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Best battery?

vandelay industries

vandelay industries

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1) What's the best battery, money no object, period?

2) What's the best battery, dollar-for-dollar?


Fairly speaking, i need another battery for my other car. The D34 Yellowtop from Optima has performed flawlessly for going on 7 years now---the car(or truck) always started.

However, i won't be buying another Optima due to all the bad publicity.

This is pretty sad; May or may not comment further in the optima thread.........
 
I think all you are going to get is opinion. Unless someone from the manufacturers speaks up, or someone has cut up all the batteries offered and looked at their internal construction, it's a guessing game. Even the manufacturers are playing games with hybrid batteries, CA, CCA, reserve time, etc. As far as I can tell the non-premium battery manufacturers are interested in making it as confusing as possible, as there isn't really a standard on how to measure how "good" a battery is. You can get into things like hours at a specific amp draw, etc., but again, without a standard, it's pretty hard to compare. And how many times can that battery handle that discharge, and so on.Not to mention how many people have no idea how bad their electrical system is, and cause failures you hear about.

For a *standard* application (like a commuter vehicle that is daily driven) IMO go with the cheapest battery you can find from a halfway reputable dealer. Wal-Mart's everstart(?) batteries have been working fine for me, and at the time were the cheapest available. Excess capacity in a battery is just wasted money...the battery IS going to fail, and if you have no use for a massive, high end battery, you are getting nothing from it. As long as a battery isn't deeply discharged, and/or cycled a bunch of times (car starting batteries should not be, and are not designed to handle it) then it's going to last as long as it's going to last, based on construction.

I can't help you on the best battery out there. It really depends on usage. I haven't really looked into how they hold up for daily use, but if they don't burn the rig down, I think the lithium's have a lot going for them. Light, and shouldn't corrode surrounding metal from venting.
 
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Can't go wrong with a little pair of 850 cranking amp lead acid batteries wired in parallel and a 100 amp alternator.
Ya know.. just in case.

What hate for Optima?
Did a search and could'nt find the thread.
The spiral wound absorbent glass mat design is okay. Has very low internal resistance.
Their weakness for being stored with a small current drain is well known.

I go with tried and true flooded lead plate and sulphuric acid because they work, and even two of these big boys is cheaper than an Optima.
But then, i am not worried about spilling them or mounting them in funky positions.
Really no need for AGM tech for my application.
If I roll this rig, leaking battery acid is the last thing I'll be worried about.

As for quality; it is a lead, soaked in sulphuric acid, contained in a plastic case.
I go for ones that I can add distilled water to if neccesary.
Also the biggest cranking amps i can get and still fit in the battery tray and close the hood.

20180523_111805.jpg
 
vandelay industries said:
1) What's the best battery, money no object, period?

2) What's the best battery, dollar-for-dollar?


Fairly speaking, i need another battery for my other car. The D34 Yellowtop from Optima has performed flawlessly for going on 7 years now---the car(or truck) always started.

However, i won't be buying another Optima due to all the bad publicity.

This is pretty sad; May or may not comment further in the optima thread.........
Click to expand...
Personally I don't use AGM for my cars, only offroad vehicles.
I have had great experience with the interstate batteries from Costco, great warranty no questions asked and very good price, same price as the Walmart brand.
 
and I've had poor luck with a couple Interstates I've had. I like AGM's for boats and any application that has the battery inside the car or trunk.

I've always tried to buy a battery with a decent warranty because I don't really trust any of them.
 
FWIW Johnson Controls makes Wal-Marts batteries, and they also make batteries for Interstate lol. At least according to Wal-mart's website. So theoretically, Wal-Mart and Costco are selling the same battery.
 
skunked said:
and I've had poor luck with a couple Interstates I've had. I like AGM's for boats and any application that has the battery inside the car or trunk.

I've always tried to buy a battery with a decent warranty because I don't really trust any of them.
Click to expand...
That's why I said Costco, I did have a problem with a couple out of 23 I have bought, I dropped them off picked up a new one and was on my way.
When I used to buy from Wal-Mart and Sam's I had to leave the battery for testing and last time I went they didn't give me paperwork for the battery (my mistake I admit) they denied I gave them the battery and I left Sam's club since then.
 
Another FWIW, my local Wal-mart has a "returned battery" section. They have sheets taped to them showing that they passed various tests. Normally I wouldn't even contemplate something like this, but they are half price. Couldn't resist one for the mower at $10 lol.
 
imiceman44 said:
That's why I said Costco, I did have a problem with a couple out of 23 I have bought, I dropped them off picked up a new one and was on my way.
When I used to buy from Wal-Mart and Sam's I had to leave the battery for testing and last time I went they didn't give me paperwork for the battery (my mistake I admit) they denied I gave them the battery and I left Sam's club since then.
Click to expand...

Yeah I had a buddy that bought and returned them to walmart like clockwork, apparently they put the kabosh on that so he stopped buying them there. I've also been using Batteries Plus, I'm running a couple of their Duracell AGM's currently with a free 36 month replacement 65 month pro rated warranty. I use them for UPC backup batteries and other work stuff so I save 20% off retail.
 
skunked said:
Yeah I had a buddy that bought and returned them to walmart like clockwork, apparently they put the kabosh on that so he stopped buying them there. I've also been using Batteries Plus, I'm running a couple of their Duracell AGM's currently with a free 36 month replacement 65 month pro rated warranty. I use them for UPC backup batteries and other work stuff so I save 20% off retail.
Click to expand...
You're telling me batteries plus has good prices?
Everything I tried to get from them was 25% overpriced
 
I just put 2 Odyssey batteries in my blazer it's only been a couple months but I'm happy so far. It had a die hard platinum (I understand they used to be re branded odyssey until recent) that was 9 years old and still working fine I just didn't want to test it any further doing night snow runs.
 
I had nothing but good luck w/ dual optimas in my blazer. A red top for cranking and a yellow top for the winch. Fed by a 165A alternator to a warn isolator.
 
I've got a pair of Deka group 31 batteries out of a semi in my 6.2L K5. I got them used back in like 2010 when I swapped out a full set for a customer. Not sure how old they were then but I have had them for like 8 years and 6 of those years it sat parked and I would hook them up and run it up to temp and then unhook them once a month. I've heard they are decent through other people.

I run CAT batteries in everything at work. They seem to be pretty good but the fleet vehicles are hard on batteries so if you get 3 years out of a battery it's pretty good. Cost wise they compare to the parts store stuff. I just recently went to check on a crane we have had parked for a good 5 yrs with a battery disconnect off and a single 4D battery and an old mechanical cummins. Thought for sure it would be shot. I cranked about a minute and it fired up. It cranked like a vehicle that had been running within the last week.

I used to run Napa batteries in all the company stuff when I was in Moab. Interstate makes them also. They seemed like good batteries.

Usually the only difference in a lot of batteries is how good the warranty is and how they prorate it over the life of the battery.
 
If I can afford them, I run Odyssey. Had one in my father's truck, culvert collapsed under me when driving in the woods. Truck fell in the hole and bounced back out. About a week later I was checking things under the hood, and discovered the battery laying on its side in the battery box.
Of course, any AGM would do that. I gave that one away when I took the truck offline, far as I know its still going strong.
Put one in my tractor right after I bought it new, plus put one in my F250 after I got tired of replacing battery boxes. All work great. The one in the truck was the only failure I have ever had with an Odyssey.
Not sure what happened, no heavy shocks, no deep discharge, just quit delivering a full charge one day. It would crank the truck, but slowly. Normally an Odyssey will spin over a starter faster than a regular lead acid.
Took it back to the shop, even though it was about a year old, gave me a new one, no charge. Sorry about that, did not see the pun until I had typed it.
That one is going strong 3 years later.
I really think the failure was due to a bad connection with one of the terminals internally. But it was the only failure I have ever had or heard of. I use them on the tractor and truck for two reasons.
1: They are a darn strong and reliable battery.
2 Pretty much eliminates battery box and terminal corrosion. Both of which are very important on the tractor and truck.
 
Odyssey hands down if money is no object. I just put 2 new ones in my dodge ($380 each) and they spin the cummins like its getting ready to lift off. I had a rebranded Diehard Platinum Odyssey in one of my jeeps. You cant get the rebranded Diehard Odysseys anymore tho.
 
didn't read anything...


Lifeline or Rolls/Surette FTW....
 
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