Batteries worth a ****

Troyman75

Troyman
Joined
May 30, 2020
Member Number
1686
Messages
2
So I’ve got a build that has lasted way longer than I care to admit, so long that I can’t revive an old yellow top Optima to move it around the shop that’s been on a maintainer for years. Hate to buy a pos lead acid and actually finish this pile, just to replace it again. What’s a good battery these days that can bounce be sideways, upside down, etc. and not have to ask the cashier at o’reillys the year and model?
 
Search and you may have already found threads like these:

irate4x4.com

Vehicle battery flavor of the week?

Seems like what was good last year, got bought out and is shot this year. :homer: My 96 4runner battery seems to be dieing. It's a short range DD, but also sees weekend trips and has a winch, so I want something decent. What's the cool guy battery these days?
irate4x4.com irate4x4.com

irate4x4.com

Spinoff: How many times have you warrantied a Battery?

I don't really think about warranties with car batteries anymore, I can only recall warrantying batteries twice in 40 years of buying them. Both times at Autozone and both times got a new battery with no hassle. I only buy new ones for my wifes car anymore and I rarely have had to do it in under...
irate4x4.com irate4x4.com

Good luck... :flipoff2:
 
I have a carquest AGM for the past 5yrs, it's been working great.
 
I've gotten 2 vehicles just this past week with ~3 year old Red Tops that were both junk.
They weren't a bad battery years ago when they were $99 at Costco, but they are $250+ and made much ****tier.
 
Deka AGM is the only thing I run now. I have had great luck with them, the ones in my toy hauler have been abused pretty good for the 4 1/2 years and still going strong.
 
AKnate said:
I've gotten 2 vehicles just this past week with ~3 year old Red Tops that were both junk.
They weren't a bad battery years ago when they were $99 at Costco, but they are $250+ and made much ****tier.
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One in my buggy is taking a dump at 3 years and I pulled one last week less than 3 years old.
 
To counter the 2 posters above I have an optima red top that I've ran down to 3 volts on multiple occasions and it keeps coming back. Sits for months at a time and then I drink beer while wrenching and leave the key on and forget about it for a few days. :flipoff2:

My Stanley smart charger keeps working miracles on that thing.
 
Mattafact said:
To counter the 2 posters above I have an optima red top that I've ran down to 3 volts on multiple occasions and it keeps coming back. Sits for months at a time and then I drink beer while wrenching and leave the key on and forget about it for a few days. :flipoff2:

My Stanley smart charger keeps working miracles on that thing.
Click to expand...

I've had 2 last forever in the past myself. The one in my car is probably 6 years old and came from my old truggy. It sat for a few months when I broke my leg and fired right up. My buggy has a master disconnect and it'll die in 2 weeks unhooked. Only thing keeping it going is a tender.
 
Skip anything from NAPA.

Truck's lasted about six months. Harley lasted about three weeks. DR about four months. All done with those.
 
X2 For Odyssey. Mine in my crawler has run down to dead a couple times because of my fridge, yet it always comes back like it never happened after a basic recharge.

Also a Deka fan and run those in my daily drivers.
 
Odyssey are fantastic, but pricey.

X2Power from BatteriesPlus are rebadged US-made Northstar, with a 100% 5-year warranty. Pretty good, also expensive. I've got 4 of them, zero problems. My MIL killed one after 4 years of leaving her lights on, and they swapped it easily.
 
subybaja said:
X2Power from BatteriesPlus are rebadged US-made Northstar, with a 100% 5-year warranty. Pretty good, also expensive. I've got 4 of them, zero problems. My MIL killed one after 4 years of leaving her lights on, and they swapped it easily.
Click to expand...
This
How many threads does this make??:beer:
 
subybaja said:
Odyssey are fantastic, but pricey.

X2Power from BatteriesPlus are rebadged US-made Northstar, with a 100% 5-year warranty. Pretty good, also expensive. I've got 4 of them, zero problems. My MIL killed one after 4 years of leaving her lights on, and they swapped it easily.
Click to expand...

I have one in my 80 series because they were the only AGM 27f I could get at the time. We'll see how it is in a few years.
 
Stingray said:
This
How many threads does this make??:beer:
Click to expand...

My cousin's sister-in-law's husband is real finicky about his batteries, and won't use anything but the Powerfuckd agm series batteries. Swears by 'em and won't use anything else (no info about how often they're run to 0 volts, ever see a maintainer, how they're used, what they're used in, how ******ed cousin's sister-in-law's husband is, etc.)

Next thread should be about which shoe size is best:homer:

That said, biggest blue top optima offset cell battery is in my trail rig and when it goes out I'll buy another. New rig I'm building set up for the same. Will be on a maintainer when rig not in use, and used on a rig off road and running winch from time to time. Pretty sure my current battery has a '16 sticker on it, which is pretty damn good I think - I will have to double check that though:beer:
 
subybaja said:
Odyssey are fantastic, but pricey.

X2Power from BatteriesPlus are rebadged US-made Northstar, with a 100% 5-year warranty. Pretty good, also expensive. I've got 4 of them, zero problems. My MIL killed one after 4 years of leaving her lights on, and they swapped it easily.
Click to expand...
For nearly $400 for ONE group 65, it better last at least 20 years.

I pay $120 for a Super Start "Extreme" with 3 year warranty.
 
The Odyssey might last 20 years if you don't let the battery go down to 0 too many times and charge it with the proper charger.

The one in my old truck went 10 years, 3 times stone dead, charged poorly and even when it was ****ed up the reserve crank would get the truck started. I think I paid $280 for it. Of all the money I dumped into that thing, that battery was probably the best bang for the buck except maybe the ARB's.
 
The 2 Odyssey 1500's in my Bronco have been in almost 15 years. 200 amp continuous duty relay ties them together with ign switch. Low 12's at best but still start it every time. Sits a lot.

My Vista Cruiser has a 12 year old 1500. I use the car regularly and it is always 12.5 lately when I check it.

The 1500 in my Grand National is 5 years old. No problems.

The 2 1750's in my 06 CTD are always 12.6 to 12.7 lately.

My girlfriends Vibe got one a few years ago.

I put one in my Camaro at 3 years so I never had to worry.

I like them a lot because I have not had to replace one yet.

I bet there are some other great batteries out there too. I like Odyssey.
 
I've had good luck with group 31 batteries of whatever flavor. Wonder if they are built better as it's an equipment battery?

The one in my skid steer it from 2008 I think. Replaced one in a skidder a while back, it was close to 15 years old when it suddenly **** the bed. Could sit for months and start without hassle in -30* temps.
 
desertPOS said:
My cousin's sister-in-law's husband is real finicky about his batteries, and won't use anything but the Powerfuckd agm series batteries. Swears by 'em and won't use anything else (no info about how often they're run to 0 volts, ever see a maintainer, how they're used, what they're used in, how ******ed cousin's sister-in-law's husband is, etc.)

Next thread should be about which shoe size is best:homer:

That said, biggest blue top optima offset cell battery is in my trail rig and when it goes out I'll buy another. New rig I'm building set up for the same. Will be on a maintainer when rig not in use, and used on a rig off road and running winch from time to time. Pretty sure my current battery has a '16 sticker on it, which is pretty damn good I think - I will have to double check that though:beer:
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so optimas are good if you plug your vehicle in every day to a battery charger :lmao: sounds cool :flipoff2:
 
subybaja said:
Ehh, you get what you pay for. Smitty makes some OK winches, why buy Warn?
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Sure, but I'd need to sell bath water and foot pics to afford to put those batteries in all my stuff :lmao: I've spent probably $2000 just this last year on batteries and that's not including a few that got warrantied out.
They warrantied one that was fine but I broke. Walking down the driveway with it and slipped on the ice. I didn't even fall, but dropped the battery from knee height. Damn thing shattered like glass and dumped its guts out all over my feet and the yard.

If everything used teh same size battery, wouldn't be too bad having a few spendy ones and just swapping them to other **** when selling or parking it.

Also would be nice if everything had master switches on them.
 
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Older Optimas and Odysseys have proven to be superior, But Stories have come up that the quality may have suffered.

Northstar/X2 are newer, So no 20 year old stories, right now I'm into 4 of them now, I paid about $100 less.
 
Stingray said:
I paid about $100 less.
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Yeah, my first X2 was 6 years ago, still doing great, and it was $212 after discounts. -20*f a couple times a year, no maintainer, no winching, for the Peanut Gallery.

They've definitely gone up in price, and looks like recently Batt+ has dropped the additional year of warranty, so only 4. Gotta send them hatemail. And look up Northstar prices. (OK, looks like $329 is MSRP)
 
Factory Ford H6 AGM for $35 at the local wrecking yard. I'm sure other brands have AGMs, but ford appear to be the most plentiful.

**** spending $150+ for a battery.
 
subybaja said:
Yeah, my first X2 was 6 years ago, still doing great, and it was $212 after discounts. -20*f a couple times a year, no maintainer, no winching, for the Peanut Gallery.

They've definitely gone up in price, and looks like recently Batt+ has dropped the additional year of warranty, so only 4. Gotta send them hatemail. And look up Northstar prices. (OK, looks like $329 is MSRP)
Click to expand...
I called them to check on prices and a group 65 (what my Ferd and Dodge run) is $329 each plus tax and $23 core.
 
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