156

The seller is rating it at 4911 mAh, isnt the new battery supposed to be 5100 or 5400 mAh? That means this battery is in pretty good condition for the price right?

Or is the real question does 4911 mAh indicate its holding capacity and the question that should be asked how much actual charge does this battery indicated by Mac OS?

Thanks everyone for your replies!
 
Just beware that one can have a battery (or other product for that matter) that can "look" legit, but unless it is from a reliable source it may be counterfeit. Counterfeiters are so good that sometimes company executives have a difficult time determining the difference. The unfortunate part if usually the quality is not there and sometimes can even be dangerous. Counterfeit goods are well documented in a wide variety of industries. So just be careful where you buy it. This is a product you keep on your lap!!!:eek:
 
flyfish29 said:
This is a product you keep on your lap!!!:eek:
Click to expand...

Except the OP won't be keeping it on his/her lap... the OP is using it as a HTPC. This is why the OP isn't really going to use the battery, but still needs it because the CPU runs at very low speeds without the battery.
 
iThinkergoiMac said:
Except the OP won't be keeping it on his/her lap... the OP is using it as a HTPC. This is why the OP isn't really going to use the battery, but still needs it because the CPU runs at very low speeds without the battery.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, forgot that part!:eek:

So I guess I should have said be careful as that thing is connected to your really nice TV!;)

If you have an authorized reseller near you they may have used batteries that would suffice- When my local shop buys back computers or trade in's they refurbish them and I imagine they replace batteries on occasion so perhaps they have one that is not that great, but can be used in your situation.
 
GGJstudios said:
I would never trust or recommend a battery that didn't come from Apple. It's not just about the cost of the battery; it's about the value of your MacBook. It's worth getting a battery that's designed to work with your Mac. Also, it's not a good idea to run on AC power with the battery out.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
Click to expand...


+1 ... I agree with GGJ :cool:

buying 3rd party batteries for your MacBook is not wise ... replacement batteries from Apple is your best choice.
 
Can anyone explain exactly why a 3rd party battery is supposedly such a bad idea? I can understand how a no-name replacement off eBay would be bad, but NewerTech batteries have a 1-year warranty on them and the brand is a good one. I have had two of those batteries and have no complaints at all about them.
 
iThinkergoiMac said:
Can anyone explain exactly why a 3rd party battery is supposedly such a bad idea? I can understand how a no-name replacement off eBay would be bad, but NewerTech batteries have a 1-year warranty on them and the brand is a good one. I have had two of those batteries and have no complaints at all about them.
Click to expand...
You may have had no complaints or problems with non-Apple batteries, but plenty of others have. If you want to keep buying them, go ahead. The OP asked for recommendations. My recommendation, based on the number of problems being reported with 3rd party batteries, is only buy Apple batteries. YMMV.
 
Could I ask a semi-related battery question here? It's about my G3 iBook dual USB, and I didn't find the answer searching the forum, plus I don't see a place to ask an iBook question in the Notebook forums.

I noticed GGJstudios said it was not good to run a Macbook without the a battery installed (but plugged in to AC of course); and others noted it would slow down the Macbook CPU.

I've resurrected my 2002 14" iBook (had to when my Macbook failed), and at first it would not even start up. Well, before I retired it, the battery was very weak - basically only useful for quickly moving the machine between AC outlets, etc. So, I figured it might be the battery. I plugged in to AC but still no joy.

Then I removed the battery and plugged in to AC and .... it started right up and all seemed fine. I've been using it this way for a few months now while I get my laptop situation sorted out with a new MBP. Plugged in to the wall and no battery installed. So... have I been wrecking it? The computer seems slow, sure, but then it is a G3, 600mhz, maxed out with 640mg RAM. I'm not sure it seems any slower than it ever did (?)

Just plugging in was successful enough that I never tried plugging it in with the battery inserted and waiting a day or so to see if the battery could be revived (and it was pretty weak when I retired it being the original battery from 2002).

Anyway, am I harming the computer by running it on AC power with the battery out? I have tape over the battery compartment so nothing will get inside, touch contacts, or etc. Now I have no worries about re-sale or etc. - it's just something I keep around for those times when my modern computer is out of service or etc.

Thanks for any input,
Miss Terri

2002 14" iBook G3, 600mhz, 640mg RAM, 80g hard drive, OS 10.3.9
2010 13" MBP, 2.4mhz, 4g RAM, 250g hard drive, OS 10.6.4
 
Miss Terri said:
... am I harming the computer by running it on AC power with the battery out?
Click to expand...
No, you're not harming it. You're just getting reduced power, if on a MacBook or MacBook Pro. Read the last part of the Battery FAQ I posted. I don't know about iBooks, though.
 
Thanks, GGJstudios. I see that Apple bulletin about reduced power is for the Macbook and Macbook Pro; no mention of the iBook, as you say. Since it seems to be about as powerful as I remember it, I'm going to guess it doesn't have that "reduce power" feature. I just don't want to be wrecking it entirely, as it is nice to have a backup computer occasionally (even if it does recoil at the sight of Vimeo, etc. ;))

That's a nice battery FAQ

Perhaps I'll try shutting it down and putting the battery back in, then leaving it plugged in overnight, just to see if it will give the battery enough charge to let the computer run with it installed. (I'm already shutting it down every night as it will not stay asleep, but instead wakes me up with random wake-ups. Hey, it's old - it has a few issues :p)

Thanks for the reply, and the "loan" of the thread :)

Miss Terri
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back