So, in this situation (see details) would I be guilty of "mixing batteries," and if so, what price will I pay for my sin?

I do this all the time. I didn’t know it was a no-no.

I’m still trying to get past the fact that you have a label maker! ;-) Was it re-gifted to you? It could be the one originally given to Elaine Benis!
I’ve actually mixed batteries when I’ve only had a couple in one pack and a new pack of a different kind. My white noise machine takes three AAA, and I’ve mixed Duracell with Energizer. I never had a problem. It never occurred to me that there might be a problem.

I was never aware of a problem either. Is there a fear that would be power issues?

@Trillian No! My label maker was not re-gifted to me! I love it. I put a lot of effort into picking out the perfect one for myself. I liked it so much that I got one just like it, for my aunt, for Christmas and she loves hers too, once she realized how fabulous they are. My inner nerd loves my label maker. :-)

LOL. I guess it’s not an issue then. I have always heard that it is bad to mix batteries and when I googled it, it didn’t seem like anyone could agree on whether it was or not so I thought I would ask.

Now I am going to go label stuff! Happy happy joy joy! I will be labeling tonight. :-)

Awwww. I love it for you. Happy labeling!

Use the label maker. It will be fine. You might consider buying rechargable batteries and then you wouldn’t have to go out and buy new ones. I mix ‘em all the time!

@NoraZ I actually do have a boatload of rechargeable batteries and charges around here, somewhere, that is my general preference, to use rechargeables: It saves money, I don’t have to bother with the fuss and muss of recycling the used disposable batteries and they are always available, if I keep up with it, but, for some reason I kind of got out of the habit of rechargeables lately… so I am back to the non-rechargeables.

The same price that people who rip the tags off of their new mattresses pay…a long season in Limbo.

@gailcalled LOL. I figured as much. “They say…”

“They” are always saying these kinds of things, about this and that, all the time, “they” go on and on. “They” are always putting these ideas into our heads. Who are “they?” What do “they” know, really?

It’s generally best to have batteries that all have more or less the same characteristics. That way, all the cells drain evenly. Now, if you mix, say, new Energizers and new Duracells, that is fine; they are both alkaline batteries of roughly the the same amp-hour capacity.

If you mix new batteries with half-dead batteries, or especially—alkaline with rechargeable, then you will run into issues. The former will lead to erratic performance while the latter will likely permanently damage the rechargeable batteries… and possibly (though unlikely) the device they are in, assuming it is either flammable, meltable, and/or incapable of holding caustic chemicals without leaking.

FYI, part of the reason that warning has been around since before rechargeables is that there used to be carbon-zinc batteries that were pretty popular back when alkalines were fancy-schmancy. Mixing carbon-zincs with alkalines is likewise ungood.

@jerv Thanks. I knew someone who actually knew something would eventually weigh in and I’m not all surprised it was you. I get a little anal about things sometimes and I’m never sure whether any of it really matters. I seemed to me that if the batteries were all fresh, all standard alkaline batteries, even with the same exact expiration dates, for added assurance, just because they were different brands, different manufacturers, it just seemed that it really shouldn’t make a difference, but as I said, I can get a little anal about these things, and I generally don’t even mix brands of batteries in a device, God forbid! :-)

LOL. I meant no insult to any of you who already answered my question!!!!! I just can never take anyone’s word that I shouldn’t be worried about something I really shouldn’t be worried about unless they throw a bunch of facts at me.

Anyway, it’s moot at this point. I did the deed. I mixed the batteries and made my labels. Tomorrow I will most likely get new batteries, so all the batteries in my label maker match. Mostly because I am just OCD enough that I want them all to be the same.

I love you for loving your label maker. I love mine, too! So as not to lose the power cord for mine, I store the whole shebang in a large zip-lock bag, including the manual. :)

@augustlan And, Auggie, of course, I love you for loving me for loving my label maker. :-)

As for Ziploc bags full of cables, adapters and power cords? My house, otherwise known as “The Land of a Thousand Cables” is full to the brim with them. It’s here somewhere, I know it is, I just saw it the other day…

I have a label maker too; I freaking love it! It can make clear labels, colour labels…labels with all kinds of fonts, sizes and tiny pictures/symbols. It’s one of the best creations ever.

I was also not aware there were perceived issues with mixing battery brands.

@Plucky It appears that Fluther might need a label maker owner support group. There seem to be a few of us. @Plucky You don’t need to whisper about your label maker! There is no shame in it! I have a label maker too!  We should be able to be open about it; to not be ashamed, to not have to whisper. :-)

@lillycoyote Lol, I thought I had to whisper because it wasn’t the topic :P

Without further adieu, I freaking love my label maker!!!!!!

I love my label maker, and I am proud. Proud, I say!

As long as the only difference is manufacturer, you can mix them like a salad. It is not like SLI that only works with Nvidia.

@Plucky This question is in the social section. I don’t think you have to whisper here. I think that was only before Fluther had the social category.

@lillycoyote Personally, I always thought it was a way to delineate on-topic and off-topic stuff so long as the thread was at least still remotely on-track.

Not that it matters much since, like most Social questions,this thing went off the rails like a crazy train, but as @Plucky‘s last post had both on-topic and off-topic stuff, I think it was actually appropriate in context.

Shouting, on the other hand, woud be unwarranted!

@Ijerv AGREE. I THINK SHOUTING IS GENERALLY UNWARRANTED. EVEN IF I CAN MANAGE TO SHOUT AND WHISPER SIMULTANEOUSLY!

Can you shout and whisper with a line through the text while making a label with mixed batteries?

@bkcunningham LOL. I’m not quite that good. And then there are days, more and more as I get older, when it seems that I can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time. :-)

NO!