Battery Recommendation
- Thread starter GeoRoss
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all the shops have dielectric,, and they almost all have the little .99 cent pack up by the register with some other trial size grease and disc brake quiet.
i got 7 yrs out of the last red top in the cruiser and of course dropped in another red top, the old still isnt dead BTW, i use it as power in the trailer for radio and such, it even jump started a buddies rig last year.
i got 7 yrs out of the last red top in the cruiser and of course dropped in another red top, the old still isnt dead BTW, i use it as power in the trailer for radio and such, it even jump started a buddies rig last year.
Checker Auto has it. Click on pic for more detail info.
Thats the exact bottle in my garage. Were you in my garage last night?
A big plus with the Optima's is the lack of corrosion. I just replaced a 7 year old red top in the wife's truck. The blue top in my 40 has been there for the last 2 years, berfore that it sat idle in the boat for 5.
Yes they are pricey, but IMO well worth it.
Yes they are pricey, but IMO well worth it.
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The battery that came in my junk took a dump last summer. It was a standard Interstate, undersized for the truck, IIRC group 34, 500 CCA and the manufacture date was 11/97, so even being undersized it lasted almost 10yrs. Replaced it with a group 27F Megatron, so far, so good.
I have run AGM batteries, have had good luck with them and would run one again only if "needed", wanted to mount it sideways, weight was a concern (race car), etc. All of my big fleet customers have run them and switched back to wet cell. Their reason for the change, in our climate they would dry up and suddenly die without warning. They found that properly maintained wet cells are more reliable, more cost effective and last just as long in our climate.
I have run AGM batteries, have had good luck with them and would run one again only if "needed", wanted to mount it sideways, weight was a concern (race car), etc. All of my big fleet customers have run them and switched back to wet cell. Their reason for the change, in our climate they would dry up and suddenly die without warning. They found that properly maintained wet cells are more reliable, more cost effective and last just as long in our climate.
I buy the ones with full replacement warranties. If anyone is dumb enough to give away free batteries in AZ, I'm in. 
I guess there're your 2 options:
Either take really good care of your battery or buy the cheapest one you can get with 3 year full replacement and get similar results.
Keep in mind that Sears will only replace a battery for free if you paid for the one you're replacing. But it counts if it was pro-rated. And keep your paperwork. The salesdroids would rather put a new entry in their DB so they get a commission on a pro-rated battery rather than verify you're due for a free one. They're date stamped at the factory instead of the shop now.
Either take really good care of your battery or buy the cheapest one you can get with 3 year full replacement and get similar results.
Keep in mind that Sears will only replace a battery for free if you paid for the one you're replacing. But it counts if it was pro-rated. And keep your paperwork. The salesdroids would rather put a new entry in their DB so they get a commission on a pro-rated battery rather than verify you're due for a free one. They're date stamped at the factory instead of the shop now.
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I guess there're your 2 options:
Either take really good care of your battery or buy the cheapest one you can get with 3 year full replacement and get similar results.
Keep in mind that Sears will only replace a battery for free if you paid for the one you're replacing. But it counts if it was pro-rated. And keep your paperwork. The salesdroids would rather put a new entry in their DB so they get a commission on a pro-rated battery rather than verify you're due for a free one. They're date stamped at the factory instead of the shop now.
Most of the time I run Costco batteries, good price and GREAT return policy, they don't even test them!
- Thread starter
- #29
Damn Toyota was stingy with their battery cables.
Pulled the old crapped out Walmart EverStart that came with the rig. Must of had something go wrong with all the new corrosion.
Still haven't gotten one yet.
Thought about a big 31 series Optima marine till I saw they were around $300.
Sears had some close-out Optima marines that I couldn't actually tell what size (31?) they were for $170. To bad the mfg date was 7/06.
I am trying to find a deep cycle battery that I don't have to redo all the battery cables. I have found a ProComp rebadged Exide Orbital Select at 4Wheel Plus. The bonus of the Exide batteries is that they are centered posts.
More phone calls tomorrow and drop by Costco. I swear, Tucson metro has over a million people, but we don't have crap. I swear stores here don't stock squat and give you the stink eye when you ask for anything slightly 'unusual'.
Pulled the old crapped out Walmart EverStart that came with the rig. Must of had something go wrong with all the new corrosion.
Still haven't gotten one yet.
Thought about a big 31 series Optima marine till I saw they were around $300.
Sears had some close-out Optima marines that I couldn't actually tell what size (31?) they were for $170. To bad the mfg date was 7/06. I am trying to find a deep cycle battery that I don't have to redo all the battery cables. I have found a ProComp rebadged Exide Orbital Select at 4Wheel Plus. The bonus of the Exide batteries is that they are centered posts.
More phone calls tomorrow and drop by Costco. I swear, Tucson metro has over a million people, but we don't have crap. I swear stores here don't stock squat and give you the stink eye when you ask for anything slightly 'unusual'.
Ross, try Merle's Automotive also.
We get a company discount, if you want I can check for you..
Edit; Our price is $203.99 for the blue top.
We get a company discount, if you want I can check for you..
Edit; Our price is $203.99 for the blue top.
Last edited:
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Merle's was a no go on the Exide Orbital Select. It would seem that nobody is stocking batteries in Tucson, but they can special order one for you,
from Phoenix.
I did finally find one made in late 2007, but Batteries Plus is going to discontinue stocking them, but you can special order them,
from Phoenix.
If I had the interest or time I would have picked up a Concorde Lifeline, much better reserve capacity. Hopefully this will work for me for more than three years. And hopefully no more acid spewage.
Thanks for your all you guy's help and patience with such a mundane purchase.
In the valley, I bought Interstate and other high-end brands for years with overall good luck. I even got lucky and had one Interstate last 6 years. When even a high-end one lasts over 3 years in the desert, you caught a lucky one.
Battery warranties are set up so that to get a replacement, you have to get stranded at least once. For me, that might be ok, but I am married. I don't like calls from the other side of town, at the worst times, from my wife!
I gave up on it. When I quit working in shops, I quit buying top batteries. Instead, I buy the cheapest NEW battery I can get, often as low as $30 or so. I mark the date on the top and when the date rolls around again, I replace it before she gets stranded! I run it for a year, and get rid of it.
The catch to lower-end batteries is that you have to wash them off to prevent acid damage, but you should do that anyway.
Battery warranties are set up so that to get a replacement, you have to get stranded at least once. For me, that might be ok, but I am married. I don't like calls from the other side of town, at the worst times, from my wife!
I gave up on it. When I quit working in shops, I quit buying top batteries. Instead, I buy the cheapest NEW battery I can get, often as low as $30 or so. I mark the date on the top and when the date rolls around again, I replace it before she gets stranded! I run it for a year, and get rid of it.
The catch to lower-end batteries is that you have to wash them off to prevent acid damage, but you should do that anyway.
I have had the same Optima blue top in my '78 FJ40 for about 5 years now. I run two yellow tops in my turbo diesel. I've found that Optima batteries far outlast wet cell lead acid batteries. I buy mine at Costco because they are very cost competitive and their warranty is the best - no receipt required.
Nice holdown!
The Yellow top that came with my 80 (of unknown age) died on my first outing, prompting a dual batt install. I replaced it with 2 Red Tops. One died 2 years later. Screw that, just went with 2 regular Costco batteries. My truck is lucky to see 3K mi/year, so it does of lot of sitting both in hot and cold, FWIW
Costco Kirkland battery in my Avalon died yesterday after just over 2 years. Took it in today, and they no longer carry the Kirkland line in AZ due to heat issues, but now stock the Interstates. They swapped it out for an brand new Inerstate for the same price. Good deal.
I am running a blue top and a yellow top Optima in my 40. The yellow top is the primary, but have had no issues with either.
As for the Optimas in general, we run them with our solar panels at all of our remote sites in the mountains, and have not had a failure. The longest has been out there close to 5 years.
As for the Optimas in general, we run them with our solar panels at all of our remote sites in the mountains, and have not had a failure. The longest has been out there close to 5 years.
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Good to hear they took care of it. Also
that they are carrying Interstate, but probably not in the truck sizes (27F) so would still need to go to the Interstate store for them.
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Ross, COSTCO has the Optima Blue for around $150. I bought mine there a year ago when they had a $25 off.
Optima batteries that I have used don't seem to last long enough for how expensive they are. I'm with Tools R Us...Costco batteries have a good warranty (3 years IIRC). They will give you a brand new one if you take it back while it is still under warranty.