The OEM batteries on my 04.5 were still going strong but I did not want to risk them another winter since I knew I would be working in Northern BC off the Alaska Highway on an Oil Rig.

I went with a pair of Bosch batteries. Truck starts in cold weather with no issues. Bosch batteries are not cheap but come highly rated. Happy with the purchase so far & we have seen -40 a few weeks back.

 

I want to get a set of DieHard Platinums. But I'm worried about Sears. Are they actually going to be around for a while? I keep seeing rumors about them going under.

 

I wouldn't be too concerned about Sears. The Platinums will probably the last set of batteries you will be buying for the truck.

My Platinum P1's with a born on date of 4/2009 are still going strong.

 

Still on my OEM's. Wife said, "we ain't replacing till we have to."

 

Of course as soon as the truck doesn;t start and she misses her hair salon appointment, she'll be saying "why didn't you replace the batteries already??" lol

 

So true, seafish

 

Don't wait until it dies in the a parking lot, like me.

 

I got 9 yrs. out of the factory batteries. After market batteries are always a gamble. I paid the price and got OEM replacements.

 

You are absolutely correct that buying MOST aftermarket batteries IS a crapshoot, unfortunately EVEN the ones available as "oem" from a dealership.

While in fact many peoples original factory truck batteries last 8 or 9 years, even more, there are ZERO guarantees that the "oem" batteries you decided to buy from the dealership are in fact from the same manufacturer or of the same quality as the ones that came in the truck from the factory NINE years earlier. Some bean counter at Mopar Corporate, perhaps the parts manager at the local dealership, or even a production manager at the Battery assmeblt plant, can easily decide to source a different battery (or in the case of the battery production manager, battery materials) that may in fact meet oem CCA and other specs, but does in fact cost them less to buy ir manufacture then the oem factory supplied battery…thus THEY make more money while you THINK that you are getting the same quality battery. (As another example of this, they even have different part #'s for tow mirrors at the dealership…one set for oem quality and then another Mopar # for aftermarket mirrors that look the same, but do cost less and are of a MUCH lower quality then the oem replacement mirrors.)

OK, sorry, I don't mean to rain TOO hard on your idea, but it just doesn't hold up to the simple economies of modern parts sourcing. I'll take a Diehard Platinum P2 or a Deka Intimidator any day of the week over something that a parts counter at the dealership sold me as "oem"…of course, I'll end up paying for the quality as well, but at least I am SURE of the quality from those two manufacturers. Just my .02

 

I went with the Diehard Platinums.. They are very heavy! I think the Platinums are better than the original batteries they replaced which were 8 years old. The old batteries were still OK so I keep one around the garage as a power source.

 

Now that you mention it, one of the original batteries from my 2005 is still running in my 1980 Toyota ranch/beater truck.

 

My Platinums from 2011 are dead...ironically, the Sears in my town is also dead.

Shopping for replacements now. $400+ on a pair is painful. I have friends who swear by going WalMart $50 option and replacing them when they crap out, just more often. There's a thing to be said for peace-of-mind and not touching the batteries for 7 years...but $300 in the wallet is nice too. *shrug*

 

Thread asks for Best, so I have used the Diehard Platinum's, got ~7 years short tripping. When they went it was slow cranking, not dead. Replaced with Odyssey's thru Amazon, direct shipped, fresh. Used a gift card and reward point to get it to ~ $430 for a pair. Can't afford to miss work over being frugal on starting the ride. My opinion these are the best.

 

i know this is an older thread i am located in canada and just replaced both my batteries with 2 group 31 or 32 cant remember but they are 900 cca they are taller and narrower fit tight width wise but work great.
i purchased right from cummins canada $89.00 each best price i have seen for a battery that size
CHECK OUT CUMMINS WEBSITE

 

Hey thanks for the reply. Can you believe I still havent replaced them yet. Yea it's a winter garage queen with only a little over 100k on it, but the batteries will be 16 in may. Heading out west with the 5th wheel late summer and am going to put a couple cat group. 31s in it for the trip. That is unless someone has a better idea for 100 each.