I have had this gun box 8 years. I am on my third battery. The other people that have to replace their batteries often probably open their box frequently. I don't have a need for that. Like the others my hydraulic arm failed after a couple dozen openings. That extra second that it takes to lift the lid by hand is very annoying, of course and had I known in advance it would have been a deal breaker. At first I looked for a replacement arm, but eventually decided if they are going to fail that fast why bother? I have replaced them on expensive auto hoods and trunks so it is apparently a universal problem. I still like these better than biometric which can be defeated more easily.