Best/highest quality batery

[andy2005]

I was wondering if any certain brand of battery have proven to be more durable than another. ie. DieHard vs. ValueCraft ect. The reason being is I want to replace the battery in my '01 Dodge Ram becaus it will be running both auxilary hyraulics and lights during snow plowing. Any suggestions for the best battery in this situation? Thanks!!

[solaris=amazing]

I worked at autozone for alittle while....don't buy valuecraft unless it's for a beater 4 cyl.

Diehard is good, so is Interstate...BUT you want an Optima Yello Top..or even the red top. You probably better off with a "deep-cycle" battery, meaning the battery could be drained...yet it could be recharged from the alternator and not be DEAD like a regular battery.

You might want to look into getting a second battery and install it in the trunk/conveniant area so you can have enough power on reserve..instead of killing the battery..then running off the alternator completely.

Actually wait a minute..i think i just got that wrong, doesnt the alternator run EVERYTHING when the car is running..?

[curtis73]

You're right, the car runs on juice from the alternator. The battery is just a storage facility. Usually there are only about 20 amps being used in a typical car while its running and many of today's alternators are capable of supplying 100 or more. I think that Ram truck has a 140 amp alternator. For this reason the deep cycle may not be the best choice. Deep cycle batts don't like it if they're not being deep cycled, and even with heavy draw items like hydraulic pumps, it would only cycle about the top 10% of the battery's capacity with the truck running.

I've had good luck with Optimas (the non-deep cycle), Interstate, and anything made by Exide. They often are sold under the Energizer name, NASCAR brand, or others. Look on the battery's label and somewhere it will say Exide if its their handywork.

[TheSilentChamber]

Interstate and exide are both good as Curtis said, I'v had hit and miss luck with Optima.

[Schister66]

Optima red or yellow top gets my vote....

[mazdatech177]

Wally World..........lifetime Warranty

[TheSilentChamber]

Originally Posted by mazdatech177

Wally World..........lifetime Warranty

Um.. no.

[MagicRat]

After 25 years of working with cars, trucks, boats, construction and farm equipment, the best, longest lasting and most durable batteries are AC-Delco.

Thats right, GM.
They last longest and are less affected by abuse, such as running them flat then recharging them, heat, vibration etc.

[TheSilentChamber]

And they have a purdy little green dot on them.

[curtis73]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

After 25 years of working with cars, trucks, boats, construction and farm equipment, the best, longest lasting and most durable batteries are AC-Delco.

You know, I totally forgot about that. The stock battery I had in my 96 Impala went absolutely problem-free for 89,000 miles, and then I swapped it into an 85 El Camino. It got used for another 32,000 miles before I sold that elky. That's 121,000 miles of trouble-free use.

Who makes them for GM?

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

After 25 years of working with cars, trucks, boats, construction and farm equipment, the best, longest lasting and most durable batteries are AC-Delco.

Thats right, GM.
They last longest and are less affected by abuse, such as running them flat then recharging them, heat, vibration etc.

100% My 1997 Venture still has the original AC-Delco battery in it and it's going on 9 years now without one problem,(knocks on wood while typing this.) I know of other people who are getting over 6 to 7 years and more from their original GM batteries as well. I think some of the worse ones out there are the ones Wal Mart sells. I have purchased 3 over the past 6 years for other vehicles, and every one of them have failed within 1 to 1 1/2 years.

[Racincc85]

I agree... My 90 buick lesabre had the original ac delco battery in it until it had about 118,000 miles on it. When it died I got a wally world everstart battery for it. I went through 3 of those in a year and a half. Thank god for the lifetime warranty.

[mazdatech177]

most if not all the delco batteries are side post arent they? dont know if that will jive with dodges top post or not...

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by mazdatech177

most if not all the delco batteries are side post arent they? dont know if that will jive with dodges top post or not...

Whenever I owned a vehicle that had top post batteries, I used top post adapters that screwed into the side holes, and used longer battery cables if I needed to. One car I even converted to side post because I had the side post battery, and side post cables that were long enough to fit. It worked out great. I tend to have less corrosion problems with side post terminals as well.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by curtis73

Who makes them for GM?

Actually GM makes their own batteries.
GM has a battery plant in Oshawa Ontario, Canada, which supplies the local GM plants (they make Impalas, among other vehicles) as well as the aftermarket.

AC-Delco also supplies the big Honda plant in Alliston, Ontario.

That plant has awards they give their most valuable suppliers, and a few years ago, Honda gave GM an award for being such a good, reliable, high quality supplier.