Best battery for $100

Stretch it to $160 and get two GC2's at costco or Sams club. My interstates are going on 5 years now.

$100 will get you a basic (budget) RV/Marine type so-called deep cycle battery from Walmart, Costco, etc, probably in Group 24 size. A Group 27 which is a bit larger and has more amp hours would be better if you can fit that into the $100 budget. You'll really be limited as to what you can run while boondocking with a single battery. 2 batteries would be much better if it's in the cards for the future.

Home Depot sells automotive 12V batteries. Locally the Auto Parts stores wanted $140 for the battery I bought for my Ford Explorer. Home Depot price was about $95. I don't recall the exact size. It was new stock.

The best battery for $100 for the way you say it will be used is the largest cheap deep cycle battery you can afford. You aren't going to get best quality at that price, you might as well go for the most capacity.

I like the Everstart or Everstart Maxx from WalMart. They both come in Group 24, 27 and 29 sizes, successively large packages with correspondingly more capacity.

You want the DC model, number ends in C, not the MS which is the marine starting battery. In a given size, the Maxx is $10-20 higher, it has a longer warranty. I don't know if you are just buying more warranty or if it is actually better construction, it is not really much more capacity. Having to choose between Maxx or getting the next larger size, I would get the next larger size, particularly if I were planning to replace it with 6V golf cart batteries within a year. E.G. a 29 DC might be right at $100, the 27 DC Maxx the same price. Go for capacity, not an extra year of warranty.

The same manufacturer (Johnson Controls) makes similar batteries for other house brands and store brands. I find that for cheap batteries, Walmart usually has the lowest prices and freshest stock. I've figured out the Everstart branding, so would rather not try to work out how Costco, Interstate, or AutoZone/O'Reillys/etc are branding their products.

Yes it will be for limited 12v water heater and pump for toilet use and lights are l.e.d so they wont drain hardly anything... he will be converting to dual 6v like mine after summer for fall and winter hunting camps and then use a generator to recharge every couple days..

tbred wrote:
We just purchased a Walmart Everstart Maxx for around 90.00 to replace our Interstate that barely lasted 2 yrs. Everstart Maxx has a 2 yr. replacement warranty.

Same here. Put in a group 27 last year of these. they make a good 12V deep cycle.

if all you used was lights, limited fan use, minor radio, a cheap 12v could last a long time boon-docking even maybe weeks. Just can't use heater, elec hot water, elec fridge, no inverters.

Never mind, no recommendation for 12 volt.

wickedstang03 wrote:
Will be used for dry boondocking.... switched to all leds...

Thanks. One $100 battery isn't going to be much power for boondocking, especially using an inverter. No high power stuff, and limited TV watching.

I've always had good luck with the DieHard Marine Batteries sold by Sears.
Good warranty.