Battery choice - Napa, AutoZone or Oriley's???

[CudamanTom]

I'm fixin to purchase a new battery and wanted to see what you guys thought or have used. What brand???
I have a local Napa and AutoZone. Oh and Oriley's too.

Thanks,
Tom

[roadman5312]

Hey Tom, I've been using Auto Zone brand (the gold) for years, Very few issues.

[Strawdawg]

Hey Tom, I've been using Auto Zone brand (the gold) for years, Very few issues.

Strangely, in the past few years, these have performed better than Optimas and such for me.  I know periodically, the chains change suppliers but I won't buy anything but them at the moment

[roadman5312]

I won't even consider an Optima, over priced and don't last. I think people buy them cause they look cool, then get stuck later. Been there, done that

[Strawdawg]

Me either

[brads70]

I won't even consider an Optima, over priced and don't last. I think people buy them cause they look cool, then get stuck later. Been there, done that

    Had one and it only lasted 2 years  Lots of hype..... but no substance IMO?

[CudamanTom]

Hey Mark, Steve and Brad.

Thanks a bunch for your inputs. 

The Gold 27-DLG looks to have great CC Amps which I think I might go with. Plus they do 10% off military discount. 
When I was in the military years ago, we put the Optimas in some of our aircraft support equipment and they seemed to do pretty good. Times might have changed since then and the materials to make them might have changed now days. But I have read on another thread that they don't last long so I'm not goin that direction. So I do appreciate all your inputs. 

[Bullitt-]

wasn't a choice I made but almost 7-years ago my son put a AutoZone battery in the '98-GT, still cranking out the amps. One of the longest lasting batteries I've had. 

[Chryco Psycho]

my Optima lasted 13 years but it was in my daily driver , you cannot let them sit or discharge

[Strawdawg]

and, I believe, it was still made in Colorado! 

[1970 RT Challenger 1970]

I have 4 Optima Batteries in my cars, one battery is 6 years old. No problems for me with Optima. Work great in -40F to the high 80's F year round.

[Topcat]

O.K. you're talking my language now...Batteries! that's what I do for a living.

First things first!

There are only 3 major wet cell battery manufacturers selling into the North America.
Interstate (referred to as Johnson Controls)
Exide
East Penn Deka

Of those 3, only 2 are made in the U.S.
Exide and East Penn.

Optima's were once made in CO. Now they're made in Mexico.  I see returns every week under warranty.
It's a good battery but it does need to be monitered more often than other AGM (absorbant glass mat) battery brands. It's a spiral cell per in each cylinder like a cinnamon roll. there are smart chargers to help increase their life scale. That's another chapter in itself.

There are 2 other competitors in the AGM batteries I recommend to look into purchasing as well.
Odysessy and Northstar X2. I love the X2 I have in my car. A group 34 putting out 800+ cranking with plently of reserve with a full 5 year warranty. That's hard to beat nowadays. Most competitors are prorated.

X2 is a pure virgin lead battery meaning there are no alloy'd mixtures. More % of lead means more A/h or as we like to know as more run time till it dies out under repeated crankings. Variables do predict/change per vehicle of course. 

The alloy they mix into battery lead whether it's a AGM or wet is calcium. They do this to harden the lead plates. Calcium doesn't hold a charge. Only lead does. What it comes down to then is: Pep Boys, O'reilly's, Auto Zone or whoever else out there and what national contract they do with one of the 3 earlier mentioned.

So far I observed that the East Penn Deka batteries are heavier than the other 2 brands on average across all the group sizes offered.

The moral of the story is: Don't fall in love from past experience on a store brand name because in this industry, they wheel and deal on the national level who they decide to be their mfg'r to be their label.

a perfect example is Die Hard. They switched from JC to Exide in the past. Whose next?
Those auto parts companies are no different. It's all about the bottom line.    

[Topcat]

Northstar and EnerSys are the 2 top most sophisticated battery mfg'rs in the U.S.
EnerSys is actually worldwide. They make train batteries and compete against Saft.

Northstar and EnerSys target primarily the Telecom and data center industry.

I'm pretty sure Enersys makes the Odyssey brand.

Here's a picture of a Northstar.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lASicihqebw/UdNvnhi9wlI/AAAAAAAAGuU/Gp1RvEx3JOQ/s1024/DSC_0164%2520%2528Large%2529.JPG

[jhaag]

topcat that is great info. used to be in the auto parts industry, so I knew there are few manufacturers. I sold exide, Interstate (JC), and a few optimas. no real complaints with any. batteries do need maintenance, and can't be left sitting for months without use.  currently have 3 delco deep cycles in my fishing boat, no complaints there either. Never heard of northstar. Where can they be purchased? 

[brads70]

Northstar and EnerSys are the 2 top most sophisticated battery mfg'rs in the U.S.
EnerSys is actually worldwide. They make train batteries and compete against Saft.

Northstar and EnerSys target primarily the Telecom and data center industry.

I'm pretty sure Enersys makes the Odyssey brand.

Here's a picture of a Northstar.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lASicihqebw/UdNvnhi9wlI/AAAAAAAAGuU/Gp1RvEx3JOQ/s1024/DSC_0164%2520%2528Large%2529.JPG

I can find Northstar brand up here but not the blue top ones like you posted?   
Just these?
http://webstore.totalbattery.com/product-p/nsb-agm34.htm