New battery recommendations

jyaks

jyaks

Too many kids for a TJ
Joined
Sep 3, 2008
Location
Archer Lodge
I know there are some old threads about batteries but nothing in the decade.

I've got a wrangler with a winch, couple small fog lights and cb. Not a bunch of stuff but didn't know which batteries you'd recommend. Do I need to go up in case? I've heard optima have gone down in quality and even an Autozone battery was $150. Just looking to spend money on the right one.
 
I was going to buy another Odyssey earlier this week, but a 20% Autozone coupon does not apply. That made me sad, so I closed the tab.

A lot of people like the house brand AGMs, but they don't have as much reserve capacity. Are they more than half as good as an Odyssey? Probably.
 
obullfish said:
Had good luck out of the odyssey that came in my Rubicon I’ve had for over 5 years now.
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This. I have one with a 12-2012 date code that chooches just fine.
 
shawn said:
This. I have one with a 12-2012 date code that chooches just fine.
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Not sure when they got bought or sold out [Optima], as my old 1 lasted 11 years. At the muffler shop today, saw a blue top sitting there, with a 2017 date on it. I asked about it, & the owner said "That POS is Dead". "Junk". I'm into the AGM s now. One from Interstate for my pick up, since I couldn't find what I wanted at Advance! Then I Did get 1 from Advance for the Jeep. Advance is also selling Sears Diehard brand now. Weren't when I got mine. I just go with the highest CCA I can get, that will fit the battery box.
 
rodney eppes said:
Not sure when they got bought or sold out [Optima], as my old 1 lasted 11 years. At the muffler shop today, saw a blue top sitting there, with a 2017 date on it. I asked about it, & the owner said "That POS is Dead". "Junk". I'm into the AGM s now. One from Interstate for my pick up, since I couldn't find what I wanted at Advance! Then I Did get 1 from Advance for the Jeep. Advance is also selling Sears Diehard brand now. Weren't when I got mine. I just go with the highest CCA I can get, that will fit the battery box.
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We're talking about Odyssey, not Optima. Optima are AGM too. And diehard is just a sticker.
 
shawn said:
I was going to buy another Odyssey earlier this week, but a 20% Autozone coupon does not apply. That made me sad, so I closed the tab.

A lot of people like the house brand AGMs, but they don't have as much reserve capacity. Are they more than half as good as an Odyssey? Probably.
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You can get 20% of the advanced platinum agm with code "care"
 
jyaks said:
You can get 20% of the advanced platinum agm with code "care"
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Denied. Promotion code not accepted.

Tried with their house brand AGM and the Odyssey. Unless you mean Advance Auto? I don't think they can get Odysseys.
 
shawn said:
Denied. Promotion code not accepted.

Tried with their house brand AGM and the Odyssey. Unless you mean Advance Auto? I don't think they can get Odysseys.
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I don't think Advance Auto carries Odysseys, but I put their brand AGMs in my Ram and used a discount coupon for them last June.

Duane
 
I have gotten the Oreilys brand of AGM and done well with it. I think I'm up to 3 of them in vehicles now. There are only 3 or so battery manufactures left.
 
ghost said:
I have gotten the Oreilys brand of AGM and done well with it. I think I'm up to 3 of them in vehicles now. There are only 3 or so battery manufactures left.
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There are a bunch of manufacturers for AGM, but the big boys are:
Johnson Controls (Optima, others)
EnerSys (Odyssey)
Exide
East Penn (Deka/Duracell)
The other companies mostly make specialty AGM batteries for industrial stuff and not OEM-replacement vehicle batteries.
 
Parts store AGM are the way to go. Both Advance and Auto Zone I think use the same supplier (Johnson Controls) and Oriellys uses Deka. Granted this may have changed since I last slung batteries.

I've had a AGM from Advance in my TJ for over 2 years now with no issues and that thing usually goes weeks without being ran, but when it is she's treated like an adopted red head.
 
Fabrik8 said:
There are a bunch of manufacturers for AGM, but the big boys are:
Johnson Controls (Optima, others)
EnerSys (Odyssey)
Exide
East Penn (Deka/Duracell)
The other companies mostly make specialty AGM batteries for industrial stuff and not OEM-replacement vehicle batteries.
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I had a yellow top Optima that lasted for 10 years abused pretty hard, leaving CB radio on after a trip and draining it several times, winching etc.....bought another and it lasted maybe 4 years.
I picked up a Duracell AGM from Sam's club several years back, looks exactly like a Deka don't remember the price but it was cheaper than anywhere else I looked. Optima has really gone downhill in quality IMO, as you can see from above everyone carries an AGM now days with their sticker on it. Just like Yeti coolers........well nobody is putting their sticker on Yeti coolers but they are copying them for sure.
 
No fries said:
I had a yellow top Optima that lasted for 10 years abused pretty hard, leaving CB radio on after a trip and draining it several times, winching etc.....bought another and it lasted maybe 4 years.
I picked up a Duracell AGM from Sam's club several years back, looks exactly like a Deka don't remember the price but it was cheaper than anywhere else I looked. Optima has really gone downhill in quality IMO, as you can see from above everyone carries an AGM now days with their sticker on it.
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Yeah, I've had multiple Optimas in the past, but haven't bought one in a long time. Everyone seems to say the same thing about the quality though, which seems to have happened when Johnson Controls bought them out (if you listen to the interwebz).

The Duracell are definitely East Penn BTW:
East Penn Releases New Duracell Automotive Batteries - East Penn Manufacturing
 
rodney eppes said:
Not sure when they got bought or sold out [Optima], as my old 1 lasted 11 years. At the muffler shop today, saw a blue top sitting there, with a 2017 date on it. I asked about it, & the owner said "That POS is Dead". "Junk". I'm into the AGM s now. One from Interstate for my pick up, since I couldn't find what I wanted at Advance! Then I Did get 1 from Advance for the Jeep. Advance is also selling Sears Diehard brand now. Weren't when I got mine. I just go with the highest CCA I can get, that will fit the battery box.
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Should have asked him if you could have the blue top. It is very possible he didnt have a charger that could bring it back
 
Thinking about changing all of the battery cables while upgrading. Will 4ga be fine or should I get the 2ga. Is it worth the extra $40?
 
jyaks said:
Thinking about changing all of the battery cables while upgrading. Will 4ga be fine or should I get the 2ga. Is it worth the extra $40?
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So long as they're not corroded, I'd leave them alone.
 
jyaks said:
Thinking about changing all of the battery cables while upgrading. Will 4ga be fine or should I get the 2ga. Is it worth the extra $40?
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If you decide to make your own I've got a crimper you can borrow, my mother in law lives in Portofino so I drive through Archer Lodge a lot. I made mine with 2ga. FWIW
 
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