Thread: What is a good PRIMARY starter Battery?

Whatever is recommended for your vehicle.

Go to a reputable battery shop and see what they advise.
If they advise anything other than a wet cell, RUN! (Else find out why they advise that...)
I'd advise a few shops in case some have some brand agenda.

A good shop should have fresh batteries due to a reasonable turnover else be properly maintained (unlike many department stores etc).

"Maintenance Free" flooded cells with the "power eye" seem popular and good. (Not that I'd pay for the power eye - they only measure one of the 6 cells, but can trap alternator undercharging - not that "we" would NOT have a dash voltmeter or alarm...)
I'd probably only choose a non-Maintenance-Free if weight was an issue.


Later, go back to the "good shop(s)" and mention what you've selected for your audio battery to hear what they say.

Going to a shop for specific suggestions can be something to resort to. But I really just want to know some 'good brands' that I will get 'bang for my buck'. I like to do the research on my own so that if I do end up having to see a professional, I would be well educated enough to know if I am being conned or something like that. Plus, I enjoy it for learning sake anyways.

Yes, I do know that different batteries work best for different vehicles, but I am really just looking to be pointed in the correct direction toward figuring it out myself.

Also, you noted that wet-cells are the correct choice. I see 'dry cell' posted on a lot of ads. Are dry-cell batteries not what I want?

Ok, understood.

Being down here I don't know your brands - not that I know the "actual" manufacturer of my wet cells - I get what my "non-advertising" battery shop has and recommends.

I know - like me - they do NOT recommend Apollo (wet cells) nor Optima AGMs, and they also reckoned Odyssey weren't that good (much to my surprise). They reckoned Deka are good. And I hear stateside that Kinetik are fairly good...

But those are AGMs which I doubt anyone would recommend as a main/cranker.


Dry cells are AGMs aka VRLA (as opposed to traditional wet/flooded and gel-cells).
AGMs have about half the internal resistance of wet cells and can thus provide double the short-circuit current, and higher current into heavy loads. Not that they necessarily like it - hence why caps are used for big amps (>3kW etc) if limited AGMs are used.
AGMs might therefore be used in winching and audio applications.
AGMs are also used for vehicles that sit for long periods - collectors cars etc. Whereas a wet cell should be recharged every 3 months, an AGM can go 12 months between charges.


The usual audio setup is a wet cell for cranking/main and an AGM near the amp.
An AGM remote from the amp is compromised - it may as well be a wet cell (depending on +12V & GND path resistances), especially in systems with undersized alternators.


I'd presume that since you want to keep cranker costs down that you would not want an AGM cranker. It'd be better getting a reduction starter if cranking currents are that high (after the Big-3 etc).
Plus you need an isolator for the 2nd battery.
And as I said, if only one battery and it's remote from the amp, why use an AGM?
And AGM next to the amp and used as a cranker is another thing...

Alright that makes sense. Yeah I had seen lots of talk about Optima and Odyssey but I had also seen Deka and Kinetik mentioned. So based on this, I definitely do not want to get an AGM battery. That makes much more sense now because I had thought that was just some sort of labeling that didn't really mean a whole lot. But not I understand what I need. Thank you very much for the detailed help! I just need to find a Deka or Kinetik battery that is not AGM. From brief searching, most of those batteries were AGM dry cell. Off to the google machine!

If the Deka or Kinetik AGMs meet your needs & budget, get them.
I don't know what wet cells they produce - I've even forgotten if they (or Kinetik) is another brand relabeled.


Down here AGMs of cranking size tend to be way over $200 - typically at least 2x or 3x their wet cell equivalents. EG - Optima Yellows of ~70AH have an RRP of AUD$550, though they are typically obtained for ~AUD$450.


Check your charging system too -- AGMs are less forgiving if overcharged (over-voltage) - they have no fluids to boil off.