Good to know. What are the tell tales for the Hankook-Atlas BX?

 

@Fuzzpuss

The flooded wet cell batteries that you cleaned and presented in Post #61 immediately above are without a doubt manufactured by Clarios (but not their Varta division).

I forgot that these wet cell batteries of yours were so new. "9/25"? That's just a couple of months ago. Is that a recent warranty replacement for one of the dead twin of the "10/24" batteries, that were themselves warranty replacements for the Everstart Maxx batteries that you first purchased in 2023?

So, already you have had at least two warranty exchange cycles for at least one of the two batteries that you purchased only two years ago?

As for the tell tales for the Hankook-AtlasBX... let us first not throw Clarios under the bus, because the particular Hankook-AtlasBX 775 CCA Group 65 battery that I mentioned as being sold by Walmart under their Everstart Platinum brand label, as well as by Batteries Plus under the licensed "Duracell" brand label... is an AGM battery, which is what you said you wanted to replace the above batteries with.

ANY AGM battery, including AGM batteries manufactured by Clarios, will provide a better ownership experience, in terms of avoiding the corroded battery tray mess you posted above, than a pop top flooded wet cell battery, by any manufacturer. Therefore, it isn't quite fair to reject a Clarios-Varta AGM battery based on your experience with a Clarios wet cell battery, even though I don't blame you for wanting a different battery manufacturer.

On the topic of consumer replaceable 12 volt automotive starting, lighting, and ignition battery "manufacturers", here are some general observations that, IMHO, do not receive enough light of day to guide selection.

Interstate is not a battery manufacturer. Interstate is a battery marketer, re-brander, and distributer. Interstate may have videos showing how "their" batteries are made, but the manufacturing plants shown in the video belong to other battery manufacturers that are neither owned nor operated nor controlled by Interstate, who is simply their customer. To say that Interstate is a battery manufacturer is like saying that Kirkland or Sears was a battery manufacturer, which neither were.

Batteries Plus is not a battery manufacturer. Batteries Plus is a battery retailer, re-brander (Batteries Plus is the retail division of Ascent, who is also not a battery manufacturer, but who created brand names like X2 Power, to apply to batteries they distribute and retail along side of other battery brands that they retail, even where their house brand and the wider known name brand are made by the same battery manufacturer).

Duracell is not a 12 volt automotive battery manufacturer. Duracell made a household brand name for itself by making and cleverly marketing alkaline 1.5 volt batteries, and then later leveraged more income out of their brand recognition by licensing the Duracell name and likeness to various automotive battery retail distributors, who applied the Duracell label to more than one automotive battery manufacturer's product.... including the automotive batteries sold at Sam's Club made by East Penn Manufacturing, and more recently, the some automotive batteries sold at Batteries Plus made by Hankook-AtlasBX. Proctor & Gamble sold Duracell to Warren Buffett in a capital gains tax saving Gillette stock swap deal about 10 years ago. It could be that the Berkshire-Hathaway business mogul pushed to leverage all avenues of value out of the Duracell brand name, given all these Duracell labels slapped onto car batteries that Duracell does not manufacture.



The above image, from the Batteries Plus website, is the Duracell branded 775 CCA Group 65 battery manufactured in South Korea by Hankook-AtlasBX.

The same battery pictured above can be found branded and distributed by Interstate, as pictured below:




The same battery, pictured twice above under two different brand names, can also be found privately labeled by small local distributer brands, such as "Max Power", by Warehouse Battery in PA...





The same battery, pictured thrice above under three different brand names, can also be found privately labeled in Canada, in a more colorful case, branded as "Magnacharge", by Lordco Autoparts in BC...





Alternatively, for at least $50 less than each of the four cases cited previously above, you can find the same battery on the rack at Walmart, under the Everstart Platinum brand, whenever you are ready to get rid of your Everstart Maxx's.




The tell tale signs are the case top ribbing details, the case top handle design, and even the ribs on the terminal covers, as well as the presence of round cell caps (not intended to be removed nor consumer serviceable), despite this AGM battery being recombinant (less gassy) with side port vents.

 

The original purchase date was October 2022. Those batteries lasted 2 years; replaced under warranty October 2024. And most recently the passenger side battery was replaced 6 weeks ago, so that lasted only 1 year.

I never thought I would be smitten by a stupid car battery, but those AGM pics look wonderful!

Thanks again for the trove of information. I now feel like I can make an informed purchase next time.

 

With the dozen batteries I have in vehicles and equipment, I’d be in tears with that situation.

 

And then you would be willing to spend the extra for AGM's and hopefully be happy again.

 

@Fuzzpuss

Please tell us about your experience with Walmart when you had to warranty out a battery that was already warranted out twice.

Was the third (9/25) battery warranted based on the remainder of the first (10/22) battery, or the second (10/24) battery?

If the warranty replacement of the third (9/25) battery was based on the remainder of the first (10/22) battery, was there any proration charged, or was it within a 3 year full replacement period?

If the warranty replacement of the third (9/25) battery was based on the second more recently replaced (10/24) battery, had the full replacement warranty for the first (10/22) battery already expired?

Did Walmart restart the warranty year clock when the second (10/24) batteries were installed?

Did Walmart install the batteries? Or did you install them yourself?

Thanks!

 

Chris,

Luckily, I have not had to. I just lost one of my 2016 Maxx 850s, the other one is still working in something.

 

From post #50

She said "Let's see what the voltage looks like."
I said "I called this morning and the guy said it should be warrantied if it's boiling over. I don't understand the need for a voltage check"
She said "What makes you think it's been boiling over? It just looks dirty to me."
I said "There are trails running down all four sides."
She said "Go grab one off the shelf."

During the 3-year warranty period, there is no charge or proration for exchanges, and there is no resetting of the clock. In other words, after the initial purchase, everything is free, and when the 3 years is up, it's game over.

So I got the last exchange just under the wire. When the driver side fails it's all on me.

Installation was done by yours truly.

 

Show off!

 

I just looked-up Walmart's local AGM offering. Clearly NOT a "Duracell"

 

Walmart's online photo is not necessarily representative of the battery that you would receive if ordered online, nor the battery that you would find if going into your store.

The online photo above shows a Clarios-Varta manufactured AGM battery.

What several FTE Forum members have actually received when ordering the battery shown... is different.

@Fuzzpuss If considering a Walmart Everstart Platinum AGM battery, you would do well to read the thread linked below, beginning with Page 2, Post #59, where you will find the same version of Walmart AGM battery as shown in your quoted photo above, and then skipping over to Page 3, Post #95, within that same thread, and continuing to read the remaining posts through present day.

Which AGM Battery? (link to Page 2, read Post #59, then skip to Page 3, read Post #95 through end of thread)

 

I didn't have time to pull them out of the rack for more details, but my Jersey Shore Walmart had these three AGM batteries in stock, so I grabbed quick pics of the case construction. No Group 65, though.

 

They look the same (to me) - am I missing something here? I just bought an H7 Platinum ES from WM for my Wife's F150, so please tell me do... (as in should I take it back?).

Hope the Christmas tree sales went well this year - was hoping you'd post some pictures of the lot this year... Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you and Les...!

 

No group 65's at my Walmart last week either.

 

Chris, I was just posting what I saw for you guys.

Thanks, same to you and your wife. No pictures of trees this year - just didn't take any.