SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13G Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Rayovac Corporation (Name of Issuer) Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (Title and Class of Securities) 755081 10 6 (CUSIP Number)CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 2 of 6 (1) Names of Reporting Person Thomas H. Lee Equity Fund III, L.P. S.S. or I.R.S. Identification Nos. of Above Person 04 3279871 (2) Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (a) ___. (b) _X_. (3) SEC Use Only (4) Citizenship or Place of Organization Massachusetts Number of (5) Sole Voting Power -0- Shares Beneficially (6) Shared Voting Power 14,437,064 Owned by Each Reporting (7) Sole Dispositive Power -0- Person With (8) Shared Dispositive Power 14,437,064 (9) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person - 14,437,064 (10) Check if Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares __________. (11) Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9 - 5.3% (12) Type of Reporting Person PN CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 3 of 6 Item 1(a). Name of Issuer: Rayovac Corporation Item 1(b). Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices: 601 Rayovac Drive Madison, WI 53711-2492 Item 2(a). Name of Person Filing: See Item (1) of the cover pages Item 2(b). Address of Principal Business Office: c/o Thomas H. Lee Company 75 State Street Boston, MA 02109 Item 2(c). Citizenship: See item (4) of cover pages Item 2(d). Title of Class of Securities: Common Stock Item 2(e). CUSIP Number: 755081 10 6 Item 3. Nature of Person Filing: Not applicable CUSIP No. 437608 10 2 Page 3 of 6 Item 4. Ownership: (a) Amount Beneficially Owned: See item (9) of cover pages (b) Percent of Class: See Item (11) of cover pages (c) Number of shares as to which such person has: (i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote: See item (5) of cover pages (ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote: See item (6) of cover pages (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: See item (7) of cover pages (iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the dispositon of: See item (8) of cover pages Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of Class: Not Applicable CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 4 of 6 Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person: Not applicable Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company: Not applicable Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group: Not applicable Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group: Not applicable CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 5 of 6 Item 10. Certification: Not applicable. CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 6 of 6 Signature After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. THOMAS H. LEE EQUITY FUND III, L.P. By: THL Equity Advisors III Limited Partnership, its General Partner By: THL Equity Trust III, its General Partner By: /s/Thomas H. Lee Name: Thomas H. Lee Title: Trustee