Batteries

[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.