6TL batteries cheap!

[renovate7]

I bought batteries at Walmart, paid their $9 core charge then took the old 6TL's to a recycling yard and got $23 each. Lowered my cost for each new battery by $14.

 

[rpollitt01]

How much were the new batteries at Wal Mart?

 

[91W350]

I bought a 24 M and a 24 F yesterday at Walmart and escaped for under 200 with core charge. They fit under the original battery tie down and have 750 cold cranking amps. By using the combination, you can still use the short cable between batteries. I plan to shim the outside (end to end) of them to keep them centered in the box. They fit inside to outside and height. Glen

 

[Gunnermac]

I understand that Interstate is using a different battery than the one it used to., like Optma that used to be a great battery, but is not any more. I have been using batteries from Batteries Plus with good results. Their 1150 cca battery is less than $80.00 and while I have had a couple that failed, the local store has made them good with no question and no charge. You have to modify the battery hold down, I use 2X4, no big deal.

 

[Z71]

I will never buy another Interstate or NAPA for my own stuff ever again. We have have about a 70 batteries in logging equipment, trucks, tractors and buses. Strong Box and Hibernator from John Deere are the best. They will honor the warranty. Interstate will screw you every time, 13 months and you pay a steep pro rate and your still stuck with a crap battery that you get replace again in 13 months. Same with NAPA. I just put two Wal-Mart Batteries in my Deuce, three year free replacement $80 ea. Modified the hold down and made a longer center cable.

I must confirm the same experience. Years ago I bought a set of surplus 6TL army batteries from a surplus dealer for $ 60/piece and they lasted almost 6 years without any problems. Then I bought a set from Interstate. Two years later, they were toast. No warranty of course, because their lousy warranty is 6 months free replacement, and 6 months after that pro rated, for a lousy 1 year warranty. The next set from them was even worse. One of the batteries dropped a cell after 12 months and they would do absolutely nothing about it. I had to fight just to get a 10% discount on a new battery. At $ 150/ piece they are no bargain for sure.

Deka batteries are available from a Deka battery dealer in Fort Lauderdale, and they are undoubtedly better quality, but they cost over $ 250/piece and come with a 2 year warranty. Still, spending $ 500 and have battieries last 5 years is better than spending $ 600 on two sets of lousy Interstate 6TLs that will last 4 years total.

 

[Repo3004]

I picked up (2) 6TL from a NAPA dealership here in North Dakota (Watford City) yesterday. I had to pay $233.77 each, another $24.00 each for core deposit, battery acid $17.03. The acid they gave me was enough to only fill 1 battery. So it's drive back the 45 miles today... the total cost for (2) 6TL is $564.53, plus I need to buy more acid. I didn't think the acid would be a separate charge.

 

[MilSpec78]

Ouch!

Last year I needed to replace the batteries for my deuce. I could not find surplus 6TLs locally so I was going to go with refurbished Interstates batteries (group 31 I think). Interstate is about an hour away from me.

The lazy and cheap side of me took over so I bought the cheapest batteries I could find at Walmart. I believe they are 540 CCA and were about $50 each. They have worked great so far. They even cranked strong at -8F after sitting a month with no battery tender.

The 24v system really is great. It reduces the need for high CCAs.

With that said, I do not have a lot of equipment that needs a high capacity battery. If I did, I would probably have to go back to the 6tl for a better amp-hour rating.

 

[Scarecrow1]

Very nice find I wish it was closer I would have just shelved them on a trickle charger. I just bought 2 interstates and killed them twice I didn't but they were still so dead they wouldn't even take a charge from my charger. I had to take them back to the guy I got them from and he put them on his 80 year old charger. One still didn't want to fully charge so like others said next time I will go to Walmart or Oreilley's. They are back in the truck and I hope all is well just had to make it where kids were kept out. So it is on a locked RV yard. But it should tell us just how much of a markup there is on those batteries to stat with........

 

[welldigger]

My deuce came with civi batteries already in it from the previous owner. I now buy all of my batteries from oreily's. Most of the super starts they sell are made in USA and the few times I have had to warranty one they gave me zero hassels. One time they even warrantied one that was 2 months out of warranty. That kind of service keeps me going back.