There are only two manufacturers of Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) batteries in North America, EnerSys (makers of Odyssey, Hawker, ArmaSafe, and previously the Sears DieHard Platinum, and possibly other private labels) and NorthStar (makers of Northstar, some models of X2Power, and possibly other private labels). NorthStar battery was started by the chief technology officer (Dr. Frank Fleming) who previously worked for EnerSys / Hawker. Both EnerSys (in their halo Odyssey brand) and Northstar have retail, distribution, and online presence in Canada.

https://odysseybattery.ca/

CANADA.NORTHSTARBATTERY.COM

How the above two manufacturers distinguish themselves from most other manufacturers of AGM batteries is with the TPPL manufacturing method, where lead with 99.9% purity must be used in order to make plates so thin, that these plates would otherwise break apart if made with all the impurities present with recycled lead. The advantage to having thin plates is that more of them can fit within the same form factor defined by BCI group size. The more plates, the more surface area, the more ampacity the battery can deliver. The electrolyte paste being fully absorbed within a glass mat is another enabler for having thin plates, but the ultra thin plates are only in the province of manufacturers who use pure virgin lead. This, and the specialized manufacturing technique require to actually make the plates so thin, is largely responsible for the higher prices of Odyssey and Northstar batteries, relative to other types of AGM batteries.

There are other North American manufacturers of AGM batteries, such as East Penn (makers of Deka, Duracell, Caterpillar, Sears DieHard Gold, and other privately labeled brands). East Penn makes excellent traditional (wet cell) batteries, likely the best in that field. East Penn's AGM offerings, however, while good, are not quite up to par with the TPPL AGM batteries from EnerSys and NorthStar.

There is also Johnson Controls, who purchased Optima (spiral cell) another high end AGM battery line that used pure lead formerly headquartered in Colorado, but Johnson Controls moved Optima down to Mexico. Optima does not make a natively sized Group 65 battery... the use of the Optima in a Ford requires an adapter for fitment and retention using the Ford OEM long bolt and wedge. The quality and performance of Optima batteries is widely reported to have gone down hill since the move to Mexico, but this may have changed in recent years as the popularity of AGM batteries has moved into the mainstream on the same tidal wave that the automotive industry is moving toward vehicle electrification. Battery chemistry awareness among consumers is higher than it has ever been. Nothing like a phone catching fire in one's hand to get a "feel" for the differences.

Johnson Controls makes another line of AGM batteries in rectangular cases, available in a native Group 65, manufactured overseas, and marketed under dozens of different house brand names of various retailers throughout the world, including Canada. These AGM batteries are not on the same tier as the TPPL batteries that the OP is using, so the comparison I've prepared below does not consider them. However, if you are thinking of new batteries, and the six TPPL batteries that I have compared below are just a little too steep in price to pony up for... know that even the worst AGM battery is superior to the best wet cell... in terms of not ever having to clean up acid spills and deal with corroded battery trays and cables again. Something to seriously consider.

Some say the heavier a lead acid battery is, the more lead is inside, and thus, the better battery it must be.

The following six batteries are all AGM recombinant type, rather than wet cells. But they are still made of lead, and are still considered lead acid, even though the acid is absorbed into fiberglass matting, rather than sloshing around as a liquid.

Take a look at how manufacturer reported battery weight mostly does, but occasionally doesn't, directly correlate with better, negligible, or the same electrical performance specifications:


Nominal Manufacturer Reported Weight:
58 lbs. Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 (As claimed by mfr, but the equivalent Odyssey Extreme used to also be listed as 58 lbs, but since 2016 has been listed as 54 lbs.)
55 lbs. Northstar NSB-AGM65 (As claimed by mfr.)
54 lbs. Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 (I personally verified 4 Odyssey Extremes manufactured in March of 2019 on a digital scale, and each weighed 54.4 lbs)
52 lbs. Batteries Plus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) (52.45 lbs)
50 lbs. Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 (49.8 lbs)
49 lbs. Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 (Northstar curiously omitted all references to battery weight for the Elite on their website as well as in the pdf spec file

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) 30 seconds @ 0°F (-18°C) per Cold Start Performance S.A.E Standard J537 as ratified by the SAE in JUNE 82:
950 CCA Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 950 CCA
950 CCA Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 950 CCA
930 CCA Batteries Plus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = 930 CCA
930 CCA Northstar NSB-AGM65 = 930 CCA
762 CCA Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 762 CCA
675 CCA Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = 675 CCA

Short Circuit Current:
5,000 Amps Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 5,000 Amps
5,000 Amps Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 5,000 Amps
5,000 Amps Northstar NSB-AGM65 = 5,000 Amps
3,300 Amps BatteriesPlus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = 3,300 Amps
2,500 Amps Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 2,500 Amps
0,000 Amps Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = No Data

Reserve Capacity in Minutes with 25 Ampere sustained load at 80° F (27°C) until voltage drops to 1.75 vpc (10.50V battery voltage)
145 Min Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 145 Minutes
145 Min Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 145 Minutes
135 Min BatteriesPlus X2Power SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = 135 Minutes
135 Min Northstar NSB-AGM65 = 135 Minutes
134 Min Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = 134 Minutes
129 Min Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 129 Minutes

Capacity at 20 HOUR Rate - Ah Capacity / # of Amps per Hour for 20 Hours Extended Discharge at 77°F (25°C) to 10.02V or 1.67 vpc
74 Ah / 3.70 Amps Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 74 Ah / 3.70 Amps
74 Ah / 3.70 Amps Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 74 Ah / 3.70 Amps
69 Ah / 3.45 Amps Northstar NSB-AGM65 = 69 Ah (However, Northstar claims to calculate Ah rate at the ResMin standard, to a discharged cell voltage of 1.75 vpc vs 1.67 vpc)
69 Ah / 3.45 Amps Batteries Plus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = 69 Ah / 3.45 Amps
64 Ah / 3.20 Amps Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 64 Ah / 3.20 Amps
00 Ah / 0.00 Amps Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = No Data

Internal Resistance at 1 kHz @ 77°F (25°C)
2.0 mΩ Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 2.0 mΩ
2.0 mΩ Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 2.0 mΩ
2.3 mΩ Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 2.3 mΩ
3.3 mΩ Batteries Plus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = 3.3 mΩ
3.3 mΩ Northstar NSB-AGM65 = 3.3 mΩ
X.X mΩ Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = No Data

Marine Cranking Amps (MCA) 30 seconds @ 32°F (0°C)
1,070 MCA Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 1,070 MCA
1,070 MCA Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 1,070 MCA
1,070 MCA Batteries Plus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = Stated only as "CA", and therefore could be HCA, so MCA is assumed based on Northstar NSB equivalent
1,070 MCA Northstar NSB-AGM65 = 1,070 MCA
0,891 MCA Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 891 MCA
0,770 MCA Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = 770 MCA

Hot Cranking Amps (HCA) 30 seconds @ 80°F (27°C)
1,350 HCA Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 1,350 HCA
1,350 HCA Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 1,350 HCA
1,200 HCA Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 1,200 HCA
0,000 HCA Batteries Plus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = No Data
0,000 HCA Northstar NSB-AGM65 = No Data
0,000 HCA Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = No Data

Pulse Hot Cranking Amps (PHCA) 5 seconds @ 80°F (27°C)
1,750 PHCA Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 1,750 PHCA
1,750 PHCA Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 1,750 PHCA
1,750 PHCA Northstar NSB-AGM65 = 1,750 PHCA
1,500 PHCA Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 1,500 PHCA
0,000 PHCA Batteries Plus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = No Data
0,000 PHCA Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = No Data

Warranty (Non Pro Rata)
5 YRS Batteries Plus X2POWER SLI65AGMDP (by Northstar) = 60 Months Full (Fifth full year covered by Ascent Battery Supply LLC, owner of Batteries Plus)
4 YRS Enersys Odyssey EXTREME 65-PC1750 = 48 Months Full
4 YRS Northstar NSB-AGM65 = 48 Months Full
3 YRS Enersys Odyssey PERFORMANCE 65-760 = 36 Months Full
3 YRS Northstar Elite ELT-AGM65 = 36 Months Full
3 YRS Enersys Hawker MILPC Group 65 = 36 Months through DOD supply chain


The formerly 58 lb, but now 54 lb. Odyssey Extreme is still about 11.5 lbs heavier than the Johnson Controls manufactured AGM in the gray colored case sold under various brand names, depending on wax and oil chain store selling it. I may revisit this thread to provide data on any iterations of those easily identifiable batteries at some point in the future.

Northstar also has a lower price point offering similar to what Enersys does with the Odyssey brand. While Enersys split their TPPL AGM offerings up it into a high (Extreme) and low (Performance) series, Northstar likewise has a high (Northstar) and low (Northstar Elite) series. Yes, the "Elite" is actually a lower performance spec battery, despite the misleading name. I'm sure that is "buy" design, as potential buyers might get excited about acquiring a Northstar "Elite" battery for a lower price than Northstar's "regular" batteries, and immediately pull the trigger.

That's why looking at the specs is useful, and why I post them... to empower people interested in TPPL AGM batteries to see through the subterfuge. If the price is significantly cheaper, then the battery is likely significantly cheaper to manufacture, and what does that mean in terms of specs, and what do those specs mean in terms of battery longevity and performance. In the comparison above, we see that reported manufacturer weight may not be enough to make sufficient assumptions about battery quality, when there is the possibility that manufacturers may not update specifications between different sales channels of the same battery line. Clearly, more parameters need to be compared than just weight, for the reasons explained and illustrated in detail above.

Everyone loves photos, so here are the mugshots of the notorious gang of six TPPL AGM batteries discussed in this post, arranged below in my subjective order of preference when all factors of battery acquisition and replacement are considered, including performance as determined by specifications and some small construction details as described in previous posts. For example, Northstars have brass posts, but Odyssey Extremes go two better, with tin plated brass terminals for even greater corrosion protection, as well as more elevated posts (since 2012) to gain full circumferential face contact with newer style Ford battery cable clamps. Other deciding factors include battery availability, warranty, accessibility of the manufacturer for advice and customer service, ease of return should the warranty need to be exercised, and review history:





Odyssey Extreme 65-PC1750





Batteries Plus X2Power SLI65AGMDP





Northstar NSB-65AGM





Odyssey Performance 65-760




Northstar Elite ELT-65AGM






Hawker MILPC Group 65



As you can see when comparing the performance specifications to my subjective order of preference, there seems to be a bit of disconnect between the Hawker being on par with the Odyssey Extreme, tied in every parameter except weight and warranty, yet the Hawker lies at the bottom of the recommendation photo line up. That is simply due to 1) the restricted availability of the Hawker (limited to those with federal government / military purchase account access), 2) the ultra high margins that DOD vendors typically squeeze out of taxpayer dollars (think $600 hammer), and 3) the limited warranty (only 3 years), and the presumed near impossibility to make good on that warranty due to the manner in which the battery was obtained, if used outside of government business.

A seventh (7th) battery, ironically called the Interstate MT7, would have belonged in the list above, but for the fact that the MT7-65 was discontinued within a year or two of having been introduced. There was no point spending time researching the stats of a battery made of unobtanium, but for what it's worth, the MT7, at 770 CCA, was about on par with the lower line Odyssey Performance and Northstar Elite series. Interstate named the replacement to the MT7-65 as the MTZ-65. These could very well be the same battery under a revised model name. But the question is, why was the model name changed? Especially so soon after introduction? Was it due to the dismal reviews of the MT7 in Consumer Reports, which can never be erased from the internet, and which will always be looked upon as gospel by some consumers who are not motor heads like forum followers are? Or were there some production changes, or internal differences, that inspired the name change? These questions might be addressed in a future update, and then the MTZ-65 will be added to this list. Finally, keep in mind that Interstate is only a battery marketer/distributer, not a manufacturer. So the MTZ-65 is either made by EnerSys or NorthStar, and there are usually non disclosure agreements in private label manufacturing that make it very very difficult to discover that information as a consumer. Since the Interstate offering, in the previous MT7 version, as well as the current MTZ version, is inferior in performance, and on par in price, with better alternatives made and supported by the actual battery manufacturers themselves, there is no point in taking the time to dig past NDA's to discover the truth. No matter which manufacturer makes the Interstate, it still isn't the best available version in quality, nor the lowest in price. But it is still a lot better than having to deal with the off gassing of a wet cell.

 

Thank you, this is great information. It looks like a further examination of my Canadian Tire Ultra AGMs are in order. One problem is manufacturer date and how long they sit on the shelves up here. Not a lot of people buying such expensive batteries. It seems these are fairly close match to the Northstar product line, I am hoping I can match their spec sheets in the detail. This gives me a good place to look. I am thinking AGMs are the way to go with all the bogus battery corrosion issues I am having. Part of this issue is the flat top motorcraft batteries with the open cells, I am also thinking the high output alternators and high demands on such an electronically complicated vehicle is the other part. Those alternators work pretty hard when the added electrical heater is on, four heated seats, HVAC, Stereo, etc are all drawing.

 

Because there's only 2-3 battery manufacturers in NA doesn't mean all batteries built by a manufacturer are of the same quality. CT Eliminator batteries are **** quality batteries that leak and don't hold their charge after a couple years.

Find a battery retailer that will sell you a quality battery near you. If they don't stock it due to low demand, they'll order it. If they do stock it, it'll be stored on a trickle charger to keep it fresh.

I bought an Odyssey PC1750 at the same time I bought my 2007 F-250. It's still under the hood of that truck and starting it everyday no matter if it's 30c or -30c outside.

 

I have haunted every single seller of batteries around here. I have yet to see a battery maintainer anywhere. We do have access to all the parts stores, can tire, costco, dealerships, interstate, Canadian energy, all the heavy truck shops, Princess auto. Anything AGM is is easily twice the price, but more like three times lead acid. Surprisingly, at least to me, is their warranty is not proportionally better for the price....

 

I'll have to read that again, carefully. In the meantime, thank you for the "notorious gang of six".