Standard vs AGM car batteries?

Jim C.

Jim C.

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After 5 years and 7 months, the battery in my car has kicked the bucket (no, not kcult's bucket). From a quick check at a few places, Costco seems to have the best prices, and they list a standard battery for $119.99 or an AGM for $182.99.

The first couple of pages on Google when searching seem to be full of reviews saying how much better AGM is, but they all seem to be from resellers or battery companies. Is it worth the cost difference to go with AGM for a vehicle which doesn't require it?

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I would compare the cheaper Costco battery to one from walmart. Mainly compare warranties. Pretty sure you can get one for a similar price with a better warranty.
 
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A battery from Walmart with the same warranty is $20 more than the less expensive Costco battery. Walmart also has one for $70, but only a 1 year warranty.

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Jim C. said:
A battery from Walmart with the same warranty is $20 more than the less expensive Costco battery. Walmart also has one for $70, but only a 1 year warranty.

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585cca = Thin lead plates.
Might be ok on a low compression 4cyl. Anything that requires long cranking imes or has a beefy starter will kill it in short time.
 
rdinatal said:
585cca = Thin lead plates.
Might be ok on a low compression 4cyl. Anything that requires long cranking imes or has a beefy starter will kill it in short time.
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That one didn't make the list. 😉

I'm pretty much set on Interstate from Costco unless I can find an equivalent battery for less, but just wondered if paying $63 more for AGM will get me >$63 worth of value. If not, I should just get the lead acid battery.
 
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We run AGM at work but those are 12/24v systems that draw a lot of voltage and need a lot of cranking power. Currently we’re on 6 years between battery replacements and stretching them longer.
 
The Costco elcheapo is the ones I used for years. When they cut the warranty I quit them. My experience with them was they lasted about 40 months.

The warranty used to be 42 months no questions.
I have since went with motorcraft from O'Reilly. Better warranty and about $10 more per battery.
But I do have a commercial account.
 
No experience with the AGM car batteries.

Sam's Club carries Duracell batteries and the last 2 I bought were the 24F and regular price was $129.99. Got one of them on sale for $109.99. $60 cheaper than the same battery at Batteries Plus.

Here's the specs, with 36 month free replacement.

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LeeMajors said:
The Costco elcheapo is the ones I used for years. When they cut the warranty I quit them. My experience with them was they lasted about 40 months.

The warranty used to be 42 months no questions.
I have since went with motorcraft from O'Reilly. Better warranty and about $10 more per battery.
But I do have a commercial account.
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I don’t see Motorcraft batteries available locally at O’Reilly, just a brand called Super Start. They're $189.99 for 650 CCA or $209.99 for 725 CCA. The Motorcraft 24F would have to be ordered and is $144.99.

What's better about their warranty? Both Costco and O'Reilly list 3 years limited. As an aside, I've never had to get one replaced under warranty as they've all outlasted the warranty period.

beamernc said:
No experience with the AGM car batteries.

Sam's Club carries Duracell batteries and the last 2 I bought were the 24F and regular price was $129.99. Got one of them on sale for $109.99. $60 cheaper than the same battery at Batteries Plus.

Here's the specs, with 36 month free replacement.

View attachment 674083
Click to expand...
Thanks. I didn't check Sam's this time as I'm not currently a member and there's no longer one nearby. Costco is about 5 minutes. ;)
 
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I've got some corrosion going on on the terminals on my van battery, seems to have happened with the old and new battery. I might try AGM next time just to have it 100% sealed and get rid of the corrosion issue.

I've just been getting replacements at costco, they're reasonable and seem to last about the same as others I've tried.

off topic... the worst battery in recent memory was an Optima red top I put in the truck. Used to run those all the time in the Jeeps with great results, but this time it crapped out in 2 years (and the warranty is pro-rated and they were jerking me around so I just gave up on it). The truck sits a lot, but did have a solar trickle charger on it. Popped a costco battery in there and it's been fine for 4 years so far even without the charger attached and just getting run every few weeks.
 
I don't have a Costco membership, so I default for Walmart batteries and have been running them for years. I fought with an 03 Honda Accord for years with part store batteries before I took the final hit and gave a Walmart battery a go. It's been 6 years now and that battery is still in it doing good.

I also have a 3yro walmart battery in a car that mostly sits in the garage, hook it up to a tender sometimes if I think about it, but for the most part it just sits waiting.

These videos might help if you haven't viewed them already.



 
Jim C. said:
I don’t see Motorcraft batteries available locally at O’Reilly, just a brand called Super Start. They're $189.99 for 650 CCA or $209.99 for 725 CCA. The Motorcraft 24F would have to be ordered and is $144.99.

What's better about their warranty? Both Costco and O'Reilly list 3 years limited. As an aside, I've never had to get one replaced under warranty as they've all outlasted the warranty period.


Thanks. I didn't check Sam's this time as I'm not currently a member and there's no longer one nearby. Costco is about 5 minutes. ;)
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45 month warranty
 
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AGM is overrated. I've bought them, when they were new and exciting, and they've been OEM in several fleet vehicles.
Trunk or interior mounted yes. They offgas less.
Has to be mounted weird, sure. High probability of physical damage, yep.
High vibration like frame rail mounted battery box on a semi operating on unimproved roads... they may have lasted a little better, months better.
Standard consumer vehicle, nope.
 
Hunter600rr said:
I don't have a Costco membership, so I default for Walmart batteries and have been running them for years. I fought with an 03 Honda Accord for years with part store batteries before I took the final hit and gave a Walmart battery a go. It's been 6 years now and that battery is still in it doing good.

I also have a 3yro walmart battery in a car that mostly sits in the garage, hook it up to a tender sometimes if I think about it, but for the most part it just sits waiting.

These videos might help if you haven't viewed them already.



Click to expand...

I need a new battery soon. First thing I did was go to slickdeals for any crazy deals like the AGM I got for my wife’s car a few years ago for 50% off, second was check Project Farm.

Over the years, I’ve had good luck with Walmart’s higher grade batteries, but since I have a Costco membership and have read from many here and other places that interstate batteries are excellent, that’s what I’ll be buying before winter.
 
Jayne said:
I've got some corrosion going on on the terminals on my van battery, seems to have happened with the old and new battery. I might try AGM next time just to have it 100% sealed and get rid of the corrosion issue.

I've just been getting replacements at costco, they're reasonable and seem to last about the same as others I've tried.

off topic... the worst battery in recent memory was an Optima red top I put in the truck. Used to run those all the time in the Jeeps with great results, but this time it crapped out in 2 years (and the warranty is pro-rated and they were jerking me around so I just gave up on it). The truck sits a lot, but did have a solar trickle charger on it. Popped a costco battery in there and it's been fine for 4 years so far even without the charger attached and just getting run every few weeks.
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AGM vs standard has nothing to do with the corrosion around the terminals. We have an Interstate store here and all I ever get are the refurbished Interstate batteries, I've had a $25 Interstate battery in my truck for 5yrs now, no problems. I don't really see the AGM advantage in a car or truck, they were good for motorcycles where there was the possibility of a bike falling over and getting acid everywhere.
 
I used to work for Johnson Controls (Now Clarios), who made the first AGM battery (Optima). They made me pass "battery university" as part of their marketing 11ish years ago.
They are great for the situations they are great at. Anything with heavy vibration or deep cycle discharging is ideal for AGM.
They are not really necessary for just starting the vehicle. I got the original yellow top Optima (with employee discount) for our minivan because of power sliding doors and power liftgates all being used by kids before an adult even started the car. That battery lasted almost 8 years.
I'm currently running an Odyssey battery in that van that has been great since 2018.

I'd say to base your decision on how much electronic accessories come into play. That would include whether your vehicle has auto start/stop functions that put extra drain on the battery when you are sitting with the engine off.

The "cool kids" have moved on to orange top Li batteries in their toys. Not anything to really need to consider for your daily driver.
 
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A little axel grease on the battery posts and covering the terminals has always avoided corrosion in my experience. Penn Reel used to have a 1 oz tub of grease with an applicator which would probably to more than two terminals with a thin coat. I have an open tub of 1 lb lithium grease mostly unused, 1 lb unopened Valvoline Ford-Lincoln-Mercury grease, and a barely used 1 lb tub of Penn Reel grease.
 
Ferrisfan said:
I used to work for Johnson Controls (Now Clarios), who made the first AGM battery (Optima). They made me pass "battery university" as part of their marketing 11ish years ago.
They are great for the situations they are great at. Anything with heavy vibration or deep cycle discharging is ideal for AGM.
They are not really necessary for just starting the vehicle. I got the original yellow top Optima (with employee discount) for our minivan because of power sliding doors and power liftgates all being used by kids before an adult even started the car. That battery lasted almost 8 years.
I'm currently running an Odyssey battery in that van that has been great since 2018.

I'd say to base your decision on how much electronic accessories come into play.

The "cool kids" have moved on to orange top Li batteries.
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Thanks for your insight. My car is 9 years old, so it has some electronics but not like current models. I don't think AGM would give an advantage for day to day use and doubt that the ~1.5x increase in cost would give me enough of an boost in battery life to make it worthwhile.
 
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