Follow up on the truck battery

I've got another vehicle to drive for a day or two, so I'm still researching batteries. But I have came to the conclusion that I think I agree with most of you in saying that $250-$300 battery just doesn't add up. Maybe if I was driving a plow truck or something.

After most of the strong comments on Walmart's EverStart's, I started looking at the local store and they have about 4 different ones, ranging from about $80 to about $115. I'm actually considering an $87 EverStart Plus with the 2 year warranty. It's an odd group size, but the book says it'll fit, and its 770cca. I'll look at some of the other specs tomorrow.

The local Carquest has there line and they're made by East Penn Manufacturing, and I've been reading a lot of good things about them. So I'm going to call them tomorrow and see what they've got in stock and prices. I do get a company discount there.

Also, are the new Exide's any better than they were a few years ago. I know they went thru a bankruptcy and apparently had all sorts of quality control issues, but the local TSC has them priced right, between $80 and $105. Just don't know if they're in the same class as the other two. thanks for all the info.

I have not had a conventional Exide battery for many years, so I cant comment on that.
I have been using the Exide Orbital spiral cell AGM starting battery's for near 20 years. They have been exceptional, no corrosion problems, very slow self discharge and a life with normal care of 15+ years.

A pickup side Orbital was in the $160 range when I bought the last one a couple years ago.

If your charging system is working normally and you never recharge with anything but an automatic "smart" charger, the battery may well outlast the pickup.

With normal care, a spiral cell AGM battery may well last for 20 years of normal use, but let an idiot at it with a big "dumb" charger at it and it may be junk in 2 hours.
Just my experience with the Optima and Orbital batterys.

Buy the biggest battery that will fit and you can afford. Never buy a smaller battery that "will fit", it will be overworked and die early. Also, do you want to $87 every two years, or $115 every 4-5 years? Optimas are great, I have one that is atleast 11 years old and has been in 2 different vehicles.

I do not know what type of pickup you have but I always put the biggest and heaviest battery that will fit in the battery box. My pickups are needed to go. Not taking a chance that they will not start. Also they are used to jump start things so that extra battery CCA and reserve will help.

Do not just look at CCA look also at the reserve. Many of the cheaper batteries have a high CCA but a very low reserve. The reserve is want will keeping cranking if it does not start right away.

I do not know of any batteries that are in common use that would be over $150. So you can get a good battery for not that high of a price.

A 770 CCA is not a vary big battery but if it is just a gas truck it maybe fine.

The CARQUEST batteries are real good. I have several and they last well.

I'm thinking about trying an Optima next time.

I've got a 01 Silverado, every battery has failed after about 2 years. All have failed in the same way, working fine, then total dead failure, like a failed internal connection. The charging system works normally, no unusual demands, no abuse or off road... I think it's heat related, in fact all have failed in hot 100* weather. The factory battery came with an insulating wrap, which I have kept and reused with every battery.

Maybe the Optima will be more heat resistant?

I put an Optima battery in a Jeep Cherokee that my then wife constantly left the lights on, etc. She cold destroy a good battery in months. The optima lasted for 4 years that I know of. Now, over the years I had many different type of batteries, especially in my 47 foot sailboat. But the best were gel cells, charged at 13.8 maximum. Lasted nearly 14 years, using for starting the engine and house batteries. When we left Florida I installed AGM batties and charged them at 14.8. They lasted a long time and even after almost discharging them on long anchorages, they always responded. Optima is one of many AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries on the market. My favoite is made by Johnson Controls under different names. Will never have any pother kind. Henry

2006 Chevy 2500 6.0 gas. Honestly, 800 cca's is about the biggest I can find. Walmart has group 78, 800 cca's, 1000 ca @ 32 degrees for $107. The group 75 battery is a little smaller, at 770 cca, 850 ca @ 32 degrees, for $87, but it is the yellow Everstart Max, so it does have the 3 year free replacement, 5 year prorated. Power is off over at Carquest so they cant tell me anything yet. They're parts might be pretty good, but our local store is useless as far as info if they don't have a computer in front of them.

The local TSC doesn't carry the Exide Orbitals in stock. I've got the part number though and I'm going to see if they can order them. They seemed to be priced a little cheaper than other AGM's. I do have a diehard smart charger thats been really good. 2 amp, 10 amo, and a 30 amp charge, plus 80 amp boost, and it'll test the battery and charging system.

Didn't know Exide went through a Bankruptcy.

The way I understand it there are only two manufacturers of standard type car batteries in US. If I remember right Exide makes for Deere. Of course there are different specs for different companies. All that said I use to swear by Deere batteries till about 5 years ago. Now all I do is swear at them. Thought I was done with them till the farmer I bought a combine from changed out the batteries for me. When I get a set in it that outlasts the warranty which is getting hard now it will get Interstates.

Sorry for the rant.

jt

Anybody see the Canadian Tire truck battery advertisement where they drop a CT battery . The battery case is smashed to bits but they attach the booster cables and start the truck with the ruined battery.

If you have an Interstate Battery there, give them a call. They have blemished batteries here that they sell cheap. Supposedly just some external issue. 12 month free replacement warranty.

I bought a battery for my car for $50. Its the most expensive one Walmart sells (around 150) as it goes under the back seat and has vent tubes attached to it. I think interstate's reg price was 125ish.

Also got a group 31 for my skidsteer for $50. No issues with either so far. Had both for a year or so.

They don't always have blems in the size you want, but their regular price isn't too bad.

I have Walmart's batteries in all my vehicles including my Wards garden tractor that has the battery number 75 in it. It started the other day when the temp was in the teens. It has the S/G for starting. Hal

Good question on an Optima's heat resistance ?
I am in North Dakota, so our climate is a little cooler than say, the deep south or desert south west.
A good flooded cell battery will generlly last 5-8 years "Here" while the Spiral cell AGM batteries seem to go 15+. both Optima and Orbital are valve regulated AGM batteries. Each cell has a little pressure relief valve that does not allow any of the electrolyte to get out unless something goes wrong and they have to relieve pressure before the case explodes.

Normally they will not gas off any electrolyte unless you seriously overcharge them, such as putting a big unregulated charger on them then walk away for a few hours, or alternator/. regulator problems where the charging voltage exceeds 14.6 volts.
The only electrolyte in there is what is in those absorbed glass mat separators, so they don't have to gas off very much to wreck the battery.

The spiral cell design seems very rugged, no cell connector breakage or plate material shedding off like a conventional flooded flat plate battery.

About the only maintenance I have to do is tighten the lead cable clamp ends a bit every couple years, as lead slowly creeps away from pressure and relaxes it's grip on the posts.

Is really like to try the orbital, but I have no one close by that carries them. We're kind of a mixed bag climate wise, expected to be well below zero the next couple of nights and we'll see lots of 90+ degree days normally, and an occasional 100+ day. We use a lot of the Optima's at work, red tops. They're mostly in standby generators so they set a lot, but are mostly on trickle charges. They typically last around 5 or 6 years.

I've read on several different sites that Optima's don't hold up well in the southwest, mostly due to the high temps. Again, not my experience, but I have read that more than one place. Cheapest I can buy a red top for is about $220.

I went to a local auto salvage yard and bought a almost new Interstate for $35.00 recently.