I need a new battery for my truck. (2006 Dodge Ram, 5.7 hemi with “trailer tow” package.) Yes, I will be towing a roughly 28 foot travel trailer, and no, I don’t live in Minnesota, Chicago or anywhere else that gets excessively cold.
Should be simple enough… Group 65, 750 CCA are the basic specs, but it’s almost easier to pick cell phone service than batteries now.
Sam’s Club has a normal “wet cell” Duracell battery rated for 875 CCA for all of $92, and they also have a Duracell AGM battery rated at (IIRC) 775 CCA for $155. Over at Sears, I can get a DieHard Gold (wet cell) that says it will pump out 850 CCA for $150, and their “Platinum” AGM offering is $230, and is ready to slam out 930 CCA.
That $92 Duracell is almost so cheap that it worries me. At the middle of the pricing, would I be better with a “normal” DieHard or the Duracell AGM. AFAIK, the Duracell AGM batteries are made by someone called Deka. Or, since a battery is hopefully something that only needs buying every 5-6 years, do I just get what appears to be the best option, which is the $230 DieHard AGM? No idea who makes this one, though.
My understanding is that AGMs are not worth the money unless you are deep cycling your battery. For example, if setting up a electric fence while camping that recharges with solar panels I would use an AGM battery. For my car I would use wet cell.
IMHO, standard lead-acid batteries are the way to go.
AGM batteries are, as Saint Cad said, good to use when a deep cycle battery is needed. They are also good to use when the batteries may be laid on their side. Many boat owners use AGM batteries so that they never have to worry about acid spillage. Many off road enthusiasts also use AGMs for this very reason.
Some folks say that AGM batteries last longer. That has not been my experience. They both seem to last for six to eight years when properly maintained. When I need a new battery for my car or truck, I buy the standard lead-acid battery. I get the one with the largest CCA. If I am in doubt, I buy the heaviest one I can get to fit in my battery box.
IHTH, 48.
OK, so I’ll get a “normal” battery.
So now I guess the question is if my concerns about Duracell car batteries are valid. They make fine flashlight batteries, certainly, but car batteries? AFAIK, East Penn / Deka makes good batteries, but it would not surprise me if they skimped on something such as thinner plates to hit a price point for Walmart.
What it boils down to, is if Duracell is a worthy contender for a vehicle that I plan to keep for a few more years, not to mention tow a trailer cross-country, or if I should just go with the well-known option?
I did at least make one startling discovery - the DieHard Gold group 65 batteries sold at Sears and Kmart are not the same, which really surprised me. Different model numbers and fewer CCA on the Kmart version.