For some reason I kept referring to the non AGM batteries as lead acid, but what I meant to say was “flooded.” Both AGM and flooded batteries are lead acid, the AGM’s just use glass mat to hold the solution. Flooded batteries have the acid sloshing around inside like some sort of poisonous fish bowl. Anyway battery prices are out of control. I’ll continue to take my chances with the cheapest of the cheap. How about you?
I've had 2 AC Delco batteries that have lasted a decade. When I had to replace the one out of my moms equinox in 2020, I couldn't believe it was the original battery.
The oldest battery I'd seen that would still start the engine was around 11 or 12 years. I've seen batteries from the Honda and Subaru dealership crap out in just about 2 years. This is why for my personal vehicles that I make my own lithium packs with surplus cells that waaaaaay out perform lead acid and cost less, even used cells!
You are completely right. Autozone and auto parts stores are completely robbing people for their money. Alternators, starters, batteries, spark plug. They are often triple or quadruple the price as walmart and rock auto for the exact same parts. If a part is worth $60 or $70 they charge $200 or $250 at autozone, it is completely ridiculous. They are preying on people who need a part fast and can't wait a couple days for shipping so they get you. It is really sad because these big chains put the small mom and pop parts store ouut of business that had people who actually knew about cars. It's really sad.
While I agree about the part about prices being higher than online/Walmart, places like AutoZone, Advance, Napa, O’Rileys, etc are there for convenience. Put it to you this way; someone only has one car that that car busts and they need a part ASAP; do they wait 3-7 days for RockAuto to deliver it for $70 plus shipping/tax or would they rather go to a brick and mortar location 3 miles away and pay $170 plus tax yet they get it the same day to get the car repaired and operable? It’s like Uber Eats, DoorDash and other delivery/convenience services; you’d still have pay a significantly higher price for the same product/service. You don’t go to 7-11, Wawa or the local corner store to do your whole family’s grocery shopping now do you? Everything’s a convenience nowadays and physical brick and mortar auto parts stores are just that; a convenience. Yes I’d much rather save money and buy online/at a cheaper store but that’s not always gonna work out for many people. Not everyone can afford to wait to get their vehicle back into service so they gotta suck it up and pay the higher premium for something they may have been able to buy online at a cheaper price. So what you may believe is price gouging may still be absolutely true in a lot of cases, think of this whenever using a convenience service/product.
It may very well be a response to exactly what you described. With cheap online retailers eating their lunch, they may be being pushed into taking advantage of those who need the part TODAY in order to stay profitable. It might not be that brick and mortar stores are ripping people off, but rather doing what they must to survive as an option for those who need to be able to pick up a part same day.
@@paulmadsen51 Some people need consultation too. The thing is, lifer parts guys are getting rarer because of the disappearance of the independent parts store. here I live, there are only four parts stores available, NAPA, Autozone, O'Rielly's and Advance (formerly Carquest). All chains, of course. A couple of the local stores have veteran parts guys, but you don't know if they are going be working when you walk in. One guy can't work 90 hours a week. These chains aren't going to pay someone enough to make a career out of it either. What many people don't know about these stores is that repair shops buy parts from them and that sales to shops is a good portion of their business. The chains are content to have their clerks just be order takers.
as someone who works at autozone the amount of people I have sent to walmart for batteries probably outnumbers how many I have sold in my almost 3 years at the company
As a former employee at several parts stores I agree on that. On top of that the markup on batteries is absurd. The store cost/employee cost for a basic flooded group 75 3 year warranty battery is under $90. Yet walk-in price is $200. Absolute bs and price gouging
Love it. I've subbed to Project Farm as well, and when most people throw out brand names and they don't realize there are only 3 different battery manufacturers, what you claim to like, may be the same exact batter(I don't know that for sure). Plus another thing to think about: Walmart can flat move some volume. The battery you get from there has probably had less shelf time than the old dusty one from an auto parts store. Something to think about.
Scotty Kilmer has said to make sure you get a FRESH battery and Walmart batteries have a date sticker on the top of them so you know how fresh they are.
@@WhittyPicsScotty Kilmer is a joke. I can't believe anyone would willingly watch that clown. All battteries have date codes on them. So Kilmer did tell anyone anything.
Another thing to remember is that Project Farm did his Battery evaluation > 3 years ago and unfortunately the market has changed considerably between then and now. What was discussed as good then is probably no longer the case.
Steve, its actually the opposite. I've been to walmart many times over the years looking for batteries, and their batteries sit for a long time. I work in a busy auto parts chain and guarantee you, if you have a common car that take a common battery, it will be fresh.
Project Farm's reviews I feel are the best. Regarding his Automotive Battery reviews, they were done > 3 years ago and the industry has changed dramatically since then. I suggested he update the Battery review and he agreed it was a good idea, I just hope it gets into the que sometime....
I just bought a Walmart AGM, after trying many other brands over the decades. My experience with car batteries is that a battery typically craps out 1 month after the warranty is up, no matter the brand, type, length of warranty or price.
As someone who works for a auto retail store, advance auto, autozone, O’Reillys, Napa, and Walmart all share the exact same battery with a different label on it. Made in the same place, I’ve even had batteries come in on truck that had a Walmart sticker on top and a duralast sticker on the side.
Johnson controls, East Penn and stryten/deka. They’re not all made in the same facility, although the practice of making the same battery technology is shared and not copywritten in anyway. Lead acid and agm being what I’m referring too. So making batteries is a simple process and not a trade secret between parent companies, and you definitely do not get what u pay for in terms of cost vs lifetime of said battery, most people don’t treat them the way they should be in colder/frozen climates and in the extreme hot areas. Most people assume they’re gonna be just fine regardless of the climate….wrong and blame the manufacturer before taking into consideration their ignorant self for not knowing how to maintain a battery. There are a few diff smaller manufacturers that make specialty/racing batteries that are in their own space and their price point reflects that. Those aren’t realistic for the daily driver or average consumer.
I’m a big fan of East Penn, in my area I have found that Walmart Everstart Maxx and sams club Duracell are the both top tier batteries from them. Series 75 batteries are about $139 while the same battery at a parts store is over $200 easily.
What do you think about the quality? And O'Reilly has good service, I think. Don't you install them (on most vehicles) immediately? That has value, too.
It wasn't THAT long ago that a a 60 month warranty (12 month free replacement) battery cost $39.99 w/exchange. There was some kind of legislation that passed in the early to mid 2000s that affected EVERYTHING that contained lead. Most famously for a short time small dirt bikes for kids were off the market because of the lead in the starting batteries. as I also worked at O'Reilly's at the time I remember another effect was that the core charges on batteries we charged were required to increase to provide more of an incentive for the customer to return their old batteries, thereby reducing the chances they might be discarded in any other way. The core charge went from $6.00 to $10.00 at the time. When I left in 2020 the core charge was up to $20.00. Other effects were that the cost of batteries began to go higher and higher, increasing almost every few months. And then the warranties got worse and worse. In 2010 our best battery had an 84 month warranty with a three year free exchange built in, for $89.99 w/exchange. Previous to the legislation I mentioned (I couldn't find the name of the bill, but it was federal) battery prices had been stable for a long time. I don't know if it was related, but also at about the same time a lot of other changes happened with other types of products...you can't buy good paint any more, some adhesives were forced off the market. Other products had to be reformulated to meet the new regulations and now suck...they aren't near as good as those they replaced. As far as O'Reilly's goes, I have no idea how that company is still in business. I started in the auto parts business in 1988 at Kragen Auto Parts in San Jose, CA. O'Relly's bought us out in 2007 after our parent company, CSK Automotive, was sunk by some thieving regional managers (that got away with it). O'Reilly's has some extremely wasteful, slow, and dumb procedures as it related to operating their stores. And right now their prices are so far above what anyone can find online from Amazon and others, it's like they don't even care if they fail. I'm pretty sure the whole thing is an Enron-like scam, but that's just a hunch...
There are only 3 battery manufacturers in the US. East Penn (Deka), Exide, and Johnson Controls (Everstart, Duralast, Costco Interstate, and a bunch of other private labels). Contrary to popular belief, Interstate does not manufacture batteries. Interstate is a marketing/distribution company, Interstate batteries are primarily made by Exide and Johnson Controls. No matter what battery you purchase it is made by one of these 3. As for warranties, the batteries are for the most part all constructed the same, so the price difference between the same bci group/same brand with more warranty is the the cost of the warranty itself.
@@Eddievoneddie13 Funny you should mention that. I got an Odyssey battery in today. It tested bad at 11 months old. I have no idea where he got it but I told him to try to find that receipt because that's a $250 battery. It's been a while since I had seen one. We used to use those in the race cars. Now I'm curious if their quality fell off a cliff like Optima or it was a fluke.
So in the 80's I was a auto tech for Goodyear. Back then they had 40, 50 and 60 month batteries 39.99, 49.99 and 59.99. I watched our battery vendor back his van up to our battery storage rack and re stock it. He took the same battery with no stickers and would put the sticker on the battery needed for what ever month battery he was stocking. I went over and asked him,You're using the same battery for everything? He said yes, you're paying for the warranty. Since then I always just buy the cheaper one.
"Pumping out the same battery and just putting different stickers." YOU NAILED IT! They are all made in Monterey, Mexico by Clarios, The new name for Johnson Controls Batteries. Competition is history; that explains the price increases.
I purchased an Odyssey battery for $300 in 2020. it is still going strong. Odyssey batteries are made by EnerSys Energy Products, a global leader in automotive, military and industrial applications.
@@michaelcrockette8694 a premium battery from just about any manufacturer will last around 5 years depending on where you live mostly dependent on temperature, the hotter the shorter life. most batteries are made by the same manufacturer just rebranded. the agm batteries from walmart, diehard and duralast all comes off the same production line. just look at them. they are literally exactly the same with very different prices. I only buy agm
Battery prices are crazy. $150 to $200 all day long. I bought a good used one for $40 bucks at my local junk yard. Works great, going on three years . Screw the big box stores.
Yeah but they shouldn't be, everything is a rigged market because the people refuse to rise up and demand better service, products and government.. they just accept it as an oh well.
I've been liking the recent videos! I personally buy my battery's used at my local U-pull yard for $30! They have a 90 day warranty and all of them are at a set price. Meaning you could get a newer platinum battery, for example for just $30. The AC Delco one I got for my 2000 2500 Silverado has been working great for 6 months so far!
I have an EverStart battery in my silverado thats 11 years old. I laugh every time I change a battery in my family vehicles and yet my old walmart one keeps going. I attribute it to the fact that my truck is a an old fleet truck with no electric gadgets and no power windows or locks.
I got a Recycled Battery for my 93 Pathfinder at Stuarts Auto Supply in Salem OR for $39.95 and have had it for 7 years keeps on going, I saw a $300.00 Die Hard Battery today at Advance Auto parts
AC Delco used to make the Freedom battery that was very affordable and lasted close to the 84 month prorated warranty. They quit selling it through consumer retailers and sold it through only repair shops sometime in the 2000s. Sears Diehard gold was also an excellent affordable line until Sears went bust and Advance Auto started selling Diehard batteries. With any brand, odds are it is just a Johnson Controls battery with a different label on it. Walmart has the best value now but they have raised their prices significantly in the last few years.
Had a Champion, Group 78, 800 CCA, that lasted for almost 6 years. If I recall I gave $166 for it. When it took a dive last week I didn't have time to shop around. Replaced it with a DieHard Gold with the same specs. 3 year warranty. $219 The DieHard Silver, 800 CCA, was $199 wih a 2 year warranty, while the DieHard Red, 650 CCA, was $139 with a 1 year warranty. The cheapest no-name battery they had was $89, 650 CCA, with a 90 day warranty. Who knows how long the new one will last. Nothing lasts like it used to.
I had a Napa Legend battery last 8 years (still have it and may try to charge it back to life), so i bought another one. It was expensive ($200), but the old one lasted on my weekend car without a tender for all those years. Hopefully the new one was manufactured similarly to the old. That being said, i like the wal mart idea vs other parts stores. Great content!
I got my start at Sears in the late '90s. There are only a handful of companies making batteries. None are perfect. I tend to get the Duracell at Sam's Club when they are on sale. They are Deka. One good reason to go to a place like Walmart is that they go through a lot of batteries so you aren't going to get one that has been sitting on the shelf for months.
Here in Wisconsin at Farm & Fleet you can buy a flooded battery with a 7yr warranty(3yr replacement) for $159 and an AGM with an 8yr warranty for $209. The best AutoZone can do is a 3yr warranty for $154 on the same battery.
I recently replaced a Maxx battery that tested bad. Walmart honored their 3 year warranty n replaced it for free. I then reset the nissan rogue setting to turn off the lights when the engine is shut off instead of after 45 seconds. We'll see how this works.
My EverStart MAXX is going on 5 years, finally tested bad but the car still starts up instantly. Want to get another, but they have been out of stock for a long time now..
My last AC delco battery lasted less than 3 years. I buy the Walmart batteries now. I could have bought 2 batteries from Walmart for what I paid for the AC delco.
I got 5 years out of my first Duralast battery, and 7 years out of my second Duralast battery from Autozone. Because I put them in myself. After Duralast I went to an Interstate battery because an Autozone was not nearby I got 6 years out of the Interstate battery.
Pre Covid, those Walmart batteries were $45. They sometimes were called Valupower labels instead of Everstart. Depended on the store. Now they say Everstart in big letters and value in small letters and cost $70. Great value (no pun intended) compared to any other parts store batteries either way.
Yes. When I was a teen, I bought a battery for my 1964 Chevelle from Sears. It was either a 2 or 3 year, for $39.99. Die Hards were more expensive, but they were worth it. They usually last longer. I recently had to buy a battery for my Kia Soul. It was $159 from Walmart..
I have an EVERSTART on my mower. It's always gotten a trickle charge in the winter just once and then again in spring. This battery has a sticker on it from 9-14..which is 9.5 years. 😮 Take care of em and they'll last longer
I am 63 years old, when I was a broke teenager you could buy a battery for 40 dollars but we did not do that, 40 bucks could buy a lot of things back then, I cleaned the plates with a 200 amp charger or drained them completely and charged them reverse polarity, it does work even today, makes it like a new battery, now that they are 2 or 3 hundred dollars, time to do it again
Yup, still works because the technology and science behind it hasn’t changed at all, it just more expensive just because. Same batteries they had 50 years ago that keep getting recycled and put into new plastic boxes with a new sticker.
I bought my 2004 Golf 3.5 years ago with a 100% dead battery. I bought new battery from the VW dealer for $160. It just stop working and I went back and bought another one for $190. Autozone wanted $200 3.5 years ago. I didn't even check this time.
Love the video! Cant say I have had the same luck with Walmart batteries . Usually only last a year and then have to return them. They were good about honoring warranties but then recently it’s been a pain. Could just be where I live and how I take care of the battery. But they have been living up to the nickname NeverStart I have been getting ACDelco batteries from Menards when they have the 11% rebate and since I am using money there anyways the rebates come in handy when I got house repairs etc.
I used Wal-Mart for a while. Then I had a series of them fail (in my GMT 800 no less) and the warranty process is such a pain. Each time it took me over an hour to get it warrantied. The time saved from failure is worth spending a couple extra bucks at the auto store.
Just bought a $130 Walmart battery with a 3-year full replacement warranty for my Yukon. Similar batteries at the parts stores was around 200 for the same warranty.
G'morning from Boise ID Matt ☕☕ 🤠 . I've been a Die hard / Duracell guy for a long time. But as of late I just got a $140 Everstart for my 98' Blazer and I've had good luck with Super Start batteries lately 🤠 ..
I bought one of the econocraft batteries a couple years ago it was only 60 bucks at the time and surprisingly it’s still working, I’ve let it die so many times over the years
Diehard was a good batter for my Tahoe. Interstate is a pain about to do the warranties. Firestone is using diehard now instead of Interstate they take too long.
Like iv Said before, reasons why autozone is soo much more is because of the convenience factor. They install the battery for you and if you have battery trouble they are more autozones available to go take your battery to get replaced.
Just bought one yesterday, $137.84 with tax (7.75%) in northern California . Customer service at Costco is HANDS DOWN superior to Walmart if you have any issues with your battery.
If you have an odd or unusual battery group size you will get gouged even at Walmart. I paid $150 recently for a basic battery for a Honda Fit at Walmart and the others I could find were in the $200 range The last battery I bought for an older Saturn was only about $50 at Walmart.
Recently toured the new Texas Deka factory for Hazmat planning, they make everyone's battery just about. This facility serves basically Texas. Quality control is on point with them. If you want to try one, no matter what brand it is, there will always be Deka somewhere on the battery. Duracell at Sam's here are good.
Walmart refused to warranty my battery that was less than 1 year old, with a 1 year warranty. I was so mad that I ended up buying a NAPA Legend battery instead. Napa has been great with their 3 year pro-rated warranty. My last Napa battery is 7 years old and still going. I am never going back to Walmart when their batteries don't even last 12 months and they won't warranty them! Walmart used to have good warranty in high school, but not anymore.
I've had to buy 2 batteries recently after like 6 years. Another thing I noticed is the warranties have gotten worse and prices increased! EverStart got rid of the 2 years pro-rate (cant find anyone still offering a pro-rated warranty?). I ended up getting a Motorcraft because a dealer had a sale and it was the same price as Walmart, but hell even Motorcraft got rid of it! Even the pictures on their parts website shows a 5 year + 2 pro-rated, but when I got it its just 3 years! Best battery warranty I can find for any price is 3 years flat.
Warranties are also getting shorter. I remember Pep Boys had like 7 year warranty, with a couple of years pro-rated. Always worked out great when I parked my old car on the street over the winter. Go back in Spring and get a new one. Lol
Just replaced a 12 year old Mopar battery in my Challenger R/T with a AGM I got for $120 after some discount code. And the battery was still working pretty well, just felt it was time to retire it. I do have cheap Walmart battery in 2 other vehicles and they are usually lasting 5 to 8 years for me.
I’m with you on Walmart batts. After having one of the 10 month old, high cost Ford truck batteries explode in my pickup several years ago, I have used Walmart Johnson Controls batteries in all my vehicles. No complaints at all, and Walmart never hesitates to exchange under warranty.
Up to a few years ago the value line on Walmart batteries was only $49!! And from what I understand the price increase from the value to plus to Max it's for the warranty... Not actually the battery quality!!
Dude it's crazy out there, dealership lists an H8 group battery 850cca agm for 400 clams, with which they can fuck right off with. How could anybody stomach that for a freakin battery man.
Ayee just wanted to say great informative video. I was shocked when i had to replace my batteries couple years ago. Had I known at the time walmart prices were better and replacement was just as good if not better than the other box stores. Ida went with those. WIld.
I went to a GM dealer last month and bought a group 75 Delco battery with a 42 month free replacement warranty for 127.00. Oreilly's wanted 230.00 for a group 75 with a 24 month warranty. From now on I'm going to the dealership for my batteries.
Bought a group 94 flooded AC Delco Gold with a 42 month warranty from the GM dealer in my area last week. They installed it for me as well and it only set me back $173. Buying from the dealer really is the way to go on batteries I think.
That’s all I’ve been buying. Are Walmart ever start value batteries for at least 10 years now for multiple vehicles. when I found out Johnson controls makes them and another thing you can’t beat is their super tech motor oil, which is made by warren distribution.
I've bought used batteries at LKQ (pick a part). They now have two options. $35 for a one time purchase (90 day warranty IIRC) and $50 for lifetime replacement. Sometimes they have a huge selection, sometimes not. Most batteries will give you a heads up when they are getting tired. The battery I got was like 8 months old and was one of the Walmart Maxx batteries. Haven't had an issue in 2 +years. It will be interesting to see how carefree they are with swapping out a battery that's not completely dead. They put a huge sticker on the side of the battery so no receipt is required.
You are so right about the walmart battery. I have never had no trouble with a walmart battery, but with a AGM battery you have to charge it at around 15 volt...
I had been buying nothing but Optima red top batteries for more than 25 years. They were about $100 back then, and I was getting 7-8 years out of them, with one lasting almost 11 years. Amazing for the AZ heat. But my last one conked out a year ago at 3 1/2 years, and they had been getting steadily worse leading up to that. And now they are $300, and have a 3 year warranty. It all started when they moved production to Mexico and cheaped them out. So last year I needed two new batteries for my cars. Shopped around and got a NAPA for one and for the other, a Fox Mustang, the cheapest option was... the Ford dealer - buying online and picking it up there. 2 year though, like just about anything. Car batteries have turned into a max profit racket.
Walmart doesn’t like honoring battery warranties. I bought one for my daughters car that went bad about a year later. Went to return it but apparently I bought it in AZ, and i replaced the sticker because it and the branded date code didn’t match. I live in northern Illinois, and screw them for accusing me of being a scammer or thief or whatever they were implying. I’ll never in my life buy another walmart battery. I’ll stick with interstate from now on. I was unaware of how many complaints online there are about walmart and their battery warranty.
I got the Gel Battery from Wal-Mart for my wife's 2020 Camry SE and it has been really good so far we could feel a difference with the cranking power compared to the Toyota Battery. Lets see if it lasts as long as it is supposed to and then we will know.
I concur with you on Walmart batteries 100%. One other place I will say has very good quality, and well-priced batteries is Rural King. They aren't everywhere across the country like Walmart but if you have one in your area I highly recommend their batteries for performance & value.
Agree. I own five older cars. I used to buy only Duralast batteries (because they were fairly high rated, had a decent warranty and I could get it replaced in so many locations), but now they have priced themselves out of my reach. I've been reading about Walmart batteries and I will take my business there now.
I read along time ago, get the cheapest battery for long life that will start your car. The reason is, the cranking amps is determined by the size of the plates in the battery. Higher cranking amps requires longer plates in the battery case. As the battery ages, debris from the plates settle at the bottom of the case and short the cells. A cheap battery will have shorter plates, so the debris don't affect the plates. I've been getting 7 to 10 years from my cheap batteries. Also, sometimes the dealer is cheap. I have a Toyota Tacoma. I was buying parts and asked the Parts guy for a quote and was surprised how competitive it was. It is nice that it fits in the hold down fixture with no problems. Sometimes generic batteries can have problems with installation. Slightly different height or molding differences for bottom clamps.
I work at a Honda dealership, so I use my employee discount to get Honda labeled batteries for ~$100 with a 3 year warranty. That and my little Fit uses a 151R group size battery, which isn't terribly common. We have them because basically all Fits and Insights use that size.
Interstate batteries at Costco! Great price and pretty much a no questions asked return policy! Also great place for a 10 pack of shop towels for around $17. 2 pack of 5 quart Kirkland ( Costco label ) full synthetic dexos motor oil $38.99 ( manufactured by warren ).
Batteries are mostly made by Johnson controls. Same as Wal-Mart,, O'Reilly, AutoZone, Kirtland.. Same battery the only difference is the warranty from the store
Just replaced a Walmart Gold. Was 150. My 2017 Honda CRV is not large. Only have gotten 3 years regardless of brand but living in Florida probably hurts
I replaced my Mazda 3 battery after one year. Purchased a duralast gold and it lasted about 4 years with an aftermarket audio system. Bought another duralast gold and deleted the audio system. I’m at about 5 years now. Still works fine
I have a 2021 Mazda 3 Hatch, what is the deal with these batteries. I've had my car over a year now and my battery has died maybe 4 or 5 times, had to jump it twice last week after not driving for a day. Many ppl having Mazda batteries die fast.
Walmart is best for batteries, oil, refrigerant, wipers, bulbs, etc..... During covid, all of the major parts retailers decided to increase the price of everything 50% or more. I buy all my fluids at Walmart and get all my part off the internet, or from a junkyard. It has to be an emergency for me to buy anywhere else.
A big factor in battery life is its life before you bought it new. If they are allowed to drift below 80% charge on the shelf, they start to sulfate and their life is cut in half. Stores are supposed to recharge them at about 6-8 months so they never go below 80%. One walmart here does just that, the other does not! Unless you check with a multimeter before buying, you might never know it is doomed, because even at 20% it will start your car the first time, and the alternator will fully charge it, destroying the evidence of store neglect. In my case, the battery was only 2 months from manufacture, but the factory did not fully charge it before shipping. So, test with a meter before buying!
I’ve had the best luck with Walmart batteries. I have an 03 bmw that sits in the garage for half the year. Has an H8 group battery which indeed is one of the bigger sizes available but has not failed in 8-9 years now and still going strong.
Deka makes some of the best batteries on the market, the Duralast was made by Deka, I don't know if they still are today. Deka is out of Pennsylvania. Johnson Controls makes batteries as well but their quality is not as good as Deka.
Hello Matt Very informative on the batteries thank you. I’d like to ask you what direction I should purchase on my dual battery setup for my 2004 GMC Yukon XLT? I’d like how you setup yours on your Tahoe. What brand should I go with on the batteries for my SUV? Kevin in Northern California
If you do dual batteries definitely add an isolator. I’m planning an update video where I’ll install one. I’ve been having issues where one battery was weak and not holding a charge. For brand it seems like Costco is a safe bet for both price and performance.
I just went through the exact same thing steps with my 6 year old pickup. you are right. everything else cost near $200. I bought the $70 Walmart battery, 1 year warranty. I feel better having listened to you.
Speaking as a former auto parts store employee of 3 different companies, most new batteries you find in the wild were in fact made by Johnson Controls. The one exception is O'Reilly. There are one or two of their batteries made by Johnson Controls, but the majority of them are made by a different company.
The last battery I bought was a flooded Interstate MT-27 in 2020 (March), about $100. The batteries today are at their WORST for quality, warranty, and price. They ALL switched to pretty much a straight warranty with no proration. The prices have been going up for a while. One of the biggest changes is the use of recycled lead which is a lot lower quality than pure or virgin lead which is still used in some high end batteries. My recommendation is to buy the cheapest battery you can find that meets your specs. You're paying for the warranty mostly. About 6 years ago I was on a trip and my battery died. I walked into an Auto Zone nearby and was shocked that the batteries (then) were running $200. I saw a marine group 27 (my size) for I think $69-$89 (I don't recall) but it was WAYYY cheaper than the regular car battery. I asked the guy the difference and he said it was only a 1 year warranty. I said I'll take it. I may jinx myself by saying this it's still in my car today since 2018.
Matt I just want to say thank you for giving me some advice on my old 2001 Tahoe, but I just had this conversation with myself yesterday while buying a battery for my 98 Tahoe. I completely agree with you I got the cheapest battery with a 3-month warranty because I know it'll at least last me the next 3 years
I experienced this recently. Here in Canada we pay more for stuff to begin with. I ended up buying a "Kirkland" battery from Costco, with my $ 27 loyalty coupon. It was still about $ 130 Canadian, but that's under $ 100 US. Not bad for 800 CCA. Not sure about the warranty.
Spoke with a guy who worked with battery distributors at parts store, I brought back a battery that barely made it two whole years, he said the newer batteries have way less lead plating inside and wear out quicker and they charge you twice as much.
Great video! Sadly, with all the electronics in vehicles these days the batteries just do not last like they use to. I have tried every brand out there in my personal companies work fleet (I own 13 trucks), and as electronics have become the norm these batteries just do not last. My workers are drawing on them all day with their plug in phones, I have light bars, pulling energy from constantly starting all day long. I will say I have switched over to Odyssey Extreme series batteries and they do last longer. They cost more though....a lot more. $425 is what I paid for the last one, but they will go 5 plus years unlike everything else. As business owner I cannot have a truck going down over a battery that costs me money, so I am happy to spend a little more money on the battery knowing it isn't going to go out on me the second it starts getting cold here in Texas....like my wife's Acura did yesterday!
Be very careful on a newer car, CCA is important but reserve capacity is probably more important. I’ve seen customers install inexpensive batteries in theirs cars and the battery goes dead if the car sits for a week, they think they have a parasitic drain but it’s just the normal drain to keep all the computer and telematics systems running and the cheap battery can’t handle it.
I live right on the border in southwest Arizona, so I ended up buying a battery on the Mexico side of the fence once just to get the car running and get home. It’s a brand called LTH, they’re everywhere in Mex. Those are actually great batteries and the company has good warranty and pro-rating. So whenever I need a battery for the wife’s car I hop the fence and hit up the LTH distributor. The Walmart batteries are pretty good and I’ve put them usually in the work commuter. No complaints whatsoever with them!
Been buying Walmart batteries for a long time. They have had to replace a few under warranty, but hey no one is perfect. Maybe I should only get 1 year battery for the price difference.
I use the cheapest Walmart battery 69 dollars, and it has lasted me longer than the first more expensive one that came with the car, I get about 4 years and 3 or 4 months with these batteries, that works just fine. The thing I don't like, is that all car parts stores and including Walmart always tell me they should use the OEM battery, which is total bs.
I’ve had good luck with Walmart and Sam’s Club (Duracell / Energizer branded) batteries as well. If I had a Costco near me, I would run their batteries too. AC Delco has always had good batteries in my experience. Not sure if I would order from Amazon, but Summit Racing at least will provide a warranty on the AC Delco batteries they sell unlike Amazon.
I use Motorcraft AGM batteries. Not cheapest ..not most expensive. Everyone ive had lasted 6yrs minimum! I think supplier is Johnson Controls > Fords specs.
For some reason I kept referring to the non AGM batteries as lead acid, but what I meant to say was “flooded.” Both AGM and flooded batteries are lead acid, the AGM’s just use glass mat to hold the solution. Flooded batteries have the acid sloshing around inside like some sort of poisonous fish bowl. Anyway battery prices are out of control. I’ll continue to take my chances with the cheapest of the cheap. How about you?
Prices have gone way up and my experience with batteries now the quality has declined significantly
@@adamt5022Oh yeah its ridiculous
Had to replace my Duralast Gold just last week. It didn't even make it 3 years so I got a freebie
Get a desulfate charger. They are fantastic
I've had the same luck, all junk now. I had a optima red for 15 years. Was still going when I sold the car. Now it doesn't matter how much you pay.
Batteries used to last 5 years, almost on the dot, that’s been my experience. Now, it’s like 3 years. Nothing is built the same anymore.
I've had 2 AC Delco batteries that have lasted a decade. When I had to replace the one out of my moms equinox in 2020, I couldn't believe it was the original battery.
The oldest battery I'd seen that would still start the engine was around 11 or 12 years. I've seen batteries from the Honda and Subaru dealership crap out in just about 2 years. This is why for my personal vehicles that I make my own lithium packs with surplus cells that waaaaaay out perform lead acid and cost less, even used cells!
I have seen some exceed 8 years conservatively. I saw a 2013 sticker in 2021. The brand was either Interstate or a Diehard.
I've had several Delco batteries last 7-8 years. The auto zone batteries has been the replacement. They last just as long
My Caterpillar batteries are pushing 20 years... Nest batt on the planet
You are completely right. Autozone and auto parts stores are completely robbing people for their money. Alternators, starters, batteries, spark plug. They are often triple or quadruple the price as walmart and rock auto for the exact same parts. If a part is worth $60 or $70 they charge $200 or $250 at autozone, it is completely ridiculous. They are preying on people who need a part fast and can't wait a couple days for shipping so they get you. It is really sad because these big chains put the small mom and pop parts store ouut of business that had people who actually knew about cars. It's really sad.
While I agree about the part about prices being higher than online/Walmart, places like AutoZone, Advance, Napa, O’Rileys, etc are there for convenience. Put it to you this way; someone only has one car that that car busts and they need a part ASAP; do they wait 3-7 days for RockAuto to deliver it for $70 plus shipping/tax or would they rather go to a brick and mortar location 3 miles away and pay $170 plus tax yet they get it the same day to get the car repaired and operable? It’s like Uber Eats, DoorDash and other delivery/convenience services; you’d still have pay a significantly higher price for the same product/service. You don’t go to 7-11, Wawa or the local corner store to do your whole family’s grocery shopping now do you? Everything’s a convenience nowadays and physical brick and mortar auto parts stores are just that; a convenience. Yes I’d much rather save money and buy online/at a cheaper store but that’s not always gonna work out for many people. Not everyone can afford to wait to get their vehicle back into service so they gotta suck it up and pay the higher premium for something they may have been able to buy online at a cheaper price. So what you may believe is price gouging may still be absolutely true in a lot of cases, think of this whenever using a convenience service/product.
@@GlamrockFoxy Damn good points.
It may very well be a response to exactly what you described. With cheap online retailers eating their lunch, they may be being pushed into taking advantage of those who need the part TODAY in order to stay profitable. It might not be that brick and mortar stores are ripping people off, but rather doing what they must to survive as an option for those who need to be able to pick up a part same day.
I agree but at the same time it’s convenient think about being on a road trip you gonna find a chain easier
@@paulmadsen51 Some people need consultation too. The thing is, lifer parts guys are getting rarer because of the disappearance of the independent parts store. here I live, there are only four parts stores available, NAPA, Autozone, O'Rielly's and Advance (formerly Carquest). All chains, of course.
A couple of the local stores have veteran parts guys, but you don't know if they are going be working when you walk in. One guy can't work 90 hours a week. These chains aren't going to pay someone enough to make a career out of it either. What many people don't know about these stores is that repair shops buy parts from them and that sales to shops is a good portion of their business. The chains are content to have their clerks just be order takers.
as someone who works at autozone the amount of people I have sent to walmart for batteries probably outnumbers how many I have sold in my almost 3 years at the company
As a former employee at several parts stores I agree on that. On top of that the markup on batteries is absurd. The store cost/employee cost for a basic flooded group 75 3 year warranty battery is under $90. Yet walk-in price is $200. Absolute bs and price gouging
@@samir5717 it's not it's called margin , they are in business to make money
Oil too.
Great. Your honest. Important trait. 💯
@@drz400sm5 Yup. Can get Motorcraft filters there consistently & Pennzoil Platinum for my trusty '22 F150 Tremor 4wd truck.
Love it. I've subbed to Project Farm as well, and when most people throw out brand names and they don't realize there are only 3 different battery manufacturers, what you claim to like, may be the same exact batter(I don't know that for sure). Plus another thing to think about: Walmart can flat move some volume. The battery you get from there has probably had less shelf time than the old dusty one from an auto parts store. Something to think about.
Scotty Kilmer has said to make sure you get a FRESH battery and Walmart batteries have a date sticker on the top of them so you know how fresh they are.
@@WhittyPicsScotty Kilmer is a joke. I can't believe anyone would willingly watch that clown. All battteries have date codes on them. So Kilmer did tell anyone anything.
Another thing to remember is that Project Farm did his Battery evaluation > 3 years ago and unfortunately the market has changed considerably between then and now. What was discussed as good then is probably no longer the case.
Steve, its actually the opposite. I've been to walmart many times over the years looking for batteries, and their batteries sit for a long time. I work in a busy auto parts chain and guarantee you, if you have a common car that take a common battery, it will be fresh.
Project Farm's reviews I feel are the best. Regarding his Automotive Battery reviews, they were done > 3 years ago and the industry has changed dramatically since then. I suggested he update the Battery review and he agreed it was a good idea, I just hope it gets into the que sometime....
I just bought a Walmart AGM, after trying many other brands over the decades. My experience with car batteries is that a battery typically craps out 1 month after the warranty is up, no matter the brand, type, length of warranty or price.
As someone who works for a auto retail store, advance auto, autozone, O’Reillys, Napa, and Walmart all share the exact same battery with a different label on it. Made in the same place, I’ve even had batteries come in on truck that had a Walmart sticker on top and a duralast sticker on the side.
Johnson controls, East Penn and stryten/deka. They’re not all made in the same facility, although the practice of making the same battery technology is shared and not copywritten in anyway. Lead acid and agm being what I’m referring too. So making batteries is a simple process and not a trade secret between parent companies, and you definitely do not get what u pay for in terms of cost vs lifetime of said battery, most people don’t treat them the way they should be in colder/frozen climates and in the extreme hot areas. Most people assume they’re gonna be just fine regardless of the climate….wrong and blame the manufacturer before taking into consideration their ignorant self for not knowing how to maintain a battery. There are a few diff smaller manufacturers that make specialty/racing batteries that are in their own space and their price point reflects that. Those aren’t realistic for the daily driver or average consumer.
Pretty much the entire aftermarket is just the same stuff sold everywhere. It's all the same brands just sold at different places.
@@cavalierliberty6838 that is not the case in alot of high performance parts
I’m a big fan of East Penn, in my area I have found that Walmart Everstart Maxx and sams club Duracell are the both top tier batteries from them. Series 75 batteries are about $139 while the same battery at a parts store is over $200 easily.
Oreillys owns their own battery company.
I work at O'Reilly's, and every single day I look at the prices on batteries and every day i can't believe they are that expensive.
What do you think about the quality? And O'Reilly has good service, I think. Don't you install them (on most vehicles) immediately? That has value, too.
No hate on you but oreillys sucks 😂😂
@@josephdavis1087 I know. I work there. Lol. All auto parts corporations are sh**.
It wasn't THAT long ago that a a 60 month warranty (12 month free replacement) battery cost $39.99 w/exchange. There was some kind of legislation that passed in the early to mid 2000s that affected EVERYTHING that contained lead. Most famously for a short time small dirt bikes for kids were off the market because of the lead in the starting batteries. as I also worked at O'Reilly's at the time I remember another effect was that the core charges on batteries we charged were required to increase to provide more of an incentive for the customer to return their old batteries, thereby reducing the chances they might be discarded in any other way. The core charge went from $6.00 to $10.00 at the time. When I left in 2020 the core charge was up to $20.00. Other effects were that the cost of batteries began to go higher and higher, increasing almost every few months. And then the warranties got worse and worse. In 2010 our best battery had an 84 month warranty with a three year free exchange built in, for $89.99 w/exchange. Previous to the legislation I mentioned (I couldn't find the name of the bill, but it was federal) battery prices had been stable for a long time. I don't know if it was related, but also at about the same time a lot of other changes happened with other types of products...you can't buy good paint any more, some adhesives were forced off the market. Other products had to be reformulated to meet the new regulations and now suck...they aren't near as good as those they replaced.
As far as O'Reilly's goes, I have no idea how that company is still in business. I started in the auto parts business in 1988 at Kragen Auto Parts in San Jose, CA. O'Relly's bought us out in 2007 after our parent company, CSK Automotive, was sunk by some thieving regional managers (that got away with it). O'Reilly's has some extremely wasteful, slow, and dumb procedures as it related to operating their stores. And right now their prices are so far above what anyone can find online from Amazon and others, it's like they don't even care if they fail. I'm pretty sure the whole thing is an Enron-like scam, but that's just a hunch...
$79 carburetor amazon and ebay at O'reilly is $325
There are only 3 battery manufacturers in the US. East Penn (Deka), Exide, and Johnson Controls (Everstart, Duralast, Costco Interstate, and a bunch of other private labels). Contrary to popular belief, Interstate does not manufacture batteries. Interstate is a marketing/distribution company, Interstate batteries are primarily made by Exide and Johnson Controls.
No matter what battery you purchase it is made by one of these 3. As for warranties, the batteries are for the most part all constructed the same, so the price difference between the same bci group/same brand with more warranty is the the cost of the warranty itself.
Clarios took over Johnson Controls a few years ago.
I’ve seen “ mfg in Mexico “ stamped on new interstate batteries.
Well, there are also Odyssey and NorthStar (both Ener Sys owned) batteries, of which almost all are made in the U.S.
@@Eddievoneddie13 Funny you should mention that. I got an Odyssey battery in today. It tested bad at 11 months old. I have no idea where he got it but I told him to try to find that receipt because that's a $250 battery. It's been a while since I had seen one. We used to use those in the race cars. Now I'm curious if their quality fell off a cliff like Optima or it was a fluke.
@Radioman.Crown batteries are crap
So in the 80's I was a auto tech for Goodyear. Back then they had 40, 50 and 60 month batteries 39.99, 49.99 and 59.99. I watched our battery vendor back his van up to our battery storage rack and re stock it. He took the same battery with no stickers and would put the sticker on the battery needed for what ever month battery he was stocking. I went over and asked him,You're using the same battery for everything? He said yes, you're paying for the warranty. Since then I always just buy the cheaper one.
Yeah you said they’re advertised by months not power.
Good point. I'm glad you shared that. It makes sense.
Same with water heaters
They use to be but now the weight is way off unless they purposely put more lead in the bottom.@@TheMainLead
"Pumping out the same battery and just putting different stickers." YOU NAILED IT! They are all made in Monterey, Mexico by Clarios, The new name for Johnson Controls Batteries. Competition is history; that explains the price increases.
just picked up a walmart group h8 agm "made in germany" stamped on it....
I purchased an Odyssey battery for $300 in 2020. it is still going strong. Odyssey batteries are made by EnerSys Energy Products, a global leader in automotive, military and industrial applications.
@@michaelcrockette8694 a premium battery from just about any manufacturer will last around 5 years depending on where you live mostly dependent on temperature, the hotter the shorter life. most batteries are made by the same manufacturer just rebranded. the agm batteries from walmart, diehard and duralast all comes off the same production line. just look at them. they are literally exactly the same with very different prices. I only buy agm
Eastpenn*
Battery prices are crazy. $150 to $200 all day long. I bought a good used one for $40 bucks at my local junk yard. Works great, going on three years . Screw the big box stores.
Yep, just like everything else. I remember when you could get a "Blem" battery from Interstate for $25, $25! Those days are LONG gone.
Yeah but they shouldn't be, everything is a rigged market because the people refuse to rise up and demand better service, products and government.. they just accept it as an oh well.
You voted for them days to be gone . Enjoy 😉
Yup got one back in 2017 (blemished) from interstate still running strong in my 2001 Toyota Sequoia
I only bye from W/m or interstate
@@justinpennington7682population rises as does inflation
I have a green top Interstate battery from 2001 that still works
I recently bought one of those Everstart AGM batteries from Walmart. Best deal by far and holding up well so far. Good warranty.
I've been liking the recent videos! I personally buy my battery's used at my local U-pull yard for $30! They have a 90 day warranty and all of them are at a set price. Meaning you could get a newer platinum battery, for example for just $30. The AC Delco one I got for my 2000 2500 Silverado has been working great for 6 months so far!
I have an EverStart battery in my silverado thats 11 years old. I laugh every time I change a battery in my family vehicles and yet my old walmart one keeps going. I attribute it to the fact that my truck is a an old fleet truck with no electric gadgets and no power windows or locks.
I got a Recycled Battery for my 93 Pathfinder at Stuarts Auto Supply in Salem OR for $39.95 and have had it for 7 years keeps on going, I saw a $300.00 Die Hard Battery today at Advance Auto parts
AC Delco used to make the Freedom battery that was very affordable and lasted close to the 84 month prorated warranty. They quit selling it through consumer retailers and sold it through only repair shops sometime in the 2000s. Sears Diehard gold was also an excellent affordable line until Sears went bust and Advance Auto started selling Diehard batteries. With any brand, odds are it is just a Johnson Controls battery with a different label on it. Walmart has the best value now but they have raised their prices significantly in the last few years.
Menards sells them now
Had a Champion, Group 78, 800 CCA, that lasted for almost 6 years. If I recall I gave $166 for it. When it took a dive last week I didn't have time to shop around. Replaced it with a DieHard Gold with the same specs. 3 year warranty. $219
The DieHard Silver, 800 CCA, was $199 wih a 2 year warranty, while the DieHard Red, 650 CCA, was $139 with a 1 year warranty.
The cheapest no-name battery they had was $89, 650 CCA, with a 90 day warranty.
Who knows how long the new one will last. Nothing lasts like it used to.
I had a Napa Legend battery last 8 years (still have it and may try to charge it back to life), so i bought another one. It was expensive ($200), but the old one lasted on my weekend car without a tender for all those years. Hopefully the new one was manufactured similarly to the old.
That being said, i like the wal mart idea vs other parts stores. Great content!
I got my start at Sears in the late '90s. There are only a handful of companies making batteries. None are perfect. I tend to get the Duracell at Sam's Club when they are on sale. They are Deka. One good reason to go to a place like Walmart is that they go through a lot of batteries so you aren't going to get one that has been sitting on the shelf for months.
Here in Wisconsin at Farm & Fleet you can buy a flooded battery with a 7yr warranty(3yr replacement) for $159 and an AGM with an 8yr warranty for $209.
The best AutoZone can do is a 3yr warranty for $154 on the same battery.
Hell yeah I'm Wisconsin born and raised and I love blains farm and fleet!
(Not to be confused with fleet farm!!!)
I have their gold line battery (3 year warranty I think)
Got it for 110 after core return in mid 2020 and it's still going strong fingers crossed!
I had great success with the Walmart EverStart Maxx batteries ! I own several vehicles and I'm getting 5 and 6 years with those batteries !
Me too!
I recently replaced a Maxx battery that tested bad. Walmart honored their 3 year warranty n replaced it for free. I then reset the nissan rogue setting to turn off the lights when the engine is shut off instead of after 45 seconds. We'll see how this works.
@@timtitus6846 Glad they honored your warranty !
My EverStart MAXX is going on 5 years, finally tested bad but the car still starts up instantly. Want to get another, but they have been out of stock for a long time now..
@@da1247 Check out other Walmarts !
I always buy AC Delco. I've gotten up to 10 years on them and still start my truck when pulled out of service.
Where do you buy AC Delco?
@@ofacesig I have a parts guy at a GM dealer that gets me wholesale price, also many discount auto parts stores carry AC Delco. Only battery I buy.
I had an ACDelco battery last 10 years in a really old lawn mower.
@@ofacesigMenards has some AC Delco batteries, if you have one near by.
My last AC delco battery lasted less than 3 years. I buy the Walmart batteries now. I could have bought 2 batteries from Walmart for what I paid for the AC delco.
I got 5 years out of my first Duralast battery, and 7 years out of my second Duralast battery from Autozone. Because I put them in myself. After Duralast I went to an Interstate battery because an Autozone was not nearby I got 6 years out of the Interstate battery.
I remember car batteries were like $39.99 lol 😂
I was furious when napa brand oil went from $0.99 to $1.09 to $1.19. haha
Pre Covid, those Walmart batteries were $45. They sometimes were called Valupower labels instead of Everstart. Depended on the store. Now they say Everstart in big letters and value in small letters and cost $70. Great value (no pun intended) compared to any other parts store batteries either way.
You voted for this mess . Enjoy 😊
@@justinpennington7682Yes sir that's joeynomics wrkn
Yes. When I was a teen, I bought a battery for my 1964 Chevelle from Sears. It was either a 2 or 3 year, for $39.99. Die Hards were more expensive, but they were worth it. They usually last longer.
I recently had to buy a battery for my Kia Soul. It was $159 from Walmart..
I have an EVERSTART on my mower. It's always gotten a trickle charge in the winter just once and then again in spring. This battery has a sticker on it from 9-14..which is 9.5 years. 😮 Take care of em and they'll last longer
Nailed it! How long a lead acid battery lasts totally depends on how well you maintain its state of charge.
yeah, mower batteries NEED trickle chargers or solar chargers
I am 63 years old, when I was a broke teenager you could buy a battery for 40 dollars but we did not do that, 40 bucks could buy a lot of things back then, I cleaned the plates with a 200 amp charger or drained them completely and charged them reverse polarity, it does work even today, makes it like a new battery, now that they are 2 or 3 hundred dollars, time to do it again
Yup, still works because the technology and science behind it hasn’t changed at all, it just more expensive just because. Same batteries they had 50 years ago that keep getting recycled and put into new plastic boxes with a new sticker.
yes time to get out of the throw away mentality, and start re using things@@Omardottcom
5 to 10 years ago you could get a brand new battery at AutoZone for less than 50. Remanned were like 25.
I bought my 2004 Golf 3.5 years ago with a 100% dead battery. I bought new battery from the VW dealer for $160. It just stop working and I went back and bought another one for $190. Autozone wanted $200 3.5 years ago. I didn't even check this time.
Love the video! Cant say I have had the same luck with Walmart batteries . Usually only last a year and then have to return them. They were good about honoring warranties but then recently it’s been a pain. Could just be where I live and how I take care of the battery. But they have been living up to the nickname NeverStart
I have been getting ACDelco batteries from Menards when they have the 11% rebate and since I am using money there anyways the rebates come in handy when I got house repairs etc.
I used Wal-Mart for a while. Then I had a series of them fail (in my GMT 800 no less) and the warranty process is such a pain. Each time it took me over an hour to get it warrantied. The time saved from failure is worth spending a couple extra bucks at the auto store.
But it’s not a few extra bucks. It’s literally twice the price. 😂
Just bought a $130 Walmart battery with a 3-year full replacement warranty for my Yukon. Similar batteries at the parts stores was around 200 for the same warranty.
Yes sir I paid $225 for a 3 year warranty battery for my F-150 at Autozone. In 2019 I paid $139 for a 4 year battery at the same store.
G'morning from Boise ID Matt ☕☕ 🤠 . I've been a Die hard / Duracell guy for a long time. But as of late I just got a $140 Everstart for my 98' Blazer and I've had good luck with Super Start batteries lately 🤠 ..
I bought one of the econocraft batteries a couple years ago it was only 60 bucks at the time and surprisingly it’s still working, I’ve let it die so many times over the years
Diehard was a good batter for my Tahoe. Interstate is a pain about to do the warranties. Firestone is using diehard now instead of Interstate they take too long.
That is because the EPA drove most battery manufacturing “OFF SHORE” because of lead. Besides batteries are used to start gas cars!
Good point. I think this has happened in a lot of industries.
Most EVs have a 12v battery too.
Like iv Said before, reasons why autozone is soo much more is because of the convenience factor. They install the battery for you and if you have battery trouble they are more autozones available to go take your battery to get replaced.
the costco batteries are pretty good with a relatively low price
Costco changed their Interstate warranty from full 3 year replacement to 3 year pro-rated.
I was going to buy a Walmart battery but the Costco Interstate battery was around ten bucks cheaper.
@@sergiopereziiiyeah they did. That kinda sucks. Good batteries though.
Just bought one yesterday, $137.84 with tax (7.75%) in northern California .
Customer service at Costco is HANDS DOWN superior to Walmart if you have any issues with your battery.
Yeah was about to mention Costco, got good deal on them
If you have an odd or unusual battery group size you will get gouged even at Walmart. I paid $150 recently for a basic battery for a Honda Fit at Walmart and the others I could find were in the $200 range The last battery I bought for an older Saturn was only about $50 at Walmart.
Recently toured the new Texas Deka factory for Hazmat planning, they make everyone's battery just about. This facility serves basically Texas. Quality control is on point with them. If you want to try one, no matter what brand it is, there will always be Deka somewhere on the battery. Duracell at Sam's here are good.
Just to add some info to this. Another awesome value for batteries is Rural King. They got a group 75 with a 60 month limited warranty for 54.99
A lot of people have mentioned that. Unfortunately I don’t have a Rural King over here to try them out.
I hear you brother, battery prices are out of control. 😮
Walmart refused to warranty my battery that was less than 1 year old, with a 1 year warranty. I was so mad that I ended up buying a NAPA Legend battery instead. Napa has been great with their 3 year pro-rated warranty. My last Napa battery is 7 years old and still going. I am never going back to Walmart when their batteries don't even last 12 months and they won't warranty them! Walmart used to have good warranty in high school, but not anymore.
I've had to buy 2 batteries recently after like 6 years. Another thing I noticed is the warranties have gotten worse and prices increased! EverStart got rid of the 2 years pro-rate (cant find anyone still offering a pro-rated warranty?). I ended up getting a Motorcraft because a dealer had a sale and it was the same price as Walmart, but hell even Motorcraft got rid of it! Even the pictures on their parts website shows a 5 year + 2 pro-rated, but when I got it its just 3 years! Best battery warranty I can find for any price is 3 years flat.
Modern cars have way too many electronics.
Warranties are also getting shorter. I remember Pep Boys had like 7 year warranty, with a couple of years pro-rated. Always worked out great when I parked my old car on the street over the winter. Go back in Spring and get a new one. Lol
Agree. Just bought the same Walmart battery for my sierra for the reason you described.
Just replaced a 12 year old Mopar battery in my Challenger R/T with a AGM I got for $120 after some discount code. And the battery was still working pretty well, just felt it was time to retire it. I do have cheap Walmart battery in 2 other vehicles and they are usually lasting 5 to 8 years for me.
Costco warranty is sick , I am on my third free replacement ,no testing, no questions 🤪
Call up your local costco tire and ask about the interstate battery warranty and you will see the policy changed to 3 yr pro rated only
That sounds sustainable.
Thanks for your honesty; it's refreshing to hear indignation about the price gouging since COVID.
I've been tryna keep Walmart a secret then here you come delete this video 😂😂😂😂
Keep ur neverstart trash.
@@HOSSgaragelol. Waste your money then. I’ll keep paying $75 (at most) for my batteries that have always lasted at least five years.
Frfr
Yeah because Walmart has a super limited amount of batteries they can get.
@HOSSgarage I've had good luck with EverStart as well. Idk why you think it's a fairy tale when people are talking about their personal experiences.
I’m with you on Walmart batts. After having one of the 10 month old, high cost Ford truck batteries explode in my pickup several years ago, I have used Walmart Johnson Controls batteries in all my vehicles. No complaints at all, and Walmart never hesitates to exchange under warranty.
Loving the videos and the frequency lol.
Up to a few years ago the value line on Walmart batteries was only $49!! And from what I understand the price increase from the value to plus to Max it's for the warranty... Not actually the battery quality!!
Dude it's crazy out there, dealership lists an H8 group battery 850cca agm for 400 clams, with which they can fuck right off with. How could anybody stomach that for a freakin battery man.
Ayee just wanted to say great informative video. I was shocked when i had to replace my batteries couple years ago. Had I known at the time walmart prices were better and replacement was just as good if not better than the other box stores. Ida went with those. WIld.
I’ve been successfully running Walmart batteries for the last 20 years straight….ZERO complaints from these dead reliable products!
Look into lifepo4 batteries, the initial cost is Alot but in most cases, it will outlast the vehicle before you need to replace it
I went to a GM dealer last month and bought a group 75 Delco battery with a 42 month free replacement warranty for 127.00. Oreilly's wanted 230.00 for a group 75 with a 24 month warranty. From now on I'm going to the dealership for my batteries.
Bought a group 94 flooded AC Delco Gold with a 42 month warranty from the GM dealer in my area last week. They installed it for me as well and it only set me back $173. Buying from the dealer really is the way to go on batteries I think.
I have always used Walmart batteries and they are great.
@milanlatona7363That's Chevy for you I will never buy another one!
I've seen some decent price and warranty batteries in costco. But walmart is a close second
Lead,acid and plastic,don't know what label will be slapped on them.
That’s all I’ve been buying. Are Walmart ever start value batteries for at least 10 years now for multiple vehicles. when I found out Johnson controls makes them and another thing you can’t beat is their super tech motor oil, which is made by warren distribution.
Dude’s thumbnail game has been elite lately 😂
I've bought used batteries at LKQ (pick a part). They now have two options. $35 for a one time purchase (90 day warranty IIRC) and $50 for lifetime replacement. Sometimes they have a huge selection, sometimes not. Most batteries will give you a heads up when they are getting tired. The battery I got was like 8 months old and was one of the Walmart Maxx batteries. Haven't had an issue in 2 +years. It will be interesting to see how carefree they are with swapping out a battery that's not completely dead. They put a huge sticker on the side of the battery so no receipt is required.
You are so right about the walmart battery. I have never had no trouble with a walmart battery, but with a AGM battery you have to charge it at around 15 volt...
One of the main reasons is they go through so many, they don't sit for a year +.
I had been buying nothing but Optima red top batteries for more than 25 years. They were about $100 back then, and I was getting 7-8 years out of them, with one lasting almost 11 years. Amazing for the AZ heat. But my last one conked out a year ago at 3 1/2 years, and they had been getting steadily worse leading up to that. And now they are $300, and have a 3 year warranty. It all started when they moved production to Mexico and cheaped them out. So last year I needed two new batteries for my cars. Shopped around and got a NAPA for one and for the other, a Fox Mustang, the cheapest option was... the Ford dealer - buying online and picking it up there. 2 year though, like just about anything. Car batteries have turned into a max profit racket.
Walmart doesn’t like honoring battery warranties. I bought one for my daughters car that went bad about a year later. Went to return it but apparently I bought it in AZ, and i replaced the sticker because it and the branded date code didn’t match. I live in northern Illinois, and screw them for accusing me of being a scammer or thief or whatever they were implying. I’ll never in my life buy another walmart battery. I’ll stick with interstate from now on. I was unaware of how many complaints online there are about walmart and their battery warranty.
I bought a Diehard platinum non-agm recently for about $230 because it had the best warranty and I hate dead batteries
$89.99 For the Interstate battery in the Trans am with a 3 year warranty at Costco
I got the Gel Battery from Wal-Mart for my wife's 2020 Camry SE and it has been really good so far we could feel a difference with the cranking power compared to the Toyota Battery. Lets see if it lasts as long as it is supposed to and then we will know.
I concur with you on Walmart batteries 100%. One other place I will say has very good quality, and well-priced batteries is Rural King. They aren't everywhere across the country like Walmart but if you have one in your area I highly recommend their batteries for performance & value.
Agree. I own five older cars. I used to buy only Duralast batteries (because they were fairly high rated, had a decent warranty and I could get it replaced in so many locations), but now they have priced themselves out of my reach. I've been reading about Walmart batteries and I will take my business there now.
I read along time ago, get the cheapest battery for long life that will start your car. The reason is, the cranking amps is determined by the size of the plates in the battery. Higher cranking amps requires longer plates in the battery case. As the battery ages, debris from the plates settle at the bottom of the case and short the cells. A cheap battery will have shorter plates, so the debris don't affect the plates. I've been getting 7 to 10 years from my cheap batteries. Also, sometimes the dealer is cheap. I have a Toyota Tacoma. I was buying parts and asked the Parts guy for a quote and was surprised how competitive it was. It is nice that it fits in the hold down fixture with no problems. Sometimes generic batteries can have problems with installation. Slightly different height or molding differences for bottom clamps.
I work at a Honda dealership, so I use my employee discount to get Honda labeled batteries for ~$100 with a 3 year warranty. That and my little Fit uses a 151R group size battery, which isn't terribly common. We have them because basically all Fits and Insights use that size.
I have a 2016 Tacoma.Got 7 years on the original battery . I live in the northeast.
Interstate batteries at Costco! Great price and pretty much a no questions asked return policy! Also great place for a 10 pack of shop towels for around $17. 2 pack of 5 quart Kirkland ( Costco label ) full synthetic dexos motor oil $38.99 ( manufactured by warren ).
I was buying Walmart batteries until I discovered Costco batteries.
Webrestaurant store, dozen of GREAT white cotton red stripe towels for $6.99 - others for less. Like the price of toilet paper!
Batteries are mostly made by Johnson controls. Same as Wal-Mart,, O'Reilly, AutoZone, Kirtland.. Same battery the only difference is the warranty from the store
Just replaced a Walmart Gold. Was 150. My 2017 Honda CRV is not large. Only have gotten 3 years regardless of brand but living in Florida probably hurts
I replaced my Mazda 3 battery after one year. Purchased a duralast gold and it lasted about 4 years with an aftermarket audio system. Bought another duralast gold and deleted the audio system. I’m at about 5 years now. Still works fine
I have a 2021 Mazda 3 Hatch, what is the deal with these batteries. I've had my car over a year now and my battery has died maybe 4 or 5 times, had to jump it twice last week after not driving for a day. Many ppl having Mazda batteries die fast.
Walmart is best for batteries, oil, refrigerant, wipers, bulbs, etc..... During covid, all of the major parts retailers decided to increase the price of everything 50% or more. I buy all my fluids at Walmart and get all my part off the internet, or from a junkyard. It has to be an emergency for me to buy anywhere else.
A big factor in battery life is its life before you bought it new. If they are allowed to drift below 80% charge on the shelf, they start to sulfate and their life is cut in half. Stores are supposed to recharge them at about 6-8 months so they never go below 80%. One walmart here does just that, the other does not! Unless you check with a multimeter before buying, you might never know it is doomed, because even at 20% it will start your car the first time, and the alternator will fully charge it, destroying the evidence of store neglect. In my case, the battery was only 2 months from manufacture, but the factory did not fully charge it before shipping. So, test with a meter before buying!
I’ve had the best luck with Walmart batteries. I have an 03 bmw that sits in the garage for half the year. Has an H8 group battery which indeed is one of the bigger sizes available but has not failed in 8-9 years now and still going strong.
An Everstart Maxx lasted 9 years in my old Toyota pickup. Just put one in my 2018 Versa and was surprised that it cost $160 for that little battery!
Deka makes some of the best batteries on the market, the Duralast was made by Deka, I don't know if they still are today. Deka is out of Pennsylvania. Johnson Controls makes batteries as well but their quality is not as good as Deka.
East Penn is the best and they make Deja. Clarios took over the Battery Division of Johnson Control
Hello Matt
Very informative on the batteries thank you. I’d like to ask you what direction I should purchase on my dual battery setup for my 2004 GMC Yukon XLT? I’d like how you setup yours on your Tahoe. What brand should I go with on the batteries for my SUV?
Kevin in Northern California
If you do dual batteries definitely add an isolator. I’m planning an update video where I’ll install one. I’ve been having issues where one battery was weak and not holding a charge. For brand it seems like Costco is a safe bet for both price and performance.
@@lsxmatt
Ok Matt, no hurry on this end. I’ll standby for the video on the update.
Thanks for getting back.
Kevin
I just went through the exact same thing steps with my 6 year old pickup. you are right. everything else cost near $200. I bought the $70 Walmart battery, 1 year warranty. I feel better having listened to you.
Speaking as a former auto parts store employee of 3 different companies, most new batteries you find in the wild were in fact made by Johnson Controls. The one exception is O'Reilly. There are one or two of their batteries made by Johnson Controls, but the majority of them are made by a different company.
The last battery I bought was a flooded Interstate MT-27 in 2020 (March), about $100. The batteries today are at their WORST for quality, warranty, and price. They ALL switched to pretty much a straight warranty with no proration. The prices have been going up for a while. One of the biggest changes is the use of recycled lead which is a lot lower quality than pure or virgin lead which is still used in some high end batteries. My recommendation is to buy the cheapest battery you can find that meets your specs. You're paying for the warranty mostly.
About 6 years ago I was on a trip and my battery died. I walked into an Auto Zone nearby and was shocked that the batteries (then) were running $200. I saw a marine group 27 (my size) for I think $69-$89 (I don't recall) but it was WAYYY cheaper than the regular car battery. I asked the guy the difference and he said it was only a 1 year warranty. I said I'll take it. I may jinx myself by saying this it's still in my car today since 2018.
Matt I just want to say thank you for giving me some advice on my old 2001 Tahoe, but I just had this conversation with myself yesterday while buying a battery for my 98 Tahoe. I completely agree with you I got the cheapest battery with a 3-month warranty because I know it'll at least last me the next 3 years
I experienced this recently. Here in Canada we pay more for stuff to begin with. I ended up buying a "Kirkland" battery from Costco, with my $ 27 loyalty coupon. It was still about $ 130 Canadian, but that's under $ 100 US. Not bad for 800 CCA. Not sure about the warranty.
Spoke with a guy who worked with battery distributors at parts store, I brought back a battery that barely made it two whole years, he said the newer batteries have way less lead plating inside and wear out quicker and they charge you twice as much.
Great video! Sadly, with all the electronics in vehicles these days the batteries just do not last like they use to. I have tried every brand out there in my personal companies work fleet (I own 13 trucks), and as electronics have become the norm these batteries just do not last. My workers are drawing on them all day with their plug in phones, I have light bars, pulling energy from constantly starting all day long.
I will say I have switched over to Odyssey Extreme series batteries and they do last longer. They cost more though....a lot more. $425 is what I paid for the last one, but they will go 5 plus years unlike everything else. As business owner I cannot have a truck going down over a battery that costs me money, so I am happy to spend a little more money on the battery knowing it isn't going to go out on me the second it starts getting cold here in Texas....like my wife's Acura did yesterday!
Be very careful on a newer car, CCA is important but reserve capacity is probably more important. I’ve seen customers install inexpensive batteries in theirs cars and the battery goes dead if the car sits for a week, they think they have a parasitic drain but it’s just the normal drain to keep all the computer and telematics systems running and the cheap battery can’t handle it.
I live right on the border in southwest Arizona, so I ended up buying a battery on the Mexico side of the fence once just to get the car running and get home. It’s a brand called LTH, they’re everywhere in Mex. Those are actually great batteries and the company has good warranty and pro-rating. So whenever I need a battery for the wife’s car I hop the fence and hit up the LTH distributor. The Walmart batteries are pretty good and I’ve put them usually in the work commuter. No complaints whatsoever with them!
Been buying Walmart batteries for a long time. They have had to replace a few under warranty, but hey no one is perfect. Maybe I should only get 1 year battery for the price difference.
I remember buying a battery for my first car when I got my license in 2006 for $85 a Duralast gold 78DT when they were mostly yellow too.
I have 2 Costco/Kirkland batteries, in my big block ski boat.
They are both 11 years old, and keep on crankin!
Very lmpressed.
The base DieHards were called "Weatherhandler " years ago. They were great batteries and had awesome warranties.
Crazy, wonderful Walmart is shipping AGM batteries with 4 year warranty $179 delivered. have to go to the store to get the core, however.
I use the cheapest Walmart battery 69 dollars, and it has lasted me longer than the first more expensive one that came with the car, I get about 4 years and 3 or 4 months with these batteries, that works just fine. The thing I don't like, is that all car parts stores and including Walmart always tell me they should use the OEM battery, which is total bs.
I’ve had good luck with Walmart and Sam’s Club (Duracell / Energizer branded) batteries as well. If I had a Costco near me, I would run their batteries too. AC Delco has always had good batteries in my experience. Not sure if I would order from Amazon, but Summit Racing at least will provide a warranty on the AC Delco batteries they sell unlike Amazon.
I use Motorcraft AGM batteries. Not cheapest ..not most expensive. Everyone ive had lasted 6yrs minimum! I think supplier is Johnson Controls > Fords specs.