When you closely read the proration details for most warranties that are not full replacement you see how little coverage you get. The manufacturers do not calculate any credit like people commonly think.
On a related note......why have batteries gotten so expensive in the last 5 years? EPA? Lead production plant closures? Other?
My daily driver car battery was $180 :shock delco junk died in 2 years! ) Gas cans were $4 are now $15 for "safety" tube and no one can operate them and gas goes on the ground and all over their car. So much for Progress.... DL
I have two Mega Tron Interstate batteries and would buy them again in a heartbeat. Not all Interstate batteries have the green tops some of them have black tops I have one that is the MT-25.
Alot of chev, olds, pontiac, ford and mopar guys buy the Intestate gross green battery in order to keep the focus off their gross looking weak engine :bla::laugh:
I bought two DEKA batteries for mt F250 It's too early to tell yet, I just got them in the fall. They've been doing a good job heating the glow plugs and turning the engine over pretty quick in this sub freezing mornings lately, (without a block heater)
Since we started this thread I learned that Costco sells batteries under the Excide label with a 42 month full replacement warranty. This is a better warranty than Walmart. Also, I think Johnson Controls now also makes batteries under the Excide label which do not have the green case.
I cleaned all three cars' (Roadmaster, F250, Durango) batteries' posts today. I had forgotten that the Durango's battery has been in there since June 2011. It's an Autozone gold that's about two sizes smaller than the actual application battery. I got it on the cheap from a friend who was an Autozone manager at the time. In 2011 I was underworked and under paid. I believe the battery it replaced was the original 2003 battery That too small AutoZone battery has not given a moment's problem.
I took the Delco out of my wife's 2004 last year. 10 years ain't bad, the Delco's in my 2005 Duramax went 9 years. They both have Wally World batteries now. Bob H.
Knock on wood but the original Delco in my wife's 2005 Chevy Uplander has given us zero problems so that's why I voted for them.
For your "hobbyist" batteries (meaning very little use and longer down time) I would say any battery that is hooked up to a true battery tender is best. For instance, my GSX race car has a group 31 Motorcraft in it since around '89-'1990. For the winch my trailer has two group 31 MotorCrafts in it since '99-2000. My Reynolds car uses two group 31 Motorcrafts since 2003. (what can I say, worked for Ford then) And My 99 Lightning has a group 65 Excide in it since 2006. And my garden tractor has a group U1 Excide since 2011. I would change the one out of my race car just because of the age but the thing checks out perfect. Every one is hooked to a tender 24/7, except the Lightning which uses the tender only in the longer down times. Now for daily drivers I can't tell you which is best all I can give is my experience selling and warranting batteries. Take it for what it's worth, Being a NAPA store owner we don't stock nor try to sell NAPA batteries, we sell an off brand AmeraStart which they have them made to there spec by EastPenn/Deka. Why? Well before the NAPA change to Deka we had better luck with the AmeraStart's. And for now the AmeraStarts are way less expensive with a better warranty. For high vibration industrial use we are just now trying the less CC amp batteries to see if they last longer. Say like for an endloader that bounces around the pit a lot our Rep recommends this. The make-up of crank amps comes from having a greater number of plates...more plates = more crank amps. To fit more plates in the same group size means the plates have to be made thinner. The thinner the plate the more they tend to crack, a cracked plate means a shorted battery. Less crank amps less expensive...Hmmm we will see how these less expensive batteries will hold out for our industrial customers.
A group 31 battery gives plenty of cranking amps , whatever the manufacturer! Especially with a battery tender ! That's a BIG HEAVY battery. Knowing what I know after reading this thread and some research, If I had it to do over again, I would have a group 31 in my Buick, and two in the F250. I'll need a battery soon for the Durango, maybe I'll get a 31 for the Buick, and put the 27 in the Durango
Battery ideas are like ears, everyone has them but some don't work very well. After 50 years in the auto service business things do change over the years. What's good today can change and be less that desired later. I have used Interstate with success for a number of years. But now I prefer Deka. Been very disappointed with Optima. Again my opinion but backed with some experience. jim N.
I agree with you. This is why I always try to stay with the company that sells the battery with the longest free replacement warranty. Right now the best I have found is the 42 month Costco version of Excide. Next is Walmart at 36 months.The longest free replacement warranty I see for any Deka battery is 24 months. http://www.dekabatteries.com/assets/base/1858.pdf And if it is for off road use Deka has almost no warranty (6 months). Look at the asterisks at the bottom of the attachment above.
YOU ARE CORRECT ABOUT THE WARRANTY. BUT I SELL THEM EVERY DAY AND GET BAD VERY FEW. DEKA 720,000 BATTERIES AND SAID THAT OF THE RETURNS THEY HAD ONLY 46 WERE Actual factory defect JIM N.
Hi All, I have installed a Fullriver HC44 AGM battery, and for such a small unit, it has had no problem cranking our 800+hp 12:1 Buick engine all day every day. Cold start is no issue, as I crank it without spark to get oil pressure up first. View attachment HC44.pdf
This is why we are not familiar with Fullriver: "OVERVIEW FULLRIVER BATTERY is a privately owned company, and is one of the largest Valve Regulated Sealed Lead Acid Battery manufacturers in China. FULLRIVER BATTERY's major manufacturing facility, with five production lines and an operating aera of 73,000 square meters (803,000 square feet), is located in Guangdong, China. If needed, the size of this facility can be quickly doubled. FULLRIVER BATTERY currently supplies its full-line VRLA battery products to customers in North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North Africa, West Africa,and plans to further penetrate other world markets. Mr. Huang Guolin, the president and CEO of FULLRIVER BATTERY, wishes to extend FULLRIVER's products and bring values to all the customers around the world" I did find a listing stating that a Delco Platinum series carries a 50 month full replacement warranty.
