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6TL Battery Availability

tjonesdfw

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I have been searching for weeks for 6TL batteries for my new 1123 that came with some off brand batteries that are way too small. Napa, Oreilly, Autozone, Interstate, and Batteries Plus are all out of stock and can’t even order one right now. Does anyone have a lead or source for anything other than $700 Hawkers?
 

Maxjeep1

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Las Vegas Nevada
I have been searching for weeks for 6TL batteries for my new 1123 that came with some off brand batteries that are way too small. Napa, Oreilly, Autozone, Interstate, and Batteries Plus are all out of stock and can’t even order one right now. Does anyone have a lead or source for anything other than $700 Hawkers?
Hawkers are 450.00 each including shipping. They have a lead time because they are built to order. Mine are supposed to ship on the 22nd of this month
 

mgFray

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Southern Minnesota
Previous owner of my HMMWV bought them, but they are the O'Reilly 6TL batteries. I asked them about getting a pair, and they said they were just special order and would take a few days to a week to get them in, but they were available. Price wasn't unreasonable, but the Hawker are much better batteries (presumably the AGMs) then the O'Reilly wet cells I was looking at.
 

Coug

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Olympia/WA
I'll partially agree with papakb.
Unless you are taking your truck into the middle of nowhere with no cell reception, and a dead battery might be the difference between life and death, and you're running everything off the batteries without the truck running (things like radios, lights, entertainment, kitchen sink, etc) then the 6tl reserve capacity is more than you really need.

The main reason the military uses the 6tl in the HMMWV is because they use it in pretty much everything else, and it simplifies the supply chain.

the flooded lead acid 6tl is something like 650CCA rated. Pretty much any battery with a higher CCA rating than that, and has at least halfway decent reserve capacity (for dealing with the glow plugs mostly) is more than enough to operate one of these trucks. (if it doesn't have enough capacity though, you risk destroying the start box)

I think it was RetiredWarHorses that said he's even seen trucks come in with a pair of lawnmower batteries in them to start them. Might work in warm weather, but definitely not recommended if where you live gets cold.

If you are staying in cellular phone range and not going crazy off roading, then a pair of 24 series or similar batteries will work for starting the truck.

The only actual advantage of the 6tl series that I can find is the vent caps are rated for being submerged 5 feet under water. So if you aren't actually driving with water over the level of the batteries that's a moot point anyway.

Spend the extra money on an AAA RV+ plan so if something bad really does happen you can get the truck towed home.
 

Maxjeep1

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Las Vegas Nevada
I don’t want to deal with battery issues on my truck ever. I still don’t understand this 24v system and if I had a dead Humvee, another vehicle and a set of cables I don’t think that’s enough to attempt to get it going. I think I would probably need 2 cables and vehicles. Maybe I’m way off but I haven’t dug very deep. I just know that I would rather have 2 batteries with 1225cca each rather than 2 with 625cca. That hawker battery claims that you can run it 100% dead 120+ times. you know your battery is going to die at the worst possible time. I think I paid as much for my powerstroke batteries as my Hawkers. Everyone has different views and really there is no wrong answer. We all chose our mods/upgrades to suit us and my only splurge items are x-doors and batteries.
 
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