Time for a new battery (2 Viewers)

[100 TD]

Yeah, go cheap and get stranded. Great idea.

Just because something is cheaper than something else doeas not means it is of lower or of poor quality. Enersys started making the Sears DieHard Platinum batteries in March 2007. I haven't seen anything on this board that says these batteries fail repeatedly, or at a greater rate than any other battery.

Actually the only reference I know of is your reference saying you had one and it died after 3 months.

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.

Although you may have discussed it before, perhaps you can tell the board the how and why and the response from Sears etc. Also any information about all the other people you see who have had trouble with the new "Platinum" DieHard would be appreciated.

 

[LandCruisers4Life]

Did I say I knew anyone else who had trouble with one of the Sears batteries? No I didn't, nor do I care. Luckily when I went to Big Bend earlier this year I also took my original Panasonic battery (it came with my 100) or I would have gotten stranded out in the middle of no-where. The washboard down near the Rio Grande killed the Sears battery, and I put my Panasonic back in. When I got home I took the Sears back for a refund and bought an Optima for a backup. That's the whole story, nothing more or less.

 

[100 TD]

Sorry, my mistake.
Rereading your text shows you are the only one with the problem battery, however you keep seeing others with this battery, but albeit no problems. I read it too quickly and thought you meant you and the others were having problems with them.

Well it is fortunate that you had another battery, that's why we run dual battery systems I suppose, and of course there are no perfect batteries out there. Production lines inherrantly will produce a certain number of faulty or lower than spec batteries or any other component.

I have dual group 31 Optima batteries, however ther are lots on this board that have bad words for the Optima. With the group 31 DieHard Platinum battery being made by the same manufacturer as the Odyssey with virtually identical specifications and at a competitive price, if I could get them I would buy them.

However, in Australia, I was going to buy Odyssey but the local Battery World supplier said he had had trouble with warranty claims from the importer, so I rang him (the importer) and asked for the terms and conditions of the warranty and he said if he wanted the battery back for a warranty claim you had to send it and pay the transport and he would decide if the warranty claim was going to be paid. This is when you have a failure in remote Western Australia, 6000 or 7000 km from Sydney where he wants to inspect the battery. I decided to buy Optima instead.

 

[Liam]

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

i asked him the same question...

 

[1loudLX]

i asked him the same question...

when are we all gonna get together?

 

[LandCruisers4Life]

Sorry, my mistake.
Rereading your text shows you are the only one with the problem battery, however you keep seeing others with this battery, but albeit no problems. I read it too quickly and thought you meant you and the others were having problems with them.

Well it is fortunate that you had another battery, that's why we run dual battery systems I suppose, and of course there are no perfect batteries out there. Production lines inherrantly will produce a certain number of faulty or lower than spec batteries or any other component.

I have dual group 31 Optima batteries, however ther are lots on this board that have bad words for the Optima. With the group 31 DieHard Platinum battery being made by the same manufacturer as the Odyssey with virtually identical specifications and at a competitive price, if I could get them I would buy them.

However, in Australia, I was going to buy Odyssey but the local Battery World supplier said he had had trouble with warranty claims from the importer, so I rang him (the importer) and asked for the terms and conditions of the warranty and he said if he wanted the battery back for a warranty claim you had to send it and pay the transport and he would decide if the warranty claim was going to be paid. This is when you have a failure in remote Western Australia, 6000 or 7000 km from Sydney where he wants to inspect the battery. I decided to buy Optima instead.

No biggie man, just stating what happened to me. If it had been an Optima, I would have junked it too, same as the Sears. I am also going to look at the Odyssey batteries. I give everything the benefit of the doubt til it fails me, then I drop it like a hot rock. Right now I have the stock Panasonic and an Optima in my Cruiser. When the stock battery finally goes, the replacement will either be Optima or Odyssey....... Depending on how I feel about both brands at the time. Be careful out there! Living in western Australia, you gotta be on your toes. I knew a guy who lived in Perth for a while. He was big into surfing though.

 

[Abe Nitro]

I installed the Odyssey about a year ago. The purpose was to allow me run my ARB fridge without being paranoid about draining a single battery. It woks great. Starting power is amazingly strong, and it can run the fridge in 90 degree heat for 36+ hours with no starting problems.

 

[spressomon]

I installed the Odyssey about a year ago. The purpose was to allow me run my ARB fridge without being paranoid about draining a single battery. It woks great. Starting power is amazingly strong, and it can run the fridge in 90 degree heat for 36+ hours with no starting problems.

Good to know as I recently installed 2-Odyssey's into my Hundy. I hope I get the 5-7+ years they state I should get!

 

[super90]

Another thread on the DieHard Platinum and Odessey

Sears Diehard Platinum = Odyssey - YotaTech Forums

 

[oro-o]

I give everything the benefit of the doubt til it fails me, then I drop it like a hot rock. Right now I have the stock Panasonic and an Optima in my Cruiser. When the stock battery finally goes, the replacement will either be Optima or Odyssey.......

This is how I feel about Odyssey - and they've been dropped. We installed two about three years ago. One is still going great; the other vibrated apart in about 2 months. And Odyssey refused to warranty it.

The one battery that has never failed and given good performance has been the higher-grade Interstate models, and that's all I've been using. I've gone back to them after trying Odyssey.

 

[ginericLC]

I'm looking at the Exide Orbitals. It would work for my dual battery set up as they are Optima sized. I can get them locally for $105 a pop with tax. A friend of mine has a commercial battery account which is why the price is reasonable.

I will say don't buy the Everlast's from Wal Mart. I never had one leave me stranded but their seals suck. You have clean terminals all the time and if you go up or down and incline it leaks.

I run the Costco Deep Cycles on my pop up. I looked long and hard at the Blue Top Optima. I can run two of the Costcos for the same price as one Optima. And it has 2 years of no hassle warranty. So far, it has worked flawlessly. I've thought about running them in the 100 too. But the size for the 2nd battery doesn't work. Plus it seems like getting a sealed battery for about $20 more is a no brainer.

 

[spressomon]

I'm looking at the Exide Orbitals. It would work for my dual battery set up as they are Optima sized. I can get them locally for $105 a pop with tax. A friend of mine has a commercial battery account which is why the price is reasonable.

I will say don't buy the Everlast's from Wal Mart. I never had one leave me stranded but their seals suck. You have clean terminals all the time and if you go up or down and incline it leaks.

I run the Costco Deep Cycles on my pop up. I looked long and hard at the Blue Top Optima. I can run two of the Costcos for the same price as one Optima. And it has 2 years of no hassle warranty. So far, it has worked flawlessly. I've thought about running them in the 100 too. But the size for the 2nd battery doesn't work. Plus it seems like getting a sealed battery for about $20 more is a no brainer.

FYI: I have had good performance from the Exide Orbital regular type (non-deep cycle) battery. However I have not had good performance with the Exide Orbital Deep Cycle batteries: First one I bought new wouldn't accept a charge at about 12-months; the same new warranty provided battery did the same thing at about 14-months.

 

[9toys]

i've had the Truestart from Toyata dealer in my 99LC almost 5 years now. Two cells are showing to be a little weak. I have the same battery in my '04 Tundra and it is still 100%. It is the OEM and going on 5 years now.

 

[macneill]

Why Sears sucks and will forever in eternity suck

And is the battery a 34 or 35?

Called them to make sure they had it in stock. They said they did. Got in their Express Battery Lane. Dip**** writes me up, I pay the tab. Pull the truck in and the tech pulls the old battery and then tells me it's a reverse terminal and I need a 35, not a 34 and they don't have them in stock. I was seething.

An hour lost in my weekend.

 

[bwbski26]

which battery are you going with Mac?

 

[spressomon]

And is the battery a 34 or 35?

Called them to make sure they had it in stock. They said they did. Got in their Express Battery Lane. Dip**** writes me up, I pay the tab. Pull the truck in and the tech pulls the old battery and then tells me it's a reverse terminal and I need a 35, not a 34 and they don't have them in stock. I was seething.

An hour lost in my weekend.

Agreed based on my recent experience trying to purchase 2 of their Platinum batteries. I finally got too frustrated and gave up.

I should know better too! About 10-years ago, at the Reno Sears Auto store, we left our then Mazda for a new battery install. We walked over to the mall to kill the hour they needed for the install. We returned, paid the bill and as we were walking to the car we noticed the entire rear quarter panel was crushed in: WTF!!!

The first round of near violent interrogation on our part was met with "that's the way it was when we dropped it off". "Bull****" was the reply I remember blurting out. We eventually got to the truth of the matter but even the Manager stuck to his story until he figured out we weren't leaving without the truth. Truth was the mechanic backed it into another car as he as exited the bay. They eventually paid for the body work...but what an effing ordeal.

Its a Sears event we will NEVER forget and clouds my ability to even say the word Sears sometimes!

 

[macneill]

I want the Die Hard Platinum.

which battery are you going with Mac?

 

[macneill]

I need some help here. Do I need the 34 or 35?

WTF!!!!!!???

 

[spressomon]

I need some help here. Do I need the 34 or 35?

WTF!!!!!!???

WTF Mac...you don't believe the Sears site recommendation for the Platinum P-1 Group 34 for an LC?

Come on man its Sears for crying out loud

 

[bwbski26]

mac, did you end up getting the platinum with the correct battery terminals ?