Go with Exide....

[mtpolarbear]

Originally Posted by Melonbuster

What's interesting to me is that people will consider skimping on the most important part of their cart equation. If your engine blows in your car you wouldn't put a smaller engine in it just to save a few bucks. Now I know that comparison is not apples to apples but you still get my point.

If you can find a product that is just as good or better than what is the 'popular' brand, what is wrong with that and how is saving $800 bad? Sounds like smart thinking to me.

[Bmatlock00]

Originally Posted by mtpolarbear

If you can find a product that is just as good or better than what is the 'popular' brand, what is wrong with that and how is saving $800 bad? Sounds like smart thinking to me.

Just curious, where are Trojans $800 more than exides? I got my 8v Trojan T875's for $89.99 per battery and the exides were $79.99

[JohnnieB]

The trick is getting the biggest bang for the buck.

Due to their lower Amp-Hour capacity, the "Economy" batteries aren't going to have as long of a lifespan as the "Standard" and "Premium" offerings from the same manufacturer due the the fact their average State of Charge will be lower for the same usage.

Here is a comparison of life expectancy for various brands and sizes, based a T-105 being being discharged to 70% SoC as the baseline for comparison.

Take the time to figure out what your goals are and do some comparison shopping.

IE: The round-trip distance to my favorite shooting range was greater than I could travel and stay above 50% SoC with six T-105 batteries that are in fairly decent shape, so I Knew I had to carry more kWh with me and initially decided to go with seven standard grade batteries since I could get seven Interstate GC2-XHD (232AH) for less than less than six premium grade batteries from Trojan, Crown, Deka and US Battery and have more kWh on-board.

Then I found out the Interstate battery I was considering was starting to have more warranty returns, did some more looking and discovered another local source for Exide batteries.
I ended up with seven premium grade Exide batteries (GC-145 - 245AH) for $120 each, no trade-in, no delivery.

I haven't gotten it put together yet, but I'm pretty sure I won't go much below 70% SoC when I start punching .451" and .357" holes in paper next spring.

[mtpolarbear]

Originally Posted by Bmatlock00

Just curious, where are Trojans $800 more than exides? I got my 8v Trojan T875's for $89.99 per battery and the exides were $79.99

The Trojans I was looking at are the 6 volt T-145, they are anywhere from $190-$200 anywhere you look. I was comparing the Costo battery at $89.99 to the T-145. So lets do the math, $200-$89.99=$110.01. $110.01*8= $880.08. That is if the Costco battery checks out.

[Melonbuster]

Originally Posted by mtpolarbear

The Trojans I was looking at are the 6 volt T-145, they are anywhere from $190-$200 anywhere you look. I was comparing the Costo battery at $89.99 to the T-145. So lets do the math, $200-$89.99=$110.01. $110.01*8= $880.08. That is if the Costco battery checks out.

Trojans here are far far less than 200. About 140.

To check out the Costco batts, call them and ask for the battery expert? They don't have one. Also ask them if you can bring the cart in and get installation with that price. Now call the Trojan dealer and ask the same questions. The difference in the answers is what you are paying for. That difference is not important to a small handful of people but to the vast majority it is.

Also, it seems to me that everyone asks "how does such and such battery compare to Trojan". This means they already know Trojan is the best. Why would you want anything less than the best.

[mtpolarbear]

Originally Posted by Melonbuster

Trojans here are far far less than 200. About 140.

To check out the Costco batts, call them and ask for the battery expert? They don't have one. Also ask them if you can bring the cart in and get installation with that price. Now call the Trojan dealer and ask the same questions. The difference in the answers is what you are paying for. That difference is not important to a small handful of people but to the vast majority it is.

Also, it seems to me that everyone asks "how does such and such battery compare to Trojan". This means they already know Trojan is the best. Why would you want anything less than the best.

First off there's no need to get snippy. I live in Montana and we have a lot of nothing here as far as retail stores. Most everything I buy is online. We have no Trojan Battery Dealer here, nearest one is 90 miles away. As far as a 'battery expert', I think I can read the specs. myself. Installation from Costco is not neccessary as I will let no one install anything on my cart. I am very proficient at just about anything mechanical, (I rebuild gas and diesel engines, restore vehicles from ground up, proficient in all phases of fabrication etc.) Now if you would have paid attention to my posts you would have seen that I can't get a Trojan online for less than $200, I'm happy you can get them for $140. The difference is not in the answers, it is in the battery specs. I could really care less what name is on the battery, I'm looking for which one offers me the most run time for MY application and how much it is going to cost. This should clear up some things for you. I hope your Trojans work well for you.

Just a side note, my best guess would be that no more than 25% of all of the carts out there are running trojans. Keep in mind that the 6 & 8 volt field of batteries are in more than just carts. They are in forklifts, man lifts, generators, aircraft tugs & mining equipment just to name a few out of hundreds of applications.

[Melonbuster]

@ mt polarbear- did not mean to come across as snippy. My comments were directed to the whole thread, not just snippy. You did however state that" every where you look". If you read my whole post I said it does not apply to most of us( the people on here), but does apply to most of the general population. As far as Montana goes, if I could go back 25 years and know what I know, then I would live there too or somewhere similar. I am envious of you. Lastly, this is a golf cart forum so I did not consider forklifts and such. And I don't have Trojans. My batteries were free so no other issue mattered. When I have to pay for some I will buy Trojans.

[mtpolarbear]

Originally Posted by Melonbuster

@ mt polarbear- did not mean to come across as snippy. My comments were directed to the whole thread, not just snippy. You did however state that" every where you look". If you read my whole post I said it does not apply to most of us( the people on here), but does apply to most of the general population. As far as Montana goes, if I could go back 25 years and know what I know, then I would live there too or somewhere similar. I am envious of you. Lastly, this is a golf cart forum so I did not consider forklifts and such. And I don't have Trojans. My batteries were free so no other issue mattered. When I have to pay for some I will buy Trojans.

My apologies then. I should know better, it's hard to express the tone of voice in text. I must have been cranky yesterday. I have chronic leg and back pain and it sometimes makes me irritable. Again apologies to you and yes Montana is like stepping back in time. No worries.