About batterys

[OLEYELLERTRUCK]

I have switched to the Optima's on all my vehicles and have had excellent luck. The one in my 72 is four years old with not one problem. That is pretty good in the Florida heat.

[Freightrain]

I always make sure to get the "big" case battery for anything I have. Those "mini" type batteries are junk!

I have had really good luck with my Die-HARD's. Usually get many years of service from them. I do rotate them around between vehicles since some don't get the mileage on them to keep them charged.

I've got some generic battery in my '67 right now(came with it). Near three years that I've owned it and still going strong(go figure). I'm figuring by this winter I'll have to put one in it? Though keeping it inside all night does help when it's cold out.

[QC]

I work for a battery company and test batteries for compliance. A 500 CCA (cold cranking amps) battery has to put out 500 amps at 0 deg. for 30 seconds without falling below 7.2 volts. We pull samples and put them in a 0 deg. freezer for at least 18 hrs. and load test them. A lot of batteries also have a CA (cranking amps) rating on them. That is what they will put out at 32 deg. Its about 20% more than the CCA rating. The RC (reserve capacity) is how long a battery can put out 25 amps before falling below 10.5 volt. This test is done at 80 deg. We put the batteries in a 80 deg water bath to do this. These are industry standards and all companies are supposed to test them the same way. The mistake people make when buying a battery is going by warranty. Different stores put different warranties on their batteries, so a 60 month battery at one place may be 500 CCA and at another store it might be 600 CCA.
The old rule of thumb used to be you needed at least as many CCA's as the cubic inches of your engine, but now cars have so much off-key loads (computers, alarms, radio memory) that reserve capacity is also important
Die Hards, Interstates and all the Wal-Mart batteries in the southern half of the US are all made by the same company, which also just bought Delco batteries.
Most of the batteries that Consumer Reports tests have been sitting in stores for 6 months and are half-dead by the time they test them.

[Chasbod]

I agree w/ Willowbilly, Texas heat isn't to bad on batteries here. But the first good cold front will usually zap a weak one.

I've always had good luck w/ Diehards and Ford. Costco's battery was first one that didn't live thru the warranty period. But when it crapped out, I had to buy another brand because they weren't open...but they refunded all my money. Pretty good return policy.

[68F250]

First battery I put in the truck was a DieHard. When Sears looked up what size DieHard it called for, they first brought out this dinky thing that could hide behind the shadow of the 24F I had brought in. So I asked them if there was a bigger one. They looked it up again and sure enough brought out another DieHard that was the same physical size and weight as my old one, said it was the optional battery. Funny thing was, it had the same catalog number as the dinky one but much higher ratings, same price too (I think they screwed up). That battery lasted over 7 years but when it died, there was no prewarning. I now have a Megatron (got a good deal) and hope it lasts as long.

[willowbilly3]

I work for a battery company and test batteries for compliance. A 500 CCA (cold cranking amps) battery has to put out 500 amps at 0 deg. for 30 seconds without falling below 7.2 volts. We pull samples and put them in a 0 deg. freezer for at least 18 hrs. and load test them. A lot of batteries also have a CA (cranking amps) rating on them. That is what they will put out at 32 deg. Its about 20% more than the CCA rating. The RC (reserve capacity) is how long a battery can put out 25 amps before falling below 10.5 volt. This test is done at 80 deg. We put the batteries in a 80 deg water bath to do this. These are industry standards and all companies are supposed to test them the same way. The mistake people make when buying a battery is going by warranty. Different stores put different warranties on their batteries, so a 60 month battery at one place may be 500 CCA and at another store it might be 600 CCA.
The old rule of thumb used to be you needed at least as many CCA's as the cubic inches of your engine, but now cars have so much off-key loads (computers, alarms, radio memory) that reserve capacity is also important
Die Hards, Interstates and all the Wal-Mart batteries in the southern half of the US are all made by the same company, which also just bought Delco batteries.
Most of the batteries that Consumer Reports tests have been sitting in stores for 6 months and are half-dead by the time they test them.

Good reliable info. Thanks. I was going off some older research done by consumer reports and my own experience. One of the things that always kept Interstate a leg up was that they cycled the shelf stock. They always checked the voltage and rotated out any that had fallen. They might be made in the same factory as a Wel-mart battery but there is still no comparison. Kind of like a Ford Focus is made in the same factory as a Town Car.

[flyboy2610]

I run Interstate batteries in all my vehicles. Never a problem with them until they get 5-6 yrs old, which is pretty good service for a battery. Used to have a K-Mart in town and it sold Penske batteries.
Don't ever buy one those POS's!

[willowbilly3]

A few years ago when consumer reports did their comparison, Interstate was the only battery that consistently tested higher than it was rated at. I have had them last, well I never had onew go bad. I replaced a couple redtops that were 7 and 9 years old but they still load tested fine.

[hardtailjohn]

I've got Armor Plate batteries in my KW, and am replacing #'s 5 & 6 in two years.. If it wasn't for the warranty and Kenworth keeping bringing me new ones for free, they'd be outta there!!! They short out and die... just dandy.
John H.

[Joe Kriston]

Barry,I got the same JCPenney Battery Full warrantee with my truck...dated 5/29/1976....The last replacement they gave the p.o. was an Exide "NASCAR SELECT" Interstate battery,...but can't find the date on the tag....