I need a new battery and I'm not buying another one from O'rielly. I bought one 2 years ago that literally started the Jeep 12 times. (Since I've been given a company vehicle I don't drive it anymore) It has a 2 year warranty that expired 2 weeks ago. I took it to get it load tested and it came back bad.
I'm willing to spend the money for a good one. I've read mixed reviews about Optimas so I'm torn. Would a Redtop be over kill for a DD/weekend errand runner? Should I just go to Sears and get a DieHard Platinum? Any suggestions?

 

For your application I'd get the cheapest standard-size (CCA wise) battery with the longest warranty you can find. Higher CCA's means higher density and shorter lifespan.
Outside that you're going to get into a whats-the-best-oil-brand sort of argument where everyone has their personal likes and dislikes. For example: I'm not an Optima fan. I'll keep my humble opinion to myself, lol.

 

yes.

 

truth be told.. when it comes to store brand batteries.. there are several manufacturers that several stores use to re-brand several lines of their several different batteries... whew... lots of several's there..

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

use that link to find out more information than you could ever want to know about who makes your favorite battery.. you might just notice.. that several brands you are used to seeing in stores.. are made by the same parent manufacturer..

its listed in an "outline" style... so just follow it back up the the bold manufacturer listed to the farthest left margin... thats your parent company..

two batteries sitting in the same store right next to each other with two different part numbers, same brand sticker.. could be produced by two different manufacturers...

pay particular attention to:

East penn
Exide
Johnson controls

batteries.. do not like to sit up.. there could be a small parasitic draw on your battery while hooked up to your rig... that just slowly kills it..

the reaction in the battery never stops..

after a certain time on a retail shelf.. the store has to pull a battery.. remove the label.. drop the price to cheap as hell... and cut the warranty down to like... a month..

batteries just do not like to sit uncharged!

I wouldn't blame the battery failure to a company or brand... if you know your not driving the vehicle often.. using a smart tender for the battery would extend the life tremendously..

but back to the optima.. for wheeling and rugged offroad abuse.. you cant beat those batteries IMO

 

For a daily driver?

*Napa Legend 84 month

*Sears Die Hard Platinum

High end batteries like these cost a few bucks more than the el-cheapos, but are worth it in reliability AND especially in longevity.

 

The Duracell series of battery at Sam's Club is made by DEKA/East Penn. If I recall the Duracell batteries have a 3 year full replacement warranty and 7 year pro-rated warranty.

The price is excellent compared to other places.

I replaced my Interstate in my 96 Jeep Cherokee with one of the Duracell's for about $85 a year ago. A replacement Interstate would have been > 120$ and would have had a shorter warranty.

If you have a Sam's Club membership check them out.

 

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Though usually the best warranty isn't the cheapest battery. I actually got the smallest, most expensive flooded lead-acid battery with the best warranty. These came from the factory with 500 or 550 CCA units in 'em, there really isn't a compelling reason to do more on a stocker unless you live in the Arctic.

Greater density like in the 1000 CCA stock-form-factor means the plates have much greater risk of contacting and shorting out a cell. This is why so many aftermarket batteries have poor reviews, people are killing them after a few months to a year. Stock battery lasted me 10 years, why mess with that formula?

As far as brand, it doesn't matter too much. Get something that is sold as quality. Cheap is cheap is cheap, it doesn't matter how many OEMs there are, or who makes what. Cheap parts rank lower in QA results, that's why they're cheap!

(my post is about flooded lead-acid cells only, not any fancy AGM like the Die Hard or Optima)

 

i do believe the greater density batteries suffer from improper mounting...

 

NAPA 7534 or 8434

 

The plates in those batteries with a high CCA rating are larger, but the battery case is the same size, so you're losing space for the acid because of larger plates. The acid acts as a cooling system for the battery. Less acid means a hotter battery and it will gas out and fail quickly. The charge rate is a lot lower for a high CCA rated battery too, like only 10amps an hour. Any more than that you start cooking that expensive 1100 CCA battery. Here is a rule of thumb for picking out a battery, double the cubic inch displacement of the engine and the add about 100 to it. A 600 CCA battery will last longer than an 1100CCA battery.

 

My vote is the Die Hard Platinum 34/78. I have a Duralast Gold 34 which has been great this winter though, and IIRC it's made by JCI as well.

I feel like a bigger battery wouldn't really hurt. Nice to have the extra juice when you need it.

 

Physically larger, sure. But you jam enough crap into the same size and you won't have any juice when you need it. lol

 

I would highly recommend Deka batteries. I've owned several of them and I've always had good results. Deka is a large American independent battery manufacturer located in Pennsylvania. Most if not all military vehicles have Deka batteries also so that should tell you something. I buy mine from an independent parts store but I've seen them for sale at the Goodyear tire shop here in town also. They can usually be bought for well under $100. I currently have a Duralast Gold in my Jeep that was in it when I bought it. It's 2 years old and drains really quick if the radio is on or dome light is on for any amount of time. The reserve time sucks.

 

Deka's are great I run Deka deep cycles in my boat but my cars I always run Interstate's. I don't have one currently in my 89' XJ because the PO had just put a brand new battery in it before I bought it but when it dies good a good old green top will go back in. I drove tow truck for 5 yrs back in West Central MN and the cheap batteries from say Wally World and Fleet Farm where the ones that always needed to be jumped and they were the ones that would always be frozen solid. My last green top was six years old in my 93' K1500 Blazer and it was still going strong even though it wasn't the right size battery that the PO had put in it. Just a few sizes to small. It's now the cranking battery in my boat and still works great. So yeah I like my green tops.

 

I like my NAPA battery. It is a stock CCA replacement. I've had the thing since '09 & I've ran it dead several times (listening to the radio while working on my XJ) & it's still there when I need it.