Best Deal on Batteries?

XJfreakHO

XJfreakHO

Triad Trail Junkies
Joined
Aug 26, 2008
Location
Greensboro/Clemmons
Hey Folks,

Haven't been on too much lately, but I need batteries in my powerstroke. I have always bought Blem Batteries from Interstate locally. They are cheap and have given me good reliability in the past. This past set was not so great and I think I would rather just spend a bit more and not have to worry about them for a few years.

Any specials, coupons, or recommendations? I'm in Greensboro if it matters.

Thanks folks!
 
Deal is relative I suppose. I generally just go with the OEM battery. They always seem to crap out right after the 72 month warranty, but for a few bucks more, I figure it's better than the box store batteries that seem to crap out every 18 months.
 
I get mine from the Battery Tree in Kernersville. There way less than any auto parts store.
 
I've started getting them at walmart, they seem to be good batteries and are cheaper than most parts stores. They have a few AGM batteries too.
 
Pless said:
I've started getting them at walmart, they seem to be good batteries and are cheaper than most parts stores. They have a few AGM batteries too.
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I had a Walmart battery flip polarity on me once. Took me 2 weeks to figure out WTF was going on. NEVER AGAIN.
 
I had 2 car batteries from Walmart, & both were Crap. I generally do some price checking, before I buy anything, other than comparing Quality. Boss man has a commercial account with Advance. He buys the Dump truck batteries there, & they seem to hold up as good as any others. A co-worker with a Superduty, just went through 4 Orilly's standard diesel batteries, in less than a year. I think he just switched to their AGM. That was just last month though.
 
I generally run advance batteries.. I'm biased. I've got good people at my store & higher tier commerical account. You get a better deal online with the discount code though, but keep your receipt if you buy online. It's not kept at the store records. Same for if you buy in store, it's not integrated between stores. They're working on it, butt it's not happened in the last few years so I'm not holding my breath.
 
a_kelley said:
I generally run advance batteries.. I'm biased. I've got good people at my store & higher tier commerical account. You get a better deal online with the discount code though, but keep your receipt if you buy online. It's not kept at the store records. Same for if you buy in store, it's not integrated between stores. They're working on it, butt it's not happened in the last few years so I'm not holding my breath.
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This and they only keep the store record for like 2 years, i had a reman alt go out right at the 2 year mark and was SOL. It still had their part number sticker and all. I coulnd't find my receipt after moving houses im sure it got trashed.
 
Pless said:
I've started getting them at walmart, they seem to be good batteries and are cheaper than most parts stores. They have a few AGM batteries too.
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Fuck that noise. I bought one last year, thinking that if it died inside the warranty, I was money ahead. If it died outside the warranty, I was still money ahead vs parts store batteries that were only lasting until the warranty was worthless.

That battery didn't last 10 months.
 
I have been having good luck with caterpillar batteries . A friend that works for them in field service turned me on to them. They seem heavier than other batteries and are all new supposedly . There isn't any core charge and have held up well in two Cummins trucks and my dump truck .
 
If you math this through...this has been my experience. Let's say I'm looking for a 650cca battery. Go to advance auto, with core charge, it's $120. Say you find one of their 40% off coupons, you're walking out the door for about $75. That battery has a no questions asked 36 month warranty. That battery craps out around 18 months, they look you up in the system...awesome, you get a free replacement. However, the warranty doesn't get extended. Battery #2 craps out 18 months later, right after the warranty expires...so now you get to buy a new battery, and do the exact same thing all over again for the next 3 years. So at the start of year 7 you will have swapped 5 batteries and spent $225 (assuming you used the 40% discount every time you purchased), upwards of $300 if you pay full price (less core charges).

Or you go the oem route, and I can get a motorcraft 650cca battery for $120 at my local dealer, including core charge. So I walk out the door for $100. That battery has a no questions asked 36 month warranty as well, but then a prorated warranty until 72-84 months. The battery usually makes it to that 72 months. So at the start of year 7, I'm changing 2 batteries and will have spent $200.
 
Lots of good information here. I'll pull the trigger on something today as I need to use the truck to tow this weekend and have been slack all week.
 
I always just buy regular lead acid top of the line batteries from Advance or O'Reilly's because I keep my vehicles for a long time.

The batteries in my Ram are from O'Rielly's almost 9 yrs ago (They are starting to get sluggish). It is a 2001 model truck, and the original batteries lasted until winter of 2010.

The battery in my van is from Advance and was installed about 4 yrs ago I think. It is a 2010 model, so the original battery only lasted 4 yrs I guess.
 
UTfball68 said:
Or you go the oem route, and I can get a motorcraft 650cca battery for $120 at my local dealer, including core charge. So I walk out the door for $100. That battery has a no questions asked 36 month warranty as well, but then a prorated warranty until 72-84 months. The battery usually makes it to that 72 months. So at the start of year 7, I'm changing 2 batteries and will have spent $200.
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I have never gotten that kind of life out of a Motorcraft battery. I put them in the same category as Wal-Mart. I'm getting a solid 5yrs out of parts house batteries.
 
I’ve had reasonably good luck and pricing from my local Batteries + store. I’ve also had decent experience and pricing with parts store batteries.

Only batteries from Walmart I’d recommend buying are for your flashlight.
 
shawn said:
I have never gotten that kind of life out of a Motorcraft battery. I put them in the same category as Wal-Mart. I'm getting a solid 5yrs out of parts house batteries.
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That's all I run in the dailies. The Lincoln battery I just replaced for the first time in 8 years. The Edge I replaced at the 6 year mark. I have one that I use as a spare and keep on a tender for the rigs in storage that's going on 4 years old too.
 
Advance Autocraft Gold batteries have worked well for me. There's a pair in my dozer that are probably 7 years old or more. I've ran quite a few in trucks, but it seems I never keep a truck more than 2-3 years anyway :D There's one on my tractor that never gets charged by the alternator, but if you charge it up, it will crank and run the tractor several times a year on just 1 charge. It is also probably 6+ years old.
 
can you fit group 31s? like what's in a big truck I put them in my dodge with only some minor battery box trumming they are 65$ each at the dealership I work at that's walk in price not employee price they are 925cca and I've been running mine for 4years now also the core charge is only 25$ unless you happen to have two bad truck batteries laying around I can get you dimensions if you need to check fitment
 
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I actually have had very little issue with walmart batteries.
Plus side if you visited the store after the tire lube express is closed customer service will swap the battery without testing.

Ive hard of folks just routinely updating their batteires that way.
 
Im glad I have an account with interstate batteries. While I think their quality has gone down recently, I haven't paid retail for a battery in 13 years. A few months back I swapped out the 5 y/o batteries in my 06 cummings just because.
 
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