CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Batteries - What is the best?

dhcomp

1 ton status
 Premium
Joined
Mar 17, 2001
Posts
10,936
Reaction score
2,763
Location
Truckee, CA
Ok,
So i've had 2 cheap batteries in my dual battery setup for 3 or 4 years. And they are both toast.

No winch, use everything on the main battery, including a decent stereo draw when the truck is off, and use the secondary to start when the first is dead.

Due to the repeated killing and recharging, thinking deep cycle is the way to go.

What is the best value out there? Worth stepping up to a spiral cell/ gel/ or AGM style battery?

Haven't heard much good about optima recently, thinking of trying an exide spiral cell though.

What do you guys think?
 
currently have dual DieHard Platinum setup, they are in the truck, and so far that's about it :( I do have a winch going in. I guess I'll have to update later.


I have to ask though, why does it seem regular batteries have more CA/CCA/and extended time than Optimas and my Platinum? You start reading the tops and realize the regular ones have more power? But I guess they don't take deep recharging well.
 
FWIW, from the research I've done, the "reserve capacity" is the best measure of the quality of a battery. Apparently the makers can design a cheap battery with massive CCA, but the reserve capacity is an indication of the actual quality of the battery.

I'd agree though that in dhcomp's case, deep cycle is definitely the way to go. I saw one at wal-mart (of all places) that was pretty good size, and was pretty inexpensive. Didn't really spend the time to check the reserve capacity or anything, just noticed it on the shelf and the price.

I would suspect that if you aren't abusing the batteries (physically, not just draining them) it's probably better NOT to shell out the money for a great battery if you are just going to end up killing them from use/discharge, again vs. buying a battery that will stand up to being thrown around the engine bay, if that's not what you are doing.

Just my thoughts on the topic.

Apparently people are paying $68 for this http://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-27DC-6-Marine-Battery/16795212?adid=null&bvappcode=qa&bvauthenticateuser=true&bvcontenttype=ANSWER_SUBMISSION&bvdisplaycode=1336&bvpage=http%3A%2F%2Fwalmart.ugc.bazaarvoice.com%2Fanswers%2F1336%2Fproduct%2F16795212%2Fquestion%2F804915%2Fsubmitanswer.htm%3Fformat%3Dembedded%26campaignid%3DBV_QA_BROWSE%26sessionparams%3D__BVSESSIONPARAMS__%26return%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct.do%3Fproduct_id%3D16795212%26innerreturn%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwalmart.ugc.bazaarvoice.com%2Fanswers%2F1336%2Fproduct%2F16795212%2Fquestions.djs%3Fformat%3Dembeddedhtml%26expandquestion%3D804915%26user%3Dab5c9791b5630d1e7110c2a1bdb58689646174653d3230313230393035267573657269643d623731663963396438653461383236306364636430306235333665376436346626616666696c696174696f6e3d4e4f4e45%26authsourcetype%3D__AUTHTYPE__
 
Last edited:
currently have dual DieHard Platinum setup, they are in the truck, and so far that's about it :( I do have a winch going in. I guess I'll have to update later.


Damn, those platinums aren't cheap!
 
Wonder if there are any deals worth ordering from online with free shipping?
 
Was going to check costco out, but don't remember them having any sealed batteries besides the optimas.

Are the optimas a total waste now a days?
 
Ive had good luck with my red top and yellow top Optima batteries, Im running dual batt setup, I use the red top as main and yellow as backup.
 
I really don't like the fact that my starting will be a deep cycle, but the way they are setup, it would make better sense to run a deep cycle primary, and a regular cycle secondary.

The secondary is connected to the main while hte engine is running, and disconnected when its off. So when i'm running my stereo, or soon to be installed inverter, it will be feeding off the primary.
 
you'll take a very small hit in CA with a deep cycle, but the reserve is 20x's that of a "cranking" battery...

as long as the starter draw is less than the total CCA, it doesn't matter if it's 900 or a 1000...



cranking, or starting, batteries where a way for the battery companies to save money and rip off the consumer by using less lead in "honeycomb" style plates...
 
Before you buy another battery, unless you need one now, you might want to reconsider your dual setup.
Don't know how yours is setup, probably on the forum, but too much trouble to look up, but it sounds like you are kinda defeating the purpose of most dual battery setups.
The system in my old truck was not perfect, but in over 10 years, it never failed me, failed to crank, and I think I used one of the batteries the full 10 years.
Only replace the other once.

I was using a diode bridge, but your setup should work as well or better. And, it was a Ford, which made the wiring a little easier.
I had a standard cranking battery in the original holder. It had two wires hooked to it.
The big main cable that cranked the starter, and a charging wire from the bridge.

Actually, it had another big battery cable over to the other battery through a Ford starter solenoid so I could do a self-jump from inside the truck, but was just frosting on the cake.

The other battery, was not a deep cycle, although it could have been. I have a local battery place that sells any type battery you want, and are experts on batteries.
Plus, they are friends of mine.
They hooked me up with a standard sized big truck battery that was awesome. He set two identical batteries down in front of me.
I picked up the name brand one, good heavy battery.
Then I tried to pick up the other one.
Took me two tries.
Said the standard name brand one had about 35 or so thick plates of lead in it. The other one had 90 thin ones.
The standard had lots of insulation, this one was almost solid lead. Reserve capacity was off the wall.

Anyway, that battery ran everything except the starter. Radio, two way, lights, everything.
With its capacity I very seldom ran it down, but if I did, the other battery was sitting there nice and hot to crank the truck.

The only time I had a problem, was when I left the light on all weekend. The second battery was so dead that it could not fire the solenoid to crank the truck.
Probably would not have powered the ignition if it had.
Since both had heavy grounds, I just used one jumper cable from positive to positive to jump myself off.

That was when I added the cable and solenoid.
When deep cycles first came out, you could not use one for cranking. They could not handle the current.
I know of several people who burned some in less than a week.
One guy put one on a big diesel tractor, it lasted less than a day.

Deep cycles today are better, and can stand occasional cranking. Some may have no problems at all.

You might consider adding even a third battery. Leave one for cranking, the other two for the inverter and other stuff
Heavy enough cable, properly protected, will let you put a battery elsewhere than under the hood.

BTW, my battery guys used to sell Optimas, but quit when they started having problems.
They sell a different AGM now, who's name escapes me. Expensive, but worth it. Personally, after replacing many battery boxes, I would never run an unsealed battery in my offroad stuff again.
 
My dual battery setup is from 12volt guy.

Isolated when off, combined when on. Also allows me to start with remote start alarm when the primary is dead, cause it combines when the key gets turned on.


Ryoken, you are saying that i'd be find with a deep cycle as starting?
 
the majority of boats use deep cycles to start..

like I said, if the rig requires 378 amps when cranking, it doesn't care whether there's 900 CCA or 1000.... that's about what you lose in CCA going to deep cycle, 100 to 150, size dependent...
 
Nothing but good to say about Interstate batteries, and I get them free from a friend. :D
 
as far as wet batteries go, we live by Interstates in the boats.... and I too, get em free... ;)

for AGM's, we like Lifelines...
 
If you are just killing your main battery each time, and the emergency battery is doing fine, then I would suggest either a deep cycle or double mains, or both.
No lead acid battery, even deep cycles, will last a normal life being run flat or almost flat on a regular basis.
The less deep it gets run, the longer the life all things being equal.

So, if you replace your single main with two, you pay twice as much, but if it gives you 2 times the life, you pretty much break even.
If it gives you 4 times, you are ahead of the game.

If your emergency is going bad too, then you need to check your setup. Its not getting charged right, or something is wrong.
 
If your emergency is going bad too, then you need to check your setup. Its not getting charged right, or something is wrong.


Its old, and ****ty, and the connections are corroded.

After having to get someone to jump my dual battery setup a few times recently, its time for 2 new batteries.

Deep cycle's it is! Probably interstate, unless there is a deal on costco sealed ones.
 
I have to ask though, why does it seem regular batteries have more CA/CCA/and extended time than Optimas and my Platinum? You start reading the tops and realize the regular ones have more power? But I guess they don't take deep recharging well.

There is a long thread about Optima and how they aren't as great as they once were.

Wether newer batteries have caught up or Optima quality has gone down is up for debate. I don't know the answer. I do however know that off the shelf "cheap" batteries have been out performing Optima's in my experience.
 
There is a long thread about Optima and how they aren't as great as they once were.

Wether newer batteries have caught up or Optima quality has gone down is up for debate. I don't know the answer. I do however know that off the shelf "cheap" batteries have been out performing Optima's in my experience.

There was a bad batch running around about 5 years ago or so. I ended up with a couple. Since then, Ive had pretty good luck with my optimas, got over 4 years or so on them. While my truck isnt a DD, it sits for weeks on end and fires right up.
 
There was a bad batch running around about 5 years ago or so. I ended up with a couple. Since then, Ive had pretty good luck with my optimas, got over 4 years or so on them. While my truck isnt a DD, it sits for weeks on end and fires right up.

i've also had pretty good outta my yellow tops.
current one has a manufact date of 2011 so it doesnt mean much. but once every 2 months when i start it to make sure it still starts and shut it off, it keeps working so i dont complain...
 
Top Bottom