"Best Battery" for OEM Replacement?

My battery is dying and was about to head to Costco, but I found out the local Interstate store has a few 27F "blems" for $55 OTD.

 

If there's anything wrong with those other than a smudged label.... I would 100% avoid. Any case dents/scrapes/cracks will eventually cause an issue or already have.

 

Looked brand new to me.

 

Interesting. I hope you have good luck with it! Batteries are fickle.

 

I almost bought a 27F "blem" from an Interstate dealer in my area. I actually tried it in my truck - it was 1/4" too tall to fit in the stock clamp. only a 1 year warranty. It was not new. It was "reconditioned". It had been thoroughly cleaned up, new stickers applied, and the terminals polished. What else might be included in "reconditioning" aside from charging it up I can only guess. I passed and bought new.

 

True, but it really doesnt make a difference for most of us.

 

Reconditioned is not the same as blemished. Your Interstate Dealer is full of crap.

Reconditioned is a returned or used battery that has been cleaned and tested to meet Minimum Specifications.
Blemished is a new battery with minor cosmetic damage only. It is a new battery.

 

I got a 27F NAPA Gold. Was not the cheapest but it's been great for the past three years. The dimensions are slightly larger than the stock battery so I had to get a different battery clamp. I replaced the stock battery after 5 years just as a preventative measure, it was still going strong.

ETA: NAPA Legend battery, not Gold. Got mixed up with filters I use

 

The NAPA batteries which are made by East Penn (Deka brand also) have a very solid reputation for reliability, and are what I use for my family vehicles. The fleet manager at my last job was a battery enthusiast and only let the shop install these in the fleet vehicles, not Johnson Controls or Exide manufactured batteries. They got 5+ years typically, under severe conditions, and with a graceful degradation of output...starter would crank slower, but still start the engine.

East Penn batteries are usually easy to identify as most of them are "flat top" design with either flush screw-caps for the cells, or completely sealed. Exide and Johnson usually have raised cell caps. There are a few East Penns with raised caps, so it pays to cross-check the NAPA part with the corresponding East Penn/Deka part.

 

I’m being proactive with my new CTEK battery charger. Topping it off now.

 

Where did you get the battery clamp from?

 

I think JEGs. Just a simple adjustable plastic clamp, nothing fancy. It doesn't say "TRD" on it, so no horsepower was added...

 

Mine is a NAPA 27F size, but it's their Legend model at 710 CCA made by East Penn. Fit my factory battery tray and bracket perfectly. It's one of the few East Penn batteries using cell caps that extend above the surface, so I checked the Deka catalog to verify it via the attached pic.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NBE7527F

 

Mine got weak within a few days. Replaced it this.

 

Where you get that one and how much.

 

I always buy my vehicle batteries at Costco.

 

What battery did you have previously that got weak?

 

Northstar... Get the 27F or 31M for additional CCA

 

Reserve Capacity is the reason to go w/a 31M, not Cold Cranking Amps. Any 24 or 27 battery will start our trucks easily. It's the RC that keeps our fridges/lights/stereos/etc. going for the longest time possible when the engine is off. Average AGM 24 battery has ~100-120 RC minutes. Average AGM 31M has 200+ RC minutes. Big difference.

Northstar or Odyssey 31M have 220 RC Minutes but run ~$375.

 

Sams club for 169.00