My Odyssey battery is failing due to the torture it recd last spring when my alternator died. It has slowly gone down hill since. I want to replace that batt with the best I can find but have a few criteria. Jonathan recommended the Sears Diehard Marine but I am not wanting to add that weight to already weakened and cracked fenders. Might go with Odyssey again but no dealers anywhere close. The Sears Diehard Platinum is supposed to be a rebranded Odyssey but despite getting top pick by Overland Journal's test three years ago the specs are not as good as I'd prefer. But being a Sears product it has a great warrantee and huge dealer network. Despite having great results with a five year old Optima in my trailer I think their quality has dropped recently. Whatever I get it has to be a modern sealed type. Any thoughts on good options I might have overlooked? Please don't suggest some cheapie. My frequent solo travel can't afford the risks of battery failure.
The optima batteries are a little suspect now days. I've had to warranty two in my wife's Xterra since May. The warranty service was easy but a dead truck really sucks. Both times there was a failure the truck worked fine before being parked for a week or so.
Here are the three batteries that were part of the decision, l-r Sears Diehard Marine, Sears Diehard Platinum and my old Odessey. It's obvious all three were built in the same factory. The only difference is the terminals on the marine. All three had the same specs. I chose the platinum battery because it was on sale at $172 where the marine was on sale at $206. Both had the same list price of $230. All three are made by a company called Enersyst but the gal at Sears was positive they are now made by Johnson Controls, the makers of the Optima. I believe and hope she is wrong. If not we can probably expect a decline in the quality of the Sears just like the Optima.
