I would think the only difference would be the labeling and the specs that each customer wanted, beyond that I would think they would be the same. Its like AC delcos make Energizer, so if your getting a energizer with the same specs as a delco then you are getting the same battery.

But this is like oil people hold certain brands near and dear and will pay anything for them. And many are heart broken when they come to find out their Mobil 1 oil is manufactured b the same same people that make Super tech(just an example). What a lot of people dont get it or dont notice is branding, its done for a reason. Companies can sell more product that way and make premium money off certain products because its got a higher end label. Look at the car industry. GMC is no different than chevy but yet you pay a little more. And cadillac is nothing more than fancy leather and different badging on the escalade compared to a Yukon or Tahoe, trust me Ive built them they come off the same line. Theres a lot of people that are shocked when Ive told them Cadillac is a Gm product. Same goes for Ford and Lincoln. There is nothing against higher priced products but dont be fooled by complex marketing schemes and bigger price tag doesnt mean you get more.

Here's some additional info some of you may know know.

"There's a manufacturer's shipping code on almost every automobile battery. Since the life you'll get from the battery is dependent on when it was made, not necessarily when it was put into service, you'll want to check this code so you can be sure the battery you buy is relatively "fresh" and hasn't been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. The shipping code usually appears on a sticker on the battery or a stamp burned into the battery case itself.

The code is a string of letters numbers, but all the real information you need is in the first two characters. Usually, the code starts with a letter that corresponds with the month--'A' for January through 'L' for December (some manufacturer's codes omit 'I'; for them, 'M' indicates December). The second character of the code is a numeral that stands for the year. Thus, a code starting 'A2' indicates that the battery was shipped in January 1992; 'B2' indicates February 1992, and so on. (Delco reverses the letter and the number; a Delco code starting with '2C' indicates the battery was shipped in March 1992.) "

Tried blue optimas, and found no life or performance difference when compared to regular batteries. So went back to regular ones.

Also, found that non-sealed batteries are better, longer lasting, and cheaper, just gotta check the water levels. Sealed batteries are ruined if charged too quickly, and guess what happens when you run them down a bit and then start the engines...

Go cheap. Its better in this case.

that or they usually have a nice sticker with date and month sometimes. Your right search around because they will have batteries that are a year old sitting in there

I don't care who makes them I am just saying after I saw what batteries that you had to add water too every year did to my battery boxes never again......

That is why you should leave your onboard charger on at all times. Never have low batteries.

Good choice, had the Napa dual purpose marine in the last boat and had very good luck. Likely the exact same battery. My brother-in-law owns a Napa store and told me last week tha all Napa batteries are made by East Penn.

For me.. And this is just me. The only battery that ever left me screwed was a Interstate. One minute workiing . the next minute stone dead. No warning no nothin. This is just my experience. For a car I will never use intersate again . Just buy what fits the car at the local parts store and It woeks just fine ( for the car) .. The boat. I like the optima/ If I was to run trolling motors or Super stereos for hours on end with the motor off. I would use a standard deep cycle. Like the ones in a golf cart. But I'm not running that stuff.

X2, Sealed batteries are the only way to go! They may be vented somehow, but not nearly the mess or gases put of from charging in your bilge.