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Interstate vs other brand batteries


landlord2110

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whats everybodys opinion on the interstate vs other brand batteries for your tractors. I'm in the market for a new one & interstate are $20 more, but do they last any longer?

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By me they were cheaper for the correct size 22NF than the walmart 54R. Mine's less than a year old, but it came with a 5 year warranty and they guy keeps them on the truck so I can get them same day.

When I bought it the guy even swung back on his route to get it to me the same day. The only real note was that it took a 2A charge for three days before reading as fully charged, but since then has been flawless.

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I bought 18 batteries last year and ALL were from Fleet Farm. I have had great luck with them and they are inexpensive.

I just want to add that almost all of these were sold off on tractors I flipped so I cannot attest to the longevity of these batteries.

There are only 2 or 3 manufacturers who make most of the batteries sold in the US.

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Wow, I have been the opposite. 3 tractor batteries replaced in a little over a year, 2 on a car in 2 years... I gave up on farm and fleet. The wally world battery for the sovereign was 6 years old plus and still going when it got swiped. I put a batteries plus in my pickup and so far....

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Do not know about interstate batteries,I do know me or my family will not buy any more batteries from WM . Just had a bad experience with them this week,with a B110 battery,51-4 500cca ,they said it need charging,@ home left it on a charger for half a day @ 10 amps, pulled caps off, not 1 cell was bubbling . @ home checked with a battery hydromoter,0 balls floated out of 5, took it to a recycler and made a purchase there. WM is only interested in getting your $$$$$$$

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So ALL other brands of batteries have failed you? Thats awful. Im not sure I have had a 'bad' battery of any type. Most experience with Exide and they are wonderful.

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I bought Exide batteries at Menards.

They started out at $26. on sale for $20 with a $5. rebate

at $15. each I bought three.

The week before the sale I bought one for $26.

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One of my primary stocking areas, when I worked at WM, was automotive, and I concentrated on the batteries and the oil sections. I know the batteries came through an Exide distributor.

I personally am using the economy Dura-Last tractor batteries, the oldest of which is about 8 years old, and still going strong. I guess I should not say that, in case that Murphy character is around, and listening?sm00

Wayne

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The WM batteries are now made by Johnson Controls. We don't have Farm and Fleet around here. We have Rural King and their Exide battery runs about $23 regular, $21 on sale and yes a $5 rebate on top of that (1 rebate per reciept per household). I have some that are 2010 and still working. I think I have had one out of six or seven that didn't last but about a year. What I don't like about the Johnson or Exides is that the L&G batteries tend to leak around the caps. Most batteries will give reasonable service life if your charging system is working properly.

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The last Walmart battery I bought lasted 7 years in my truck. It was an Exide. I have three Sovereigns with Exide batteries. One of them is over 5 years old. I use 51R in my tractors, if I cant find a 22NF. I know a 22NF is factory but I have enough sense on how to secure one down that, I don`t have to use that OEM clamp that Simplicity provided.

Wayne, at 8 years of use I doubt you have to worry about Murphy! It will more than likely just need replaced soon:D.

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Been pretty fortunate the last few years. People who drop off scrappers never take out the batteries and that's the first I look at is what is condition of the battery and if it is good, update something that is marginal. This year I got caught and ended up buying four. With rebates and battery sale paid about $20 ea.

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My old Sovereign has a Fleet Farm battery in it that is several years old. Still working great. My newer Sovereign still has the same battery in it that it had three years ago when I got it. Don't know where it's from!

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I use whatever Auto Zone sells. :o

Have a relative who works there, so he watches for me and I buy "Brand New Used" Type 51's for about 1/2 price.

"Brand New Used" is any battery on the shelf for one year can no longer be sold as new.

I've bought about 6 this way in the last 4 years, none have failed and none had to be charged before use. After a year on the shelf, they still have enough charge to start a cast iron briggs.

I've tried the standard lawn mower batteries from Walmart, and Auto Zone and rarely get more than 2 or 3 years out of those.

They are actually too small for a cast iron briggs anyway.

For what it's worth, I do not remove batteries in the winter, and some are stored in an unheated shed. They still start every spring.

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I have had good luck with Interstate myself. Have one in my 40 hp farm tractor that is 12 yrs old. I know that is the exception but they perform well.

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My own experience is buying car batteries at WM was 2 out of 4 went bad within a year. Not happy, and don't plan to do it again. In both cases a cell went bad.

Off topic (?sm01) - it appears the original poster discovered his problem isn't the batter, but battery discussions are always useful...

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I've had mixed luck with Walmart batteries too. My truck battery I bought the biggest from walmart 875 CCA & within 3 yrs a cell went bad, was under warranty so I got a replacement & that one has been in it for 4 yrs. Bought a ATV battery from there & it only lasted a year & wouldn't take a charge. The Atv sat that long also but the battery should have lasted longer. So I went to my uncles garage & bought a Interstate & no problems so far but its only been 6 months plus I bought a solar trickle charger for it also. My opinion is that Interstate is the best because I see a lot of garages using them. Sometimes I can't afford them though so I'll try a cheaper brand. Like in my Simplicity 725 I bought a Husky 350 CCA from Tractor supply for $45.

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quote:Originally posted by jklw77

Do not know about interstate batteries,I do know me or my family will not buy any more batteries from WM . Just had a bad experience with them this week,with a B110 battery,51-4 500cca ,they said it need charging,@ home left it on a charger for half a day @ 10 amps, pulled caps off, not 1 cell was bubbling . @ home checked with a battery hydromoter,0 balls floated out of 5, took it to a recycler and made a purchase there. WM is only interested in getting your $$$$$$$


id="quote">
id="quote">They didn't offer to charge it for an hour then check again? If it is flat dead most of these shops can't test. Most retailers like to charge themselves and try again ... If it is still flat them they know it's gone and not just a case of discharged. Last time I returned a battery to Napa they had to charge it before they would condemn it. Batteries have increased in price here about 25-30% since September. I priced out a 51R the other day and it was $85+ at AutoZone. The best price I've seen was $76 for an Exide at Home Depot and I did not even know they sold batteries.
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X2 on battery price increases of recent. The cheapest 51R I could find at the beginning of snow blowing season was an Exide at TSC for $59, now I see they're listed on-line for $79. Why the increase, other than 'because they can', like it seems with everything else these days?

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Batteries have increased in price here about 25-30% since September. I priced out a 51R the other day and it was $85+ at AutoZone. The best price I've seen was $76 for an Exide at Home Depot and I did not even know they sold batteries.

85 dollars for a tractor battery is crazy money!!sm00

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In CT they added a bunch of environmental fees and taxes in the supply chain. In the end a 51R at walmart is $90, a few years ago it would have been $50.

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