Battery Prices

Folks often question what battery to buy and quote prices well n excess of $100 for a deep cycle. I often indicate that you don't need to spend that kind of money for a good deep cycle battery. Here are two pictures proving my point. I returned just moments ago from my local farm store (Fleet Farm in this case). This is a group 27 deep cycle with RC of 175 and 200 minutes at 23 amp draw. I've used these batteries for years and never had a bad one. They go with the boat in perfect working order when it is sold.
You can spend twice as much on a battery and not get any better numbers. Sorry for the shaky pictures. I have one arm in a sling and had to do this one handed. Always check your local discount stores and farm stores when looking for marine stuff. Most of them have a pretty good hunting/fishing/boating supply selection.

Re: Battery Prices

That, and almost every battery you see is made by the same company and is the same battery.. Johnson Controls. OEMs and private labels include Daimler, General Motors, BMW, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, SAIC, Bosch, Walmart, Halfords, Interstate Battery System of America, Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Sears, etc..

I've been using their marine deep cycles under the WalMart branding for years with no problems.. and pay about $70 for 29 series unit..

FYI they even make Optima batteries.. just as a premium brand and with different construction.

http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publ...a_kit/about_power_solutions/backgrounder.html

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Yea exactly from a bit of research I did 90 % of all of them are made by Johnson controls. I went with one from advance simply because they keep track of the warranty and have been good in the past to honer them

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Take a look here.

http://www.batterycouncil.org/

http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm

These two sites should answer most all of your questions about batteries.

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i went with walmart as they never ask what you have been using it for and i see that 2 cheap batterys have way more run time than one expensive battery.

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Sivertip,
I guess I live on a diferent planet. Walmart doesn't even list a deep cycle 29 and the 27 is over $90. Tractor supply is as close as I can get at$89 for a 27. Where do you live I am on east coast no prices like that here. I have had good life out of interstates but a SRM 29 is currently $128. Tell me more!!!!

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While it is true that there are only so many battery manufactures (or plants).
The plant that is hired to make the battery, does so only to the specifications that the business requesting the build asks for.

The plant does not design the battery for them, they tell the plant how they want it constructed.

This is the reason that, even though the batteries were made at a certain plant (IE: Johnson Controls, Exide, Gould) the batteries will be made up of different designs in not only the quality of materials used, but also in the construction of the cells.

The ratings on a battery, are not done on an even playing field. The out come of any test on energy, such as a battery is dependent upon many factors such as temperature, amount of draw and how fast it is drawn upon, float charged removed or calculated in , and so on.

The major brands know how to use all these factors to their advantage, and subsequently, to their competitors dis-advantage. When listing the ratings or abilities of their batteries. Their is no set standard to witch they all have to strictly adhere to. Only vague and general guide lines, that can, and sometimes are manipulated.

This, and also the ability for a battery to displace refuse, or debris, with in its cellular construction. Determine how well a cell will store energy, and at what rate it will discharge it, with out building up and sulfating. Witch is what causes a battery to internally draw down, and no longer accept a charge.

I,m am not saying that the one battery brand is better that another based upon the price it sells for, but upon a fair and complete over view of its materials, internal cell design, and how the tests were conducted.

Just my two cents worth

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Whether it is oil, gasoline, prescription drugs, or batteries -- a test specification is just that. The specification levels the field.. The battery I showed has a label that indicates the RC and current draw test spec. That same spec is used on most deep cycle batteries. That is also how batteries are test (good, fair, bad) at any auto store. If the battery can't meet the spec it is junk. How the battery is made is a construction method and may or may not add any particular value to the battery rating. A caddy and a Chevy both get you to the grocery store but the cost to do it is rather one-sided. Next time you are out shopping, check the label on an AGM and a conventional lead-acid battery of the same group size. The price is vary different but the test spec is not. If the AGM was that much better battery the label would indicate that. Can an AGM be tipped upside down? Certainly. How often do you tip your lead-acid battery upside down? Can the AGM take more vibration? Possibly? Will it last longer? Possibly. But I can buy two lead-acid batteries for the price of one AGM. And maybe not have to buy the second one.

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Just to clarify a Interstate deep cycle is not a spiral cell, or a sealed gel cell battery.
It is a wet acid maintenance battery. They sell for around $100.

They make a AGM, but I don't feel they are really necessary for most peoples needs.

I'm sorry if you were confused.

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i think we have to take in to account that we are talking about boat batterys. on my father-in-laws ultralight it has a very expensive gel battery due to tilting and weight (ever pound realy counts). well a few extra pounds on my boat doesnt realy make any diffrence so weight isnt a concern. on my mini cooper there truly isnt any room under the hood so i need max cranking in a small package so thats worth the extra cash. on my boat i have a huge area that could hold at least 6 batterys so thats no concern. so i dont need gel, i dont need small, i dont need a battery thats capable of going below full discharge so walmart is ok for my boat. if money wasnt a object then what ever the mechanic servicing my new boat wanted to fit i would be fine with...lol

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Star said:

Sivertip,
I guess I live on a diferent planet. Walmart doesn't even list a deep cycle 29 and the 27 is over $90. Tractor supply is as close as I can get at$89 for a 27. Where do you live I am on east coast no prices like that here. I have had good life out of interstates but a SRM 29 is currently $128. Tell me more!!!!

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Johnson Controls has a plant about 5 miles from my front door and I can't buy em at the Wallmart here for that price. Think we can convince Silvertip to do a little third party shopping for us. Oh... wait.. not a good idea... 60-70lbs UPS would kill the savings.

Thanks for posting this Silvertip, I've been saying it for a long time but not many people listen.

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I have been using Fleet/Farm batterys for as long as I can remmeber. We use them in the race cars, and after two years, then in my truck. The one in my turck is going on 7 years. I have them in the boat also. All I can say is, there Dam good batterys, never had one fail. Recharged the crap out them also, and they take a beating in the racecars, and boats. I wouldnt thing of buying anything but Farm&Barn(my name for Fleet/Farm) batterys.

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sschefer said:

Johnson Controls has a plant about 5 miles from my front door and I can't buy em at the Wallmart here for that price. Think we can convince Silvertip to do a little third party shopping for us. Oh... wait.. not a good idea... 60-70lbs UPS would kill the savings.

Thanks for posting this Silvertip, I've been saying it for a long time but not many people listen.

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There is a very simple solution to high east coast prices. Get the heck out of there. Too many people. Too much concrete. Not enough elbow room. Geez -- you have to look straight up to see the sky. Lived in the DC area years ago, had a brother in New Jersey at the time. Couldn't wait to get out of either place. I will only say I'm in the Midwest since I don't want you moving in and taking up some of my "elbow room". (Kidding of course!)

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Star said:

Walmart doesn't even list a deep cycle 29 and the 27 is over $90.

Click to expand...

Here is the direct Walmart listing for the 29 series marine deep cycle: http://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-MAXX-29-Marine-Battery/16795213

I purchased a second one of those for just over $70 about 2 months ago.

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On sale for $60 and $70 at Menard's, I'll take that deal