Battery- Best Bang for the buck

I use the exide orbital battery..



Its a spiral wound gel battery (AGM), like the optima but is cheaper and available at Checker/Kragen auto parts (open sundays ). I can be 500 miles away from home and replace it at any local checker/Kragen/shucks.

I went with that style battery instead of the normal lead acid style battery because of the leaking battery acid and outgassing. I used to get all kinds of corrosion on the battery terminals and I could even see where some of the acid was leaking after a good wheeling trip (the truck gets into all kinds of odd angle when wheeling).

~Mark

How long do you have this, and is it similar to a red top or a yellow top Optima battery?

I've had this current battery for I "think" 4 years and I can tell it getting a little weaker now. (I can't leave the stereo on for near as long as I used to)..
I have always ended up replacing my batteries about every 4 years or so since living in Sourthern Az.. The Az heat seems to kill batteries and itdoesn't matter which kind I use or even which vehicle the battery is in... Every 3-5 years I replace it.

They make an exide orbital Red Top (marine starter) and a blue top (marine deep cycle) and the black one.. The black one is listed as an automotive battery..

From what I can see, the red tops are bigger batteries.. I don't remember seeing the red tops when I first got mine.. and when I got my 2nd one I just got what I had the first time..

I "think" I'm running a group 75 (smaller battery).. I may go up a size to group 78 which will get me another 100-200 cca but so far I haven't really needed it.

edit: for what I can see by looking at the optima site.. the Black exide battery is like the Red top optima.. But, the red exide also seems like the red optima.. I'll have to do a little more digging on the exide battery line..

~Mark

Just today I purchased a Duralast Gold 8-year battery 850 CCA at the A-Zone.

This battery replaced what I believe to be the original Motorcraft 650 CCA. The battery didnt die on me, but it's peace of mind for $89.

Johnson Control Industries makes Duralast, Diehard, Kirkland, Motorcraft, some EverStart line, and most of the Interstate line.

-Monte

Thats a good battery.. Thats what I used to run before I switched the X over to the exide orbital.. They lasted just as long as all the other batteries I had and since it was AutoZone I could get them replaced easily when it was time.

~Mark