What research did you do it was not good at all. look at warranty these companies will not
take returns if you do any type of heavy car audio.
So that said options Reikken, XS Power, Shurken, Stinger, & Kinetik

 

I appreciate your suggestions as well but I don't think I was as clear about what my goals were in my original post to give you enough information to help my situation.

Didn't even know stinger made batteries still! I did come across the XS Power in my research and a lot of people love them.

 

The Diehard Platinum battery is an AGM battery rebranded for Sears but manufactured by Oddyssey Batteries from virgin lead. It is one of the best batteries you can buy for a vehicle. If you can afford it, you won;t be sorry about its performance AND longevity.

NOT really sure about what the last poster said about car audio and batteries...pretty sure that a car audio exclusion is NOT written into the Platinum battery warranty, but I could be wrong and I guess its worth looking into before you buy.

 

I am looking for performance and longevity reviews from real world experience.

A warranty won't be a consideration for this purchase for those reasons. I don't want a Walmart battery that has a 3 year warranty that I will have to use. I prefer not to be stranded! So if I can get a larger margin of safety upfront that is the way I will go.

My system will be fairly tame as I am into sq and not making noise.

I was just curious if the advanced gold agm is more marketing or if its close to the quality of the platinum.

 

Does it justify the cost. Yes but the gold line is quite good as well. I run a g34 advanced gold in my car and other then keeping it topped off with a maintainer, don't drive long enough to keep a good charge on it. Cranks when I want it to and powers right along when I do some extended listening with the car off.

Can't go wrong with either.

 

I have a platinum in one of my classic cars (toy). It's got a very tough life, it held up just short of 3 years and I took it in, infact I pull it out sometimes to jump other vehicles. Replaced it free of charge no questions asked.

Josh

 

No experience with the advanced gold but Diehard Platinum all the way.

Did my research for quite awhile and couldn't be more happy with my platinum performance over every other battery i've owned. If you have the cash consider it an investment

 

I have bought 2 diehard platinums, one for my truck and the other for my car, they have yet to fail or disappoint in the harsh ND winters.

 

How long have you had them?

Last time I checked the gold was not AGM. If it is now, it's most likely a Deka.

I believe they have the regular gold still and have added the agm gold for some applications.

The advanced gold is in fact a rebadged Deka intimidator. You can also find the very same battery at most auto parts stores under different names and even some farm & home stores. I bought mine under the name Magna Power over 4 years ago and it has been the best battery I've ever owned. Sat outside in sub-zero temps and starts right up. I would save my money and forego the platinum for one of the rebadged Dekas. Just my opinion.

I am up for this option but how would I know for sure its a Deka?

 

Last time I checked the gold was not AGM. If it is now, it's most likely a Deka.

I've got over 5 years on my Platinums. Only batteries I've owned where I can crank tunes for two hours and the car still starts. Once I left my lights on for close to 5 hours, and the car started right up. Alt belt cried for about 2 minutes, but drove off without issue.

FYI, My system draws about 23 amps playing at a good level.

 

this is not totally on topic but..

In '91 I was called to Desert Storm (version 1.0). I asked my mom to start my car every now and again (an older car with a battery that was well used).. well she started it the day after I left and forgot about it.. with the keys in it and the ignition on... I get home 9 months later and the battery is dead. I add water and it ran for another 3 years. I will own diehard for the rest of my life when I have a choice.

that was not the platinum.. or gold.. just a plain Diehard.

 

I will own diehard for the rest of my life when I have a choice.

that was not the platinum.. or gold.. just a plain Diehard.

Glad that particular battery worked out well for you, BUT there is a small problem in your stated commitmment to the Diehard brand--Diehard does NOT make batteries, they simply rebrand them from other manufacturers, sometimes Johnson Controls, other times Interstate, also Deka or Oddyssey. In fact there are only 4 or 5 automotive battery manufacturers that make each and every battery out there for REBRANDING.

Beware: The best and worst replacement car batteries can be from the same brand

 

I picked one up a few weeks ago for 196, great battery so far

 

I replaced two crappy Optima Reds w/ two Diehard Platinums in my Dodge diesel and couldn't be happier.

 

The advanced gold is in fact a rebadged Deka intimidator. You can also find the very same battery at most auto parts stores under different names and even some farm & home stores. I bought mine under the name Magna Power over 4 years ago and it has been the best battery I've ever owned. Sat outside in sub-zero temps and starts right up. I would save my money and forego the platinum for one of the rebadged Dekas. Just my opinion.

 

Odyssey batteries some badass batteries . I have had couple and beat them to death . I never killed them when sold truck it went with it.

 

I'm praying to the battery gods every day that Sears commissions a Group 94R Die Hard Platinum from Odyssey. Odyssey makes one, but for a HUGELY scary price. I had a Group 34 Platinum for a while in a previous car and after putting it in, the car almost started before I could return the key to the On position - it was almost freaky. My audio system performance was a bit better in the sense that I noticed bass being more consistent/tight but it wasn't night and day, there. I could play my system forever before I got a battery saver warning with the Platinum vs. an Optima Red top I'd get that warning after 12-min. or so and the stock battery after about 20-min. Optima (now made in Mexico) somehow turned into garbage.

 

I would bet that Sears has enough clout to specify exactly what types of batteries they want manufactured for them, the specs, materials, tolerances and quality. So just because they source from a common supplier doesn't necessarily mean that it's the same exact battery that Walmart or some other retailer carries. Perhaps some models are generic but I wouldn't be so quick to make blanket statements like everybody uses the same batteries because it's glossing over the details.

Sorry, NOT trying to rain on anyones parade, just wanted to point out that just because it says Diehard on it, it does NOT mean it is a great battrey...if you actually read the link I posted, you wouls see that is true...now one that says Diehard and is made by Oddyssey or Deka, i'll be first in line to buy one, like I did the two Diehard Platinums that I run in the truck.

 

Chances are a car battery designed for starting is made by either:

- Johnson Controls
- Enersys (Odyssey)
- East Penn (Deka)
- Exide
- NorthStar

I have no idea who makes XS Power, Kinetik, etc, batteries.

 

I run 9 of the Oreilly Super Start Platinum rebranded Deka batteries in my daily beater. Considering what I put them through they are great batteries. For the price cant go wrong. As for Sears, in my neck of the woods they dont do the price matching of their website. I have tried many times to get their batteries when they had 20% off sales but every time I tried I get denied. So I dont bother with Sears.

 

That's the stupid thing about Sears. Their online business seems totally separate from their local store business. Returning something bought online there, even if I picked it up in-store, is a bloody 50 step process and half the time they have to go through hoops to get me the full value back! What a failure of a retail chain - it's sad, really.

 

I just pulled out my 7 year old die hard platinum.... It was sitting in the garage for 2 years and started up my fairlane a moment ago . No charger on it just sitting 1" off the cement floor. I had gold before but it was a long time ago and they don't make them the same so it would not be right to judge the opinion of a new Gold