Auto battery sticker shock

denglish · Sep 25, 2018

I replaced a battery in my truck last Friday. 725 CCA, the one I had in there was seven years old, so I thought I would go to O'Reilly's and see if they still had the same model, since it had done so well. They had the exact same model, so I told them to give me that one without thinking about the price. It was $167 after tax!! The guy said they have gone up a lot the past two years, but boy was I surprised. On the other hand, if this one lasts as long as the previous one, it is still less than $25/year.

johnlobb · Sep 25, 2018

I noticed after we elected the new regime in in 2008, many idiotic rules were adopted by the EPA that made it much costlier to be in business for tire and battery manufacturers. It was after then that I noticed the doubling or more in the price of these 2 categories.

leroy in ne · Sep 25, 2018

Just remember the last U.S. lead mine and refinery closed years ago. Due to EPA? Therefore all lead acid batteries are made from recycled or imported lead or batteries are imported.

jeffcat · Sep 25, 2018

Understand...that person and the electorate want to purposely destroy
this country. World wide even playing field my foot.

denglish · Sep 25, 2018

I just called the local metal recycling place. They are paying 17 cents per pound on car batteries. That's about $7 per battery. If I had a couple of dozen old batteries laying around, I could break even on this whole deal. Lol.

steve706 · Sep 25, 2018

In Canada, newly mined lead is going for .92 a lb on the open market this week.

Traditional Farmer · Sep 25, 2018

Probably less than $100 at Sams Club 3 year 100% ,7 year overall guarantee.

oldtanker · Sep 25, 2018

(quoted from post at 09:47:15 09/25/18) Just remember the last U.S. lead mine and refinery closed years ago. Due to EPA? Therefore all lead acid batteries are made from recycled or imported lead or batteries are imported.

Yep it was due to the EPA and new rules. Not all outsourcing is profit motivated. Sometimes government regulations force it.

What effects the price so badly is the lead ore is shipped offshore to process into usable lead. Then shipped back to be made into usable items/parts then shipped back offshore to actually build things like batteries and finally returned to the US to be sold. All thanks to the EPA.

And I don't think most politicians are trying to destroy the country. Only those trying to impose a communist or socialist government. What has happened is that someone, nationality unknown, has come up with a theory that if everyone is equal across the world the everyone will live peacefully together. Just one stepping stone in the "one world" movement.

Rick

Part Time Pete · Sep 25, 2018

A couple of their better proposed ideas that didn't actually make it into law were a $175 per year flatulence tax on all bovines, and anti-dust laws that would have made most tillage, as well as driving down a dirt road, against the law
They were successful in getting rid of coal plants, and they almost succeeded in regulating diesels out of existence though
Pete

Russ from MN · Sep 25, 2018

I buy some parts at O'Reilly's but not batteries! I shop around a lot, and both L&M and Menards sell good batteries for $75-
100. And then there is always Walmart, but I try not to shop there. I thought I might need a battery for my truck a couple of
weeks ago, but I had just left the gps on and after 10 days the battery was dead, but it charged up and has been fine since.

SVcummins · Sep 25, 2018

Bomgarrs buys used battery?s 8$ for small batteries
15$ for car batteries and 20$ for tractor and big
truck batteries I?ve sold them quite a few batteries
since they came to town . They pay you on a gift
card but that?s fine as I buy my hydraulic oil and
other stuff there

Gambles · Sep 25, 2018

More and more of your batteries will be made overseas, thanks to lead polluting and the crackdown by the EPA.
Look for more or most of your new batteries to be made in Mexico, Korea and Saudi Arabia. Of course, prices will be
higher also. Still, lower prices can be found if you shop around.

IanC · Sep 25, 2018

The CCA rating is not a good way to compare batteries. The CA (at 32 degrees) or CCA (at 0 degrees) rating has only to be held for 30 seconds, and stay above 7.5 volts. The better way is to compare reserve minutes, the time in minutes the battery at 80 degrees can sustain a 25 amp draw and stay above 10.5 volts. Or even cruder, pick them up, the heavier battery is the better one.

Brian Dan · Sep 25, 2018

All the Auto salvage yards near me charge $25. for any used battery. Most of the batteries are less then a year old and you can pick out the
ones you want. I have bought several over the past years and I get 4-5 years out of each.
Brian

denglish · Sep 25, 2018

I better shop around next time!

jim buford · Sep 25, 2018

Nothing wrong with doing something purely for a profit motive. That is how we get all the good things we want and why they get cheaper and
better (adjusted for inflation) over time.

oldtanker · Sep 25, 2018

(quoted from post at 11:15:02 09/25/18) Nothing wrong with doing something purely for a profit motive. That is how we get all the good things we want and why they get cheaper and
better (adjusted for inflation) over time.

OH no! Don't tell Bernie that!

Rick

kcm.MN · Sep 25, 2018

(quoted from post at 11:11:51 09/25/18) All the Auto salvage yards near me charge $25. for any used battery. Most of the batteries are less then a year old and you can pick out the
ones you want. I have bought several over the past years and I get 4-5 years out of each.
Brian

That's a good idea. I'm gonna check that out!

Thanks for the tip Brian.

D beatty · Sep 25, 2018

Did you have a battery to trade? I bought one from Autozone a few moths ago and they gave me a $25.00 core credit.

denglish · Sep 25, 2018

Yeah. The core charge was $18. I replaced the old battery with exactly the same model. I just went to O'Reilly's because it's near my house and I didn't have a lot of time, but wanted to get it done. Sometimes there isn't a lot of time to shop around when you're busy!

DIM · Sep 25, 2018

25 years ago I wanted 6 volt battery with the highest CCA I could get. I got a Optima round cell jell filled battery.
The battery cost twice the price of a regular battery. Tractor it was in had set for years. I charged the battery and
it started the tractor. The battery would only hold a charge for three days.Still not bad for a 25 year old
battery.Sometimes you get your moneys worth. Maybe it will be your turn now.

DR. EVIL · Sep 25, 2018

I replaced a 20 (Twenty) year old Sears Diehard Gold group 65 battery in my Farmall Super H 3 yrs ago. I
doubt the new Diehard Gold lasts that long but maybe it will surprise me Two years ago I replaced the
Motorcraft batteries in my diesel pickup that were 14 years old. I put Sears Diehard Gold group 65's in
it too. The battery in my 2006 Volvo S40 died about two years ago. Put a Farm & Fleet Gold replacement
in it. Had 3 yr free replacement warrantee. When it failed they wanted to argue with me but I finally got
my free replacement battery. So that's the Best and the worst of my battery experiences.

You guys couldn't PAY me enough money to buy a car battery at Walmart. Bought a Chzmpion brand battery
24-25 years ago for my truck. Went over a speed bump in Son's school driveway a bit too fast. Battery had
one cell short out, wouldn't make enough volts on 5 cells to let the alternator reduce the charge rate.
Set the wiring from the alternator on fire one morning sitting idling at a gas pump. Wal-Mart refused my
warrantee on a 2 yr old battery, didn't return the battery to the mfg for 3 months, mfg refused to pay my
claim, said battery was fine. I told the lying test engineer to put the battery in HIS car in
Minneapolis and try running it a week! You could tell he was lying by the way he stumbled and stammered
trying to think of something to say. I even called the Battery Buyer at WalMart in Bentonville. They
stopped buying batteries from the Mfg about a year before my problem. I swear everyone I talked to at the
mfg was a lawyer!
In the period of about a year I had my battery problem, bought a VCR tape I taped a show on, went to
rewatch the next night and tape would not wind from one spool to the other. Walmart gave me grief trying
to return it, I grabbed it away from customer service person and tossed it in the trash while saying a
few choice words about Walmart. Son bought a combination padlock that fell apart opening the package in
the parking lot. And the extension phone wife bought at Walmart put a loud screech and squawk in our
whole phone system. Unplug the Walmart phone and it was fine. Threw Walmart phone in trash and Life got
better.

Yep, You guys haven't got enough money to get me to buy junk at Walmart.

Bob M · Sep 25, 2018

Could be worse!

My wife's ride is a 2016 Malibu LT with the "auto stop" feature (extra heavy duty starter and battery). The best price I've found for the high capacity AGM battery that is spec'd is $222. Even after the $22 core charge that's a LOT of bucks for a battery...

old · Sep 25, 2018

One thing that has driven up the price of a battery is most if not all lead mines in the U.S. have been closed down. There are towns that where once doing well but not are all but a town due to mines closing. There's a town about 50 miles form me that was once a big lead mine town that is nothing but a few building now due to the closed mines. So Lead Mine MO is almost nothing now

guido · Sep 25, 2018

Hello ianC,

Automotive batteries are rated in CCA. they are NOT rated in reserve minutes, because they are not used that way!
Here is the procedure: An automotive battery is load tested @ 1/2 The CCA rated capacity, holding The load for 15 seconds, a good battery will have a voltage 9.6 volts or better @ 80* F.
The load test is the way an automotive battery is tested, and should provide starting power @ zero degrees F That is what one of its functions and designed costruction. A high output for a short period of time, NOT keep a light load on for hours....meaningless test for an automotive battery,

Guido.

K Effective · Sep 25, 2018

I get a discount on regularly priced items at O'Reilly's through my employer. On batteries, it works out about 33%!

Better prices can be had, like their oil and filter combos- those I just pay the sale price.

D beatty · Sep 25, 2018

Our last lead smelter on the US closed dec 23,2013. That's why the cost of lead is so high.

Sprint 6 · Sep 25, 2018

Auto batteries do have reserve capacity rating, have for a long time. Reserve capacity is overlooked by the consumer, but is becoming increasingly important due to cars with high loads while off, and auto stop/start.

4520BW · Sep 25, 2018

If you have a rural king close they have
good prices on batteries. I just bought 4
group 31s for the semis at $80 each. They
are replacing rural king batteries I bought
in 2012. I have had real good luck with
their batteries.

Crazy Horse · Sep 25, 2018

D-B ....... I'm no economist but it seems to me that the reason the North American lead mines and plants closed down is likely because bulk lead and lead products from offshore is cheaper. Happened to all sorts of industries. That being said, I think if the North American plants were still in business, battery lead from those plants would be more expensive and so would batteries using North American lead. Not sure if I'm making much sense but it seems clear to me.

D beatty · Sep 25, 2018

No sir the last lead smelting plant was shut because of the EPA.

hd6gtom · Sep 25, 2018

Guys, went to battery school back in the 1970's. Always put your new battery on a trickle charger as soon as
you can. Leave it on there 24-48 hours putting a read "deep" charge in your battery. They last years longer
by doing this.

GEO-TH, In · Sep 26, 2018

FYI O'Rielly's will give you a $10 store credit for your old battery. I got rid of my junk ones there and bought tractor filters.

Pitch · Sep 26, 2018

(quoted from post at 18:32:44 09/25/18) No sir the last lead smelting plant was shut because of the EPA.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/12/23/the-last-lead-smelter-in-the-us-closes-because-the-hippies-won/#6be56bfb642b

Texasmark1 · Sep 26, 2018

I find myself doing the same analysis. You question the price of something because it conflicts with your available cash resources at the time.

What you don't realize is how long the item lasts and amortize that on an annual basis. Case in point, I just replaced the OEM Goodyear Eagle II tires this
year on my 2011 Silverado. I have the 20" fancy wheels and the tires were 150 bucks or so. I went to the 5th generation tire dealer with whom I have
done business for 40 years because he has the equipment and his employees do it right. When you ask for manual lug wrench tightening of your wheel
nuts (so you can get them off if needed and studs don't break off from over torqueing) you get it. When I look at my cost per year, what I paid for them
goes by the wayside. What I got for my money was peace of mind and that to me is priceless.

kcm.MN · Sep 26, 2018

Last time I bought a battery for the truck, paid like $130 at Wally World. Was even more at other places, and not a lot of places around here to buy things. Problem was, just the year before that, the same batteries were selling for about $85!!

I understand the amortization thing, but that's a large price increase over a short period of time.

1948CaseVAI · Sep 26, 2018

You can thank the damned EPA for closing all lead mining and refining in this country.

ss55 · Sep 26, 2018

$167 total - $18 core charge = $149 for battery and tax.
if sales tax is 7 percent
$149 / 1.075 = $139 price for the battery

Tack on a 25 percent tariff and the price out the door could be over $200 ($203.91).

mb58 · Sep 27, 2018

By all means, let's not do what our stupid forefathers did and use tariffs to protect our manufacturing business stateside.

Andy Martin · Sep 27, 2018

(quoted from post at 07:24:23 09/27/18) By all means, let's not do what our stupid forefathers did and use tariffs to protect our manufacturing business stateside.

We have never had a history of successful tariffs. However when other countries imposed tariffs we were fools for not matching them. That is all we're doing now, matching existing tariffs, which is not a tariff war. We're doing well.

Auto battery sticker shock

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads