Where’s the best place to get a used car battery

I'd get a couple of inexpensive sealed batteries instead. Just found one at Tractor Supply for $12. Like a Very Large Motorcycle battery.

Whatchadoin' with it?
 
Go to da Walmart:) Their “ Value Power” batteries run around 49.99 with exchange. I’ve bought a few and recommended them to other family members. I had once that was fine for 3
Years, sold the vehicle so I don’t know how long it lasted. I found out a couple years ago that batteries have got stupid high.
 
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MacEntyre said:
I'd get a couple of inexpensive sealed batteries instead. Just found one at Tractor Supply for $12. Like a Very Large Motorcycle battery.

Whatchadoin' with it?
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Finally got the plans for an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator. If that doesn’t work I’ll put in a car to sell.
 
I’d be going on the assumption that most used batteries came out of the vehicle for a reason, which in my ancient experience was usually due to a bad cell (typical failure mode?).

Junkyards might be exception since they are there due to a wreck, or worn out, and not a dead battery. That said, I don’t know what it would take to resuscitate one that’s been sitting there dead for who knows how long. Or if it would hold a charge long enough to get the used-up-car for sale across the curb.
 
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fieldgrade said:
...I don’t know what it would take to resuscitate one that’s been sitting there dead for who knows how long.
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I have seen the devices that mechanix used to employ for resuscitating batts with bad cells... it works, but it doesn't last long, nor does it have much capacity afterwards.
 
Yeah I'm in the buy a new one camp, even if it's the cheapest one made. Why take a chance on a used one that could crap out tomorrow? Then you just made the next one you buy that much more expensive. Buy once cry once.
 
There is a little car lot in sanford at wicker and carthage (kinda beside the scoops hotdog shack) that sells the refurb batteries for $35 last I heard.
 
Why would you want to buy a used battery in the first place? How much do they sell used batteries for? They can't be that much cheaper than some of the new and refurb options that others have listed in this thread. How long would you expect a $20(?) used battery to last anyway?
 
SPST said:
Why would you want to buy a used battery in the first place? How much do they sell used batteries for? They can't be that much cheaper than some of the new and refurb options that others have listed in this thread. How long would you expect a $20(?) used battery to last anyway?
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Long enough to sell the car.
 
Interstate blems are called Econo-Power. They’re very inexpensive, just take a trade in as the core is now $20
 
Burt Gummer said:
Interstate blems are called Econo-Power. They’re very inexpensive, just take a trade in as the core is now $20
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What makes an Interstate battery a "blem"?

side note: Are Interstate batteries still "great"? I have come to believe that "brand loyalty" no longer applies to wet cell (car) batteries, as brands are (all?) re-labels these days. Napa (from personal experience) and Autozone (from what I've heard) having once had some good stuff are no longer worth having.
 
Aardvark said:
What makes an Interstate battery a "blem"?

side note: Are Interstate batteries still "great"? I have come to believe that "brand loyalty" no longer applies to wet cell (car) batteries, as brands are (all?) re-labels these days. Napa (from personal experience) and Autozone (from what I've heard) having once had some good stuff are no longer worth having.
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I've had excellent experiences with the NAPA Gold line of batteries. I usually get at least 5 years out of them. That's all I've used in the past 30 years. Of course, my neighbor gets them for me at employee cost which is good but not as good as it used to be. Batteries are expensive.
 
SPST said:
I've had excellent experiences with the NAPA Gold line of batteries. I usually get at least 5 years out of them. That's all I've used in the past 30 years. Of course, my neighbor gets them for me at employee cost which is good but not as good as it used to be. Batteries are expensive.
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You are getting good life because Napa Gold batteries went away at least a decade ago. They became "Napa Legend". I joke they should have re-named them "Napa Rumor, because they are nothing like the Napa Gold of old. ..at least in farm-trucks and tractors.
 
Aardvark said:
You are getting good life because Napa Gold batteries went away at least a decade ago. They became "Napa Legend". I joke they should have re-named them "Napa Rumor, because they are nothing like the Napa Gold of old. ..at least in farm-trucks and tractors.
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Yeah, whatever they are called now. I have had good luck with the Legend as well. Just replaced one in my Subaru a couple of months ago that was 6 years old.
 
Aardvark said:
What makes an Interstate battery a "blem"?

side note: Are Interstate batteries still "great"? I have come to believe that "brand loyalty" no longer applies to wet cell (car) batteries, as brands are (all?) re-labels these days. Napa (from personal experience) and Autozone (from what I've heard) having once had some good stuff are no longer worth having.
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A member here, his fil works at interstate, he told.me the costco batteries are interstate, the same, just different case color

That's what i run in my 6.7 ford diesel and got 7 years out of my last set
 
A blem battery is likely a core battery that still tested good.
 
If it's for a car you're gonna keep, don't.

If you're strapped for cash, just go to Walmart and buy the cheapest 12 volt car battery you can find, regardless of whether it's for your car or not. That'll at least give you something reliable. It'll be a well spent $50.

As for a car your just wanting to stick a battery in just to sell the car...honestly, unless you already have a battery on hand, a trip to Walmart is probably also a better option than trying to find one elsewhere. At least you know the $50 Walmart battery will work straight off the shelf and won't likely cr*p out while you're trying to sell the car.
 
Just replaced an Interstate battery in our '09 Malibu, five years old when it failed. Went to AutoZone. One DieHard lasted me seven years, drove four nights a week to work 150 miles round trip up north.
 
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Aardvark said:
What makes an Interstate battery a "blem"?

side note: Are Interstate batteries still "great"? I have come to believe that "brand loyalty" no longer applies to wet cell (car) batteries, as brands are (all?) re-labels these days. Napa (from personal experience) and Autozone (from what I've heard) having once had some good stuff are no longer worth having.
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not necessarily blems, warranty returns, stuff that’s sat on a shelf too long. They check them, charge them, tip them off with fluids, sell them for half price. I get a govt discount that’s pretty good. So I buy from them. I buy new ones for vehicles and econo powers for the trolling motor. Mine takes three batteries. YMMV
 
If anyone is around Thomasville Battery Masters refurbishes batteries on site. It’s super cheap to exchange a dead one for theirs and I’m pretty sure they warranty them.
 
Burt Gummer said:
not necessarily blems, warranty returns, stuff that’s sat on a shelf too long. They check them, charge them, tip them off with fluids, sell them for half price. I get a govt discount that’s pretty good. So I buy from them. I buy new ones for vehicles and econo powers for the trolling motor. Mine takes three batteries. YMMV
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Yep. Some go to dealers and get various labels slapped on them. Never know exactly what you’ll get, but they’re all tested and charged before they’re sold.

I’ve bought a half-dozen or so of them in the last 10+ years. Some for me, some for friends. Only thing I’ve run in our personal vehicles during that time. $25 + tax.
 
After a few life lessons, I now get all my batteries from the local Interstate store. Great service. I bought a less than new battery from them for like $20 - tested good and it’s been a good spare battery for me. They also services a Costco Kirkland brand battery that had a bad cell; they said they made it and stood behind it. Costco told me I would have to return it and go get in line to buy a new one.
 
Pink_Vapor said:
Got the Wally World econo value for $55.
The newest one was dated 1/20 :confused:

It read 13.2V and held steady over 12V under a 20 second load test.
It should do fine.
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Good deal!

It'll do just fine, I'm sure!
 
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