Batteries: Interstate vs Duracell/Deka

Optima got busted 25 years ago for trying to import LTH made Optimas and squeezing them in under NAFTA without registration. They did not have the Hecho en México or Made in USA branding (brand means hot letters embossing).

Johnson Controls is far too large a company to juggle all its divisions correctly. Too big too quickly. Reminds me of Ma Bell, General Electric and Exide.

I remember when JC went on a buying orgasm in the early 80's snatching up a great battery company GLOBE UNION, then trashing it - much like Xantrex did to Trace.

As sort of a side note, there are no Decka dealers in Alaska. When we bought our used DP and got it home, one of the Decka starting batteries was bad - they were only 20 months old. The only problem was that nearest dealer was stateside......

If it's a Decka sold by Sam's Club you shouldn't have a problem up here.

Bill

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
For awhile I noticed OPTIMA batteries embossed (melted into the lid) with the words in English MADE IN MEXICO even for Optimas sold down here. No Optima battery is made in the USA.

(FWIW) ... Not my ~20 year old Yellow Top Group 31 (90+AH) OPTIMA AGM battery. It was made way back when - somewhere in either the U.S. or Europe.

We carrry it in the trunk of our car so we don't have to call ERS and wait if we can't turn over the engine sometime somewhere a long way from home. When I go fishing I take it along to power our electric trolling motor.

(Maybe that's why it's still going after so long ..... made "somewhere in either the U.S. or Europe".)

IF

THE

PRODUCT

IS

ELIGIBLE

THROUGH

THE

North American Free Trade Agreement, there will be NO, meaning none, meaning zero stickers red, white & green, with an eagle, with the worlds HECHO en MEXICO

For awhile I noticed OPTIMA batteries embossed (melted into the lid) with the words in English MADE IN MEXICO even for Optimas sold down here. No Optima battery is made in the USA.

The LTH battery plant in Monterrey Mexico is titanic - I would believe several thousands of acres - five railroad tracks, and seven entries and exits for heavy vehicles. There is an adjacent Comision Federal de Electricidad plant. There are even pipelines going into the plant. They distill their own water and it looks like they even formulate their own H2SO4.

This is an hard nut to crack for inside info. Maybe if I find myself in the state of Neuvo Leon, I'll drop in for a visit.

clarkster wrote:
Interstate batteries are a Johnson Control company ...

Interstate has more than one source.

Interstate batteries are a Johnson control company who makes batteries in a Monterrey, Mexico plant. Some are made in the USA, but it is unclear which of the battery line is, or if it's a regional supply chain only, with some states getting Mexico batts and some regions a USA made batt.
It the battery is made in Mexico, there must be a sticker on the battery denoting this.

Deka batteries are made by East Penn manufacturing with a 520 acre battery manufacturing facility in the USA.

Hahahahahahaha with the recent gossip about Interstate being re-branded Trojan...

You got a dart board?

Which store offers the least hassles over returns?