[Chief of the 60's]

The same great battery you have trusted for years?

[Firedup6975]

My Mom swore by the Die Hard batteries when I was growing up. I would always have to go with her to SEARS to get one installed and was sooooo bored sitting in the waiting room in the service dept. She would never change brands.

Now Mike and I go to a place here in my town called Battery Warehouse Outlet they have any battery under the sun! Even cell phone batteries, i pad batteries you name it they have it kind of like Cooper Tire having a huge variety of classic car tires.

[Elarson]

Sears is a stunning case study on bad management decisions being able to kill even the strongest companies.

They had tremendous brand loyalty...Sears, Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard were trusted well-known brands.

Their catalog order & distribution system would have given them a tremendous leg up on the online ordering wave if they would have adapted it right.

Funny story: many years ago, my then-young daughter was chosen to be a Princess for the annual Bellbrook Sugar Maple Festival. This created the need for her first formal dress. My wife insisted on hitting every hoighty-toit store in the mall looking for one. After each unsuccessful stop, I'd say "there's more for your life at Sears" and grin. They thought I was an idiot. After completely exhausting EVERY alternative, they grudgingly ended up in Sears. And you can guess the end to my funny story...they found the PERFECT one. Score one for Dad.

Eric

[grandam1979]

Personally I will never put a lead acid battery in a car ever again AGM only. I like how they put the sticker over the green eye.

[JimFB400HO]

That may be the first product that I've seen where that California P65 warning label actual is actually applicable.

[Region Warrior]

According to our AC-Delco distributor, no batteries are manufactured in the US.

[shermanator2]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

The same great battery you have trusted for years?

No more than Craftsman Tools are the same great tools you have trusted for years.

When the Craftsman name was sold to Stanley, I read that that was Sears's most valuable asset.

[shermanator2]

Originally Posted by grandam1979

Personally I will never put a lead acid battery in a car ever again AGM only. I like how they put the sticker over the green eye.

Me too. No more battery terminal corrosion, no more rusty battery boxes and they are shippable from Amazon. Only down side is the cost.

To be technically correct, I think an AGM is still a lead acid battery, just not a "flooded" or spill-able one.

[straycat]

East Penn Mfg, Lyon Station (Fleetwood) PA USA makes Deka batteries. The Walmart effect didn't help Sears.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Diehard is just a sticker now.

study the battery packaging and see the common MFG molds. Even my failed battery trade-in had identical packaging to the Diehard Silver, but had an original Chrysler sticker.

I recently bought the Diehard Silver, as the best choice, among the spread. No discernable rationale to declare "more or most Reliable".

I think 5-year battery life is designed-in now. Whereas 15 years ago, a 10 year life was likely. And i cannot even expect 2- years from a lawn mover battery.

[grandam1979]

I know we have a lot of hatters here but I still like my optimas. I still have one on my trailer winch that’s 10-15 years old and still works great you would think just the sitting would kill it. Firebird has one in it from 2012.

[ta6point6]

They brought the green eye back but that sure is a long way to ship a battery to the US. I will stick with Walmart batteries in most of my vehicles although the 79 Chevy truck has an old Sears Diehard battery. My parents also insisted on Diehard batteries.
I dont know why anyone would pay double nearly triple for one of those AGM batteries. Older cars do not need nearly the CCA to turn them over unless it is a high compression engine although a gear reduction starter is still cheaper then one of these batteries. That is like paying a 100 for a pair of socks that have a little alligator on them, it is all marketing. The AGM have the same warranty 3 years as a standard lead plated 100 battery not to mention no special battery charger is needed like AGM. I maintain the 79 Chevy Truck and 79 Trans am with cut off switches and trickle chargers. They start every time I need them to

[Scarebird]

My Diehard Gold bought last week was made in Mexico, no green eye.

Replaced a 4 year old Interstate that mostly sat.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Region Warrior

According to our AC-Delco distributor, no batteries are manufactured in the US.

That would be a big surprise to the residents of St. Joseph, MO where ACDelco Professional Series batteries are made.

That Johnson Controls battery plant that I was able to tour in 2013 (I worked as a Territory Manager for an ACDelco warehouse distributor) was sold to Brookfield Business Partners (BBP) in 2018 for $13.2 BILLION. Clarios is the subsidiary of BBP that currently operates the plant in St. Joseph under the name of Johnson Controls.

I don't know about you, but $13.2 BILLION is a good chunk of change.

Clarios is a current member of the St Joseph Chamber of Commerce and this is a quote from the St Joseph Economic Development Partnership's website about the JCI plant in St. Joseph:

Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in more than 150 countries. The St. Joseph facility specializes in wet automotive storage battery manufacturing and distribution, employing nearly 700 people.

[Sirrotica]

Beside East Penn /Deka, Crown Battery in Fremont Ohio, also makes their own batteries, they've been in the US for decades, actually they started business in 1926.

Exide has four plants from just a quick search in the US.

Mike, I'd say your AC Delco rep knows very little about what he's saying.

[scott70]

Ive seen a few originally installed ac delco batteries go 10+ years before they finally died.

[mgarblik]

FYI, I needed a battery for a customers 2016 Malibu 4-cyl with the stop start system a few weeks ago. As a NAPA master dealer, I went there first. I am in OH and there wasn't a proper OE replacement size AGM 850 CCA battery this side of the Mississippi. All those GM cars with the stop start system are dying right at 4-5 years and there is a shortage. Oreily's had the $230.00 AGM battery locally with only a 1 year free replacement. That's crap. NAPA was 3 year free replacement. I like to give my customers the best parts and service I can for their money. Tried Interstate, same crap warranty and very expensive, almost $300.00 my cost. Finally in desperation I called a Batteries Plus. They sell Duracell AGM batteries made my East Penn. Same manufacturer as NAPA. Just under $200.00 with a 4 YEAR free replacement warranty. I will keep them in mind for future battery chaos. Korean Die Hard is just a name now, just like Craftsman tools, and so many other "trusted" brands. BTW, OE AC Delco battery for this car was also not locally available. New car dealers would only sell me one at full retail, nearly $400.00.

[shermanator2]

Originally Posted by ta6point6

I dont know why anyone would pay double nearly triple for one of those AGM batteries.

My first two reasons are that they do not corrode battery terminals and they do not rust battery trays. How many older cars have we owned or seen with rusted out battery trays? None of that with AGMs.

I first got onto AGMs when my 2006 Ford F-350 corroded its steel battery clamp to the point of failure shortly after the truck was out of warranty. The complex multi-wire replacement cable was something like $130 only available from Ford. It snakes around the engine in such a way that it took me 3 hours or so to replace it.

My third reason is that the seem to last longer. I have not replaced one yet (probably jinxing myself) and have a couple that might be close to 10 years old. I do keep them on Ctek chargers though when not in use.

My fourth reason is that they are available and shippable from Amazon.

Dune buggy guys like them because they can be mounted on their sides and can't spill going over bumps.

They are also absolutely zero maintenance.

[shermanator2]

Originally Posted by ta6point6

I dont know why anyone would pay double nearly triple for one of those AGM batteries.

My first two reasons are that they do not corrode battery terminals and they do not rust battery trays. How many older cars have we owned or seen with rusted out battery trays? None of that with AGMs.

I first got onto AGMs when my 2006 Ford F-350 corroded its steel battery clamp to the point of failure shortly after the truck was out of warranty. The complex multi-wire replacement cable was something like $130 only available from Ford. It snakes around the engine in such a way that it took me 3 hours or so to replace it.

My third reason is that the seem to last longer. I have not replaced one yet (probably jinxing myself) and have a couple that might be close to 10 years old. I do keep them on Ctek chargers though when not in use.

My fourth reason is that they are available and shippable from Amazon.

Dune buggy guys like them because they can be mounted on their sides and can't spill going over bumps.

They are also absolutely zero maintenance.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

FYI, I needed a battery for a customers 2016 Malibu 4-cyl with the stop start system a few weeks ago. As a NAPA master dealer, I went there first. I am in OH and there wasn't a proper OE replacement size AGM 850 CCA battery this side of the Mississippi. .

The ACDelco for the 2016 Malibu with start/stop is the 94RAGM. That's a fairly common battery size today and should be readily available.

It's readily available (10 in stock) at Summit for $152.99 with free shipping from their Ohio location.

Factory Motor Parts (an ACDelco warehouse distributor with multiple locations in Ohio) should also have been able to supply you with this battery.

Just because the big chain box stores (NAPA, O'Reillys, Advance, Auto Zone) didn't have one, doesn't mean the pros don't.

Before I retired from being a Territory Manager ($2.5 mil book of business) for a different ACDelco warehouse distributor (operating in MN, SD, NE and IA), I sold lots of batteries (including the 94RAGM) to my independent repair shops that stocked ACD batteries. Shops that didn't stock ACD could still call us and we would deliver.