Batteries

[Joe1]

I replaced a Walmart Ever Start on my John Deere 770 that I installed in JANUARY 2007. Tractor is barn kept in mild California weather, but still 16 years is a very old battery. I did not keep it on a trickle charger during that time. Needless to say, I bought another similar battery. I don't expect that kind of life on this one. Seems nothing is as good as it used to be.

 

[rScotty]

We know how to build good batteries, but don't . Where does fire/police go for good batteries?

 

[Hoss710]

My original battery in my JD 4320 lasted a bit more than 15 years before I replaced it.

 

[grsthegreat]

With batteries……ya never know. Ive had interstate batteries last 15 years without a trickle charger in devices run once a week, but only last 4 years in a truck running 5 days a week. Ive had generator batteries last 3 years in one generator but last 9 years in another's similar unit. Its all a mystery.

in my own business, i replace alot of crappy walmart batteries in generators that are only a few years old. Other people tell me they have real old walmart batteries. So again….its all a mystery probably controlled by spy satellite

 

[nova3930]

To be perfectly honest I've had better luck with the Wal-Mart batteries than any other. On average they seem to last longer and if one does fail, there's a walmart on every corner to honor the warranty.

 

[nova3930]

in my own business, i replace alot of crappy walmart batteries in generators that are only a few years old. Other people tell me they have real old walmart batteries. Si who knows.

I think partially with WM batteries it depends on who is making them. My understanding is there are several manufacturers depending on location. The ones in my area seem to be made by Johnson Controls and have always given me good service.

 

[ljjhouser]

I have 6 years on my Kubota battery. Went in to price a new one. The parts guy says many last 10 years. So, I am still using the old one. During the last year, I do keep it on a maintainer. Just in case.

 

[jaxs]

We know how to build good batteries, but don't .

I tend to agree with that. For example I had a 65 Chevy Impala 327 that got 24 mpg and a 68 F-100 360 that went over 300k miles without as much as a valve job and burned a qt of oil between changes when I sold it.

 

[Joe1]

We know how to build good batteries, but don't . Where does fire/police go for good batteries?

Walmart Everstart batteries are made by Johnson control here in the US.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I figure if I buy a battery with the 3 year free replacement, I'm good if it lasts 3 years. If it lasts longer, it's just a free charge. I found an old optima in a junk pile of batteries at a shop I attended. It went out of date Sep 2008, charged it, been using it since 2015. I have another one that is old but I'm playing with it to get it up to 12.5 volts, not quite there yet.

 

[John_Mc]

We know how to build good batteries, but don't . Where does fire/police go for good batteries?

Same place the rest of us go, they just take good care of them and replace them on a schedule long before they start to get weak.

 

[KennyG]

Batteries are something you will find good and bad stories on every brand. The original battery in my 2320 died in about 4 years. I replaced it with a SuperStart battery from O'Reilly's. A month ago it gave out after 9 years. Based on that I replaced it with another but who knows if it will be as reliable.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have NOT had good luck with walmart batteries, one only lasted one year, another never was right from day one. I will not buy another.

Lately I've been buying group 31 batteries and by far the best ones I've bought say Interstate on them. I have no idea if their smaller batt. are as good or not.

SR

 

[John_Mc]

I bought a Wallmart AGM battery for my dump trailer to run the hydraulic pump. It's 5 years old and no problems yet. I do try to be sure to charge it back up as soon as I get home after using it, and I keep it on a smart charger when not in use.

Almost all of the aftermarket automotive type batteries sold in the US are made by three companies with manufacturing facilities in the US:

• Johnson Controls (which accounts for more than half of the US market. Johnson Controls is actually now part of Clarios, the world's larger battery manufacturer. Brookfield Business Partners is the major owner of Clarios)
• Stryten (which now owns the assets of Exide)
• East Penn

Wallmart's Everstart Batteries are made by Johnson Controls.

Interstate Battery is a marketing and distribution firm. They do not make their own batteries. Much of what they sell is actually made by Johnson Controls/Clarios or Exide/Stryten.

Both of Johnson Controls/Clarios and Exide/Stryten manufacture AGM and Flooded Lead Acid batteries both also make more than one quality level, so saying that Wallmart or Interstate batteries do or don't "last a long time" doesn't really mean much without more information.

 

[rScotty]

I bought a Wallmart AGM battery for my dump trailer to run the hydraulic pump. It's 5 years old and no problems yet. I do try to be sure to charge it back up as soon as I get home after using it, and I keep it on a smart charger when not in use.

Almost all of the aftermarket automotive type batteries sold in the US are made by three companies with manufacturing facilities in the US:

• Johnson Controls (which accounts for more than half of the US market. Johnson Controls is actually now part of Clarios, the world's larger battery manufacturer. Brookfield Business Partners is the major owner of Clarios)
• Stryten (which now owns the assets of Exide)
• East Penn

Wallmart's Everstart Batteries are made by Johnson Controls.

Interstate Battery is a marketing and distribution firm. They do not make their own batteries. Much of what they sell is actually made by Johnson Controls/Clarios or Exide/Stryten.

Both of Johnson Controls/Clarios and Exide/Stryten manufacture AGM and Flooded Lead Acid batteries both also make more than one quality level, so saying that Wallmart or Interstate batteries do or don't "last a long time" doesn't really mean much without more information.

Yep. I know some of the Interstate Battery people. They are a distributor, not a manufacturer. They can tell which group of batteries lasted better than another - but are not going to say which company made them or to what quality level.

BTW, Interstate Battery Distributors also provides OEM and warranty batteries to automotive dealers. Most of those - like their Mercedes batteries - look identical to OEM. Same case, same terminals, even same stickers.
Interstate also sells under other labels. Under their own label, their Interstate AGMs have been good. Their MTZ line is very good but expensive & sometimes hard to find retail. Their MTX line is more reasonable.

There are - or were - a few small US manufacturers who make and market their own batteries.
An example is North Star in Springfield, Missouri. Their batteries were very high quality. North Star was recently bought out by an international energy company. They were considering continuing to manufacture in the US because of the favorable business/environmental laws here. That's the last I followed it.

rScotty

 

[grsthegreat]

I buy bulk batteries for my generator service business from exide. They deliver them to me and haul old ones. Ive had very good luck with exide units, only a couple of duds over the past 10 years. I use the NOCO felt rings coated with NOCO NCP2 paste, and never see any corrosion even after 5 + years.