GARY F Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 what do you all feel are good batteries. 8 yrs. ago i moved to SC. I have been buying from a chain parts store. I have been buying the best battery they sell. the one I had to change out yesterday was only 3 yrs. and one month old. and 28,000 miles and kept in a garage all the time. the rest only lasted less than 4 yrs. one car is 63 Bonne. 89 mercury and 89 F-150. total i changed out 6 batteries in 8 yrs. i am restoring a 63 GP and i bought it in 2003 with a interstate battery in it and it still holds a charge & turns the 389 over fine.it is not on th road because of the restoration, and the battery was in it before i bought it. Thanks for listening to my rant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlCapone Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 why not pay the extra money and buy one with a five year guarantee ? Quality does not come cheap !wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 From years of experience messing with old cars and batteries, I vote for Delco as having the most staying power and long life. Interstate are good too.If you have been buying cheap batteries no wonder they don't stand up. Also, sitting around will ruin a battery by sulfation. If you can switch the batteries into your every day car, they will last longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 I found out that living in a warm climate kills batteries. When I was living in Florida, my batteries didn't last. Here in N.E. they seem to last much longer........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Not being used kills a battery. Invest in battery tenders and keep them charged, they'll last longer. Makes one want to have all cars with magnetos, though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Second getting battery tenders. They will triple the life of a battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Henderson Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Don't let a battery sit around in a discharged state. The plates become sulfated and it won't take a full charge, even though the charger cuts back, it's just fooling you. It merely means that the battery won't take any further charge. To know where you really are, get a hydrometer for about 8 bucks and try to maintain a specific gravity reading of 1275 which is full charge. If your battery won't charge up to at least close to that level it is tired, sulfated, or both. Some sulfated batteries can be revived by "cycling", which involves running the battery way down and then recharging it at a very low amperage. I use a 1 amp charger for this. It may take up to a week and may need more than one cycle. Lower priced batteries, especially with a little age on them seem more difficult to keep up to full charge gravity level. Lack of use is ok as long as a full charge is maintained. In fact a battery should even last longer since the life is based on the number of cycles it has had. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Second getting battery tenders. They will triple the life of a battery.Just make sure it's a reliable brand. I bought an imitation Battery Tender once (I think from Harbor Freight. but I'm not sure), and the (nearly new) battery didn't survive one winter. It was either overcharged or not charging at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cahartley Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I quit buying "cheap" batteries at least 30 years ago because they were costing too much money....... :mad:Then I bought Delco exclusively until they priced themselves out of MY budget and switched to Carquest batteries.....and NOT cheap ones either.In the off seasons I put a charger on maybe once a month or less.The longest service I ever got from a battery was a 12 volt battery I got from Hardware Hank some years ago which lasted 11 years.It was used ONLY for starting my little John Deere L. Nothing else and I never mounted the charging system so it got charged by a battery charger only.Best battery I ever had......but it wasn't cheap....... :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalowed Bill Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 My recommendation, hands down, is Optima! Expensive but worth every penny! I have a six volt in my 1931 Studebaker President Four Seasons roadster when I replaced a fifty pound Interstate battery in 1996 and it is still going strong. The sixteen pound Optima had every bit as much cranking power as the Interstate that I replaced, and continues to perform at the same high level as when I put it in eighteen years ago! It does get limited use in a show car and it does live in a climate controlled environment but I only treat it to a charge once or twice a year when I show the car. Other advantages are that the Optima won't leak, and in fact can be mounted on its side or even upside down. I have also never seen one sulfate, where the terminal turns black, and battery salts form around the terminals. The downside is fitment, and the look of the small battery in a larger battery box, but I find it a small price to pay for reliability. I see advertised a plastic box that will hold the six volt and have the look of a regular Group 1 battery. I use Optima batteries in all of my six volt cars. Twelve volt have all of the same benefits. As far as the regular twelve volt non gel cell battery I like Interstate. I have one in a Jeep Cherokee still going strong after thirteen years of tough use which included numerous discharged events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kings32 Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I used interstate batteries until they priced them themselves out [ have to pay for that race car ] I now use battery warehouse. great service and the batteries last . I also use battery tenders on all my old cars . Get about 10 to 15 years out of a battery.kings32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Batteries are like most products; marketed under different brands buy built by only a few different companies. I toured a Deka battery plant and was surprised to see Exide, CAT and several other brands being built on the same line. Now, having said that, each brand battery is built according to the specifications of the mother company so as to ensure their quality conditions. Most all batteries are the same internally, but all batteries need care. Batteries must be charged on a regular basis to remain active for long periods. Also hot weather or hot storage conditions are harder on batteries than cold. When a charged battery is stored in a cool or cold (above freezing) area the molecules in the acid are closer together thus increasing it's conductivity. When stored in hot areas the opposite is true, but no battery with a very weak charge will survive for any period in any storage condition. Batteries should never be spayed down with water and left to sit while wet as the battery will drain through the water's conductivity. Even heavy humidity can help to discharge a battery in storage. Batteries should be stored on a shelf with good air flow and in a reasonably stable and dry environment. Constant refilling battery cells with water when low also can lead to short battery life as it weakens the strength of the acid. Always top off a battery with fresh acid whenever possible, but never add acid after water has been introduced to the cells. When buying batteries look at the specifications, cold cranking amps, cranking time and warranty; not all batteries are created equal! As suggested above, you should use a trickle charger when the battery will be inactive for any length of time to make sure it maintains it's charge or remove the battery and store it properly if the car will be laid up for several months, but keep it charged periodically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 (edited) There can be quite a difference in the number of plates, and the quality of materials used even if the batteries look the same and are made in the same plant. As Jpage said, they may be made by the same factory but the customer dictates what he wants put into them, and the manufacturer charges accordingly. The manufacturer will make batteries for many different companies, with the customer's brand name on them. In fact one company may have 3 different "grades" of batteries, all diffferent inside all identical outside except for the label. Edited October 5, 2014 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I heard years ago that an OEM battery is a better battery than an over the counter one of the same brand. My fathers Delco in his '55 Buick lasted 11 years, where as his replacement Delco didn't last 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted October 4, 2014 Author Share Posted October 4, 2014 why not pay the extra money and buy one with a five year guarantee ? Quality does not come cheap !wayne[they are 5yr batteries with 3 yr full replacement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted October 4, 2014 Author Share Posted October 4, 2014 I quit buying "cheap" batteries at least 30 years ago because they were costing too much money....... :mad:Then I bought Delco exclusively until they priced themselves out of MY budget and switched to Carquest batteries.....and NOT cheap ones either.In the off seasons I put a charger on maybe once a month or less.The longest service I ever got from a battery was a 12 volt battery I got from Hardware Hank some years ago which lasted 11 years.It was used ONLY for starting my little John Deere L. Nothing else and I never mounted the charging system so it got charged by a battery charger only.Best battery I ever had......but it wasn't cheap....... :eek: Let me clear a few things up. the latest bad battery was in my daily driver which I use approx. 3 times aweek. the ones i have been buying are duralast 750 cranking amps, and cost $145.00 buying outright. I put on only 24,000 miles on the 89 mercury grand marq. in that 3yr. 1 month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cahartley Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 ^ In the words of Frank Barone "HOLY CRAP!"......... :eek:That paints a new picture........2 years ago I replaced the "perfectly good" battery in my '02 S10 4 banger because I didn't feel like having a 10 year old battery puking on me in the middle of the winter.........especially in a parking lot 20 miles from home.I doubt it's due to overcharging or you'd be replacing lights right and left so that leaves undercharging and heat.Any battery, no matter how the good the warranty will be prorated.........and it won't be good for you........count on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol swede Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 (edited) Proration is going the way of the lifetime warranty on other parts. Pretty soon the free replacement period & that's it.Dale Edited October 5, 2014 by ol swede spelling (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 The pair of Dura-last Gold batteries in my '00 Excursion Diesel failed. As of 9/30/14 the truck had been sitting unused for 3 weeks, and the batteries were dated 5/12, so the pair of batteries were less than 2 years and 5 months old - these are a 3 Year Free Replacement / 5 year Prorated, so they were replaced at no charge (Pun Intended !!).Two concerns -- 1. According to the technician, the old batteries had a Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) rating of 1,000 and the new Dura-Last Gold is only 750 CCA, with cranking amps of 875. his is considered a "SOUTHERN" battery, designed for high-heat conditions, and will likely not perform as well as hoped-for when the vehicle sits in the underground garage for 5 days in Philadelphia in February during the AACA Annual Meeting - and diesels don't particularly like starting in sub-freezing weather, anyhow.2. According to the technician, the 5-Year battery generally gets replaced within 2 years, and I was lucky to get almost 2-1/2 years out of mine. Apparently, most battery sales facilities expect you to sell your vehicle before the warranty is needed --- reminds you of the muffler shop and the elderly gentleman with the Model-A -- "..... See you again, boys !!".Planned obsolescence is alive and well ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62BillT Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Well, my Battery finally quit in my John Deere Farm Tractor. It went an amazing 11 1/2 years. It was a 1000 Amp Fleet Pride and to my amazement again, when I recently took it out I noticed that it was made in Korea!! I agree, as some have mentioned above, that a Battery in normal use will last longer, but I only use the Farm Tractor about 6 to 8 times a year. It can sit as long as 4 months at times. But I always dis-connect it after I use it. That could have contributed to the longevity that I got out of it. In my cars and trucks, I usually just buy Delco or Federated Batteries at my local Federated Auto Parts Store. Have reasonable good luck with all of them.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 A friend of mine showed me a flood pumping station that had a very old engine that was replaced with a diesel and the battery that still started the old engine was an Excide, over 50 years old. They can make them good if they want to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Just bought me an Optima and would recommend it to anyone...More importantly BATTERY MAINTAINER !! a good Quality One !! Bought me A Battery Tender Plus 6v Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Street Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 A friend of mine showed me a flood pumping station that had a very old engine that was replaced with a diesel and the battery that still started the old engine was an Excide, over 50 years old. They can make them good if they want to!yes those batteries you saw are awesome but not conventional lead acid and the charger/controller ain't cheap either. We use them also.Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Oldest car battery I heard of in service, was a Silver Ghost Rolls Royce found in the Australian outback and restored. It still had the OEM battery, a Nickel Iron job made by the Edison company in New Jersey. Still working at 90 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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