Good battery?

I'm going to replace my battery in my 64' belair w/283 soon.Its been bored with a small cam,not a racer but not stock either.Definately don't want a cheap knock off brand.Which battery do you guys like?

 

East Penn Manufacturing and their DEKA brand. American made and the best that I have found.

 

Honestly, I go to a nearby late model junk yard. I buy batteries for $20.00 with a 1 week warranty. ( they will replace them if they don't hold a charge.) Most are dated less than 2 years old and have the cranking amps. listed on them. A lot better than $100+ for a store bought battery. As stated above DEKA is a favorite. Made close to me too!

 

I buy my batteries at Car Quest and use AGM in my dailies. I get almost a decade out of them. My Mini daily uses a Bosch.

 

I buy anything that I can get a replacement for anywhere. Sears, Interstate, NAPA, etc. Any battery I've gotten in the last 20 + years has gone well past the warranty period.

Bob

 

There all good,it just depends on the area you live and how many cold cranking amps you require and how many months of life the battery has.

In the last few years battery's have gotten more expensive.HRP

 

I'm leaning towards an Interstate MTP-78DT.Its 1000amps,800cca.Anyone ever use this one?

 

I went with my son to get a battery for his OT ride last year. It was at Wal Mart, still ran him $103 for a decent-sized battery. One of those things tat pays to shop around for. Just about any parts chain has some sale going on at any time.

Bob

 

Costco batteries are made by Johnson Controls who also makes Die Hard, Interstate, Optima, Autozone, as well as many others. They all come off the same assembly line, except the Optima. Costco has a 100 month warranty and a 3 year free replacement. I get the best price there as long as they have the group size I need. There are only a handful of battery manufacturers but alot of brand names. Like HRP stated, battery life has alot to do with the climate where you live and the CCA rating and the group size are all factors. The hotter the climate, and the more plates in a given size case the shorter the life. I live in the cool northwest where I've seen a batteries last 10 years. When I lived in the southwest, if you got 3 years you were doing good.

 

I have always had great experiences with Interstate. Solid warranty and replacement as well.

 

I sold batteries in several different places I worked over the years and I always buy the top rated battery that what ever vendor I go to sells. Older cars need more cranking amps and more reserve in the battery than new cars do.

One good suggestion previously posted in the thread is to buy one that has a good warranty and get it from a source that has a lot of outlets where you can get it taken care of if you are on a road trip. Locally I have bought all of my tires and batteries (except my boat batteries) from Les Schwab tire stores for the past 30 years simply because there is almost always a Les Schwab store in any town in the north western US that I can stop at if I have trouble with a tire or battery. I'm not saying either is the best or close to the best but knowing that I can roll into one of their stores on a road trip and have the battery replaced and be back on the road in under an hour (which I did in LaGrande Oregon on the way to Bonneville one year) is a bit of security.

 

Found a dealer in my town that will get me an Interstate MTP-24 for $94.00...SOLD.Happy...Happy...Happy

 

BobMcD X2. Costco Batteries the best price and warrantee.

 

Would have went with the Costco,but I don't have any around me.

 

I needed a new one for my 34...stopped into the local interstate dealer....they had what they call new old stock...refurbished...batteries....they told me when they go out and restock the stores the pull the old ones off the shelf and bring them back and test them...if they test ok they put them on their discount shelf....$54.00 vs $154.00. I bought one....they carry a 1 yr warrenty instead of their normal 3yr....seemed like a fair deal to me....I replaced the battery, alternator and the starter for less then that battery would have been new...

 

You couldn't do better than a Delco. I find old Delco batteries can be recharged and keep on working long after the others die.

 

Interstate all the way, can't beat them.

 

Good for you for buying Interstate. There's a Interstate dealer near my house and I bought a used battery from them for 40 bucks and it's the best battery I've ever had.

 

And you can get a replacement at any place that sells them. And a LOT of places sell them.

 

Yeap. And most places are very easy to work with on them too.

 

Yeah,that had a lot to do with my decision.

 

I am bumping this thread as its one of the newest when I searched and been a little over a year so wondering what the current consensus is..I have an Energizer 75/86DT that is going on ten [7 yr warranty, cca 700] years and starting to complain some..Made by Johnson Controls..Did a search but didn't come up with Energizer and what batterys I did find in the "group" weren't too close in physical size to what I have so also wonder how close does a group size run and what is current opinion; Interstate?

 

I've found I get 8 years plus with Delco batteries. Cost me no more than the battery I bought a Walmart [was a holiday] for $109!!!!!

 

same as always...everyone has their own opinion, most of them are not based on fact.

I'm in charge of a home fleet of 9 cars now, they all get the cheapest battery I can get at Walmart, and I replace them every 5 years, and they work great. YMMV.

 

I'll probably do Walmart or Napa..Checked Interstate but was surprised at the small Auto/truck selection while Napa has lots.. Still trying to find dimensions for "group" size plus or minus..Not wanting to change the battery box..

 

Model No.: 75-3S
Product in Inches (L x W x H): 9.06 x 7.06 x 7.31

snagged from walmart's web page.

 

....and now East Penn makes Diehards. Contract year I guess. So be it.

 

I started using Sears batteries back in the early '60s, and stuck with them all these years because I've always had very good service (8 to over 10 years) out of them. I currently have 6 in the OT vehicles and tractors. I am using Optimas in the toys, one 6 and one 12V, because I like the AGM benifits, and will probably try the Sears AGMs in the future. Don't really like shopping at Walmart, and am curious what the cost benefit would be at Costco with the $55 membership??

 

I sell batteries at work, rebadged Deca batteries, and they either live a long time or die pretty fast. There is no rhyme or reason to why some last and some don't ,but I just had a guy return a 12 year old battery that lasted all those years.

That being said, I buy mine at WalMart, and had one die recently after a couple of years. Walked in, they handed me a new one, and put the remaining time left on the warranty on the new battery. No hard time, no questions, just good service. Here in Florida if you get 3 years out of a battery you are doing great, the heat kills them, so I do the WalMart routine and have been very happy.

Don

 

I carry an Interstate I 75 DT in my jumper box -- I've been carryin this box I built back in the 70s as it allows me to walk it right up to a disabled vehicle w - out havin to manuver to git beside or in front of it in traffic -- Beulah ALSO had 30ft OO welding cable "jumpers" that plugged right INto a receptical mounted above the licence plate on the front bumper -- had a solonoide to *activate* so in case of collission she wouldn't short out and ketch fire --- *THAT* saved Beulah from burnin up when she got wrecked.

Interstate has been MY brand for more then 25 years! I *still* stock em for helpin folks w "out On The Road"I carry 12 different #s to fit MOST vehicles I find stranded -- Interstate STILL delivers TO me in my "retirement" GOOD folks there

The I 75 DT fits *most* cars and trucks [ at least temporaily ] to enable the driver to git home or to a place that kin repair-replace their alternator -- THEN [ hopefully ] they bring MY battery back to me --- most times they DO when they don't, *I* haveta *BUY* anuther