Costco vs Sams Club 6V Golf Cart Batteries

[crcr]

Hi,

I'm about to buy two new 6V golf cart batteries for my TT. I am choosing between the Costco and the Sams Club 6V batteries. Here is all the stats provided for each battery where I live:

Costco: Interstate battery, Item #517990, size GC2, Reserve Capacity, 100RC, $79.99 ea

Sams Club: Emergizer battery, size CG2, 107 RC minutes @ 75 amps, 220AH, $81.83 ea

Dimensions of the batteries is identical, at 7" W x 10 1/4" L x 11" H. I know weight is important, heavier indicating more lead plates, but I had no scale to measure the weight of each. Both have 12 month free replacement. I realize the AH is probably the most important factor here, since price is pretty close to equal, but the Costco battery did not provide that information. Can anyone tell me what the rated AH are for the Costco Interstate battery?

Any other comments about pros and cons of one of these over the other, would be welcome. Thanks in advance for any information!

[2oldman]

willoughby wrote:
One other thing I dont need to worry about...with the 6 volts, if one of them went bad, I was SOL. With the 12 volts, one can go bad and I am still up and running.

Let us know what happens when one of your 12v "goes bad." I'm dying to know not only what really happens or if it EVER happens.

[Gale_Hawkins]

willoughby wrote:
I finally ended up going back to the original set up...Two-12v batteries I bought from ,,,Yes, Costco. I got their group 24 series (85 amps each x 2 = 170 total amps) RV/Marine Deep Cycle batteries.
I would have liked to have bought their group 27 size (115 amps each), but they were just too big for my tray.

I have already tried them out on 2 camping trips and I am believer in them again. I was able to watch TV (over an hour) again without that darn inverter warning alarm going off within 10 mins (indicating a low charge) and whenever my water pump turns on now, my lights dont dim or flicker like they did before.

One other thing I dont need to worry about...with the 6 volts, if one of them went bad, I was SOL. With the 12 volts, one can go bad and I am still up and running.

I took care of my past batteries...almost to the point of being anal about them.

All I know, this is my 4th set of batteries since I bought my rig in Dec 2005 (first set of 12 volts were still working when I went to 2-6 volts....second and third sets were 6 volts, now back to 2-12 volts)and that doesnt seem right.

I know others love and swear by their 6 volts and that is great...but not me, I am staying with 12 volts from now on.

12v batteries are the best choice for many for the reason you state.

In our case the starting battery and house batteries are mounted right below the radiator of our P30 chassis. By just moving cables I can move to one of the house batteries and use it as our starting batteries. The last two PO's only had one house battery but the rack was built to how two plus the starting batteries. When our engine alternator was out for a couple months before I got it into the shop for other things I kept one house battery fully charged but not connected as a back up starting battery should we run down the starting or the one house battery. I hate to be out without a working starting battery. 🙂

We can use the DC-27 size and that gives us 230 AH. At the office on the UPS I find that four DC-24's live longer than the DC-27's in that 48v set up for some reason.

[Gale_Hawkins]

I would only go by what is printed on the battery label.

Weighing the batteries is the most logical and simple way to learn the amount of lead inside of a battery as others have posted. Over thinking things seems to be a hobby for some of us however. :B

[falconman515]

So I just heard back form the service manager at Sams Club in regards to the signage for the regular silver labeled 6 volt batteries. Like I had said the website says 208ah and the flyer I posted above says 208ah ... but the price and details signage they have in front of those batteries says 220ah.

He said he was going to contact the manufacturer for me to verify the actual AH and make sure their signage is correct and they are not stating false information.

He called me back this morning and said he just received and email back form them stating the 220ah was correct and that the flyers they have with the batteries are not reflective of the new Amp Hours they have the new newly released batteries for.

So according to him the regular $85 Sams 6volters are actually 220

SO .... now I ask the questions again ....

Is it worth the extra $50 bucks for an extra 12 amp hours between the 220 and 232 series Sams Club Batteries???

[mena661]

falconman515 wrote:
Soooo ... that's an extra 24 Amps .... Worth The Extra $50 Bucks???

It would be to me but YMMV.

[falconman515]

So if I have the option to purchase the Energizer 232AH batteries at Sams Vs. the 208AH at Costco and more then likely the regular silver label will turn out to be the 208 as well (though their signage sasy 220 .. there is way to much hard evidence that says otherwise and I'm sure it will be 208).

Soooo ... that's an extra 24 Amps .... Worth The Extra $50 Bucks???

[time2roll]

There are only a few battery makers and they slap any of 100 reseller's label on the case.
Johnson Controls is fine. Trojan and US Battery are also good manufacturers.

Interstate, Costco, Ford, Sam's, Pepboys, Track auto, NAPA, O'rileys, Sears etc.... none of these resellers make batteries.

[willoughby]

I finally ended up going back to the original set up...Two-12v batteries I bought from ,,,Yes, Costco. I got their group 24 series (85 amps each x 2 = 170 total amps) RV/Marine Deep Cycle batteries.
I would have liked to have bought their group 27 size (115 amps each), but they were just too big for my tray.

I have already tried them out on 2 camping trips and I am believer in them again. I was able to watch TV (over an hour) again without that darn inverter warning alarm going off within 10 mins (indicating a low charge) and whenever my water pump turns on now, my lights dont dim or flicker like they did before.

One other thing I dont need to worry about...with the 6 volts, if one of them went bad, I was SOL. With the 12 volts, one can go bad and I am still up and running.

I took care of my past batteries...almost to the point of being anal about them.

All I know, this is my 4th set of batteries since I bought my rig in Dec 2005 (first set of 12 volts were still working when I went to 2-6 volts....second and third sets were 6 volts, now back to 2-12 volts)and that doesnt seem right.

I know others love and swear by their 6 volts and that is great...but not me, I am staying with 12 volts from now on.

[falconman515]

Way to much supporting information based on this flyer located at Sams and the website information.

Also I found a review on Energizers website that they had issues with their 6V batteries and a reply directly from Enegizer stated these batteresi were made by "Johnson Controls" .... here was there statement ...

I would like to refer you to Johnson Controls as they are the company that does handle these products. You may contact Johnson Controls at 1.866.507.7171.

Is this a good battery maker???

Just putting out some more info on what I have discovered while researching all of this guys.

Just trying to figure out if the extra Amps are worth the extra $50 odd bucks is all.

[falconman515]

Okay, here is more info for you on Sams Club Energizer batteries.

Shows that one is 208 for the regular and then 232 for the premium (just like the website says ... BUT not the sign at the store).

Also shows the regular one as being 63lbs. and the premium at 67lbs.

[crcr]

In the city I live in, the Costco 6V batteries are now rated at 232 aH, the Sams Club ones at 220 aH. So I went and weighed both, and they weigh within 2 tenths of a pound of each other, with the lower rated Sams Club battery being the slightly heavier. I'm surprised at this from Costco, as they are typically more accurate in their descriptions of items.

Anther factor I learned here in AZ is that Sams Club is charging $15 core charge and Costco is charging $9. Of course, that doesn't matter if you have two batteries to trade in, but I didn't, only had one 12V.

As someone said, TAKE YOUR BATH SCALE AND WEIGH THEM. Don't believe employees or what the freaking sign says.

[westend]

Trying to get pertinent technical information from a store employee may be a fool's errand. If the 12 AH difference in rating is going to cause sleepless nights, contact the Mfg. and work your way through the myriad of customer service people until you get a definitive answer about ratings. That, or take a scale from the Bathroom Accessories Dept. and weigh them.

[mena661]

Bring your bathroom scale and weigh both.

[falconman515]

OK I know this may have been covered but I found out my Sams club has both 6 Volt batteries in stock.

The 6 Volt Premium Gold label Energizers ($110) ...

Energizer 6V 232AH

And the also have the regular silver label 6 Volt Energizer ($85)...

Energizer 6V Says 208AH

Now here is the kicker ... the signage says 220 amps on the $85 silver label energizer ...


Keep in mind this is an old price from a couple months ago but the new sign with the $85 price still says 220AmpHours

I'm thinking of dropping the extra $50 for the 232 Amp Premium 6volters ... BUT ... if the $85 ones really are 220 ... not sure if the 50 bucks is worth an extra 12amps really.

Anyone know the true details on these batteries?

Also to there is a peel off flyer right next these batteries and that also says 208amps for the regular silver one .. and then for the premium is says 232amps .... I'm leaning to believe the flyer that comes from Energizer and the details on Sams website ... But the guy said he thinks these new ones are are actually 220 and they are just using old flyers and the details online aren't updated.

He said he would find out for me tomorrow by calling the manufacturer ... was just wondering if anyone knew for sure or not (if not I will be sure to update with my findings on this).

Thanks for any feedback you may have on this. 🙂

[mena661]

Gale Hawkins wrote:
Battery life is 1% determined by maker and 99% by buyer.

X2, get the one with the most amp hours.