Best replacement battery?

Update- my “for fun” Walmart $60 + tax Everstart Value battery experiment lasted 11 months. I drive short trips 4-5 miles only a couple times a week with only occasional longer drives, so that’s tough on a battery, especially a cheap one. Others have got up to 3-4 years on the same battery. I have a plug in digital voltmeter/USB port so I watched the voltage drop over time. I just replaced it with a Duracell 24 F Ultra Gold 36 months warranty from Batteries+ with a discount code and also a rebate, $182.87 total, tax included. Purchased online to get the discounts then went to the Battery+ store where it was Installed for free. I’ve used these in other cars with good results.
FYI the store manager told me that the Duracell Ultra Gold battery is made by East Penn/Deka.

 

with your driving pattern, you should think about a battery tender....

 

I have used nothing but "Interstate" for many years and if I had battery only last 3 or 4 years I would be very disappointed. What ever battery you choose don't opt for cheap or inexpensive. You get what you pay for!

 

Yeah that used to be out go to as well. But the first replacement battery for my wife's 2019 4runner was an Interstate. It lasted less than a year. The replacement lasted less than 4 months. If I have learned one thing working where I do current batteries are so hit and miss and we are replacing batteries in our fleet trucks way to soon.

One thing that makes it difficult is battery manufactures are changing names due to buy outs and mergers and then to make it more difficult it's hard to find out who actually made the battery you are buying. One battery seller might have their low, mid and high tier batteries made from three different manufacturers with their own label on it. You then kind of have to look at the location it was made and see who actually manufactures them in that country, but if there are two making battering in that country you wouldn't know which.

For example:
Interstate Batteries, is a US privately owned battery marketing and distribution company. It markets automotive batteries manufactured by Brookfield Business Partners, Exide Technologies, and others through independent distributors.

These days, it's best to buy the battery by the warranty and return service. Though I have "heard" through all my current searches that East Penn Manufacturing Co. makes the best batteries, but good luck finding out who actually has their sticker on it for sale.

 

Good suggestion. I’ve thought about it but don’t want to be a slave minding my battery every week or two. It’s in the driveway and I’d have to pull a drop cord etc. Since this is a more expensive battery, I do have a charger with a low amp setting that I might use every few months if I see the the voltage dropping. I check the voltage with my cig lighter volt meter after it’s been setting a few days before I start it so I pick up trends that way.

 

I have an old gmc 3500 that usually sites and rarely drives. I have a solar based trickle charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket and keeps it and going. Basically just does a little more than any electric vampire built into the truck. Shade and winter are roblematic though.

 

Looks like Sam’s Club has Duracell batteries if you like Duracell.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/duracell-automotive-battery-group-size-24f/prod3590223?xid=plp_product_1

 

My local BJs wholesale has Interstate batteries for sale in the club but not listed on line. The Interstate Gold 24f is about $115.

 

I looked there but didn’t find the Duracell Ultra Gold. They do have a good price on a Duracell AGM if that’s your cup of tea. I’m not a member anyway.

 

I use the Toyota Truestart aka an Interstate battery. The parts manager at Toyota says the battery is made by Johnson Control and is re branded for Toyota and delivered on the Interstate truck.

 

i have used interstate, napa, and a brand from a regional tire retailer. all have been good. i replace car batteries proactively when they are about 5 years and can usually find napa on sale around a holiday.

 

I put a pair of Deka-manufactured AGM batteries (O'Reilly's platinum) into my Ram 2500 Cummins and they have fixed a low voltage issue I was having with the OEM Johnson Controls manufactured batteries (4 years old). There's so much electronic equipment on newer vehicles that even a small decline in standby voltage causes a myriad of problems (warnings of an issue that doesn't exist, e.g., burnt out bulb) which will drive an owner crazy trying to track down the source of the problem. O'Reilly's has 5200 stores nationwide so warranty service should be EZ. Get 'em in October during their annual battery sale!

 

As I said, in my experience don't buy a "Cheap" battery. Regardless of the brand get the one with the best warranty. The only Interstate I ever had a problem with was a cheapie I was forced to buy on a Sunday from a local parts store because it was the only one I could find available and I needed to get to work the following morning. It still lasted 3-4 years but in my mind, that was a fail.