best/cheapest place to buy a new battery

[IslanderOffRoad]

killed my battery wheeling today up at gorman. old batteries + playing in rocks = no start unless I get jumped.

Thinking I'll get an optima since they're a bit more "shock" resistant. any ideas on where to pick one up without having to bend over?

 

[swbooking]

Costco (my bro got one for his ZJ there) and i think quadratec had a pretty decent price on redtops.

 

[Gerr]

if you want a damn good battery get a orbital from napa, Ive been using them for years with zero issues even when they sit on the ground in the rain for months and months the one I gave xTimmax worked like brand new. thier deep cycle blue tops are awsome in my YJ and the regular black tops are in every thing else we drive including Erikwylie's jeep, my dads collection of cars and his dodge 3500 has 2. we live on washboard from hell dirt roads and get to be about 120 in the summer and 20 in winter and it doesnt bother them either.

 

[djblade311]

I bought my blue top Marine DC from Costco because I needed it asap. Prices were pretty good but I know I prolly could have found it cheaper if I had the time to look

 

[GrimmJeeper]

i'll toss in another vote for the napa orbital, and its not just cause i work there ive never had one come back for a warranty, and there are just like an optima but cheaper. they are excellent batteries... and if you want to come all the way down here i can save you a few bucks on one... dunno if it would be worth it now tho with gas over 3.20

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

i'll toss in another vote for the napa orbital, and its not just cause i work there ive never had one come back for a warranty, and there are just like an optima but cheaper. they are excellent batteries... and if you want to come all the way down here i can save you a few bucks on one... dunno if it would be worth it now tho with gas over 3.20

Grimm, how much could you save me?

I'm meeting up with a buddy from Torrance tonight, if you could accept my payment via phone, he could pick it up....

 

[GrimmJeeper]

im not at work today. i looked it up from home here and it says there is one in stock, we sell alot of them to the gardena PD so we always have em there. the part number is #9934HDM and it will run you about 150$ plus a $5 core charge. the HDM is the heavy duty deep cycle that will last forever. its equivilant to an optima blue or yellow top, but mine has a red top. i know, confusing. lol. anyways, if your buddy wants to pick it up send him in there and tell him to say he's "in mike's jeep club", the acct number is 3668 and give them the part number, they'll hook him up and you can pay him back. the address is 16517 S Normandie ave gardena, 90247.
its about a half mile north of artesia blvd on the west side of the street, between 166th and gardena blvd.

 

[paulhead]

got an yellow top Optima from craigslist for $100, thing was almost new.

 

[Kevin3151]

No one mentioned the Odyssey at Sears now. Its their new platinum line. Not cheap, but damn good.

KH

 

[Jump This]

Right before our last trip out with the motorhome I hadto replace all the batteries. Lets count;
Four@ six volt deep cycle.
Two 12 volt RV batteries.
One Optima yellow top.
Total for all seven batteries?
How about over $800 bucks!
I'm thinking I need a better battery maintenance program!!!



Rick

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Ended up buying at PAW. $135 OTD for a group 34 Red Top Optima. Best price in the SFV, 4WP wanted !59 + tax.

 

[Clean Racing]

Didn't any of you guys think to call Grant?? Since he is a battery distributer and a hell of a nice guy..

 

[GrimmJeeper]

Ended up buying at PAW. $135 OTD for a group 34 Red Top Optima. Best price in the SFV, 4WP wanted !59 + tax.

dont run an optima red top down to 0 charge, it will never charge again. and dont put a high load on it when the engine isnt running, like big lights or a big stereo, the red tops are picky like that.

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

dont run an optima red top down to 0 charge, it will never charge again. and dont put a high load on it when the engine isnt running, like big lights or a big stereo, the red tops are picky like that.

Yeah, the guy at the store told me the same thing.

I've been through the big stereo days, done with that, I don't have off road lights yet, when I add more electronics she'll get a 2nd yellow top in the trunk.

 

[djblade311]

Didn't any of you guys think to call Grant?? Since he is a battery distributer and a hell of a nice guy..

If I recall, he carries Odyssey and the Force brand. Definitely a helluva good guy

 

[ruggedjeep]

Just replaced my Yellow Top last night with red top. Yellow top died after 6 years.

 

[cal]

dont run an optima red top down to 0 charge, it will never charge again. and dont put a high load on it when the engine isnt running, like big lights or a big stereo, the red tops are picky like that.

I've run my red top to 0 a dozen or more times, once left it that way for a couple of weeks. I know its a time bomb but it hasn't died yet. :/

 

[n1ywb]

Optimas are junk. Google around, their QC went to hell in the last few years. Old optimas == good, new optimas == junk.

I got an orbital, so far so good but I've only had it a short time. It was 150 I think, from Kragen, so not cheap really. I like the construction better than optima though. If money were no object I'd probably go odyssey except they don't make a metal jacket battery in the XJ's size last I checked and I wasn't comfortable with the heat ratings for the non MJ versions.

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Optimas are junk. Google around, their QC went to hell in the last few years. Old optimas == good, new optimas == junk.

I got an orbital, so far so good but I've only had it a short time. It was 150 I think, from Kragen, so not cheap really. I like the construction better than optima though. If money were no object I'd probably go odyssey except they don't make a metal jacket battery in the XJ's size last I checked and I wasn't comfortable with the heat ratings for the non MJ versions.

as long as it handles trail vibes better than a die hard, i'm happy.

 

[Daedalus454]

I've was surpised to find that many of the batteries mentioned here are manufactured by Johnson Controls, just with different branding. I always go with Costco batteries, since they are essentially the same as Sears, Autozone brand, etc. and cost a lot less.

I had an Optima red top (also made by Johnson Controls) in my Taurus SHO and I loved it, took the car to Alaska and it never failed to start right up, even in sub-zero temps.