interstate : Megatron vs MT7-34R AGM

I realize this is not answering the question you asked but you might want to check out Bosch AGM batteries. They're very price competitive with standard lead acid batteries if you wait until Pep Boys puts them on a killer sale (which they presumably will do on Memorial Day). They have a great free replacement period (4 years IIRC) and a long warranty as well. I've been a big proponent of Interstate batteries for a long time but seems to me their lifespans have fallen dramatically over the past several years so I'm now happily buying Bosch batteries.

Edit: just checked the Pep Boys site and the batteries are on sale as we speak. For example, a Platinum (AGM) Group 34 battery that's regularly $191 is on sale for $143.24. And yes, they do have a 4 year replacement period! Kinda tough to beat that deal on an AGM battery.

 

FWIW, the 24F Platinum (AGM) is shorter, but the virtually same height & width so you could likely make it work if you want an AGM battery. I really like some of the attributes of AGM batteries but they may or may not be worth an extra $43 to you. I've been running Bosch AGM and lead/acid batteries in various cars for a few years now. Zero problems so far so I intend to keep buying them until that changes appreciably. Hard to go wrong at that price point and with a 3 year free replacement on lead/acid and a 4 year free replacement on AGM batteries. That free replacement period gives me the idea that Bosch is confident in their technology. Reading about their battery builds on the interwebZ is what made me want to try one instead of going back to Interstate, but the price point sealed the deal.

 

I only have experience with Interstate battery which lasted me over nine years.

 

That used to be SOP with Interstate. Most battery companies engineer their batteries to fail at a predetermined time inside the warranty period in hopes of selling a new battery to customers claiming a few bucks on their remaining warranty (Sears being the biggest offender in that scam). In the old days Interstate resisted playing that game. Interstate batteries used to well outlast their warranty period.

Nowadays I'm not so sure. I'm semi-retired from the biz so my data are not the most current but from what I've seen anecdotally Interstate batteries ain't what they used to be. That said, I'd still buy them over almost any other brand, but between the free replacement period and the price point Bosch is getting my biz right now.

The battery market isn't like it used to be-- it's now a moving target, like tires. IMO Bosch and Nitto are killing it right now, but that could change next week.

 

Batteries have gone to crap, they all now use recycled vs virgin lead and I think there are 3 mfg's left for the big names, Bosch, Interstate, Optima, Deka, Duralast. Johnson controls East Penn and Excide. All use recycled lead.

Pricier then most Odyssey is good battery and they use virgin lead, I think Northstar is another one as well. Lately I've had nothing but trouble with the std batteries like Interstate and Duralast. Recently had to replace the battery in my wifes DD, it was 3yrs old! and that was considered a good run! Meanwhile the battery in my old mercedes is ~15yrs old and still going strong.

 

Interesting info. Your real world experience matches my own. The old super-light Odyssey in my M3 track car never misses a beat even though that car is very rarely driven. Most off-the shelf lead/acid batteries would be dead many times over by now. Gotta say I've been impressed by the Bosch AGMs so far, but I figure they're trying to make a name in the marketplace and will eventually head downmarket.

Got a favorite battery these days, or has the whole market pretty much sunk to the same low level?

 

Odyssey has not dropped like the others in terms of life and cycles, so that one is my go to now. I do have a Bosch on hand that came in from OZ, unfortunately here in the states we can't get the same ones as Bosch outsources MFG for those as well for the US market. This one isn't too bad, was able to deep cycle re-charge it and it's holding well for now.

The one I pulled from my wifes car I tried a couple things to see if I could get it to hold a charge... nope. The impurities in the plates and the discharge cycles have left it to where it self discharges in less then a week! And it's a flooded battery to boot!

 

I heard that Optima moved production to Mexico, with a quality drop in the process.

I had a red-top in my 328 for a while, but one bank died and it became a 10v battery.

I've been using Interstate batteries since then.
I found that a 34 (non-R) will fit in the 328 as well as a 34R, although the ground cable is a little shorter since I replaced the connector.

My last Interstate only lasted two years -- they did replace it under warranty, but that's not my previous experience with Interstate.
I've been using Interstate Mega Trons in the 328, the EVO VIII, and for my home inverter.
This is the first time I had a problem with Interstates.
(The EVO X is more problematic, as the trunk mounted factory battery has a vent tube. So replacing that may be more difficult.)

Doing some research, it seems pretty much everything you can buy in the US comes from either Johnson Controls or Exide.

Bosch sold through Pep-Boys reportedly are Exides made in Mexico.
Some Optimas are also Exides.

Interstate, Die-Hard, Autozone, and even Walmart EverStart batteries are all Johnson controls.
By some reports, NAPA batteries are now Johnson controls, as well.

Around 2000 or 2001, I put a NAPA battery in my Celica GT-Four, as the turbo heat under the hood killed the Die-Hard. I was told (unverified) that NAPA gets their batteries from the same company that makes submarine batteries.
That might have been Exide at the time, but it seems that EnerSys got a Navy contract in 2005.

 

By the looks of it, I think I would go with Megatron
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Been running Odyssey batterys in our race cars for 15 years. On Dirt tracks and a total loss system never had one fail.

What size are you running in a 308?