OEM battery is junk

I've only gotten 10 years out of a battery once.. My wife's Forester that came with a factory 'Panasonic' battery (?? Didn't even knew they made car batteries..) ... And keep in mind, I live where it can get 90* in summer and -20* for 2-3 weeks in winter.
I generally go with top-shelf Interstate batts. (Expensive, but ..) If I get 5 years out of those, I'm counting myself good to go/lucky.

 

They are now, that's for sure...

 

C'mon now......Craftsman is owned and made by Stanley Tools. They also hold DeWalt, Black & Decker, Porter Cable......and others.

Like other consumer power tool brands sold at the Big Boxes, the stuff is mostly made in SE Asia.

Its all quality stuff...................well....at least equal to each other.

 

I get 8~11 years from the AGM's I've used. I changed that dirty liquid acid stock battery the first month.

 

I have had good luck with DieHards. All four of them I bought (2 in a motorhome and 2 in cars) about 7 years ago are still going strong. None on tenders, all normally driven. When I need a battery for my Tacoma (which is 2 years old now) I'm going to GTS (Google That Shit) on the newer DieHards to see where they are made, etc. My only dilemma is, 100 bucks for an Interstate at Costco, or 200 for a DieHard at Advance. Will the DieHard truly last twice as long at twice the price? I doubt it. But, I worked at a manufacturing facility and we used Interstates there, and they didnt seem to last long in that environment (forklifts, motorized lifts, etc).

 

The DieHard Platinum was the best. They were made by enersys (odyssey). I got one on sale from Sears for $175., and it lasted over 11 years.
Not sure who's making them now.

 

I bought my truck in Oct 2017. Still running strong on the original battery. I also keep the battery maintained and cleaned and topped off with distilled water too though.

Also on the original wipers too lol. not a single streak when I use them.

 

i believe he was being sarcastic...lol

 

Just cleaned mine with silicon spray. there back to new like condition.

 

yea I wipe/clean mine regularly. I also give the arms and the blades a nice wipedown of 303 Aerospace whenever I detail too.

no streaks, no hopping or chirping. still like new haha

 

As a Bostonian i could detect your sarcasm, OP.

 

Mine went 10 years
Current one is at five years

 

My 4runner had an 11-12 year old Panasonic battery that worked perfect until one day not at all. But it was fairly low mileage. My dads 2012 Tacoma still has its original Johnson Controls battery and it just started getting slower to start on cold days. It can get as cold as -30c and as hot as +30c where I live in Canada. My 2018s battery still tests good with my battery load tester. I’ve had great luck with batteries. Corroding terminals does not always mean battery is going to fail... it means clean the terminals and add distilled water as needed... keep them coated with Fluid Film and corrosion never happens.

 

Yep, same here on DieHard back in Sears days. I have my OEM Toyota on a tender (not driving much) and a Duracell in our other vehicle.

Without fail, winter always brings out a flurry of "my battery died/sucks" and "I have a starting problem" threads. People don't realize how damaging heat, cold and constant short trips are. And that they're a consumable item like a light bulb.

 

LOL!!
I can remember when Craftsman/DeWalt/Stanley/Porter Cable/Milwaukee/Chicago Pneumatic/Rockwell ... Man, you were buying The Best of The Best back in the day. Made in USA and you knew was gonna last a life-time.
Now, you might as well buy mid-grade MIC Harbor Freight crap and hope it lasts you 6 months. Especially as you have no choice. All the top-shelf stuff is all MIC crap now.

 

Equal is debatable. But at least Craftsman still carries (and honors) their lifetime warranties.

 

Hand tools, yes ... Power tools .. Not a chance in hell.

 

Yes, but Craftsman isn't exactly well known for their power tools. You'd be better off going to DeWalt or Makita.

 

Only, partially true in that while there's only 6-7 true battery manufacturer's they don't make then ALL the same and just put different stickers on them. Battery manufacturer's make batteries to each individual seller or chain outlet's specifications. I know this because I purchased/sold/warrantied thousands of batteries over the 16 years I owned and operated my auto parts stores and have toured most of the battery manufacturing plants.

 

A battery that matches or exceeds power requirements specified by the vehicle's manufacturer, vehicle's charging/starting system has been and is in good condition, battery trickle charged (battery tender used) when stored for extended periods of time and installed in a vehicle used/stored in a moderate climate should last 5-6 years.

Good idea to start looking to replace at 5 years old.