Advance Auto Parts Battery

Yesterday, my 1999 Ford F250 had a dead battery. It was the original, so I wasn't upset, until I remembered that I lent my buddy my socketwrench set, and I couldn't get the old battery out. Then I remembered that Advance Auto Parts installs batteries for free. I had been getting Interstate batteries for my trucks and tractors, but I had to replace the last two that I bought for my tractors in less than 2 years, though I always buy the top of the line battery. So, I'm now off Interstate batteries, and I bought the Autocraft Titanian battery from Advanced Auto Parts. It's got a 3 year total replacement warranty and a pro-rated 84 month warranty and 850 amps of cranking power. The price was pretty good at $79.99. The Interstates that I got only had pro-rated warranties, and were a lot more money, so I think I'm ahead of the game already.

If I had my socketwrench set, I probably would have bought the top of the line NAPA battery, whatever it is, as that's where I usually get my truck parts. For all I know, however, the Advance and NAPA batteries might even be the same rebadged battery.

Has anyone had any experience with the Advanced batteries?

Rich, There aren't that many battery manufacturers in the US but those there are often build to spec and price for whoever wants their house label on it. When you get a battery built by the same folks as some GOOD brand you don't necessarily get the same quality and performance.

I tend to put the most robust battery that will fit in the space allocated. It might cost a bit more but higher capacity is usually better and can help make up for some other shortfalls.

You will know in aboiuit 5-7 years if you got a good deal.

Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Rich, I recently invested in a little battery charger-maintainer that has some ultra-tricky technology that de-sulfates the plates in my batteries. I have owned GM pickups; about nine of them; for years and years, and the GM stuff has traditionally had a "lazy" charging circuit that didn't QUITE keep the battery in a tip-top charged condition and because of that I could almost use the batteries as a calendar.... TWO YEARS was the limit, no matter whoe battery it was. What I have done is establish a battery refreshing routine which consistes of leaving a trickle charger on the rig be it tractor, truck or one of our three Jeeps, and after about two days, I unplug the trickle and plug in the miracle working ultra ultra, plate refresher. I have the identical plug ins on all of the rigs to make it easy to connect each device without even opening the lid. Even the lawn tractor gets it's turn. Ask me in two years how it all worked out. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] I found the BatteryMinder at Northern Tool. The trickle charger came from NAPA. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Dave, HF sells the little battery minder float chargers that can stay hooked up indefinitely, on sale for about $7. I paid nearly $30 for a Schumacher (need was great and it was 50+ miles to HF.) I have a battery minder for every vehicle. They work super. The NAME brand is no better than the HF in performance if you start out with a fair charge on the battery to begin with (they aren't intended to pump up a flat battery.)

The NAME brand unit will source more current but I don't need more current, even with a high drain from sophisticated aftermarket alarms. The HF unit will do an amp and my highest drain is about 0.75 amps. Teh Name brand can do about 2 amps, WEHOOPEE! You can buy 4 of the HF units for the one NAME unit. Some of the HF units have been in use for about 5 years... so far so good.

Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] I bought several of the name brand MINDERS from N. Tool and they were 39.99 each with free freight. I noticed in the instructions that they were not workhorses so that's why we used the NAPA trickle to pre-charge the Batteries up to 14-point-something volts before switching over to minderville usa. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] NAPA also had the little plug-ins that matched the Minders so the same wiring harness takes both boxes. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I made up three kits for my neighbor to install on his over-wintered combine, and his two big john Deere tractors; all have multiple batteries. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

One of the few things that gets me to buy at Wal Mart is their batteries. Good price and good warrenty.

I bought two of those yellow deep cycle marine styles for my old Case. I never heard it turn over so fast as I did with them.

I had heard horror stories about wet batteries cracking and leaking due to vibration in the Dodge Ram diesel. So, when I replaced them, I chose the Optima dry cells.

We haven't had any troubles with batteries on our dodge diesel. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon

Just replaced our car battery on Thursday at Advance. Free checkup of the old one that was from Advance 6 years ago. No charge for the changeout either. My son is a mechanic and recommended we stay with the Advance. The first 2 years have full replacement then pro-rated afterward. We used to use Interstate then our mechanic moved and I decided to try a Wal-Mart. Turned out that the one I picked off the shelf had been a return - one of the cells was dry. As we were checking it over at the customer service desk we noticed that someone had written in faint magic marker words to that effect.

That wasn't the first time I've purchased something at Wally World that was a return and had something broken or missing. Kind of ticks me off but they do have good buys if you're careful and check things over.