Interstate vs autocraft batteries
 

Hello,

After ten years and 400 hours I think it is time to replace both
batteries for my 496 ho. I have Interstate now and am very
happy with since they have lasted so long. The problem
is I have a opportunity to buy Autocraft batteries from
Advanced Auto for half the price of Intetstate. Is there a
a big quality difference between the two batteries? Or should
I pay more for the Interstate?

Thank you.

I've used the Autocraft and Duralast (Autozone) batteries before in cars. I won't again. Niether has the reserve capacity or life I get from Interstate or even the Walmart batteries. Im trying one of the Walmart batteries out now and it is holding up much better than the Autocraft/Duralast. 3 years in it looks to be as good as Interstate.

From the Johnson Controls website:

Johnson Controls is the leading supplier of batteries to many of the largest aftermarket battery retailers, including Advance Auto Parts, DAISA S.A., AutoZone, Costco, NAPA, Interstate Batteries, Walmart and more. Powering virtually every type of passenger car, light truck and utility vehicle, our batteries are globally sold under private labels, as well as our own brands – VARTA®, Heliar®, LTH®, MAC®, Delkor® and OPTIMA®.


In a lot of cases, the only thing that changes is the label (between similar styles, i.e. lead acid, AGM, gel, etc).There are duds from time to time, but heat, lack of use, and vibration are the true enemies of your battery.
Last I knew, Exide and JCi were the two big suppliers and were the lion's share of the store labels.

One of my favorite quotes
 

" "There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person's lawful prey. It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better."

Spend a little extra and buy Optima and the problem is solved with potential battery issues.

I just installed my third set of optima's since 2001, about 7 or 8 years a set in the boat, when one tests weak I replace both and use the other for my transfer pump for as long as it lasts.

Going to have to disagree with you on that........

I just had two new G-29 Delco's put in my boat, 18 month warrenty instead of 12, 845 mca & 210 reserve.... 129.00 a piece

I've been running the duralast marine batteries since 2010. I just removed one this week from the boat, and put it on charge in the garage. After a full charge, it passed a voltage test, and load test. Still gonna replace just because.... 5 years old.

Its a group 27, with 1000 marine cranking amps, 800 cold cranking amps, and 180 min reserve capacity. Pretty good specs for a group 27 dual purpose battery imo.

Just replaced my 2004 G27 interstates with G29 Walmart batteries. 18 month warranty. They were 102 I believe.

Thanks to everyone who responded. I have never hesitated spending money on my boat, this is what I love to do.
If they were the same quality of battery then it would make sense to save some money.

Menards ofall places has had some really good marine battery deals....I have been running a menards marine starting battery in one of the explores, damn thing was on sale for 60 bucks

Very true. But just as true are that different brands mandate different quality standards, specifications, etc - and Johnson controls makes them to those standards. I work for a company that makes things other people put thier name on. The low cost stuff we make for the low cost brands is different than the stuff in high cost brands.

Your boat nswered your question before you had the question.

Edit in: Get the same exact Interstates you have, they sell several different models within the same size.

I recently read a review on boat batteries and the Interstate came in 1st. I don't recall the models tested. I also understand some review sites MAY have a financial incentive to rank certain products near he top. My .02 cents.

I used to put Duralast Golds in everything because they were convenient to get and replace under warranty. Well I put new batteries in my truck the middle of every winter and my boat every early summer. The last time this past winter my truck batteries took a dump, it pushed me over the edge and ordered 8 interstates and replaced every one I had. Buy cheap you get cheap.

We see a lot of exide, walmart and advance auto part battery failures in the cars. We replaced so many exide batteries we quit selling them and stick with interstate only now. The interstates seem to be the best and last the longest. We replace a lot of those other brands that are only 2-3yrs old, the AAA batteries suck too. Oldest battery we have replaced in a daily driven car was an interstate that was 12yrs old and we also had a delco that went 10.

Does Deka still make batteries or anyone ever used them? I had a pair of 1000's in my old Scorpion years ago and liked them a lot. Those things took a beating and never seemed to wear down. I have been using interstate lately and happy. You could not give me Optimas, had trouble with every one I tried. They seem to have a sketchy following people either love 'em or hate 'em . . . . .

I had a pair of Dekas myself in my Scarab. They went 7 yrs even with being run dead a few times and recharged. One was on its way out, so I replaced both. Not sure why I didnt just replace the bad one, but, what the heck?

They still make batteries. Our golf cart has them - seems like that's all the cart shops around here carry. I've had good service from them in that application.

Deka does still make batteries - in fact they're made by East Penn and their Duracell branded AGM Marine version is sold at Sams Club for about $100. I put three of the group 31s in this year - but too new to give a report on how well they hold up.

Interstate is my second choice on batteries and I am in the camp of Optima's suck just strange that its the same company maybe its the spiral wound whatever it is....

The batteries I run are Northstar I run them because I'm scared of not starting on the water and have to be towed even though I have a Honda portable for extended times on the water there are plenty of times I roll without the generator on board. Northstar has the military contract and the batteries take a beating in those vehicles. Yep they cost more probably the most expensive on the market but for what you spend on everything else on your boat another $60 a battery seems cheap to me.

I use the 34M but they have them all
http://www.northstarbattery.com/nort...ne/marinrv.php
http://buy.northstarbattery.com/p/ns...-battery?pp=24

Costco's batteries under the Kirkland brand are made by Interstate. Obviously cannot say they are identical to those branded Interstate but mine have lasted.

agreed!

reading this thread reminds how much i hate re-branding and marketing BS. . . . . What . . . . The . . . . F! . . . . it makes for a very cloudy and murky marketplace (which is what they want). Whatever happened to selling a product based solely on its own merit . . . . .

Died out shortly after the Model T and right about the time the majority of folks quit caring about quality and only purchased based on cost...:D

Toyota Corolla or Geo Prizm ? Which was better ? LOL.

I initially had good luck with the interstates, 27M-XHD, starting batteries, the originals lasted 3+ years so I replaced them with the same and one that I bought 10/2013 just died this past weekend, only 1 year warranty on them.

From now on I am buying these 3 yr free replacement, made by Odyssey for Sears. Same battery as the Odyssey.
http://www.sears.com/diehard-platinu...1&blockType=G1