Auto Zone - good deal on battery trade-ins

[VStarRider]

Auto Zone will give you $10 store credit for bringing in an old auto or lawnmower battery. Purchasing a new battery there is not required, and they take all brands.

Not sure if this is a local thing, and perhaps there are better deals near you, but just wanted to share. The local scrapyard pays $8 for old batteries.

[rdbonds]

Thanks for the heads-up. I need to run by there. I have 2 old ones from my Ram 1 ton's recent change (they didn't charge a core), and a couple of old m/c batteries laying around. I'm sittin' on a gold mine. :)

[olegoat345]

I think it's a EPA deal to get / keep the lead & acid out of landfills. All the auto stores here in central Fl. give $10 bucks off / core charge on a new battery.
2017 or 18 Consumers Reports gave WalMart (house brand) the top rating in all test areas.
WalMart has a non-pro rated warranty for the first 3 years & a pro-rated warranty for 2 years after that for a total of 5 years warranty..... I put one in my '16 Tacoma so far it's doing good. Strong crank every time. OEM only lasted 24 months.

[DarkKnt]

From my experience in the Middle East, it's the heat that kills them. In Dubai, a car battery is generally good for about 2 years. Up here in the frozen north, the only time extreme cold will kill them, is when you allow them to get too discharged, at which point they can freeze. I just replaced the original battery in my 2005 Infinity.

[tenxxx]

I bought cheap 2 year battery's when I lived in Alabama in the 80"s. They lasted 2 years, no longer.
Auto or MC didn't matter.
You get what you pay for.

[olegoat345]

I swapped out my OEM battery in my 2013, in Jan 2019. It was still cranking strong but at 6yo, I didn't want it to leave me stranded. I have it on a battery tender & will use it to start our generator in case we have a hurricane & lose power.

[rdbonds]

olegoat345 - My 2014 F6b still has the OE battery too. I'm getting nervous, but it still seems strong. There was a period in 2015 where I blew out a knee and could not ride for 5 months. When I was ready to ride again, it fired right up. It was not even on a battery tender. :)

Based on VStarRider's post, I took 4 batteries in earlier this week (2 truck batteries, 1 lawn/garden battery and 1 m/c battery from a different bike). I don't know about other Autozone locations, but my local store would not give the $10 credit on the lawn or m/c battery, only the 2 truck batteries. They said they "got in trouble" for paying out on the little ones.

[VStarRider]

olegoat345 - My 2014 F6b still has the OE battery too. I'm getting nervous, but it still seems strong. There was a period in 2015 where I blew out a knee and could not ride for 5 months. When I was ready to ride again, it fired right up. It was not even on a battery tender. :)

Based on VStarRider's post, I took 4 batteries in earlier this week (2 truck batteries, 1 lawn/garden battery and 1 m/c battery from a different bike). I don't know about other Autozone locations, but my local store would not give the $10 credit on the lawn or m/c battery, only the 2 truck batteries. They said they "got in trouble" for paying out on the little ones.

That stinks. They said nothing at my local store ... in fact, the manager asked me if I had any lawnmower batts, bring em in for $10 credit. I was advised to bring in one at a time, however. I brought my other battery in on a different day.

[VStarRider]

As for battery durability, the good ones last a long time up here. My Sears Die Hard Gold mower battery was purchased new in 2013, still operating at 100%.

My buddy’s Yamaha snowmobile battery (Yuasa) lasted 10 years...an amazing feat considering the environment they operate in and how it sits from April through November most years without a charge.

[rdbonds]

That stinks. They said nothing at my local store ... in fact, the manager asked me if I had any lawnmower batts, bring em in for $10 credit. I was advised to bring in one at a time, however. I brought my other battery in on a different day.

Eh, No worries. I just appreciate the heads-up that they were doing this. It gave me $20 off on my $180 purchase of oil change goodies for a few of the vehicles in the fleet, and now I have a bit less junk in the garage to trip over. :)