Just a few comments on this topic. Do NOT buy a 5 year warranty battery. There is no real difference between a 2 year and a 5 year other than the insurance policy you are buying based on the planned failure rate of the batteries. Look at the size and terminal type and location (group), the voltage 6 or 12 or 16, and cold cranking amp (CCA) rating of the battery (calculated from the AmpHour rating and the length of discharge. I buy approx. 50,000 pounds of batteries every year and I have found that East Penn Deka has the lowest failure rate over the last 5 years, and when they do have a failure they stand up and deliver on their warranty better than anyone else. In your car, you want to keep your battery away from major vibration and temperature changes. In modern cars they put the batteries in environmentally controlled areas like the passenger compartment. Be sure to keep your batteries charged (especially if your car sits for any length of time). Lead Acid batteries like to be stored with a charge of 90 to 95%. never enclose the batteries in an air tight container. All batteries will outgas, even sealed AGM batteries. The Hydrogen Sulfide gas is explosive once it hits 4% concentration, so make sure your battery compartment is ventilated. Never crank your car for a long time. Crank for a few seconds, if it does not start, stop and wait for a 5 second count before cranking again. The batteries we install in cars are not designed for long term cranking, and it will decrease the life of the battery, as well as increasing the amount of Hydrogen and chlorine gas created. Keep your battery clean, inspect it every 6 months and replace if it looks like it is bulging or leaking. Batteries are very safe if they are treated well, but they can, and do explode if mis treated, and you do not want to be around when they pop. If they do pop, be sure to clean up with a neutralizing solution (or baking soda). Hope this helps.
interstate all the way, last 6 to 8 years and never been stranded, keep them clean and they are worry free!
The optima I bought as an employee(allowed 2 per year) died in the first year. I even handpicked it from the line, and it still was crap. Quality went down a couple of years before the mexico plant was open, and stayed down. I would buy a Deka, those outperformed the optimas in the lab tests all day, every day.
Just about every name brand battery is good, until you get a stinker. I worked for one place that carried good batteries and we had a run of bad of them one winter. People were bringing them back as fast as we sold them. I'm looking for one now for my OT import. I'll shop for the best deal I can get, will check out Sears, Autozone, NAPA and I know one other chain store that has Deka batteries, almost forgot about those. I generally pitch my batteries after 4 years regardless of a sign of failure, cheap insurance. I keep the old battery around in case someone needs one in a pinch. Bob
A buddy of mine like his Odyssey battery ( http://www.odysseyfactory.com/ ) has had it for about 10 years and still cranks strong and is small enough to hide inside his '32.
Pitts64 has got it right. Buy the cheapest battery you can find. You can buy three at Walmart for the price of an Optima. Its a No Brainer!
Say NO to Optima. Around here I've been buying $21.50 rebuilts (the Vette in my avatar has one for over 6 years), or $35 blems from the Battery Depot for about 20 years. If you don't have a place like that......Interstate, Diehard, or just about any brand name. Also, around here Costco seems to never stock garbage in any of their stuff
Go talk to you local Interstate warehouse. We buy their seconds or shelf returns for about $35 and have never had one last less than 5 or 6 years sometimes longer. The one in my avatar is 10 years old
NAPA...Last spring I replaced a 13 yr old battery that sat winters with no trickle charge..Two more in use now at 11 and 12 yrs old, sit the winters with out trickle charge also..So NAPA for me..
Had a USA made red top Optima that lasted 10 years in my 2001 Vette, when it needed replacement heard they had gone down hill because they started making them in Mexico, same thing that happen to Mexico made Stewart Warner gauges. Heard good reviews about Odyssey batteries, put a PC 925 in my 32 roadster also because of size. Odyssey batteries are made in USA and UK
DEKA, has always served me well. They make the DURACELL that is sold in Sam's Club.. I have them in all 3 of my vehicles. USA made.
At present I have 2013 OT Ford with the oem battery, an '03 OT Duramx p'up with NAPA batts, A'40 Ford with Optima that was in it when I bought it about 3-4 years ago, and a '31 AV8 Hiboy roadster with hot SBC and a Braille battery. All are giving good service. The oem in truk lasted maybe 5 yrs. and the first set of NAPA failed after a couple years, but no problem in getting warranty replacements. The first braille I bought lasted just over the warranty and failed. But I blame myself for not keeping it charged up after buying it and then getting sidetracked for a long time without keeping it charged. Now I have 3 Battery Tender Plus chargers and anything not in regular use gets a charger hung on it.
Don't know where you got that price, or that group number, but suspect you're looking at the lithium-ion batteries they sell for racing applications with small size and other ultra small and lightweight applications. The ones I'm talking about are sold in several sizes (all smaller than standard) and weigh about 21 or so lbs. and run about $230. The Summit # BRL-83121 weighs 21 lbs. has 742 cold cranking amps @ 32*F, 75 min reserve, and measures 6.6"L X 5.2"W X 6.8"H. Price is $229.99. They are made in USA, are of AGM construction, with a white plastic case. Lighter ones are available in a carbon fiber case.
Home Depot has a pretty good selection of Exide Extreme batteries. Interesting warrantee. I got one for my daughter's car. We'll see how it goes. 40-month free warranty 24-hour emergency jump start https://www.homedepot.com/p/Exide-Extreme-24F-Auto-Battery-24FX/204852594
X2 on the Odyssey. I have a PC925 in the '31 which sat for years during the build and works flawlessly. Smaller, lighter, and more mounting options than a lead acid battery. Why would I go back?
Batteries plus has stores almost everywhere anymore and they sell I wide range of auto batteries including DEKA, OPTIMA, ODESSEY, and a couple other AGMs I have never heard of. Prices are good and they stand behind their sales.
i buy the best quality of everything almost without exception -- and batteries are an exception. i've never found that expensive batteries last longer than decent quality but lower-end batteries. my current battery is a small Group 24 "duralast" from AutoZone -- i bought it as a USED battery. i've had it four years, and showing signs of strain, in the morning the voltage is down to 12.2V and it probably doesn't have much reserve (i'm hoping to not find out...) since i need to buy a new one soon i was out searching to see what's new and maybe changed, stumbled on this thread. in my experience charging system quality makes batteries last. cranking current is just battery size, but lifetime is a correct alternator voltage (or generator if you're so inclined, and i have been so at times) and spotless wiring. with battery prices so crazy high i'll probably end up with another DuraLast. as much as i hate autozone the batteries seem to work fine.
I bought a 26R at Walmart recently for $50. It seems to work just fine. I don't know how it would do in a Rambler, though, Tom.
kenosha WI electrons are fairly similar, it *might* work... and fifty bucks appeals to my Rambler Mentality (eg. cheapskate).
I concur with all the negative replies to Optima, I always thought they sat on the shelf for awhile at the autoparts store. About 8 years after my dad died, I realized we never put a battery in his Mustang. Only drove it about 6 times a year. I lasted 2 more years. Sears Die Hard, he most likely bought it in 2001. I call Walmart batteries Neverstart. I have one in the 55 Lincoln right now that was a warranty, it will be the last one I ever buy. I used to get 4 years out of my Advance Auto parts battery in my Powerstroke F-350. Never fail that 4th winter was it. One time I traded them in 5 days before the warranty expired. Also had a motorcycle battery from there go bad in 6 months. I think Sears Die Hard, but I suspect they are not what they once were.
I have one more endorsement, I don't know who really makes them but Ford Motorcraft batteries always last 6 years or more. Except for in my wife's Lincoln MKS, the seats moved without the engine running. Her new MKX doesn't do that.
I used to like Interstate Batteries. But I usually use what is available. I can't really give a good answer on gel batteries and the like I still use the old flat plate and acid type.
I run a pair of Odysseys in the woodie, they're made in Missouri. I keep them on a Battery Tender most of the time, seven years old so far
The best battery to buy is one you can get replaced in just about any sizable town in the USA. NAPA, Autozone, or a Walmart, ect.... Had a battery die on me at a carshow in Kansas. Went to a O`Reilys and had it replaced. Close to the show site. New one installed. 3 months later it took a crap. Went to O`Reilys to have it warrentied, they said OH. It`s one of those. A crap battery they sell. This particular location has a policy. If you sell one, you get fired. I normally don`t go to O`Reilys.
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