Paying for a Battery Warranty

[Ron Citerone]

I've been searching for a deep cycle lately. FYI Advance Auto has been popping up a 20% and 25% coupon on their website lately. I have had god luck with their batteries.

[Tony Pisano]

Speaking of warranties, we have a plumber who has been our "family plumber" for a long time. When we needed a new water heater, I asked about spending a litle more to get one with a longer warranty. He said they are the exact same heater, one with a different warranty sticker on it.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Speaking of warranties, we have a plumber who has been our "family plumber" for a long time. When we needed a new water heater, I asked about spending a litle more to get one with a longer warranty. He said they are the exact same heater, one with a different warranty sticker on it.

Having had a P-1 plumbing licensee in a previous lifetime, I can tell you these WH are ALMOST the same. They contain a second anode, which converts warranty from six years to nine years. That's what I was saying about the two batteries from Walmart. Both are the same size and capacity, come from same vendor (Exide) and weigh the same, which tells me they are the same, only with different stickers, and warranty. Double the price of the battery, and free replacement goes from one year to two. One year battery doesn't carry any pro rated warranty, while two year does.

[Bruce Wrenn]

There are only something like three companies that make pretty much all the batteries, regardless of the label. I don't recall the brand distribution, however. I typically will buy a battery from a local auto parts store or Costco. I don't walk in the door of Walmart. Ever.

Searching, I find that there are four major car battery manufacturers now: East Penn (Deka,) Exide, Delphi, and Johnson Controls, with Johnson Controls being the largest world wide. All sell "Private label" branded batteries. GNB has been bought by Exide, so they are no longer a separate company. I'm sure there are a few regional manufactures left. As a side note, I get tickled when I go into either Autozone, or Advance and hear a customer say he never wants another battery from the other brand of parts store, as they are junk! Both stores sell the same batteries made by Johnson Controls, just labeled differently.

[Jerome Stanek]

I am looking for a 65 series battery for my truck I see Rural King has a 65-72 850 cca for $75.00 looks like the best price right now. It has a 24 month replacement and 72 month pro rated Exide made

[Dave Lehnert]

I buy all my batteries from Rural King they have Exide batteries and they seem to last a lot longer then the Walmart batteries I tried.

Funny, At work everyone that got a battery from Rural King says stay away.
Like I have had good luck with Walmart but another said all his was no good.
Sounds like there are good and bad in every brand.

FYI I use to work on a receiving dock for a large local retail chain. When the delivery driver came in for car battery, all the battery in the truck were unlabeled. He would look at our order and see what brand we stocked and put that brand label on as he unloaded.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I am looking for a 65 series battery for my truck I see Rural King has a 65-72 850 cca for $75.00 looks like the best price right now. It has a 24 month replacement and 72 month pro rated Exide made

Same battery at Walmart is about $120. Unfortunately the closest Rural King is a 312 mile round trip from me. At Walmart, this battery comes with a 36 month replacement

[Jerome Stanek]

Just came home from Rural King with a 65 series 650 CCA battery for $59 plus tax

[Brian Elfert]

I got one of those $50 Walmart batteries for my standby generator after a little research. What I found online was that most of the savings for Walmart was in the short warranty. Walmart was seeing a lot of battery "failures" from unscrupulous buyers a month or two before the warranty expired. Walmart figured that a one year warranty would greatly reduce warranty expense.

[Kevin Beitz]

I buy all my batteries from the junkyard... People buy a new battery and something happens to there car and off to the junkyard it goes... I get any battery for $20.00. If it does not work I get to exchange it... I have been doing this for years. I got 24 things that take a full size battery. Most batteries only last around 5 years. That means I need to replace least around 5 batteries a year. So it's costing me around $100.00 a year for batteries.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I buy all my batteries from the junkyard... People buy a new battery and something happens to there car and off to the junkyard it goes... I get any battery for $20.00. If it does not work I get to exchange it... I have been doing this for years. I got 24 things that take a full size battery. Most batteries only last around 5 years. That means I need to replace least around 5 batteries a year. So it's costing me around $100.00 a year for batteries.

Here batteries from junk yard (LKQ) are around $26.00. and carry a 30 day warranty. Refurbished (by Interstate) are right at $50 and carry a 6 months warranty.

[Dave Zellers]

I buy all my batteries from the junkyard...

Here batteries from junk yard (LKQ) are around $26.00. and carry a 30 day warranty. Refurbished (by Interstate) are right at $50 and carry a 6 months warranty.

This is very interesting. Is this junkyard battery buying thing, something that the rest of us can do? Good heavens, talk about a business opportunity!

[Bruce Wrenn]

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This is very interesting. Is this junkyard battery buying thing, something that the rest of us can do? Good heavens, talk about a business opportunity!

LKQ has a battery rack near the entrance to most yards, so you don't have to pay their entrance fee just to purchase a battery. If I bought a used battery, the first place I would go is to local auto parts store and have them check it with their "whiz bang battery checker." I was given two deep cycle batteries, both less than two years old which would not accept a charge. Put each of them on a $12.50 desulfator I picked up off ebay. (It's the "ORIGINAL" one that uses a wall wart for power.) After a week, took first battery to parts house, and it checked as being in good condition. Will take second in tomorrow and see how it checks. Remember, when I got them, neither would take a charge. Here on CL, we have a couple resellers of reconditioned batteries. Batteries range from $36.99 to $45.00, with a core, depending upon seller

[Dave Zellers]

I'll have to look into this locally to see if such a situation exists here.

Thanks for the reply.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Took second battery in today for testing. Showed 510 CCA's, which isn't bad for a a 600CCA battery that two weeks ago refused to take a charge.