Duracell AGM Batteries

[bertola]

Does anyone know anything about these batteries?  http://www.driveduracell.com/default.aspx?pageid=9 I can't find any specs on them.  Amp hour rating and size and such.  I called Duracell and they didn't offer up much info on them either.  Sams club sells them for about $99.00 each.  Sounds to good to be true for AGM batteries. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The good news is that they are probably made by somebody else and simply private-labeled Duracell. There are only a few US plants making large AGM batteries, and they all build a pretty good product.

The rest of the question is about case size, amp-hours and related battery specs. Are these cheap AGMs the same spec as what you now have?

 

[bertola]

Right now I have group 31 flooded cell batteries.  I know these won't have the capacity of my current batteries.  But I am not sure I need all those amp hours vs keeping up with the water levels and the corrosion of my current batteries. 

 

[Bob Maxwell]

Go dry cell AGM. If you can afford them Odyssey are the very best and the #1 choice in AZ these days with great warantee coverage. I've a son in Tucson, single, and spends a lot of time away from home in his 4x4. Optima are the next choice, and I now have 3. You wont find these at Costco.


www.batteriesplus.com is a good source of information and they're in every state. Because of the price, the Abq only orders them to the sale and you have to wait.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I would chose Concorde Lifeline AGMs or Trojans well ahead of Optima.

 

[ennored]

You're right I don't see very much about the Duracell labeled ones. I did find an AGM31DT part number, but still no specs. I do see some other batteries that LOOK very similar, mention East Penn as a manufacturer, cost WAY more ($219), and have a 105 amp/hr rating. If that's the Duracell battery, and it's only $100 at Sams that could indeed be a good deal.

Hmmmm, found this:
http://www.dekabatteries.com/default.aspx?pageid=1491

 

[John From Detroit]

The problem with Optima is you get 2/3 the battery for 3/2 the price.... The sprial design of the cells means they can at the most be 73% as large as a more common retangular or cubical design,  But per the web pages they are really only about 60%,,,

How did I get there:

I looked at the Amp Hour Rates... For one specific size the "Standard" shape batteries deliver 100 amp hours.. OPTIMA 60.

I advise leaving Optimas on the slelf.. The only exception to this is if you have a rough service ride.. 4-runner, wave runner, or the like that goes slamming over ruts, rocks, ditches, logs, and waves.. That is where the optima takes a physical licking and keeps on cranking.

 

[pkunk]

Best advice is to know what your current size is and then find the price.  AGM technology is very competitive, so price wins.  I have 'Universal?' grp 31 AGMs and they were a bit more than $1.50 an amp.  They're going on 3 years now and are as good as new.

 

[JerArdra]

We are at 8 years and 9 months for our four LifeLine 4D AGMs and they still seem to be quite strong and working very well.  Goal is hopefully 10 years.  January 2013 will be 10 years.  I have always tried to start the recharging when they reach 60% so if I was a little late they still were at or above 50%.  I always leave them connected to the 120 volt inverter when the MH is stored in the garage.  The only downside will be the original cost for new ones...X-PEN-SIVE.  We love 'em.

JerryF

 

[pkunk]

One thing about AGMs, if you're a dry camper, they take a charge much faster than a wet cell which is why I like 'em.

 

[ennored]

I was at Sam's yesterday. Mine has two different Group 31's for about $170, and a group 34 at about $99. It;s the Group 31's I could find online for over $200 with different labels on them. Seems like pretty good pricing, like pkunk says it's just simple math on amp-hours/dollar.

 

[bertola]

I went back to Sam's the other day and found the group 31's on the bottom shelf.  Those are the Batteries I need.  The others for $99.00 did not have enough amps.  Thanks for all the responses.

 

[03 cobra sb]

My experiences with dry cell batteries is that they will fail around two years of use. I have had better luck with wet, 6-8 years with out any problems.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

For the sake of accuracy, an AGM is not a dry cell - the liquid electrolyte is held in a sponge-like material. An AGM is closer to a gel  than the flooded type of wet cell.

But cobra is right - if the batteries fail in two years, there is no sense paying extra for AGM (or gel either). But an AGM should last several years with reasonable care, which basically means a decent 3-stage charging system and not discharging them below about 45-50%. Same with any other battery.