Who pays for the warranty in the end?
The guy buying the battery, that's who.
The guy buying the battery, that's who.
Budget Vehicle Batterys at Walmart - $48.88
- Thread starter ronbo
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The maligned and "useless" consumer reports will gives us a low down hopefully soon.....
Perfect battery for soon to be traded/junked/sold vehicle. I wonder if a credit card doubles the warranty on it like many items?
Perfect battery for soon to be traded/junked/sold vehicle. I wonder if a credit card doubles the warranty on it like many items?
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3-5 years on a battery is the norm here. I'd try it knowing that it could die at any minute.....just like any other battery.
The Motorcraft battery on my wifes 2012 Fusion died just under a year of service, Ive seen great service out of other Motorcraft batteries. Its a gamble with any of them IMO.
The Motorcraft battery on my wifes 2012 Fusion died just under a year of service, Ive seen great service out of other Motorcraft batteries. Its a gamble with any of them IMO.
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With all the product liability lawsuits, dieselgate, etc, would walmart want to attach themselves to relabelled old batteries? That's like saying Pennzoil waits until they brew a bad batch of 10w30 then ships that shoddy product to Walmarts.
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
I'd guess these are just old batteries that sat on the shelf and never got sold. They then, Self discharged into the sub80% charged zone where they sulfate and lose capacity and cranking amps.
A Lead Acid battery can self discharge 15% a month, but most are less than this. higher Ambient temperatures increase the self discharge rate.
I'll guess that they recharged them and threw some new stickers on them and dropped the price, and still likely will make a handsome profit.
Pop a Cap and Dip a hydrometer. You might even be able to see the flaky sulfation on the plates with a strong flashlight.
They will still likely give OK service if kept fully charged.
So you're accusing Johnson Controls or Walmart of consumer fraud? Nothing but opinionated speculation. Or else the Walmart warehouse is kept at 120 degrees.
I'd guess these are just old batteries that sat on the shelf and never got sold. They then, Self discharged into the sub80% charged zone where they sulfate and lose capacity and cranking amps.
A Lead Acid battery can self discharge 15% a month, but most are less than this. higher Ambient temperatures increase the self discharge rate.
I'll guess that they recharged them and threw some new stickers on them and dropped the price, and still likely will make a handsome profit.
Pop a Cap and Dip a hydrometer. You might even be able to see the flaky sulfation on the plates with a strong flashlight.
They will still likely give OK service if kept fully charged.
So you're accusing Johnson Controls or Walmart of consumer fraud? Nothing but opinionated speculation. Or else the Walmart warehouse is kept at 120 degrees.
I think it's just a cheap battery with a cheap warranty. Say it a a battery that normally sells for $70 with a 3 year warranty. Let's postulate that half of them get replaced under warranty. Now the same battery with a 1 year warranty at $50 and only 10% will be replaced under warranty. Plus, you've got the cheapest battery in town and sell a boatload of them. Might make business sense.
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Originally Posted By: redbone3
I think it's just a cheap battery with a cheap warranty.
I agree. The CCA ratings on them are decent though. I might put one on my beater of the GF's car that she is going to get rid of (if noting at the jy).
I think it's just a cheap battery with a cheap warranty.
I agree. The CCA ratings on them are decent though. I might put one on my beater of the GF's car that she is going to get rid of (if noting at the jy).
Seems like there is a lot of guessing going on in this thread. Only one purchase (for a 2 cylinder generator) and most have not even seen the battery in question.
Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
Originally Posted By: redbone3
One of the reasons it is cheaper is because of the short warranty.
Right. When I buy a battery, I'm looking at the warranty and the CCA. In that order. I can't tell you how many free or pro-rated batteries I've gotten over the last 25 years in various cars. In fact I just got one in the SC a few months ago. I buy one with a 10 year full replacement warranty for $160, and I have a working/newly replaced battery for 10 years.
If you are going to get rid of the car, then don't bother with the long warranty, but I keep my cars for a long time.
Most of those warranties let you get a new battery ONLY ONCE. The warranty replacement no longer has the left over warranty. Read the fine print.
Originally Posted By: redbone3
One of the reasons it is cheaper is because of the short warranty.
Right. When I buy a battery, I'm looking at the warranty and the CCA. In that order. I can't tell you how many free or pro-rated batteries I've gotten over the last 25 years in various cars. In fact I just got one in the SC a few months ago. I buy one with a 10 year full replacement warranty for $160, and I have a working/newly replaced battery for 10 years.
If you are going to get rid of the car, then don't bother with the long warranty, but I keep my cars for a long time.
Most of those warranties let you get a new battery ONLY ONCE. The warranty replacement no longer has the left over warranty. Read the fine print.
Lower warranty costs from the short warranty term means they can offer the battery at a lower price...for now. There's most likely nothing subpar about the materials or construction...12 months is just an incredibly short warranty so they anticipate fewer claims. Plus, if they only offer a small number of common groups for this "Valu" line, that might facilitate bulk purchases of batteries from JCI since they aren't buying a bunch of different sizes (for this line). And once the batteries make it to the stores, they don't need much shelf space for just a couple groups.
I say "for now" because if a lot of these batteries wind up in cars with marginal electrical systems, they might see more claims than was originally expected, and they might bump the price of the battery up accordingly. A lot of times when someone is specifically shopping for the absolute cheapest battery, that's not the only problem with the car's electrical system.
I say "for now" because if a lot of these batteries wind up in cars with marginal electrical systems, they might see more claims than was originally expected, and they might bump the price of the battery up accordingly. A lot of times when someone is specifically shopping for the absolute cheapest battery, that's not the only problem with the car's electrical system.
I would buy one if they had one in my size.
Originally Posted By: silveravant
Seems like there is a lot of guessing going on in this thread. Only one purchase (for a 2 cylinder generator) and most have not even seen the battery in question.
What difference does it make to "see" the battery?
Even if you go to look at the battery in question, what are you going to see?
A black box with stickers on it. The stickers may become fancier as the pricepoint goes up, but one still sees a black box.
The internals and the specifications are what matter.
Last time I looked at an Everstart for my truck, it was over $100.
You mean to tell me that a battery at less than 1/2 the price with a minimal warranty is going to garner any meaningful type of service?
While I would never say never, I have my doubts.
Do some research into Walmart. You will find that they demand that their vendors meet rigid pricepoints. One can only cut so much "fat" out of the process. There comes a point that "Rollbacks" affect product. I surmise that this could be one of those times.
Here is what I have found in my life experience:
1. You buy a battery from Walmart, get a good warranty. I have bought six auto batteries from Walmart for six different vehicles. I have utilized the warranty on all six. Last time, it was cheaper for me to buy a new battery from AAP w/a discount code than to utilize the warranty on an 18 month old battery.
2. You get what you pay for.
I stand by my post on the best utilization for these batteries. Beater fodder or a car that is about to be traded and you don't have time to go to the junkyard.
Seems like there is a lot of guessing going on in this thread. Only one purchase (for a 2 cylinder generator) and most have not even seen the battery in question.
What difference does it make to "see" the battery?
Even if you go to look at the battery in question, what are you going to see?
A black box with stickers on it. The stickers may become fancier as the pricepoint goes up, but one still sees a black box.
The internals and the specifications are what matter.
Last time I looked at an Everstart for my truck, it was over $100.
You mean to tell me that a battery at less than 1/2 the price with a minimal warranty is going to garner any meaningful type of service?
While I would never say never, I have my doubts.
Do some research into Walmart. You will find that they demand that their vendors meet rigid pricepoints. One can only cut so much "fat" out of the process. There comes a point that "Rollbacks" affect product. I surmise that this could be one of those times.
Here is what I have found in my life experience:
1. You buy a battery from Walmart, get a good warranty. I have bought six auto batteries from Walmart for six different vehicles. I have utilized the warranty on all six. Last time, it was cheaper for me to buy a new battery from AAP w/a discount code than to utilize the warranty on an 18 month old battery.
2. You get what you pay for.
I stand by my post on the best utilization for these batteries. Beater fodder or a car that is about to be traded and you don't have time to go to the junkyard.
Warranty is as much a marketing device as anything else. Especially a limited warranty. The longer warranted item may indeed be better quality, or may be the exact same item from the exact same production line as the shorter warranty. Hard to tell the difference most of the time.
There are many ways to reduce cost on a product that do not involve lowering the quality. Wal-Mart is an expert at this. This could also be a loss-leader for them just to get people into the store.
Low price does not mean low quality any more than high price means high quality.
There are many ways to reduce cost on a product that do not involve lowering the quality. Wal-Mart is an expert at this. This could also be a loss-leader for them just to get people into the store.
Low price does not mean low quality any more than high price means high quality.
Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Originally Posted By: silveravant
Seems like there is a lot of guessing going on in this thread. Only one purchase (for a 2 cylinder generator) and most have not even seen the battery in question.
What difference does it make to "see" the battery?
Even if you go to look at the battery in question, what are you going to see?
A black box with stickers on it. The stickers may become fancier as the pricepoint goes up, but one still sees a black box.
The internals and the specifications are what matter.
Last time I looked at an Everstart for my truck, it was over $100.
You mean to tell me that a battery at less than 1/2 the price with a minimal warranty is going to garner any meaningful type of service?
While I would never say never, I have my doubts.
Do some research into Walmart. You will find that they demand that their vendors meet rigid pricepoints. One can only cut so much "fat" out of the process. There comes a point that "Rollbacks" affect product. I surmise that this could be one of those times.
Here is what I have found in my life experience:
1. You buy a battery from Walmart, get a good warranty. I have bought six auto batteries from Walmart for six different vehicles. I have utilized the warranty on all six. Last time, it was cheaper for me to buy a new battery from AAP w/a discount code than to utilize the warranty on an 18 month old battery.
2. You get what you pay for.
I stand by my post on the best utilization for these batteries. Beater fodder or a car that is about to be traded and you don't have time to go to the junkyard.
If you see the battery in question you may be able to ascertain:
The manufacturer of the battery.
The CCA rating.
Does it have a date code?
Is it significantly lighter than a more expensive battery?
To say that a product is no good with no other information other than it's sold at Walmart and it's inexpensive is only a guess.
Sample of many ='s something.
Sample of one ='s not much.
Sample of zero ='s nothing.
Originally Posted By: silveravant
Seems like there is a lot of guessing going on in this thread. Only one purchase (for a 2 cylinder generator) and most have not even seen the battery in question.
What difference does it make to "see" the battery?
Even if you go to look at the battery in question, what are you going to see?
A black box with stickers on it. The stickers may become fancier as the pricepoint goes up, but one still sees a black box.
The internals and the specifications are what matter.
Last time I looked at an Everstart for my truck, it was over $100.
You mean to tell me that a battery at less than 1/2 the price with a minimal warranty is going to garner any meaningful type of service?
While I would never say never, I have my doubts.
Do some research into Walmart. You will find that they demand that their vendors meet rigid pricepoints. One can only cut so much "fat" out of the process. There comes a point that "Rollbacks" affect product. I surmise that this could be one of those times.
Here is what I have found in my life experience:
1. You buy a battery from Walmart, get a good warranty. I have bought six auto batteries from Walmart for six different vehicles. I have utilized the warranty on all six. Last time, it was cheaper for me to buy a new battery from AAP w/a discount code than to utilize the warranty on an 18 month old battery.
2. You get what you pay for.
I stand by my post on the best utilization for these batteries. Beater fodder or a car that is about to be traded and you don't have time to go to the junkyard.
If you see the battery in question you may be able to ascertain:
The manufacturer of the battery.
The CCA rating.
Does it have a date code?
Is it significantly lighter than a more expensive battery?
To say that a product is no good with no other information other than it's sold at Walmart and it's inexpensive is only a guess.
Sample of many ='s something.
Sample of one ='s not much.
Sample of zero ='s nothing.
Walmart had a bunch of Goodyear Integritys last year. They normally run store brands but for whatever reason, Goodyear cranked out a bunch of Integritys and sent them to walmart. Maybe the Integrity brand is rubbish and they're pimping the last dime before something new comes out. Maybe they have extra capacity and are looking for a different value shopper.
Maybe a similar thing is happening with JCI. Maybe they crank them out during their slow month to keep the lights on. Maybe there's a lead glut we don't know about because the bullet panic is finally over. Maybe there's a lot of transportation cost in batteries and the wholesale price everywhere is going to drop, and WM is just ahead of the curve.
Maybe a similar thing is happening with JCI. Maybe they crank them out during their slow month to keep the lights on. Maybe there's a lead glut we don't know about because the bullet panic is finally over. Maybe there's a lot of transportation cost in batteries and the wholesale price everywhere is going to drop, and WM is just ahead of the curve.
Originally Posted By: silveravant
Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Originally Posted By: silveravant
Seems like there is a lot of guessing going on in this thread. Only one purchase (for a 2 cylinder generator) and most have not even seen the battery in question.
What difference does it make to "see" the battery?
Even if you go to look at the battery in question, what are you going to see?
A black box with stickers on it. The stickers may become fancier as the pricepoint goes up, but one still sees a black box.
The internals and the specifications are what matter.
Last time I looked at an Everstart for my truck, it was over $100.
You mean to tell me that a battery at less than 1/2 the price with a minimal warranty is going to garner any meaningful type of service?
While I would never say never, I have my doubts.
Do some research into Walmart. You will find that they demand that their vendors meet rigid pricepoints. One can only cut so much "fat" out of the process. There comes a point that "Rollbacks" affect product. I surmise that this could be one of those times.
Here is what I have found in my life experience:
1. You buy a battery from Walmart, get a good warranty. I have bought six auto batteries from Walmart for six different vehicles. I have utilized the warranty on all six. Last time, it was cheaper for me to buy a new battery from AAP w/a discount code than to utilize the warranty on an 18 month old battery.
2. You get what you pay for.
I stand by my post on the best utilization for these batteries. Beater fodder or a car that is about to be traded and you don't have time to go to the junkyard.
If you see the battery in question you may be able to ascertain:
The manufacturer of the battery.
The CCA rating.
Does it have a date code?
Is it significantly lighter than a more expensive battery?
To say that a product is no good with no other information other than it's sold at Walmart and it's inexpensive is only a guess.
Sample of many ='s something.
Sample of one ='s not much.
Sample of zero ='s nothing.
Batteries are a c#%p shoot. You either get good or bad ones, no matter what you buy.
In regard to WalMart:
Their Value brand in a size 65 has 650CCA.
It is Manufactured by Johnson Control (at least in my region) OP verified this as well.
Shipping weight is 47.2 LBS. 1 year guarantee.
Price $48.88
An Everstart MAXX in a size 65 has 850CCA
Same MFR.
Shipping weight is 44.1 LBS. 5 year guarantee.
Price $109.97
Found this out without leaving my computer.
Only value of going in the store IMO is if they have literature and/or cutouts showing the construction of each of the batteries.
The MAXX is supposedly their flagship battery.
Even at that only 62% would recommend this battery (the MAXX) to a friend (this is from WalMart's website)
So why would a $48.88 battery be any better?
Like I said, while I would never say never, I'd say that it is highly unlikely. I'll go with the odds that it probably isn't. Contrary to what Consumer Reports says, I'm not sure the other one is much of a value either IMO.
If one wants a cheap battery, there are plenty of options.
One can buy a blem, a battery from a yard, a farm store or use discounts for a battery for about the same price.
I bought a battery for my tractor @ Rural King (Exide) dirt cheap that has outlasted the previous 2 Johnson Control batteries I had combined.
Last car battery I bought was an AAP Gold for my Accord for $76 OTD. with online discount codes. Superior CCA's to what any of these value batteries would have for not that much more money.
To me a value battery is not necessarily the least expensive, it is the one that does the job dependably. To me, this $48.88 battery doesn't qualify. However, time will tell.
My $.02.
Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Originally Posted By: silveravant
Seems like there is a lot of guessing going on in this thread. Only one purchase (for a 2 cylinder generator) and most have not even seen the battery in question.
What difference does it make to "see" the battery?
Even if you go to look at the battery in question, what are you going to see?
A black box with stickers on it. The stickers may become fancier as the pricepoint goes up, but one still sees a black box.
The internals and the specifications are what matter.
Last time I looked at an Everstart for my truck, it was over $100.
You mean to tell me that a battery at less than 1/2 the price with a minimal warranty is going to garner any meaningful type of service?
While I would never say never, I have my doubts.
Do some research into Walmart. You will find that they demand that their vendors meet rigid pricepoints. One can only cut so much "fat" out of the process. There comes a point that "Rollbacks" affect product. I surmise that this could be one of those times.
Here is what I have found in my life experience:
1. You buy a battery from Walmart, get a good warranty. I have bought six auto batteries from Walmart for six different vehicles. I have utilized the warranty on all six. Last time, it was cheaper for me to buy a new battery from AAP w/a discount code than to utilize the warranty on an 18 month old battery.
2. You get what you pay for.
I stand by my post on the best utilization for these batteries. Beater fodder or a car that is about to be traded and you don't have time to go to the junkyard.
If you see the battery in question you may be able to ascertain:
The manufacturer of the battery.
The CCA rating.
Does it have a date code?
Is it significantly lighter than a more expensive battery?
To say that a product is no good with no other information other than it's sold at Walmart and it's inexpensive is only a guess.
Sample of many ='s something.
Sample of one ='s not much.
Sample of zero ='s nothing.
Batteries are a c#%p shoot. You either get good or bad ones, no matter what you buy.
In regard to WalMart:
Their Value brand in a size 65 has 650CCA.
It is Manufactured by Johnson Control (at least in my region) OP verified this as well.
Shipping weight is 47.2 LBS. 1 year guarantee.
Price $48.88
An Everstart MAXX in a size 65 has 850CCA
Same MFR.
Shipping weight is 44.1 LBS. 5 year guarantee.
Price $109.97
Found this out without leaving my computer.
Only value of going in the store IMO is if they have literature and/or cutouts showing the construction of each of the batteries.
The MAXX is supposedly their flagship battery.
Even at that only 62% would recommend this battery (the MAXX) to a friend (this is from WalMart's website)
So why would a $48.88 battery be any better?
Like I said, while I would never say never, I'd say that it is highly unlikely. I'll go with the odds that it probably isn't. Contrary to what Consumer Reports says, I'm not sure the other one is much of a value either IMO.
If one wants a cheap battery, there are plenty of options.
One can buy a blem, a battery from a yard, a farm store or use discounts for a battery for about the same price.
I bought a battery for my tractor @ Rural King (Exide) dirt cheap that has outlasted the previous 2 Johnson Control batteries I had combined.
Last car battery I bought was an AAP Gold for my Accord for $76 OTD. with online discount codes. Superior CCA's to what any of these value batteries would have for not that much more money.
To me a value battery is not necessarily the least expensive, it is the one that does the job dependably. To me, this $48.88 battery doesn't qualify. However, time will tell.
My $.02.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Do you have to trade in your old battery to Walmart when you buy one of there's?
You don't have to, but they will surely add on a $10-15 core charge if you don't.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
You don't have to, but they will surely add on a $10-15 core charge if you don't.
That's too bad, I was gonna say if the price is just outright, then I'll buy one since a place here in town scraps batteries and they'll give you $13.
I can get an Exide battery through my mechanic using his account at Part's Authority for $66 after taxes. That's what I'll do when my battery dies, it's leaking acid now.
You don't have to, but they will surely add on a $10-15 core charge if you don't.
That's too bad, I was gonna say if the price is just outright, then I'll buy one since a place here in town scraps batteries and they'll give you $13.
I can get an Exide battery through my mechanic using his account at Part's Authority for $66 after taxes. That's what I'll do when my battery dies, it's leaking acid now.
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