Hi gurus,
I am an occasional reader (when I have time), mostly a lurker and have always found great answers whenever I've asked, or looked for information here. I apologize if this has been gone over already but I've searched and read several battery threads and didn't see it. I also recall some of you knowing the big manufacturers of batteries and who they build for, SO....
I have always had best luck with Duralast, 65DL's in the past, BUT now I am overseas and brought my truck with me, findiong them is impossible and Autozone do not take battery orders online or ship out from what I can tell. I do have a battery supplier in Miami that says he has two options for me and wondered if you guys know, or can recommend either one of these;
1) AC Delco 65- 850CCA/ 1000CA, 7yr, or
2) Superior PK65-6, 850CCA/ 1035CA.
Are either of these mnanufactured by the same company that does Duralast, or are either one any better, or even as good as the Duralasts?

Thanks again, and for any help you can give.
David.
99.5 F-250PSD, 2WD, CC, 6637, Batt box delete, muffler back delete, otherwise stock.

 

Looks like someone would make a battery you could get locally. The shipping would be as much as the batteries to ship overseas. Where are you at?

 

I'm on a fairly small island in the Caribbean. They have LTH batteries locally, which I believe are made by Johnson Controls but I put two on the truck less than a year ago and don't have much faith in them. I also had an alternator problem I was diagnosing at the time and I think these batteries suffered early on in life for it. The only LTH battery available with the cranking amps I need was nowhere near the right *physical size* for my battery trays either, so I had to go with lesser CCA's to get some that would fit, hence the reason I am looking at new ones to ship. If I buy from my supplier in Miami shipping isn't a problem as I buy solar and battery backup batteries from them and they'll all come under a project cost. Two more on a pallet of 24 is easy to do.

Thanks for any input on this, David.
99.5 F-250PSD, 2WD, CC, 6637, Batt box delete, muffler back delete, otherwise stock.

 

If those are your choices, I would go with the AC Delco mainly because I have never heard of the other.

 

That was my first thought too, but I remember reading a post here some time ago about there being 2 or 3 major manufacturers of batteries in the US, and they all build for everyone else, at a fairly consistent quality level.

David.

 

Just a thought but if there is a connection to a Caterpillar dealer on your island, they carry batteries (or can get them) that do fit our trucks. Sometimes heavy equipment dealers are overlooked for batteries.

 

Thanks Chris, that's something I probably should've known but didn't. I actually have an export acct with CAT in Fort Lauderdale. I will give them a try today.

Cheers, David.

 

I work for a CAT dealer here in Colorado or else I wouldn't have know either. Good luck.

 

if your gonna order batteries might as well spend the extra money and get some OPTIMA yellow or red tops.

Dry Cell is the best for all situations.

 

Optimas are now made in Mexico and the quality has fallen in the crapper.

 

Johnson Controls makes the Optima. No reserve capacity unless they have improved??

 

I've always read that Optima's aren't that great in certain applications also, our trucks being one of them, so for the cost I've avoided them so far. Thanks again Chris for the suggestion, I haven't heard back from my sales gurl yet but now you've mentioned it, it'd be a good time to buy a batt for the machine too.

Cheers all for the replies,

David.

 

If the LTH I have on there now is Johnson also as I heard it was then I wouldn't touch any of their other batteries. My recollection of the post from the guy who worked in a manuf. plant said that all batteries from one manuf. were of same/ similar quality. I've always heard optima's are over-rated and over priced for most applications. I think they work well in app's where spillage is an issue, sealed as they are. i'm sure other sealed cell batteries are just as good and cheaper, but I don't claim to know a whole lot.

Thanks for the responses, david.