The Duralast Platinum is AGM and it is $199. I have had very good luck with the Duralast Gold though.
I’m partial to Delco OEM batteries now but NAPA now has I think the ones made by Penn State or something which are supposed to be good. As far as the Optimas though that old (Edit: Tennesee Earnie Ford) Tennesee Williams song comes to mind “ya load 26 tons and whatta ya get, another day older and deeper in debt”, so you have to pick where you want to spend your money.
I agree that AC Delco OEM batteries are high quality
But AC Delco aftermarket batteries aren’t high quality . . . in my opinion
The DEKA brand made by East Penn Manufacturing is a great battery, and not too expensive. It is also U.S. made, whereas most other brands are made in Mexico.
Yeah that’s it. East Penn.
Written and recorded by Merle Travis! Then later recorded by Tennessee Earnie Ford.
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I got 6 years out of a NAPA 75 before I sold my Van and it was showing no signs of aging.
I have never had a problem with installing a battery with MORE cca than oem
Does conspicuous consumption come into play here. I am often amazed at how it seems there is no other reason for some people’s choices. Just look at the Mercury/Ford situation. Long before I was able to afford a car I recognized the difference in those two makes was flim-flam but Mercury drivers somehow felt more exclusive at the wheel of their Ford. Of course there’s the 292 vs 312 engines used to distinguish the superiority of the Mercury but then Mercury 312s were dropped in Fords when they were over produced.
I keep a sack of empty Perrier bottles handy to scatter in my trash cans when guests are coming over and apologize that I’ve run out when I offer them tap water… And I wouldn’t be caught dead with an empty Aqua-Fina bottle in my house.
Honestly, I think that a great many people stroke their egos by paying outrageous prices for things that appear exclusive and to some degree the NAPA brand has polished itself to seem to many a higher quality than OE and may actually be superior but the public is clueless that NAPA owns many of the industries that produce automobile and industrial components that are sold under a great many labels and many of the NAPA owned factories are in China. And the McParts stores sell bearings and seals, etc., sourced from NAPA at lower prices with better warranties.
Not to veer too far away from cars, but after the Flint, Michigan water crisis, I’ve learned not to judge people who don’t trust their local utility providers to provide clean water. After reading What the Eyes Don’t See by Mona Hanna-Attisha, I gave serious though to having bottled water delivered to my home. I haven’t done it, but my point is fear is a powerful motivator, especially if you have children in your home and you’re worried about lead poisoning.
My mother’s late cousin was a riot when it came to the whole Ford vs. Lincoln (or Mercury) thing. She and her husband enjoyed their retirement by buying a new luxury car every few years. One was a Mercedes, but most of their cars were Lincolns. One day, my great aunt said, “Nice Ford in the driveway.” My mother’s cousin replied, “It’s a Lincoln, not a Ford.” Of course, when I’d open the doors and look down, I’d see the “Ford Motor Company” emblem and logo. It wasn’t worth pointing it out, or having an “A Lincoln is a Ford” debate.
One way to remove the fear is to see what is actually in your water. Take a sample and send it out for analysis. I paid for the most comprehensive water analysis I’ve ever done when purchasing my last home. Allowed me to go into the negotiations with my eyes open and to know what was an issue and what was not. Turns out we had arsenic (not uncommon here) in slightly elevated levels so we bought a treatment system for it. I test it every couple of years to be sure we’re maintaining a healthy water supply. And, as you pointed out- municipal water systems are not always problem free. If I had that, I would test it independently myself…and one doesn’t have to look too far back to see issues with bottled water either…that’s no guarantee…
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Yeah, wow my memory is fading. That was a long time ago.
Then there are some of us that are concerned about image and would not have a Lincoln or Caddy in their garage simply because of the exclusivity statement it makes. As a kid we had the Chevy Biscayne model but the higher end Impala model looked a lot better, had more foam in the seats, and even carpet on the floor. I wanted that. Then we did get a Merc and sure a lot of the parts were the same but still there were added interior features that were nice.
As far as water, we have a good Health Dept. in Minnesota that does regular testing of drinking water from public systems and private wells. We also get periodic testing reports from our city water supply. The only thing I don’t like is there are too many minerals that clogs my coffee pot up. Bottled water? Check out where they get it from and the public supply might be better.
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Beware of the warranties. They are usually prorated and usually only apply to the same type of battery at full list price, which usually goes up each year. So you might have to pay more for the replacement than if you did not use the warranty!
Yeah our Acura battery conked out at three years. It was a Sunday morning and we had to make a 200 mile trip for a funeral pronto. So I had to buy a NAPA battery anyway. Dealers are not open on Sunday or at night when you usually have a problem. So what good is an 84 month warranty anyway.
I like to Recomend two things to insure battery replacement is responsible. First, get your own battery tester and determine when you want to replace the battery. Second, if YOU determine when to get a battery as close to or better then the OEM battery.
Great idea, we have a well so we check it regularly…but it’s not a bad idea to check your domestic water supplied by the town either. Good piece of mind.
So if I don’t post anything for a few months maybe I’ll get that message for everyone to be nice to them, ahem me, huh? Nah.
Welcome back @dagosa Winter is over so time to swap tires out as soon as the ice melts.
If the ice melts, you’re drinking too slow.
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According to Scotty Kilmer the most important thing to check on a battery is the date the battery was produced should be stamped on the casing especially if you’re buying at Walmart we’re batteries may have sat around for six or eight months just my opinion and Scotty’s
Scotty’s personality is . . . “out there” 
Enjoy the cheaper batteries while you can ,the first place time you get a vehicle with that wonderful stop start nonsense you will be replacing a AGM battery at up to $300 . A lot cars with stop start have two batteries you have to deal thanks to that nonsense .