Choosing Value over Price, Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Batteries

One of my favorite quotes of all time is "Price is what you pay, value is what you get." - Warren Buffet.  While this quote can be applied to many things, let's look at how it directly applies to your battery purchase and what your thought process should be going in to that purchase.

In our last article, Comparing Apples to Apples, Cold Cranking Amps, Marine Cranking Amps and Reserve Capacity you learned that while batteries can look identical they can have very different performance ratings.  Some things you should ask yourself when deciding if AGM is right for you are:

1. How long am I keeping this car, boat, etc?
2. Does the application I am putting the battery in sit unused for extended periods of time?
3. Is my battery in a location that makes maintenance impossible?
4. Do I have accessories that put a higher than normal load on my battery?

If you are planning on keeping your vehicle, boat, RV, etc. for longer than two years you should be considering an AGM battery.  The AGM battery is more vibration resistant, requires zero maintenance, increased CCA, increased reserve capacity, longer warranty period and has a significantly increased life expectancy over its wet cell cousin.

Flooded Wet Cell Battery

AGM Battery

If you are looking for the best value, I would encourage you to take a look at AGM batteries that would fit your application.  AGM simply stands for "Absorbed Glass Mat" meaning that instead of having free flowing electrolyte as you would find in a normal wet cell (flooded) battery, the AGM battery uses a fiberglass mat separator that absorbs the electrolyte which in turn means more electrolyte can be added to the same physical size battery.  All of this value does come at a price that is roughly two to three times that of the standard flooded battery.  There are different types of AGM batteries depending on your application and budget.  Treasure Coast Battery & Alternator can walk you through the different options and help you decide which battery would give you the best value.  When it comes to batteries no quote could ever be more accurate, "Price is what you pay, value is what you get."

David Jouppi - Manager
Treasure Coast Battery & Alternator

Comparing Apples to Apples, Cold Cranking Amps, Marine Cranking Amps and Reserve Capacity

Now that we have established what "group size" means, we will move to the next decision that you must make when purchasing a battery.  The first thing you will notice as a consumer is the wide range of prices there are for the same group size battery.  In order to make an informed decision you must know how to compare the different brands to find the best value.  First we will look at starting batteries.  Starting or cranking batteries are designed to give a short burst of energy to start your vehicle, boat, lawn tractor, etc.  The rating you should be looking for on this type of battery is the Cold Cranking Amps (CCA).  Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) is a measurement of the number of amps a battery can deliver at 0 degrees F for 30 seconds and not drop below 7.2 volts.  Batteries of the same group size can have very different CCA ratings, this is where you as a consumer need to make sure you are comparing apples to apples before just choosing the least expensive battery.  While it may fit your application in physical size, it may not be enough CCA for your application which could ultimately lead to premature failure.

The next type of batteries we will look at is the marine starting and deep cycle battery.  Here again, you will find an array of batteries that look the same physically but are very different!  When making your purchase of a marine battery you want to look for the Marine Cranking Amps (MCA) and the Reserve Capacity (RC).  Marine Cranking Amps (MCA) are measured at 32 degrees F.  The reserve capacity (RC) of a marine battery is the number of minutes a fully charged battery at 80 degrees F will discharge 25 amps until the battery drops below 10.5 volts, for example:  your battery has a RC of 145 minutes @ 25A and your accessories (lights, gps, depth finder, livewell/baitwell pumps, etc.) add up to a 25A draw, in this situation with a new battery you will get 145 minutes of run time until your battery is discharged.  If your draw is less than 25A your run time will increase and likewise if you draw more than 25A your run time decreases.

Just like with your starting batteries you must make sure to compare apples to apples here as well.  Just because a battery "looks" the same doesn't mean it is.  You will be saving yourself time and money in the long run by comparing the MCA and RC of different batteries before just buying "one that fits."  If you're looking for the best value, your decision making regarding your batteries is not done yet!  In our next article, "Choosing Value over Price, Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) vs. Wet Cell (Flooded) Batteries", we will walk you through the process of deciding which is right for you!

Here at Treasure Coast Battery & Alternator we know choosing the proper battery can be a daunting task to say the least, our team of battery experts can help take the stress out of that process.  We carry a complete line of Exide Auto and Marine batteries, Crown Golf Cart batteries and Northstar AGM batteries with pure lead technology.  Please don't hesitate to contact us with any battery related questions you may have!

David Jouppi - Manager
Treasure Coast Battery & Alternator

What is the "Group Size" of a Battery and What Does that Mean?

If you have ever had to buy an automotive or marine battery you have most likely been asked:  "What group size do you have?"  If you have no idea what that means then this is the article for you!

While it sounds like a very technical term, it simply is referring to the physical dimensions of your battery, that's it!  It has nothing to do with the cold cranking amps (CCA), where the terminals are located, the reserve capacity, the manufacturer, none of that.  Strictly the length, width and height of your battery.  This system was implemented by Battery Council International (BCI) to standardize and "group" together batteries that were dimensionally the same.  Thanks to this system of sizing, a group 24 for example, manufactured by Exide which is 10 1/4" x 6 13/16" x 9", will be the same physical size as a group 24 manufactured by Northstar Battery.  

Armed with this information, you don't even need a legible label on your old battery, if it's faded or missing completely just give our team at Treasure Coast Battery & Alternator the length, width and height of your old battery and we will know exactly what group size you have with no guess work!  

This is NOT a way to compare the power and/or quality of the battery.  That is done through a comparison of cold cranking amps (CCA) and reserve capacity (RC).  To read more about these ratings and what you should be looking for check out our next article, "Comparing Apples to Apples, Cold Cranking Amps and Reserve Capacity."

David Jouppi - Manager
Treasure Coast Battery & Alternator