>> I need to buy a new 12v battery and wonder if the Champion batteries
>> sold at Sam's are just as good as other batteries? An Interstate or
>> Sears Die Hard cost a lot more and I wonder if they are worth the
>> extra?
>I have had good luck with the Champions but some on the list have
>complained about them in the past. I have found that the key for cars
>that don't get a lot of use is routine maintenance in the form of a
>regular drive to recharge or some timely use of the charger.
I have had good luck w/ the champion batteries I have gotten from other
sources-the one I bought from Sam's club has worked ok so far, but I did
notice they used the 32 degree F cold cranking ratings rather than the 0
defrees F rating (I live in Minnesota, where every other battery is rated w/
0 Deg rating; I remember in Kansas they used the 32 deg ratings) Kind of
dishonest advertising or rating. [the 700cca batt (now 4 years old, and going
strong) is 900cca by Sam's rating method, and the sams "700cca" batt is 565
cca @0F)
and I suspect champion may build batteries for sam's club cheaper since sam's
club uses the "sell them to us for this for we won't buy $100 million in
batteries(or whatever) from you" technique
Note: Do not leave batteries sit, get discharged, and freeze! I have ruined
more batteries that way (by leaving them in cars that I don't use, and not
starting them periodically)
Scott M Ryan
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