Commercial battery lifespan

[vtfireman85]

I’m very frustrated with some of our upper management, we are now on our 3rd set of Interstate group 31 dual batteries in my firetruck, another one failed and things started getting weird. I wanted to switch to Deka, handled by the local Napa, and we have an account there. I was told 3 years ( you can insert whatever amount of time between 10 months and 5 years you would like, the goalposts keep moving) is all you can hope for from a commercial battery. I call BS, I can point to multiple batteries (non interstate) that are well over 5 years. I just replaced 2 that were 10 years old. They love Interstate and I might as well go talk to the garage door to try to tell them otherwise.
 

so the big question, what is the expected service life from a battery? I am disappointed at anything under 5 personally. 
 

I should also add that this is not the only truck with this issue, I am replacing at least 2 sets a year in a fleet of 5 trucks. 

[yellowrosefarm]

Local battery guys I have dealt with for 30 years say 2 years is the expected lifespan now. Yes, some will last longer, but they aren't what they used to be.  They will not sell exide based at all.

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

39 minutes ago, yellowrosefarm said:

Local battery guys I have dealt with for 30 years say 2 years is the expected lifespan now. Yes, some will last longer, but they aren't what they used to be.  They will not sell exide based at all.

I’d say that’s about right. We have bought some new machinery that the OEM batteries have lasted for 15 years. All replacements don’t even come close to that. I don’t have one place that we source from and I don’t think any of them are that great anymore. A local Deere store sells Deere and Deka batteries and I can’t say for sure they are any better than anything else. We use some Interstate, we get along ok. Oreilly batteries are probably the worst, but I don’t feel like that’s saying that much any more. 

[vtfireman85]

With generators I try to replace every 4 years. Interstate and mexican NAPA don’t usually make it that long, I can’t say I have ever seen a premature failure in a Deka. But they are a smaller battery, with a heater and they aren’t moving around. The CASE batteries I changed out in the backhoe recently were 10 years old, the one from my jeep was 7 and the pickup was 6. How does that cross to a set of duals that lives on a tender? Idk. 

[acem]

For me.

Vehicles with electrical systems that are in excellent condition and do not have parasitic drains (including computers, radios, etc) I can get 5+ years.

Vehicles with good electrical systems and normal/tiny parasitic drains I can get 3-5 years.

Any system with much parasitic drains or the system has electrical issues, including battery cable corrosion, I'm lucky to get 2 or 3 years.

Excellent vehicle electrical systems do not drain the battery at all (which leaves out modern computerized engines) or overcharge the batteries. Proper charging voltage at the battery is critical. Proper charging voltage varies depending operating patterns.

[searcyfarms]

its a mixed bag here, 2 yrs, 4 yrs 8 yrs depends on how much i take care of them, how long they site w/out a tender on them during winter, i was using no name generics from a place for years but they got bought out and are now called continental batteries, not sure where they get them. On project farm channel he did a bunch of tests and believe it or not walmart batteries did very well. 

my group 31s are at 5 or 6 yrs on the 706 IIRC and they still make the kraut sing 

[Gearclash]

I will not buy Interstate or Exide or their knockoffs if I can avoid it.  Deka doesn't last forever either but I have seen too many duds with the other brands to mess with them again. 

Most batteries I buy last at least 5 years; if they don't, often time it is because they have been killed by one thing or another. 

[lotsaIHCs]

The interstates in my 1066 are 15 years old, so far so good.  I've replaced batteries in new cars that just rolled off the transport. I've seen some last 2 years. I've seen the same batteries last 10 years. I haven't seen any one brand last any longer than others on a consistent basis for years. It used to be, 30 years ago, that Cat, AC Delco and Car Quest batteries were all made by the same company and were very good batteries. Interstates used to be next in line and were decent. I don't know who was making them at the time since Interstate is just a marketing company, not a manufacturer. Exide were bottom of the barrel and had a 60% failure rate in the first year. I'd say it's a crap shoot. The name of the game today seems to be inconsistent quality across the board.

[Dave Shepard]

Interstates have lost my respect. The Deka, now badged Diehard, in the sawmill last 4 years.

 

Those 15 year old batteries lasted because they were made 15 years ago. 

 

 

[Chester5732]

I never did have any use for Interstate. They leaked and didn’t last. Never used a Deka so can’t smash about them. I have had the best luck with AC Delco. 

[iowaboy1965]

One of sons cars had a had a deka in it when we bought it....6 years ago or more? It wasnt new then but not real old. Knock on wood its still going. Doesn't get driven in the winter but does go on a battery tender in rotation with 1 other battery out of another car. 

Have an interstate out of moms car. Was 7 years old when I took it out. Still starting one of my cubs 3 years later.

It does sound like all brands cheapened up from what you guys and others are saying and we may not get as long out of any of them. 

But I agree that for the i expect 5 or more years out of them and will be dissatisfied if they don't make that. 

[superman]

Experience through the years of handling, buying and deepening on battery's tells the whole story. We should not have to except this kind of quality today! %&$$

[New Englander]

Shockingly I've been having good luck with Walmart. The local store doesn't seem to keep group 31s in stock so I've just bought one from Batteries+Bulbs, jury is out.

I  just changed the battery in my daughter's BMW. It's 12 years old and was cranking slow in the cold but still working. You have to tell a BMW when it gets a new battery as it changes the charging schedule over time. Walmart doesn't care if the core is a different number so the removed battery is now powering my hangar winch which is an old boat winch. 

Newer cars have smart charging systems that should prolong battery life. 

Pickup truck has a Delco from Amazon - no core charge. I killed the old one when I forgot to turn off the dash cam and left on a two-week trip. Jump pack I carry wouldn't do it and MassPort parking garage courtesy truck had to keep his cables on for about 15 minutes. I gave him a 20 and kept him talking before I finally got it running. Coming up to the first stoplight with the headlights and heater on it started to stall so quickly into neutral and revved up kept it running until I got the lights and heater off. Lights but no heat until the highway and by the time I got home it was starting. Charger over night and it tested marginal so replaced.

[jeeper61]

Exide will leak 

The OEM AC-Delcos last, my 19 Chevy still has the original it made it through a cold winter still cranking good 

Used to have good luck with Walmart batteries but the last couple failed before the warranty was over and the replacements did too

My 4400 Ford came with a Germany made Interstate made in 2017 and it's still starting the tractor but it on its way out 

Got a Optima on a trailer winch it's over 7 and still holds a charge between uses.

Last purchase was a Deka a year ago so we will see how that holds up.

I don't use a tender on any

[from H to 80]

Around here batteries die i groups,if i replace the batteries in one piece of equipment, you can bet your boots that several more will go soon.

Local electric shop sold Interstate for years,he switched to Deka a few years ago, he told me they got too high and their quality went downhill.

I agree that none of the newer batteries last like they used to,whether they or OEM or Walmart brand.

[brahamfireman]

You stated you're changing batteries in your truck, then later said you're replacing 2 sets a year in a fleet of 5, leads me to believe you are the fleet maintenance guy. If you are the designated maintenance guy for your fire dept,  sounds to me like management needs to let you do your job and not micro manage. If that's the game they want to play,  let them change the batteries. 

As far as life span, in the last 8 years we've replaced batteries in 1 engine in 2024, with whatever Napa ordered for us. I believe the new are DeKa and the old were over 10 years old. 

Do your trucks have auto battery tenders? All of ours are plugged into shore power at the hall and are equipped with auto maintainers,  they also all have master cut off switches to stop parasitic drains.

[New Englander]

1 hour ago, brahamfireman said:

You stated you're changing batteries in your truck, then later said you're replacing 2 sets a year in a fleet of 5, leads me to believe you are the fleet maintenance guy. If you are the designated maintenance guy for your fire dept,  sounds to me like management needs to let you do your job and not micro manage. If that's the game they want to play,  let them change the batteries. 

As far as life span, in the last 8 years we've replaced batteries in 1 engine in 2024, with whatever Napa ordered for us. I believe the new are DeKa and the old were over 10 years old. 

Do your trucks have auto battery tenders? All of ours are plugged into shore power at the hall and are equipped with auto maintainers,  they also all have master cut off switches to stop parasitic drains.

I agree that anything that absolutely positively has to start should be on a maintainer, a smart maintainer, not just a trickle charger.

[New Englander]

This is what I use on my plane's 24 volt battery. Replacement batteries are now over a grand so anything that keeps them healthy is money well spent.

Other vehicles/tractors just get the charger overnight a couple of time during the winter.

https://www.batteryminders.com/batteryminder-model-244cec2-aa-s5-24v-4-amp-concorde-aviation-battery-charger-maintainer-desulfator/

 

[yellowrosefarm]

Would a maintainer on a fire truck last past the first time someone forgot to unplug it going out on a call?  Or is that unlikely to ever happen?

[TomH]

Recently I have started a battery experiment. In 2018 I converted my H to 12 volts and installed a “value” Walmart Everstart battery $49.99 at the time. It still holds charge like new. In 2022 I replaced both batteries in my F350 with Interstate’s. Nearly 400$. This last January one of them died, still some Warranty left but I needed to replace it on a Sunday so I put in a Walmart value group 65 battery for $59.00. Autozone dura max group 31 in my 684 died last fall, 4 years old. Replaced it with Walmart value 1 year warranty now $79.99. So, the battery in the H will be 8 years old this year and has outlasted several other batteries including our cars with the exception of the Varta battery in my wife’s old Mercedes that is 10 years old. Longer warranty batteries cost more than double the 1 year guarantee on the Walmart value series. So I will continue to find out if the cheaper batteries will last as long or longer than “better” batteries.

[cobfly]

A quick search will tell you who makes your favorite battery. It pretty much boils down to eastpenn or johnson controls. Eastpenn is family owned, their in house brand is Deka.

[acem]

I've been seeing imported batteries lately.

It's in fine print somewhere on the battery. Often not on the label.

[FarmerFixEmUp]

3 minutes ago, TomH said:

Recently I have started a battery experiment. In 2018 I converted my H to 12 volts and installed a “value” Walmart Everstart battery $49.99 at the time. It still holds charge like new. In 2022 I replaced both batteries in my F350 with Interstate’s. Nearly 400$. This last January one of them died, still some Warranty left but I needed to replace it on a Sunday so I put in a Walmart value group 65 battery for $59.00. Autozone dura max group 31 in my 684 died last fall, 4 years old. Replaced it with Walmart value 1 year warranty now $79.99. So, the battery in the H will be 8 years old this year and has outlasted several other batteries including our cars with the exception of the Varta battery in my wife’s old Mercedes that is 10 years old. Longer warranty batteries cost more than double the 1 year guarantee on the Walmart value series. So I will continue to find out if the cheaper batteries will last as long or longer than “better” batteries.

It doesn't seem to matter what name's on the battery, anything made in the last 5 to 10 years seem to not have a long life.

I've had a Deka in my pickup that gets driven  daily, lasted almost 3 years.  Has a NAPA Legend it in now. Have to see how that goes. Combine needed batteries last summer. They were 4 year old AC Delco group 31's which went back in. Sits for a while not being started so can see that.  The Interstates in it before made 7 years. My 2 1066's have 5 year old batteries at least in them and seem to be holding up well. One has Interstates and the others Bomgaars Power, a local farm store.  Not sure who builds them. I bought a pair of Runnings Durastart batteries for my 706 a couple months ago . Thought I'd try the cheapest batteries I could find and give it a try.  $119.99 each.

I believe I bought my 5288 in 2000 or 2001. I replaced the batteries with Interstate group 31's at the time.  I replaced them in 2018, so they did well. 

[CIHTECH]

42 minutes ago, yellowrosefarm said:

Would a maintainer on a fire truck last past the first time someone forgot to unplug it going out on a call?  Or is that unlikely to ever happen?

Auto-Eject, kicks the connector out when starter solenoid is enegrized....handy as a pocket in your shirt. Air lines to keep air up on trucks are the same way. 

Several times a year seems as I'm fixing an air or electric shoreline at our station. 

[whweldit]

NAPA still good batteries here.  In my cx90 since new in 99 I am now on my 3 rd new battery.  Put it in last year.  Put a new battery in wife’s smart car last year.   Car was bought new in 2008 and original was still cranking it.  Longest I ever got out of battery. It was a German name.