I like the fast charge rate of the Odyssey... slow charge rate is frequently an issue with AGM batteries.

I have some brand new AGM batteries that came with my boat - I'm yankin' 'em outta there. My boat uses a lot of juice while on the hook, and I don't like the low Ah rating of the lesser AGM batteries, as well as the slow charge rate. While the Odyssey Extreme is an attractive alternative, I don't like renting batteries for that much per month.

 

Well, my opinion...
I suggest you buy from a source that has stores in your traveling area, so when you need "support," it will be close by.
I hope you the best.

 

Johnson Controls manufactures some of the best batteries available. There are many brands that they manufacture for but not sure if they produce the Optima type of batteries or not. I would assume so.

 

I get my red tops at Sam's. Going on 3 years no issues.

 

Local battery support for warranty issues is a great thing to have. That's where I almost got burned on my last Red Top replacement. I ordered them online for a noticeable savings, but when one died at the 3-year point, right before it's warranty was up, the online option for support had faded away. It was all I could to to talk the local Advance Auto into swapping it for me, and they did replace it even though I had not purchased it from them. So, I ended up with a mismatched pair of batteries (age-wise), and the older of the pair is now over 4 years old.

I'm sorely tempted to go the Costco Interstate route, but am also highly attracted to the Odyssey/X2/Northstar pure lead AGM alternatives. I believe, though, that "cost" is going to win out this time around due to the growing list of other repair issues I need to begin planning to address (i.e. 4R100 rebuild, water pump, front steering suspension, etc.).

 

There is another thread near the top with a poster talking up batteryminders.

I second this recommendation. My .02c, save the money with costco(or your choice of "normal") batteries. Then purchase the battery minder.

I have not used a batteryminder for very long, but if their patented desulfating feature is worth anything, the batteries will be well taken cared for. Plus you have a quality(hopefully) charger for years to come on any (almost any, see charger specs) 12V battery that needs reviving.

I bought the larger 128cec1 for faster charging for the diesel and soon to come toy hauler. Notice, this charger also accepts the odyssey batteries. Doesn't sound like they would need it though

128cec1

 

a minor random variable for you - buy the battery you pick from a high volume place, so the batteries haven't been sitting on a shelf for six months first

 

Batteries have their date of manufacture on them, sometimes in code but it's there. Find out what it is and buy one that is no more than a couple months old. Charge it up for several hours before installation. Batteries when brand new are "stiff" and won't reach their full current capacity for a dozen or so starts, so keep them charged during this time. Modern "maintenance free" have a 100% fully charged voltage of 12.80 volts at 70°F, a bit higher than the old school batts of 12.65 volts, the kind that can be topped off with distilled water.

A maintenance free battery reading 12.5 or 12.6 volts is probably only 75% charged or less. A tenth or two volt doesn't sound like much, but it is.

"Desulfating chargers" is sort of a marketing gimmick. ALL battery chargers "desulfate", because that's how it works! The sulfation on the plates is deposited normally as it is discharged, the electrolyte reverts to H2O, and is converted back into electrolyte everytime it's recharged.

But when a battery is left partially discharged for a period of days or weeks the soft, easily converted sulfation becomes hard and crystallized and causes a permanent loss of current capacity. Trying to charge a sulfated battery is like washing your hands wearing rubber gloves. The claim by some manufacturers is that this hard sulfation can be reversed by special charging algorythms or somesuch. Maybe so to some extent, but it's just a whole lot easier to keep them charged up in the first place so it's not a concern.

 

A second vote for a battery tender. I have one on my truck as I have not been able to drive for over a year now due to a stroke, but the truck fires right up when I give it a "run".

 

Sorry to hear about the stroke, hope you are recovering well.

 

Mark, Thanks for the thought. I probably should have left that part alone, but am doing as well as can be expected. Have a driving and written test on Thursday.

 

Sorry to hear about your stroke. My mom has had two so I am glad you are making a good recovery and getting ready to get back behind the wheel. Good luck on Thursday!

As for the battery tender, I wish. I currently live in a townhouse and I don't park anywhere near my place (or an outlet for that matter) so that's not an option right now. If I can ever afford a house down here that's one of the first items that I'm getting. Just the thought of parking in the same spot every day gives me goosebumps, especially when it would right in front of my house! One can only dream!

 

You might be able to make do with a solar battery tender.

 

I bought the x2 from battery+ and although they worked great for awhile, my bad battery cables managed to kill one and the other got a bent post somehow. I never did any heavy wheeling so I have no idea what happened. I do know that battery+ refused to replace the broken battery and I ended up trading the new x2 for 2 of their regular batteries

 

I put two UL65 batteries from Fisher's in my truck and have had good luck with them. Leaps better than the extremely cheap interstate batteries the dealer I got the truck from put in (the things were just about dead within two yearrs). A company called EastPenn makes theirs, and they have a 3 year warranty like most others out there.