Originally Posted By: dparm
It's getting hard to generalize as the actual manufacturer of branded batteries seems to change a lot, and sometimes they're using two or more manufacturers depending on the specific size/line/etc.
IMO, the best judge of battery quality is the "full replacement warranty" length. Longer is better.
Very true.
It goes beyond that.
I've been shopping on/off for about a year (the battery in question has held on), and in that time frame, even the same application within a brand has changed suppliers, from East Penn to JCI. The cellphone pictures I snapped of the store shelf with my phone a year ago don't match what is on the shelf today.
Nor do the pictures/specs on some websites, which aren't up to date either.
Barring a complete exclusivity supply contract, the brands do switch suppliers more often than one might think.
Even a brand like Interstate, which is often known as one of JCI's best customers, clearly gets some models (like their AGMs) from the likes of EP and Enersys.
It's hard to say with certainly who makes a particular battery without seeing what's being sold at the time on the shelf.
In terms of value, the best seem to come from the warehouse clubs like Costco and Sams, then retail at Walmart, or AAP/Carquest with code discounts.
Prorata warranties are also being reduced, if not eliminated entirely.
I'm now trying to decide between a Costco-only Interstate, an Autocraft Gold, or a Walmart Everstart Maxx. They're all within a $20 range, JCI-made, with similar replacement warranties, but convenience will be the deciding factor.
The Costco battery straddles the two in price, but has a 6-mo longer (42 mo) warranty, and is most convenient, so it will probably get the nod.
I wouldn't mind trying an EP battery, but their closest dealers are at least 30 min away, it will cost more, and unlike the Interstate distributor, the EP distributor gave me a kind of half-a**ed response as to whether they'd sell direct at retail.
Each of the last two JCIs I've had have gone seven years plus, so I'm comfortable with their quality.
