I'm still rolling with my stocker. I'll let her go until it dies!

My stocker gave out on me last month and I decided to buy the diehard P-2. I had read somewhere on here where a member said that are made buy Kinetik but I am not positive. The battery seemed to be made nice and it is a sealed battery which I like

my stock battery gave out 3 days after i bought my truck.
bought a black top Interstate battery for $100 new
1000 CCA

I did some reading here and several other sites 1-2 months ago.

I read several places where people were having problems with the newer vintage Optimas.

From all the reading ........... it appeared Odyssey was the ticket. I priced online at about $250 and locally $275.

Then I found where Diehard Platinum batteries are made by Odyssey. I bought the Diehard Platinum for $189 (specs same as the Odyssey).

This was for my boat. When my stocker goes in the F150......I'll be putting the DH Platinum in. I've had a couple of weak starts lately so it will probably be soon.

Shadow04fx4--Interstate Batteries are 1000 Crank Amps. But only 850 CCA's.

X2 Diehard Platinum 2 is made by Odyssey.. But about $45.00 cheaper

Interstate Mega Tron Plus batteries are 850CCA. :fyi:

http://www.interstatebatteries.com/c...nths+-+850+CCA

muh bad.
lol

Still have success with the newer or older Optimas.

Although, if I had to buy a new battery today I'd probably go with an Oddessy.

Funny thing, my battery decided to bite the dust over the weekend while sitting in 15-18 degree weather. Tried to start it this morning and just got a weak slow crank. The battery only read around 10 volts indicating that I lost one cell. This was the original battery that came with my truck, an 07 SCREW. I was surprised that the stock battery was only 540CCA. I thought it would have been higher.

I purchased a BOSCH battery from my local Pep Boys. I am aware that there are basically 2 battery manufactures, Johnson Controls and EXIDE. As far as I am concerned, EXIDE is CRAP!!!!. Johnson Controls makes the BOSCH, Die Hard, Delco and others. Oh yes, the BOSCH comes with a 3 year no question replacement.......

Oh yes, the new battery is 850 CCA

That's true- Optima's do test at a lot higher CCA than they are rated at, when new. That's the good news! The bad news is the suckers don't last! I've tested more batteries in my life than I ever care to remember and though they maybe were a GOOD battery at one time, as is the case with so many companies, they get bought out and the new owner starts building junk and riding on the pryor good reputation. Takes a long time before people realize things are not what they used to be, and by then the charlatain owner has sold out to some unsuspecting sucker. I would not waste my money on a current Optima. To those of you that own 'em and love 'em- good for you! To those of us that don't own 'em and wouldn't own one- even better for us!

True that the stock battery for F-150 even with full power and 5.4 is a 540 CCA which I think is criminal. The Mercury Topaz with 2.3L 4 cyl. my wife had years ago came standard with the exact same battery!!! Shame on the dealers that order their F-150's and don't upgrade the battery. The dealer I bought my '04 from always upgrades everything they order for stock to the 650 and I think Ford even offers a further upgrade to 875. I honestly think I would turn around and walk out on the deal if I opened the hood on ANY new F-150 that I was dealing on and saw a 540 in it. That says something about the dealer. And frankly, there are virtually NO good batteries on the American market any more with so few companies even making batteries. And I said VIRTUALLY NO, I didn't say NONE.

To answer your question: Are all batteries equal? The short answer is "no".

I am no expert, but I did research this in detail a while back an here's what I learned: First off, when it comes to "power" whether you are looking at hot or cold cranking amps(CCA/HCA), you can pretty much find any battery to fit your requirments. The differences lie in the technology of the battery itself. The major technologies used in auto batteries are either the traditional free acid, Optima and Odyssey's absorbed glass mat (AGM), and marine gell-cell technologies.

These differences are important when considering the environment and use of the battery. In real high vibration, harsh conditions like in 18-wheelers, helicopters, motorcycles or more likely, going off road, AGM is best because there is no free acid in the battery and therefore no threat of leakage, even if the battery case breaks. AGM also say they can operate in any orientation, even upside down if needed...free acid batteries cannot. Very cool, but many have/are using free acid batteries in these harsh conditions with no failures.

There are differences in AGM technologies as well, specifically between Optima and Odyssey. You can see that Optima's glass matting is rolled into six rolls then connected to each other via some connection point. Odyssey' use a single sheet, fit into a rectangular chamber thus giving more surface area over the Optimas (or so they claim). Then there are differences in the materials used in this matting.

Another power-factor considerations include reserve capacity rating and load capacity. These factors were important to me as I run my truck battery quite often, whether listening to the radio, or letting the truck sit for extended periods. It is more of a consideration when it comes to my boat. I am putting an Odyssey in my boat as well...last thing I want is partying on the lake and running my battery dead.

Finally there's the Kinetik battery...MSalle turned me on to these. Another AGM battery used by big stereo guys, these things seem to have a very high capacity (CCA goes without saying). I wish their website contained more technical info on their products so if interested, you probably have to call.

Google is your friend so this should be enough info to get you started.

The bottom line is guys will buy for the following reasons: price, name recognition, reputation, CCA/HCA, power capacity, technology and conditions in which the batt will be used. Some guys just don't give a crap, which is fine. I say pick your top 3 or 4 concerns and go with the battery that fits that criteria. Having said that, I went with the Odyssey (Sears Platinum Group 65). Not cheap, but the best battery for my needs, in my opinion...and they're just cool! I am getting their marine battery for my boat in a few months.

Complete Battery FAQ - http://www.jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm

True statement. Odyssey (EnerSys) and Kinetik (Audio Force) are manufactured in the US. Johnson Controls which makes batteries for most everyone are in the US, but not sure where there products are manufactured.

See the Battery FAQ - http://www.jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm