Duralast VS Motocraft

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Wondering if Duralast Battery at Autozone is inflating it's specs. Motocraft BXT-96R-500 at Ford dealer is rated at 500 cold cranking amps. The Duralast Gold Battery 96R-DLG Group Size 96R 590 CCA is listed as 590 cold cranking amps. Weighs 30.34 lbs. The Motocraft weighs 32 lbs, cost $129. Duralast costs $159.99. An old hand told me to disregard warranties and other claims and buy the one that weighs the most for the same application.
 
A toss up. I believe they're both Johnson controls. Maybe the weight is off. Motorcraft is just two years and Duralast is typically 3 years. Autozone is everywhere and open on Sundays. There's also a 20% off code for Duralast so it's the same price as Motorcraft. I'd just get the Duralast for ease of replacement and longer warranty.
 
Don't put much weight (no pun intended) into the selling price. The cost to produce either will be awfully similar so the selling price can be pretty arbitrary.
 
They are pretty close to the same weight. How about the cold cranking amps? I don't see how the Duralast can have more. Looks like they are inflating the spec. All I need is 500 anyway.
 
Motorcraft may be under-spec'ing the CCA too. I think Walmart does this in their website listings on batteries because they sell different brands/models in different regions under their same item, i.e MAXX 24F. That could have (made up values) 600 CCA from "A", 650 CCA from "B" and 640 from "C" so they'll advertise it as having 600 CCA.
 
There are ways to increase CCA by design, in the same size, but if it also weighs the same or less, then lifetime is being sacrificed. Everything in a battery design is a tradeoff, including cost.
 
thinner lead plates give more cca at the expense of reserve power. thicker plates have a longer reserve (say to run the lights with the engine off) but less cca.

Its a design tradeoff,
 
Why not go to Walmart and get the same battery for $100?

Sam's club 96R has a 3 year warranty and East Penn made. That's the route I went on the Taurus.
 
You can get a bxt 96r 500 cca or bxt 96r 590 cca from Motorcraft. I always install the 590's unless it's a warranty replacement due to the fact that they're the same price.
 
Originally Posted by krismoriah72
Rural King 96R is $85 Exide

https://www.ruralking.com/battery-96r-60



Of the 3 battery makers, I think Exide is the worst. Johnson Controls is supposed to be decent although there seems to be a lot of love here for East Penn, but that may just be because they don't sell as much so there's less feedback on how good/bad they might be.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Why not go to Walmart and get the same battery for $100?


Or their $50 battery if they have one that fits. I see Pep Boys has that size in Bosch on sale for $120.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Why not go to Walmart and get the same battery for $100?


Or their $50 battery if they have one that fits. I see Pep Boys has that size in Bosch on sale for $120.


I thought there was some other thread that mentioned the Bosch were getting phased out as those were Exide and the Champion are in as those are Johnson Controls. I think Champion is $130 at Pepboys with 25% off so $97.50 and there's a $20 rebate.

http://img.rewardpromo.com/1/7664/22335.pdf

Valuepower is Walmart's $50 battery with a one year warranty. They're in very limited sizes though and 96R isn't one of them.
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Valuepower is Walmart's $50 battery with a one year warranty. They're in very limited sizes though and 96R isn't one of them.


One year warranty so they can sell them cheap but I'm guessing the same guts as their more expensive line. As long as it fits the box and the posts are in the same position, I wouldn't hesitate making another number work for $50.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Valuepower is Walmart's $50 battery with a one year warranty. They're in very limited sizes though and 96R isn't one of them.


One year warranty so they can sell them cheap but I'm guessing the same guts as their more expensive line. As long as it fits the box and the posts are in the same position, I wouldn't hesitate making another number work for $50.

My money says that generally speaking, the three tiers of Walmart batteries are the same and the difference in cost is simply to pay for longer warranty.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Valuepower is Walmart's $50 battery with a one year warranty. They're in very limited sizes though and 96R isn't one of them.


One year warranty so they can sell them cheap but I'm guessing the same guts as their more expensive line. As long as it fits the box and the posts are in the same position, I wouldn't hesitate making another number work for $50.

My money says that generally speaking, the three tiers of Walmart batteries are the same and the difference in cost is simply to pay for longer warranty.


Yes, that is what I meant saying they probably all have the same guts.
 
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