I know a lot of you like the Interstate battery. They sell one that is a direct replacement for the 40-R. But how do you get a fresh battery, or don't you even try?

The shop I went to had a 40-R that they said they had received from the Interstate distributor within the past two weeks. I have no reason to disbelieve them. The coding on the battery showed that the battery was shipped from the factory nine months earlier, and had been recharged by the distributor four months after that and then again in another four months. So that means the distributor had charged the battery the month before I went to the shop.

 

As with anything else, we'd rather have a recently manufactured battery as opposed to one that's sat on the shelf. All battery manufacturer's identify a date code on their batteries but up until about a decade or so ago, most of the general public was unaware. Now that most everyone IS aware, I suspect that SOME sleazy distributors slap a bogus sticker on their batteries.

A battery that's left to discharge without some sort of routine recharging can impact the batteries useful life. Any distributor worth their weight will have a PM program to maintain their stock.

As far as Interstate is concerned, if they have a routine recharge task for their batteries sitting on the shelves, I'd feel much more at ease buying an "older" battery, although I'd still be checking the date code and insist they provide me with the most recent battery from the lot. Let some other boob that doesn't think about that get the older battery.

Interstate batteries FTW.

 

I've had good luck with Duralast.
Much better than the stock ones, that's for sure.

+1 to what Nuke boy said.

 

There is a sticker on each battery showing it manufacture date.
At my shop, when the interstate guy comes, I have had a battery as new as roughly 2 weeks old. The sticker will show the year, designated as a 1 for 2011, then the the month is designated by letter. January would be 'A', Feb: 'B'. March: 'C'. etc, etc.
If the sticker is gone, the same date system is engraved in the top section on the side edge. Look for the same type of letter/number combo.
All manufacturers have the engraving as well. It's a requirement.

 

The sticker on the side actually shows the "fill date".
The date whan it was filled with acid.
Ever bought a motorcycle battery and have
the counter person fill it with acid for you right
there?
Car batteries are made and stored 'unfilled'.
When they are required for sale to the distrubutors,
they are filled with acid at the production facility
and the 'fill date' sticker is applied. This was designed so
batteries dont sit around for months unused filled with acid.

 

I remember filling new batteries. We had a box of acid with a hose and filled each cell with acid before installing. Of course we never wore eye protection.

 

I have bought shelf Interstate batteries,,
I get em home an slow charge em,,
they last 4 years..

Had one strand me once,,dead.
Was near wally world,,
YUP got me a Walmart battery for almost half the price..
It Lasted 4 years,,,I'm on my second one..