Personally, I've done the battery hack a few times and it worked just fine.
Tools I used: File, jigsaw
Coin cells are comparatively harmless, there's little current and not much liquid inside, as well.
So in case it's accidentally shorted or cracked when opening the Dallas module, it's not lethal.
Anyway, please be careful when doing the mod.
Please don't wire the new battery in parallel, better try to cut one of the legs if you can.
Also, please don't get confused by the pinout.
At least one of the battery pins is connected "internally", but it may looks like it goes to a pin on the underside.
Edit: Oh and here's a fun fact:
Coin cells have little current, but also a slow self-discharge.
So it might be well possible that a single coin cell outlives a 2x AA battery pack!
"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel
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