Champion AGM Battery - 25% off + $40 rebate at Pepboys

WreckITFrank

Technical Excellence Contributor
All AGM are {deleted} in my opinion.

im not a battery expert by any means, but have sold quite a few AGM batteries back in the day, and we used them on the reg in the Army, especially in crap climate. Just curious as to why you are not a fan.
 

O2batsea

Well-known member
I am a fan of AGM in the proper context but unless you regularly operate the vehicle sideways or upside down, or in harsh high vibration environments, there's no way to justify the expense over regular flooded batteries. Believe me I drank the kool-aid and was super gung ho about AGMs until it came time to replace them. Jeezus looweezus! When I do a side by side comparison of battery performance I find that the (High quality USA-made) flooded perform at least as well or better. I couldn't justify the almost 2.5X cost over the expected life either.
I now have a 70lb flooded Group 27 deep cycle battery in the 109. I got these from Pasco in Easton MD...their house brand but clearly made side by side at the Deka/East Penn factory (Pasco's sell that brand too) with the only difference being the case handles and the label. I also bought batteries for the boat and the solar array and they're all flooded deep cycle. I saved hundreds of dollars.
Not saying to avoid AGM, heavens no. Love 'em. Just that they have their place and I don't believe that place is in the battery box of my truck. If I were racing the King of the Hammers, yup def.
 

WreckITFrank

Technical Excellence Contributor
I am a fan of AGM in the proper context but unless you regularly operate the vehicle sideways or upside down, or in harsh high vibration environments, there's no way to justify the expense over regular flooded batteries. Believe me I drank the kool-aid and was super gung ho about AGMs until it came time to replace them. Jeezus looweezus! When I do a side by side comparison of battery performance I find that the (High quality USA-made) flooded perform at least as well or better. I couldn't justify the almost 2.5X cost over the expected life either.
I now have a 70lb flooded Group 27 deep cycle battery in the 109. I got these from Pasco in Easton MD...their house brand but clearly made side by side at the Deka/East Penn factory (Pasco's sell that brand too) with the only difference being the case handles and the label. I also bought batteries for the boat and the solar array and they're all flooded deep cycle. I saved hundreds of dollars.
Not saying to avoid AGM, heavens no. Love 'em. Just that they have their place and I don't believe that place is in the battery box of my truck. If I were racing the King of the Hammers, yup def.

good discussion. My experience is similar, and agree that they are quite pricey over the what you actually need. That said, I tend to over engineer and overspend on almost all parts of my auto projects (especially this one), but agree that most instances do not require the $150+ battery option. I will say though that my odyssey and optima's in the past have not really let me down, and I appreciate them mostly being maint free. Terminal grease and good cables really go a long way. I appreciate the point of view and chat.
 

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
Was told the primary advantage to an agm is that there are no plates to get sulfated up if you run the battery down to dead and then recharge it.
Believe that was the sales pitch when I bought my first one...
 

AdamSanta85

Well-known member
The OE battery in my 2011 Grand Cherokee is AGM. Just replaced it at 8 years old and it was still going strong.
 

MountainD

Technical Excellence Contributor
They are less susceptible to acquiring a dead cell due to vibration between plates in an off road environment--since that is how I use my truck, that is enough. Then you get into the fact that they don't have any potential to leak battery acid in the unlikely event that I have rolled, particularly since it is located directly below (or in that case, above) my balls. Then there are the sulfacation issues.



But yeah, in my RRC, I never ran an Absorbed Glass Mat. I didn't use that truck that way...
 

pmatusov

Technical Excellence Contributor
Callsign: AK6PM
One single 2-hour trip on the washboard in China Lake's Echo Range completely destroyed a regular flooded lead-acid battery in the rental pickup truck.

It was a new truck, with a new battery.

I was lucky not to shut it off when we did what we needed to do, and we drove it back to Inyokern. Five minutes after I shut it off, I could not restart it - the battery was down to 4 Volts. Alternator was perfectly fine.

So... given that my truck sees probably between 300 and a thousand miles a year on the washboard, AGM is worth its weight in... lithium, maybe.
 

pmatusov

Technical Excellence Contributor
Callsign: AK6PM
What does the washboard look like? Curious what could destroy a battery that quick.
Well... it is something that can destroy an OME shock in 500 miles.

I remembered that on a Death Valley trip we had to jump-start an Excursion with both batteries down to single digits - not simply discharged, but completely destroyed. It took 40 miles from North Death Valley Road to Racetrack and street tire pressure...

P1220196A.JPG
 

LR Max

Well-known member
Side question: Does AGM mean its a sealed battery?

I've heard one should not install a lead acid battery in the newer rovers (like LR3 or LR4). Simply because the wiring harness is directly underneath the battery. So if there is a spill, you kill your harness. Which is a bad time.
 

WreckITFrank

Technical Excellence Contributor
Put in a vehicle, Jeep or even 94 defender. Then put agm in the search after you add a vehicle. It's either a poorly done site, or they just want to ensure average joe car fixer has the correct fitment.
 
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