Die Hard Platinum--any good?

[mspalmer]

Saturday morning the Vibe was starting a little slowly (2005 AWD) and this is the second or third time this has happened. I decided I would get a new battery now and not wait until it doesn't start completely. I went to Sears intending on getting the DieHard Gold that I got for my 99 Saturn SL2 when it needed one. I got there and they started telling me about the great new DieHard Platinum and how it is so much better, more plates, etc. All this new technology comes at a cost, however. I ended up buying it because it has a 5 year replacement warranty and I plan on keeping the Vibe for a long time. I have about 2 years left on the payments and 2 small kids and am trying to get rid of debt. My question: did I pay extra for not much return or is this truly a great battery? I know I've read a lot about the Optima and that is what people seem to like around here. I did a couple google searches and couldn't find many reviews. I thought I would get some knowledgeable responses around here.Thanks in advance,Mike

[jake75]

Too late now - but how much was it? Faced with that decision in October for my 2003 I got a Kirkland (house brand) battery at Costco for $55. It has a 100 month (8.33 years) prorated warranty, first 36 months is 100% replacement. It is the same as the Duralast sold at Auto Zone for $70. 600+ CCA. More than adequate. Made by Johnson. I think Johnson also make the Optima but that is different technology.Anyway -$55; $70, $100 - it's not the end of the world.

[Sublimewind]

It looks to me the difference between the Gold and the Platinum is that the Pt has a longer reserve time and it of the maintainence free non-spillable configuration... that's about all I could find on the Sears site as far as difference...

[mspalmer]

thanks for the input. I'm guessing it is a good battery but I probably paid WAY too much for it. I probably should have done a little more research. I must give Sears points for honesty, though. They called me before they installed it and said the original battery still had some life left in it but I bought a new one anyway because I'll have the car for a long time and I would need one fairly soon anyway.thanks again,Mike

[Sublimewind]

Sometimes it's GOOD to pay for peace of mind... looks like you paye ~160 for it??

[jake75]

For what it's worth - I have seldom regretted buying the best - many times regretted trying to save a few bucks buying on the cheap. My SONY LCD HD-TV cost me a premium - but I am happy with that decision. We are remodeling a bathroom - my wife fell in love with $30 a sq foot designer glass tile squares for the bath enclosure. Added $1,500 to the cost of the job. Oh well. It will be beautiful.

[mspalmer]

I kind of have that same attitude so I didn't have a lot of qualms about paying for it as long as it delivers as it promises.Mike

[Sublimewind]

That's usually how I am, if i'm going to replace something, I want to replace it with "better than stock"Oh, and this about the battery got me thinking, so I made a post about it on my car audio forum and come to find out the Sears Platnium battery is the same as an Odyssey 1200-1500 series battery, which is HIGHLY regarded in the automotive/car audio world... I might get one myself for my Subaru and the audio system that's goiong in it... .

[mspalmer]

good to know, thanks for doing the research for me. I feel better (not that I felt bad before) but I don't mind paying more if it is a better product and worth the money. I just hate getting taken.thanks for everyone's replies.Mike

[darcmater]

I was bored today so got one of these put in, now that winters almost over I hope

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by darcmater »I was bored today so got one of these put in, now that winters almost over I hopeHOW MUCH??? You buy a 8 dollar seat cover and then get "bored" and go buy a top-of-the-line battery.. lolI put a 50$ NAPA battery in the Vibe just before you came over saturday... I mighta forgot to mention that..lol

[Sublimewind]

I want to know what BOTH of you payed for these batteries, please... i'm thinking about getting the largest model possible for my Subie... trying to get a price reference.. thanks..!

[ehoff121]

Just checked the Consumer Reports ratings and the DieHard Platinum came out as best rated.

Attached files Batteries.doc (150 KB) 

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by ehoff121 »Just checked the Consumer Reports ratings and the DieHard Platinum came out as best rated.Hay man, I donno what your attached .doc did to my computer, but I had to use task manager to shut down IE for me.... (at work)Would you PLEASE, go back to consumer reports and LINK us to the page, rather than using an attached .doc? Thank you... !!

[mspalmer]

I spent about $200 installed. I probably could have gotten it a little cheaper if I'd been willing to do the install. I'm not sure how much Sears charged for the install + disposal of the old battery. I'm glad it got such high ratings because it kind of pained me to pay that much but I'm planning on keeping her a long time.

[darcmater]

i got mine for 179 plust tax and yes i paid the 15 or so to have them install it : )edit.. was wrong price, I would be an idiot to pay 279 for it : )

[zionzr2]

I payed less than $150 for a Red Top Optima installed FREE by Batteries Plus.

[ehoff121]

http://www.consumerreports.org...eriesIt's a subscription service, so the link may not work for you. If you can't subscribe, here's a screen shot of the ratings:

[09Red_Se]

Longer life batterys have 1) more depth under the plates on one example. As the battery ages and gets shaken, material from the plates falls to the bottom and eventually reaches the plates shorting them. 2) has better construction, eg separatly wrapped plates that retains the material in-place.Optima batteries eg, are sold at Wal-Mart now for about the price of Die-Hard. Any top model in a well-known brand should perform well.Shopping around for the best price is a real hassle for sure.Another thought is the cheapest battery is the best. For the utility it provides, and 3-5 year life - you may never get a payback on a high-end battery. Around here, there are batteries less than $50. They work just fine. If you have a megawatt stereo, eg - then you have a different need than most. If a very cold climate - you'll need a plugin battery blanket regardless.Just a couple other ideas to kick around.

[BBYE V8]

Quote, originally posted by mspalmer ».......My question: did I pay extra for not much return or is this truly a great battery? I know I've read a lot about the Optima and that is what people seem to like around here. I did a couple google searches and couldn't find many reviews. I thought I would get some knowledgeable responses around here.Thanks in advance,MikeI hate to bring back a dead thread, but someone may find the warrantee difference useful. In December I posted the following: For the past 2 months our '03 Vibe was very slow to start so I figured the stock 310 amp battery would not make it through another winter. I have two cars with Optima batteries and had planned on making the Vibe the third but after reading the Consumer Reports article I had second thoughts. They did not test group 35 batteries, but in groups 34/78 & 78 they did test 4 different AGM batteries (Die Hard Platinum, Optima Red Top, Orbital Exide Select & Deka Intimidator), the Die Hard Platinum tested the best.I did a price check and Sears had the Die Hard Platinum for the same price that Auto Zone had on the Optima Red Top ($179 for group 35). You may find an Optima cheaper on line or get a Die Hard on sale, but I needed one ASAP. FYI, the Die Hard has a better warrantee: 48 month free replacement/100 month total. The Optima has a 36 month free replacement/72 month total. With better warrantee, better service, more coast to coast locations and for the same price I bought the Sears Die Hard. The only down side so far is the weight, it's a heavy little mother, but at least it's got a built in beefy handle.As of today (6/08) the battery is still pefect. We've run a crock pot on the power converter for 7 hours straight at the drive in. When we left the engine cranked just like always.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by 09Red_Se »Longer life batterys have 1) more depth under the plates on one example. As the battery ages and gets shaken, material from the plates falls to the bottom and eventually reaches the plates shorting them. 2) has better construction, eg separatly wrapped plates that retains the material in-place.If you have a megawatt stereo, eg - then you have a different need than most. If a very cold climate - you'll need a plugin battery blanket regardless.Just a couple other ideas to kick around.So the Diehard platinum, being an AGM battery, should have things dropping to the bottom correct? the glass mat would keep anything from moving around.. right?

[jmiles82]

Purchased a Diehard Platinum battery in June of 2008. It is now January 2009 and the battery already refused to start a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 with 1800 total miles on it. Took the battery back to Sears and the sales person insisted that he put it on his charger for a full hour to "test" the battery. He refused to replace the battery when his machine said the battery "tested ok". He then proceeded to charge me $12.50 to reinstall the battery in the vehicle. The vehicle had been driven only 2 days before with no problems and of course, after charging it on his machine, it would be very doubtful that it would not "hold a charge". I am sure that the battery was damaged by the discharge below 10.5v and I now cannot consider it reliable. I also have completely lost faith in Sears to stand behind their products and provide customer satisfaction.

[keithvibe]

sears= iggets!

[Atomicpunk]

I know this is an old thread but I recentlly had to replaced a Sears Diehard in my car before I sold it. Battery bought in December 1999 - replaced October 2008. Car sat from August 2008 to October, started about once every 2 weeks. I would definetly get another Diehard.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by jmiles82 »Purchased a Diehard Platinum battery in June of 2008. It is now January 2009 and the battery already refused to start a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 with 1800 total miles on it. Took the battery back to Sears and the sales person insisted that he put it on his charger for a full hour to "test" the battery. He refused to replace the battery when his machine said the battery "tested ok". He then proceeded to charge me $12.50 to reinstall the battery in the vehicle. The vehicle had been driven only 2 days before with no problems and of course, after charging it on his machine, it would be very doubtful that it would not "hold a charge". I am sure that the battery was damaged by the discharge below 10.5v and I now cannot consider it reliable. I also have completely lost faith in Sears to stand behind their products and provide customer satisfaction.So, what you are saying here, is that you bought a new battery, put it into a new vehical, and then let it sit idle, for months, deep cycled the battery and you are now upset, that they will not cover you in the fact that you heavily deep cycled the battery?? I just want to get this straight.. Before I say anything else...