[macneill]

On my original going on it's 7th year, but only 45K.

This weekend, I had all 10 lights on for a few minutes with the truck off and when I went to start it, the battery barely turned it over.

So I'm thinking I'll replace it now rather than be stranded in December.

From what I've read in CR, the Sears Die Hard Platinum scored the best at $180.

Think an OEM would be better than that?

[Trunk Monkey]

Originally Posted by macneill

Think an OEM would be better than that?

We just talked about this in the OEM battery thread, but the OEM batt from the factory is a Panasonic (great battery). If you get an OEM battery from your dealer it will be a US brand with a Toyota label on it, my local one is Interstate.

[macneill]

Uhhh... right.... search...

Originally Posted by Trunk Monkey

We just talked about this in the OEM battery thread, but the OEM batt from the factory is a Panasonic (great battery). If you get an OEM battery from your dealer it will be a US brand with a Toyota label on it, my local one is Interstate.

[hks3sgte]

Supposedly the Die Hard Platinum is the same as the Odyssey.

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by hks3sgte

Supposedly the Die Hard Platinum is the same as the Odyssey.

The Die Hard Platinum is made by DEKA not Odyssey (at least that's my version and I'm sticking to it ).

I needed to install 2-new batteries recently. Sears did everything they could NOT to sell me almost $400 worth of batteries. Pissed me off royally (gee sounds like the same old Sears eh? And they wonder why their profits are down ).

So I bought 2-new Odyssey's instead. Time will tell how they hold up, etc. but it feels like, when I turn the key to start, that I have 10-batteries pushing power: The difference is amazing really! And my old starting battery was in perfect condition!

[Topmounter]

I can't believe Sears still exists.

I never went back after they gave me the "If you don't let us replace your shocks and struts immediately you're going to die in a fiery car crash when you leave here" spiel.

[macneill]

Can't argue that Sears doesn't suck.

According to CR, in their testing. The Deka in the Group 34 came in 3rd for whatever that means.

I didn't see any tests on the Odyssey.

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by macneill

Can't argue that Sears doesn't suck.

According to CR, in their testing. The Deka in the Group 34 came in 3rd for whatever that means.

I didn't see any tests on the Odyssey.

Deka (marketed under their own label...not sure about what design differences there are for Sears...I heard the design is not the same and they are not made the same as Deka's), Lifeline and Odyssey have outstanding reputations. I would have bought a Deka or Lifeline (have two LL's in my AT Horizon and they have performed perfectly the past 2-years) but they didn't have the size and configuration I needed for my Aux battery. And I wanted the batteries to be the same...

Dan

[100 TD]

Originally Posted by spressomon

The Die Hard Platinum is made by DEKA not Odyssey (at least that's my version and I'm sticking to it ).

The DieHard Platinum batteries are manufactured in EnerSys' U.S. manufacturing facility in Warrensburg, Mo

Sears Holdings Corporation - Press Release

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by 100 TD

The DieHard Platinum batteries are manufactured in EnerSys' U.S. manufacturing facility in Warrensburg, Mo

Sears Holdings Corporation - Press Release

So good chance the Diehard Platinum is an Exide battery. EnerSys brands as Exide and General.

Deka is owned/branded by East Penn.

Sorry I had my facts wrong! Thanks for your correction Warren!

[1loudLX]

Dude, why dont you have a Dual Battery setup? EPIC FAIL!

[LandCruisers4Life]

I keep seeing people pop up with the SEARS DIE HARD (Odyssey knock off), and I will tell you that I had one, and it died from vibration on a trip. Don't buy one! That Sears battery is supposed to be vibration resistant/off road etc etc... and it lasted me 3 months!

I have the original Panasonic and an Optima for my vehicle. I suggest the Optima Yellow Top.

[cary]

My two cents. Batteries are hit and miss and the results that Consumer Reports gets on them are in large part driven by the individual battery they get. In the case of the Group 35 and Group 24f batteries tested by Consumer Reports, the Diehard batteries were rated midpack. Here are the results, sorry about the formating, but they are in the order presented.

The items in order are brand, price, score, warranty, and claimed cold cranking amps.

Interstate Mega-Tron Plus MTP-24 101
83
30/85 • 800
CR Best Buy EverStart Maxx-24N (North) 75
82
36/108 • • 700
CR Best Buy EverStart Maxx-24S (South) 75
78
36/108 • 700
DieHard Gold 33123 (South) 110
76
36/100 • • 700
Duralast Gold 24-DLG 89
75
36/96 • 750
AutoCraft Titanium 24-6 85
72
36/84 • 700
DieHard Gold 33023 (North) 110
59
36/100 • • 700
Interstate Mega-Tron II MT-24 88
43



Duralast Gold 35-DLG 93
79
36/96 • 640
CR Best Buy EverStart Maxx-35N (North) 75
79
36/108 • 640
DieHard Gold 33035 (North) 110
78
36/100 • • 640
CR Best Buy EverStart Maxx-35S (South) 75
73
36/108 • 550
Interstate Mega-Tron Plus MTP-35 90
68
30/85 640
DieHard Gold 33135 (South) 110
64
36/100 • • 550



For my money, I run Costco Kirkland brand batteries. For $59.99, I get a Johnson Controls made battery with a 36 month 100% replacement, and 100 month total warranty. Costco has no hastle replacements. My second choice would be Duralast or Napa Gold.
24/75

[100 TD]

I can't argue with any of you as I am in OZ(AUS) but what I see from specs is that the group 31 DieHard "Platinum" (not listed in Carys statements) is as close to the Odyssey2150 as anyone can tell.
Sears only did the deal with Enersys in Mar 2007so perhaps Cary's info is earlier or just doesn't contain info about the "Platinum series".

Originally Posted by LandCruisers4Life

I keep seeing people pop up with the SEARS DIE HARD (Odyssey knock off), and I will tell you that I had one, and it died from vibration on a trip. Don't buy one! That Sears battery is supposed to be vibration resistant/off road etc etc... and it lasted me 3 months!

I have the original Panasonic and an Optima for my vehicle. I suggest the Optima Yellow Top.

OK so yours was a DUD as many, probably up to 10% with batteries, and of course if it did die then you got a full refund or somethinf replaced free of charge.

I have the Group 31 Optima X 2 in my vehicle, but the DieHard compared to the Odessey is probably half price, and the Optima is about the same but lower specs so I would probably go for the DieHard for the price until it is proven that it is poor quality and fails . At the price you guys get them compared to the Odessey I would jump at them

[100 TD]

Originally Posted by spressomon

So good chance the Diehard Platinum is an Exide battery. EnerSys brands as Exide and General.

Deka is owned/branded by East Penn.

Sorry I had my facts wrong! Thanks for your correction Warren!

Um, Enersys make Odyssey batteries as well!

[Trunk Monkey]

Originally Posted by cary

For my money, I run Costco Kirkland brand batteries. For $59.99, I get a Johnson Controls made battery with a 36 month 100% replacement, and 100 month total warranty. Costco has no hastle replacements.

x2 here. They did recently change that you have to bring your core up to the customer service counter rather than drop it at the tire shop. So now the girls at the counter will scowl at you for bringing in a dirty, heavy battery for them to deal with.

[cary]

Originally Posted by 100 TD

I can't argue with any of you as I am in OZ(AUS) but what I see from specs is that the group 31 DieHard "Platinum" (not listed in Carys statements) is as close to the Odyssey2150 as anyone can tell.
Sears only did the deal with Enersys in Mar 2007so perhaps Cary's info is earlier or just doesn't contain info about the "Platinum series".

My information is the from the most recent Consumer Reports test which is in this months magazine (Oct 2008), so presumably these batteries were purchased in the spring or summer of 2008 (2-4 month lead time to test and publish). They did not test Group 31 batteries because they are not a common size, so I posted the alternative sizes, Group 35 and group 24F.

[moooooooo]

my "cranking battery" is the factory Exide. My LC100 is a plated 01/2005 (January) first registed March 2005.

It's still going strong. And i'm 87k Kms. My secondary/auxillary battery...well...thats a different story. I assumed Toyota would service that as part of my normal servicing.

Nope.

It was/is an ARB dual battery kit. No one told me that Toyota would ignore that.

I mean, fek, how hard is it to check a battery. It lasted....2.5 years....and only one year after i checked the battery and found two dry cells. Great!

When my Exide was dieing (dying??)....13.9 - 14. 2+ V was shown on the SCII and i got the warning light on the Waeco every few hours this last 12 months. Unusable was the bottom line.

The battery was no longer. Insert monty python ex parrot jokes here!

Anyway, last week i bought a YellowTop Optima battery.

It works with my ARB dual battery kit. I had my Waeco 80L fridge on -6C all day in 31C outdoor temps and my Scan Guage II only showed 13.3V reading.
So far, so good.

cheers
peter

[EdsCruisin]

Well I can unequivocably say don't buy Bosch. I replaced mine with a Bosch from Pep Boys about 2 years ago and if I leave the truck untouched for a week, it is dead as a doornail. Powering the radio for an hour kills it too. Very disappointing.

[LandCruisers4Life]

Originally Posted by 100 TD

OK so yours was a DUD as many, probably up to 10% with batteries, and of course if it did die then you got a full refund or somethinf replaced free of charge.

I have the Group 31 Optima X 2 in my vehicle, but the DieHard compared to the Odessey is probably half price, and the Optima is about the same but lower specs so I would probably go for the DieHard for the price until it is proven that it is poor quality and fails . At the price you guys get them compared to the Odessey I would jump at them

Yeah, go cheap and get stranded. Great idea.