Oh the (wal-mart battery) shame...

[GSPHUNTER]

Always keep your receipt. I know, a little late for that but it's a policy. I have a folder with all vehicle repairs. I had a truck repaired and painted after a large branch from a tree fell on it, two days after I purchased it. Ten years later the clear coat started to peal. I pulled paper work from repairs just to have a look, sure enough, paint job came with a life time warranty. Shop wasn't happy but in the end I got the damaged top and hood painted for free. That reminds me, I need to go through file and get rid of some real old receipts, real old. I mean, receipts from crap I no longer have.

 

[Chordeiles]

Meh. Back in 2011 I replaced the stock batteries in my Dodge Cummins with the Walmart type. They lasted at least five years, until I sold the truck.

I use their deep cycles on my boat.

The next battery I have to replace will most likely come from Walmart.

Like others have said, most batteries are made by a couple of manufacturers. The ones at my local Walmart are made by East Penn, before that Johnson Controls, before that Exide.

 

[Backyard]

Aren't those not made in the USA? Maybe South Korea?

 

[Anozira]

I think the original Optima batteries were great but the quality isn't as good as it used to be. They continue to ride on their old reputation, and as a sealed AGM battery they are decent but there are equivalent options available now at a better price. Optima Batteries were purchased by Johnson Controls in the early 2000's. Afterwards they moved their production from the USA to Mexico. Oreilly, Autozone, and Napa now carry their own line of sealed (AGM) batteries which can now compete with the Optima battery line at a much better price point.

I used to be a loyal optima fan but I found I wasn't getting the life out of them that I used to get. I was still replacing them every ~3ish years. (AZ heat is hard on batteries). On a diesel pickup that requires two batteries it's even more expensive.

 

[FLAK]

Had one of mine explode at a hotel on my way to W. TX, for an Aoudad hunt.
Luckily it exploded in the hotel parking lot, I think in Beaumont. Anyway, there
was a WalMart behind the hotel. Guess what battery I got.

 

[CorbLand]

I think the original Optima batteries were great but the quality isn't as good as it used to be. They continue to ride on their old reputation, and as a sealed AGM battery they are decent but there are equivalent options available now at a better price. Optima Batteries were purchased by Johnson Controls in the early 2000's. Afterwards they moved their production from the USA to Mexico. Oreilly, Autozone, and Napa now carry their own line of sealed (AGM) batteries which can now compete with the Optima battery line at a much better price point.

I used to be a loyal optima fan but I found I wasn't getting the life out of them that I used to get. I was still replacing them every ~3ish years. (AZ heat is hard on batteries). On a diesel pickup that requires two batteries it's even more expensive.

I feel like this is very common with a lot of products. A company will build a solid product, then it slowly deteriorates and isn't as good as it once was or another company builds something better. This is why I really try not to become married to a specific company. You see this happen a lot in tires.

 

[EastHumboldt]

It say “ever start” ... so u no it gonn start ever time.

 

[CCooper]

DEKA/ East Penn in everything I own. Flooded or AGM depending on application. The heavier the battery for group size the better.

 

[camping1601]

FWIW I made my living working on cars for around 15 years and it was the standard that a battery should last 5 plus years. OEM batteries would often last longer. Anything made by Exide was junk.

 

[fmyth]

Well, you mentioned Optima, so I’ll bite. I had a red top AGM Optima in my 94 Toyota for 9+ years, never a problem, sold the truck with it. I’m sure it’s still in there.

In 2009 Optima opened a manufacturing plant in Mexico and closed their manufacturing plant in Aurora CO and laid off all of the employees. You know the rest of the story.

 

[grfox92]

Ive used nothing but WalMart batteries for years. They last just as long as too of the line batteries in my experience.

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[def90]

About three years ago, I had the Chevy dealer replace the battery in my 2015 Silverado while they were doing some body work on it ( don't ask ). I asked them to put a "good" battery in it and they installed an AC Delco "professional" battery that lasted all of about 2 years before it started giving me trouble. Finally today, it left me stranded so I took the truck back to the same dealer to see what they would do for me. Because of a change in ownership, they didn't have any records from former customers, and told me if I could produce a receipt they could replace the battery for free but they would still have to charge for the install.

Frankly, I didn't want the same battery and I especially didn't want to have to pay them to install it. So I considered my (limited) options in this rural area.

I looked around at the Auto Zone and Oreilly's and ended up at my local Wal-Mart and bought the biggest battery they sold for my truck - the H7 series EverStart Maxx.

I know, I know. Maybe I should have looked at Optima or Interstate or whatever. But honestly, when I look back, my experience with Wal-mart batteries has been pretty good. And I know I can find a Wal-Mart just about everywhere if I have a problem.

So what say you? Should I have held out for a premium battery at 2x the cost, or did I do the right thing here?

At least this guy thinks the Wal-Mart batteries are pretty good. How about you?

Do you live on or do a lot of driving on gravel roads with a lot of washboard? If so, no battery is going to last.

If not then I’ve got nothing to add other than there seems to be no rhyme or reason to me why some batteries last and others don’t. I’ve tried high end and have good and bad results and I’ve gone cheap with good and bad results.

 

[Newtosavage]

Do you live on or do a lot of driving on gravel roads with a lot of washboard? If so, no battery is going to last.

If not then I’ve got nothing to add other than there seems to be no rhyme or reason to me why some batteries last and others don’t. I’ve tried high end and have good and bad results and I’ve gone cheap with good and bad results.

No, not really.

And I agree, there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason for battery life. I've had Wal-mart batteries that were solid and lasted forever, and like recently, I've had "name brand" batteries installed by the dealership that went tits up after just a year or so.

The good news is I got a free replacement AC Delco battery from the dealer. The one I had purchased was a 42 month free replacement and I've only had it about 30 months. But honestly I should have taken it in a year ago because it's been signaling for that long that something was wrong.

The bright, shiny new AC Delco will go in my boat to replace a 5-year old Wal-mart battery that has been my starter battery. No issues with that one, but it's time to replace it.

Three times now I've had Wal-mart batteries give me trouble at or near the end of their free replacement lifespan. All three times I've exchanged them at Wal-mart for a brand new battery and was on my way within an hour. There are Wal-marts scattered in more places than even Auto Zones and other auto parts stores, and I always carry the tools to swap out batteries. So simply from that standpoint, the Wal-mart batteries out-convenience the others.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

The last battery in my truck was a NAPA (East Penn) AGM. It lasted 71 months.

It was replaced today by a Duracell (East Penn) AGM.

Looks like the same battery, same specs, but the NAPA sticker adds $50.

I even splurged and replaced the missing battery hold down so the new battery doesn't bounce around as much.

 

[browning2480]

I learned the hard way when I was 17 that it is good to strap the battery down. Had a Diehard from Sears in a 1979 Chevy Shortbed 4x4. I was climbing a steep hill and heard the worst racket ever. Battery fell out and into the fan. Cut a pretty good gash in it but I put it back up with a bungee strap and went on my way. Scared me though

 

[Marmots]

I have a truck I used for contracting/consulting work that spends most of it's time off road. It kills a lead acid battery once every three to six months.

My understanding is that lead acid batteries don't handle shaking too well, and the cells break down in a way similar to when you shake a drink with ice in it.

I used les schwab batteries because of the warranty, but they seem very fragile and not worth the hassle. I don't know who is taking advantage of who when I'm warranty replacing an entire "best we have" battery 3x a year.

I'm going to try buying agms from now on.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Battery from Kmart and drawn butter and lobster from Mobile Mart. what could go wrong????

 

[Mosby]

I just bought a battery at Sam's Club for my ATV. I would assume they are the same as Walmart. I live out in the country and I get whatever battery brand is sitting o the shelf when I go into town. I will not likely drive an hour out of my way to buy a different brand. I spend my money and I take my chances I guess. My understanding is that there aren't many battery factories in the world and most come from the same few.

 

[Blockcaver]

Original battery in my 2015 F150 started giving me trouble within a year of purchase. I put a COSTCO battery in at that time and its working great ever since. No corrosion either.

I also replaced a pair of pricey 6 volt Interstate batteries in my Northern Light cabover truck camper with COSTCO batteries that cost about half as much. So far they are outlasting the Interstates by a year and still going strong.

 

[boonez40]

I just bought a battery at Sam's Club for my ATV. I would assume they are the same as Walmart. I live out in the country and I get whatever battery brand is sitting o the shelf when I go into town. I will not likely drive an hour out of my way to buy a different brand. I spend my money and I take my chances I guess. My understanding is that there aren't many battery factories in the world and most come from the same few.

Back in 2017, I bought a brand new Polaris 450 HO. Battery gave up after 13 months or at least thats when I discovered it.
Warranty was dead after 12 months, dealership wanted 120.00 for a new battery and they said that was a deal. Lol

I opted to look around and do some research. I talked to few guys on the Polaris forum and decided on a Blue Max gel battery on Ebay for 50.00 shipped. Best damn battery I have ever had in a 4 wheeler.

That was winter 2018. Same battery to this day and fires up everytime. I will never again buy a dealership liquid battery. 100.00 to 120.00 a pop is average price and I have never gotten more than 18 months out of one.
4 wheeler does not get used much and sits months at a time without being started. I just now broke 300 miles on it, another 200 miles and it gets its first oil change. I checked the oil in it the other day, still clean as a whistle.

This year my 04 ford F250 battery started to give out, it was a Murry Hardware store battery, I imagine from a store in PA as thats where the truck came from. Got to the point that if the truck sat more than 2 hours, you had to put the jump pack on it to get it to start.

I bpught a 100.00 battery from Walmart with a 2 year warranty and so far after 6 months I have not had any issues. I debated on buying a 200.00 battery from AutoZone with a 3 year warranty but decide that the extra 100.00 for an extra year was not worth it as if I had to buy a battery every 2 years, I am still better off.

I wish a person could find a Blue Max Gel for a vehicle.

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