Are Johnson Controls JCI AGM batteries any good?

[slacktide_bitog]

AAP's Autocraft Platinum 24F (JCI) is $135 with a promo code

Napa Legend AGM (Deka) 34R is $164

DieHard Advanced Gold and Duracell AGM are also Deka and the same price. Sears also has a platinum AGM (Enersys), but it's well over $200.

Pep Boys also has a Bosch Platinum (Exide), but Exide sucks and it's the most expensive.

It seems that each company only makes a few sizes, and the full range is only between the sizes. The stores that carry both sizes will usually source the 34R from Deka and the 24F from JCI (unless they use Exide-yuck).

My car "officially" calls for 24F, but the places that sell Deka sub it with the 34R.

 

[NHGUY]

Exide is probably so expensive because of their 2nd bankruptcy,and the closure of the contaminated Cali lead plant.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/exide-wins-bankruptcy-court-approval-for-restructuring-plan-1427491570

 

[steveh]

I just bought a Autocraft AGM motorcycle battery thinking it would be made by JCI. Got it home and it said made in China on the case.

 

[Rand]

I think the AAP silver and gold batteries are good deals at 75$ and 100$ respectfully, but not so sure about the AAP AGM batteries.. they certainly aren't odyssey batteries rebadged like sears diehard platinum are. Then again 135$ isnt the 200+ of a diehard platinum agm

 

[pb]

i get red top optimas at sams. take in your multimeter, verify V, and the manufacture code barcode on the side. the julian date is the first 4 numbers. last digit of year + 3 digit day of year.
example 1225
2011 (or 2001), 225th day of that year.

i also maintain them with a batteryminder 12248.

 

[dailydriver]

I would not buy a Red Top now unless it was REALLY REALLY inexpensive (like < $110.00).

 

[Lubener]

Go to Walmart. Made by Johnson controls. I have three Walmart batteries in my vehicles, one is still going strong at 7 years old.Getting a new battery is all about FRESHNESS. Walmart has such a high turnover and is not sitting for months collecting dust.

 

[jrmason]

Ive traditionally had good results with Interstate batteries (Johnson Controls). Ive got a pair in my 98, one is original @ 5 years old and the other got replaced 2 years ago. In fairness, I happened to look at the date when I pulled it and it was stamped 08 which means it was sitting around for roughly 18 months before I bought it in 2010...wish I would have looked at it before I bought them.
I drove my truck more this winter than normal because of the bad winter we had. I live very rural area where the roads are not plowed when I go to work at 4am and my commuter car does not do well when the snow gets deeper than 3-4 inches on the road. We had a record number of below zero days last winter, lots of -10-20F and a handful of days -25 all the way down to -38F. My truck started every day, never left me hanging. Diesels and grid heaters are [censored] on batteries in cold weather.
Johnson Controls also makes Optima batteries and the Duralast brand at AutoZone that seem to have decent reviews although Ive never used them.

I dont think you will go wrong with either Johnson Controls or Deka/East Penn. I see lots of Deka batteries in heavy equipment. They are the supplier of OE Cat batteries.