Well..

Here's my take. Costco sells the Interstate with a 36 month free replacement warranty. I've had to swap them twice in 5 yrs but it's been free..

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my next set will be agm for the reliability

i dont have a costco near me but i do have sams. they have agm for $169 i think, that i have my eye on

 

my next set will be agm for the reliability

That surprises me AGMs would be better than FLA.

For solar power applications AGMs get 1/4th to 1/2 the charge cycles as the flooded lead acid. The advantages of AGM for a solar build is a higher charge rate and not having to worry about venting.

 

I've been using the Walmart Maxx in the vehicles and at the farm for some time. I believe I got about 11 of them and one Motorcraft. The Motorcraft was taken out of the vehicle is used as a winch battery; another Motorcraft that had underperformed, I've had a few.

My Walmart 65's have been bought for about $96, so either it's a regional thing, or I have bought one in a few years. For me, for the price, it's a good battery. I look at batteries as a leased item; if I have to flip them within warranty, it's not an issue; most I'll do in the pro-rated years. Walmarts are a 3/5 year warranty. Some Walmart's now sell AGM versions, but not by me, so I have no experience with them. The one's in my area are typically made that month in the 65 group size.

I have a battery tester that showed internal resistance and CCA, which, when the batteries are new, are always higher than the cold rating. They should be. The point is, I take the tester with me and find the highest CCA battery on the shelf, or if buying a pair, ones that match the closest at the highest level. If you go to Advance, AutoZone, etc., you can ask them to use their tester to check their batteries.

 

Recommend going with a parts store that you will be able to access no matter where you are that is also where ever you travel. More important for me to be able to replace them under some sort of warranty if needed, nearby.

I’ve decided that no matter where I buy them, they won’t last more than the 2.5 years for the dessert heart I live in. I even tried a trickle charger, and that may have extended the life a couple of months, so not really worth it.

With the warranty and AutoZone, I’ve swapped the batteries in North Carolina and Arizona, but they have stores in Nevada and California I find myself in. Honestly though, the batteries rarely die “in full replacement,” but at some discount. The discounted price for my last car battery was $125, down from about $165. I think this partial discount is a just under a going price for a battery, so just enough to keep me coming back to the same store.

 

Chris I agree with you.

I know I'm probably speaking to the choir here but with as much differentiation as there is in price out there for a car battery it would sure be nice to see an unbiased study of the different brands and if there truly is a benefit to buying a more expensive battery.

$250 for an Optima red top with a 3 yr warranty vs $100 for a Walmart Maxx, Interstate, etc.. with basically the same warranty. Am I really going to get 7.5 years out of a red top (or a more expensive battery.. insert brand here).

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Matman this is my thoughts on where I said "I don't need Fancy" Just reliability

 

I know I'm probably speaking to the choir here but with as much differentiation as there is in price out there for a car battery it would sure be nice to see an unbiased study of the different brands and if there truly is a benefit to buying a more expensive battery.

$250 for an Optima red top with a 3 yr warranty vs $100 for a Walmart Maxx, Interstate, etc.. with basically the same warranty. Am I really going to get 7.5 years out of a red top (or a more expensive battery.. insert brand here).

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Locations everywhere were another consideration for me with Walmart. In most states, they are the largest employer due to the most stores; throw a stone, hit a Walmart.

AGM's have a lower resistance so power flows out and into them faster, but they do need a different charge voltage and cycle than the typical automotive batteries. My L-N has about a 0.2v higher output, better suited for the AGMs.

Here's one test video.

 

Locations everywhere were another consideration for me with Walmart. In most states, they are the largest employer due to the most stores; throw a stone, hit a Walmart.

Jack Thanks for the links to the test video. Awesome information. My Son in Law said before we left Oregon to Come back Home "Pop there is a Walmart on almost every Corner"

Honestly i gave up on good batteries.... I try and grab them now from Walmart, Autozone, or ORiley or Napa. that way like others said I can find and swap at a easily found national location. The days are long gone when you get 10+ years out of yellow tops etc. I had great luck with Duralast Golds and will probably get them again since their are like 4 autozones within 50 miles of me.

Justin I believe the same as you and Jack . Unless a person just has to have certain Name or price point ( which is perfectly fine) I think for the Price, Warranty and convenience of replacement if it becomes necessary Looks like Everlast Maxx are what I am going with. Napa legend75s 65/750 are 134.65 ea 24.89 off list The kicker is the warranty stated is 18 months replacement. East Penn parent company of Dekka used to make a really good product. Here Convenience of replacement should be necessary Napa stores here are closed on Sundays and most close at 5pm.
Thanks to everyone for the help . Off to Walmart I go!!

 

Over on FTE I have been a proponent of the Everstart for a long time and have shown some of the same types of data. I think they are a good deal for the price. The other option is to go for a much more expensive battery which will have a good life.

This is a three-year-old EverstartMaxx battery when I did this.

These next ones have been in storage for way too long, they get recharged every 4 to 6 months. These numbers are after a recharge so they are a little elevated. They should not be as good if there were in service. But still ....

Battery 1.

Battery 2.

 

Honestly i gave up on good batteries.... I try and grab them now from Walmart, Autozone, or ORiley or Napa. that way like others said I can find and swap at a easily found national location. The days are long gone when you get 10+ years out of yellow tops etc. I had great luck with Duralast Golds and will probably get them again since their are like 4 autozones within 50 miles of me.

 

They recycle the lead today, and it's just not as good as virgin lead. I have a ~15-year-old Sears commercial 4D battery in my dozer that is still good; that's not going to happen again.

 

My local Walmart finally received ( Quite a number of 65/850 units in yesterday) like 12 of the 65/850 Batteries. Funny thing is the Date sticker is 12/21. While waiting for the store to get these in stock, I have been monitoring parts house sales ,the EverStart Maxx is still the best value for the unit cost @129.00 ea. the Motorcraft units I replaced were dated 01/12 & 02/12 . For almost 10 Year old Batteries they have preformed well. It got dark on me, i didn't get a chance to clean and put protectant on the Driver side battery cover. Glad that this chore is completed.

 

Usually the 65 are dated within a month. It’s a popular size and the shelf time is low.

 

F.Y.I. the 2023 Aluma Duties are rolling out of the factory with AGMs. Motorcraft BAGM65A (750 CCA) for $220 list with a $16 core charge.