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NavyGuy
A teetotaling
beer aficionado
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When my OEM wet cell dies in a few months I'll be replacing with a Batteries Plus X2 AGM battery. That is actually a NorthStar rebranded to the B+ name with better pricing and easy availability.

Be aware, there are some caveats with AGM batteries, especially with charging both by the alternator and plug in charger. Easier to google than for me to explain here. But if you want really high CCA and deep cycle capability (lots of electronic accessories) the little bit of extra care required by AGM is worth the effort. If you've got a small compact car a quality wet cell might be a better choice. Die hard and Interstate are pretty good flooded batteries.


Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves.

-D.H. Lawrence
 
Posts: 11524 | Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: February 07, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
erj_pilot
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Since Sears Automotive went belly up, both by Toyota's (1997 & 2011 models) carry this brand battery due to the recommendation of a very knowledgeable best friend...



No complaints so far...


"If you’re a leader, you lead the way. Not just on the easy ones; you take the tough ones too…” – MAJ Richard D. Winters (1918-2011), E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil... Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 5:20,24
 
Posts: 11066 | Location: NW Houston | Registered: April 04, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
V-Tail
אַרְיֵה
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quote:
Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:

I just get an Interstate at Costco. Good prices and they last as long as any.
quote:
From the Original Post that started this thread:

I am NOT a member of Costco or Sam's.


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Posts: 31704 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
KMitch200
I have not yet begun
to procrastinate
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Edmond:
It would be interesting to see how long batteries last given where members live.
Is the heat or cold worse for a battery?

Can’t speak to cold but from living in Phx, heat kicks the shit out of batteries.
I haven’t bought an AGM battery, (sticker shock), mine have always been wet.


--------
After the game, the King and the pawn go into the same box.
 
Posts: 3917 | Location: Central AZ | Registered: October 26, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
tatortodd
Drill Here, Drill Now
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quote:
Originally posted by h2oys:
I have found Consumer reports ratings can vary by size of the battery. A general rating follows, and "yes", I too have been buying the Walmart EverStart batteries, as they are considerably cheaper than other brands and very highly rated.

I also have CR, and things to note are:
  • The rankings are very dependent on battery size group. Nobody won every battery size or even 1/2 of them. If the OP posts his group size, I'll post a screen shot.
  • AGM doesn't necessarily beat flooded. Although, some vehicles need them.
  • The model line matters and you can't just pick a brand. For example, Wal-mart's EverStart Maxx is recommended in most battery sizes (sometimes wins) but their EverStart Plus is never recommended.
  • Store brand (Wal-mart's, AutoZone's, NAPA's, Advance AutoParts', Pep Boys', Sam's Club's, and O'Reilly's) batteries do as well or better than the national name brands likely because there are only 2 battery manufacturers.
  • Surprisingly, they tested Sam's Clubs brand, Duracell, but not Costco's brand, Kirkland. Kind of disappointing.


    Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

    DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
    •  
    Posts: 23951 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    tatortodd
    Drill Here, Drill Now
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    posted Hide Post
    quote:
    Originally posted by KMitch200:
    quote:
    Originally posted by Edmond:
    It would be interesting to see how long batteries last given where members live.
    Is the heat or cold worse for a battery?

    Can’t speak to cold but from living in Phx, heat kicks the shit out of batteries.
    I haven’t bought an AGM battery, (sticker shock), mine have always been wet.
    FWIW, CR says that flooded cell last longer in the heat than AGM


    Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

    DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
     
    Posts: 23951 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    V-Tail
    אַרְיֵה
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    quote:
    Originally posted by Edmond:

    Is the heat or cold worse for a battery?

    I know there are also other factors such as engine size, need more CCA for the larger motors, but in general, does heat or cold kill a battery quicker?
    Short answer: heat, like we have here in Florida, is the bigger battery killer.

    Longer answer: I have two authoritative sources, but no links for quotes.
    1. Back when I lived in the Chicago area -- I know that you are familiar with the area -- I worked for a computer consulting / contract software development company based in Oak Brook. One of my assigned projects had me working at a government facility on the south edge of the Chicago suburbs. I can not, for the life of me, remember the name, but I do remember the beautiful campus and the white deer that roamed through it. The project was a study of various battery technologies and environmental factors that affected battery performance. My piece of the project was the software that grabbed data from the monitoring hardware that was connected to the battery, and did the processing necessary to shove the information into the database.

      In conversations I had with the engineers who were running the study, they told me that heat was the definite battery killer.

    2. My experience as an airplane owner: the v-tail used a 12-volt battery in its electrical system. These 12-volt batteries look like, and are sized like, ordinary car batteries, but due to aviation requirements and FAA regulations, they are really expensive, hundreds of dollars!

      They do tend to last longer with the use of battery conditioner and maintainer equipment -- looks like an ordinary trickle charger, but is microprocessor controlled, and is made for the specific characteristics of the battery type.

      These devices are not cheap, but they do cost less than a replacement battery, and do extend the life. I had a conversation with the chief engineer of the manufacturer of the leading brand of aviation battery conditioners. He stated clearly, that the same battery, maintained by their device, would last as much as twice as long in moderate temperature climates, as opposed to Florida's heat. Having owned airplanes in both types of environments, this was my experience, too.
    Since I live in Florida, where heat is the battery-killer, I find it cost-effective to buy the cheapest battery that meets the specs for my car & truck, and replace it at the very first sign of weakness. I usually get about three years out of a cheap battery.

    When I lived in cooler areas, I would buy the best battery I could get, but that approach does not work for me in Florida.


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    Posts: 31704 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    V-Tail
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    quote:
    Originally posted by tatortodd:

    Surprisingly, they tested Sam's Clubs brand, Duracell, but not Costco's brand, Kirkland. Kind of disappointing.
    I was told that Kirkland was a re-branded Interstate.

    True?


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    Posts: 31704 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    MNSIG
    Member
    posted Hide Post
    quote:
    Originally posted by NavyGuy:
    When my OEM wet cell dies in a few months I'll be replacing with a Batteries Plus X2 AGM battery. That is actually a NorthStar rebranded to the B+ name with better pricing and easy availability.


    That is the brand I have in my boats. So far, so good. I'm planning to install them in my pickup (dual battery) as well since it's not a daily driver and sits a while between longer trips.
     
    Posts: 9098 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    tatortodd
    Drill Here, Drill Now
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    posted Hide Post
    quote:
    Originally posted by V-Tail:
    quote:
    Originally posted by tatortodd:

    Surprisingly, they tested Sam's Clubs brand, Duracell, but not Costco's brand, Kirkland. Kind of disappointing.
    I was told that Kirkland was a re-branded Interstate.

    True?
    I haven't meandered down the battery aisle in Costco in a while. It used to say Kirkland on the batteries. However, I just checked their website and it redirects to Interstate batteries exclusive for Costco. In other words, both are true: you have your answer and CR didn't leave out Costco customers.


    Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

    DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
     
    Posts: 23951 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    jimmy123x
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    posted Hide Post
    Interstate or Motorcraft.
     
    Posts: 21428 | Registered: June 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    erj_pilot
    Member
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    posted Hide Post
    quote:
    Originally posted by V-Tail:
    quote:
    Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
    I just get an Interstate at Costco. Good prices and they last as long as any.
    quote:
    From the Original Post that started this thread:
    I am NOT a member of Costco or Sam's.
    Interstate has B&M stores (at least they do in Houston)...not just found in Costco or Sam's. Just FYI for the OP...


    "If you’re a leader, you lead the way. Not just on the easy ones; you take the tough ones too…” – MAJ Richard D. Winters (1918-2011), E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne
    "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil... Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 5:20,24
     
    Posts: 11066 | Location: NW Houston | Registered: April 04, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    Prefontaine
    Member
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    Optima here also but I cannot wait until Shorai has automotive batteries. I run them in my motorcycles, scooter and watercraft. Lithium Ion far superior. I balance them once a year and generally don’t worry about anything.

    I’m running Drone Mobile in one of my vehicles. The App tells me the battery charge 24/7 so I’ll know when it’s deteriorating so I can change it early and not get stranded or need a jump.


    What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone
     
    Posts: 13140 | Location: Down South | Registered: January 16, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    bigdeal
    Member
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    quote:
    Originally posted by 41:
    I have used the Walmart Maxx Ever Start since the early 80's when replacing a battery. They usually last 7 years and then I use them for a few more years on my Bolens lawn tractors.

    I only had one failure the first year on a battery and they replaced it for free.

    I is nice that they have stores all over the area in case one goes bad since they have a 3 year free replacement. Also their prices are competitive.
    ^^^This. Almost all current batteries are inferior to what they were years ago (Ex. Optima). As such I look for the least expensive, longest/best warranty I can find. That's been Walmart batteries of late. And to date, they've been every bit as good as anything else I've bought while being substantially less expensive.


    -----------------------------
    Guns are awesome because they shoot solid lead freedom. Every man should have several guns. And several dogs, because a man with a cat is a woman. Kurt Schlichter
     
    Posts: 33845 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: April 30, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    bigdeal
    Member
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    quote:
    Originally posted by J387:
    Otherwise I would stick with OEM...
    I will never grasp this response. What is an OEM battery? One with a Motorcraft, or Honda sticker on top and a price premium attached? Car manufacturers outsource batteries, so OEM is nothing more than whatever they could source the cheapest. Same reason you'll find different tires on the same vehicle across model years.


    -----------------------------
    Guns are awesome because they shoot solid lead freedom. Every man should have several guns. And several dogs, because a man with a cat is a woman. Kurt Schlichter
     
    Posts: 33845 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: April 30, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    smlsig
    As Extraordinary
    as Everyone Else
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    posted Hide Post
    I posted this same question on the Ford-truck forum concerning my F-350 batteries.

    In that discussion one person commented going to your local Caterpillar equipment dealer...Since I have several pieces of heavy equipment and have had very good results from their batteries I think this is what I’m going to do.

    It might be worth looking into if you have a CAT dealer nearby. Also, their prices were very good as well.


    ------------------
    Eddie

    Our Founding Fathers were men who understood that the right thing is not necessarily the written thing. -kkina
     
    Posts: 6533 | Location: In transit | Registered: February 19, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    cparktd
    Member
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    Interstate all the way here, for decades.

    But just remember it is more complicated than just brand names. For example, Interstate has 3 lines of batteries with their "Megatron" the best. I always go with the Megatron if it is available in the size needed, however the last one I needed wasn't so I had to go with the middle tier.


    Collecting dust.
     
    Posts: 4216 | Location: Middle Tennessee | Registered: February 07, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    rock185
    3° that never cooled
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    posted Hide Post
    Here in Arizona too, heat is the battery killer. Having grown up here, always seemed if I got more than two years out of a new battery I was doing good. I've used I don't know how many different brands, including AC/Delco, Optima, Interstate, and probably a dozen more. Last couple of batteries I needed to replace, I decided to just go over to the local Wally World and try one of those ~$90.00 EverStart Maxx batteries. Oldest is only a couple years old. All is well so far,so we shall see.

    BTW, last Interstate failed after a couple years. Original shop had quit carrying Interstate, wouldn't warranty it. Referred us to another shop, who referred us to another shop. Third shop finally honored the warranty and replaced the batterySmile


    NRA Life
     
    Posts: 1588 | Location: Under the Tonto Rim | Registered: August 18, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    mdj
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    You guys getting 7years are lucky. I've been changing them out about every 5 years because I kept getting stranded after 5 years. I usually use Interstate or Napa.
     
    Posts: 255 | Registered: February 07, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
    Warhorse
    A day late, and
    a dollar short
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    I bought my 2010 Toyota brand new, and still have it. I have put a miserly 66K on it, original battery shows no sign of giving up the ghost.

    (Knocks on wood)


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    Posts: 13729 | Location: Michigan | Registered: July 10, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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