Which one of these do I want?

[matthewp]

This will be for powering my trailer accessories (fridge, lights, etc.)

This one: DieHard Marine Deep Cycle/RV Battery- Group Size 31M

or: DieHard Platinum Marine Battery Group Size 31M

The "non-Platinum" has 115 amp hrs v. 100 for the Platinum. There is a huge price difference in the price and I wonder what differences that will make in the quality of the battery. Being as they're both Sears Diehard products, can someone educate me as to those differences?

Thanks guys!

 

[EXP-T100]

platinum cca= 1152 vs 675cca from the rv
The platinum is made by odyssey.
I dont have any fancy tech info on the Platinum for you other that i have ran them in my past 3 trucks (5 batts..) with not one issue.
This is a good read: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/14285-Odyssey-vs-Diehard-Platinum

 

[Google it Research]

Tagging along..

 

[Yellowkayak]

DieHard Platinum Marine Battery Group Size 31M is what I use on our camper and I charge bookdocking with two 15 watt solar panels and a 10 watt charge controller. All I can say is one hell of a battery. The only thing I cannot run in my camper off this battery is the AC roof unit...way to much of an energy hog. Still trying to come up with a good AC unit that draws practically any power from the battery. This thing holds a charge and recharges great. Had it four years now and never had any problems with it. If I could get one to fit under the hood of my Chevy 1500 I'd put one in there too! Yes they are expensive but remember you get what you pay for and its Sears top battery. If you draw down and recharge alot like our camper, then its a good battery to go with IMO!

JJ

 

[lysol]

You are talking AGM and regular batteries. Totally different characteristics.

 

[matthewp]

You are talking AGM and regular batteries. Totally different characteristics.

Aha! That was the answer I needed! So, these two are, effectively, apples and oranges. I'll spend the extra money now.

Thanks also to EXP-T100 for the link to that thread, great information!

 

[4x4junkie]

Wow... :snorkel:

I wouldn't be so fast to jump on the AGM bandwagon like that... They & wet-cell batteries are not at all apples & oranges as they are Gala & Fuji or something more to that effect.

Unless you got a good specific reason to need a AGM battery (which there aren't very many), IMO I think a GOOD wet-cell battery would serve you just as well (which the DieHard RV battery is NOT, based on my experience with them some years ago).
A good wet-cell battery is the Delco Voyager. I've used these almost exclusively for decades, and every time have consistently gotten 8-10 years of great life from them. They've also never leaked fluid like I've seen with others such as the DH RVs (what also eventually leads to terminal corrosion, and no doubt is a common complaint with other brand batteries). Yet I have buddies that insist on blowing 2-3× as much coin on AGM batteries of various brands and almost invariably they don't last any longer or perform any better than my Voyagers do.

The Delco Voyager is made by East Penn (same company making many of the respected AGM cells these days), though I'm not sure if the Voyager comes in a group 31M or not (I don't recall they did last time I looked). The Voyager M27MF (what I have) is 105Ah (10Ah less than that DH RV, or 5 more than the DH P) so unless you're strictly tied to the 31M size, a Voyager 27MF I think would be worth looking at for a lot less $$$ (about $90 each 3 years ago last time I bought any).

Anyway, that's my take on it.

FWIW, the DH RVs I had were made in Mexico by Johnson Controls (who also makes the Optima AGM). I avoid all JC batteries like the plague.

Also FWIW,
I recall reading somewhere all of Carquest and Napa's house-brand batteries are now manufactured by East Penn, so maybe that could be something you can go on if you need a 31M (I've seen 31Ms at both places).

Good luck on it.

 

[matthewp]

4X4junkie, thanks for the info! I got the vibe from the forum that the Sears DH-P was the battery to get. After further review on your guidance, I see Napa has a Group 31 that, per their wording, fits my exact needs. I'm definitely going to give that further research.

 

[4x4junkie]

Don't get me wrong, the DH-Platinum is fully an awesome battery, my thought is just that unless you have specific needs for it to be an AGM type (you're mounting it in a competition buggy that has a lot of vibration and a high probability of becoming overturned, or you cannot find any practical way whatsoever to mount your battery in a conventional upright manner, etc.), a standard type (but good quality) wet-cell battery is likely to work just as well for a lot less $$$.


Other common characteristics with AGM units are higher cranking amp ratings (on deep-cycle rated units), and an ability to be recharged at higher current. However neither of these are that important either unless you are also using it as your primary starting battery. They also aren't quite as tolerant of misuse as wet-cell units are (overcharging in particular).
(FWIW, two standard wet-cells connected in parallel is more CCA than one AGM cell, yet has double the Ah capacity and is still less $$$)

Marketing is a powerful force that drives sales for sure. AGM batteries didn't become so popular because they perform markedly better in an average installation, though some would certainly have you believe that.
Admittedly, there are also a lot of garbage wet-cell batteries out there too (the DieHard RVs I had for example--- JC is a huuuge company lol), so it's probably not uncommon for the comparison to get made simply between a low-quality battery and a good one when people compare the AGM they just bought to their previous battery.

 

[matthewp]

That's good information. Thanks again.