Could some explain to me why battery prices seem to have soared, at least since I last bought which was in 7/2007? In '07 I bought 4 4d Float batteries from WM for about $420 total, now they are $369 each. I'll bend a little they may have been on sale. Don't remember. WM blames the government. Thanks.
Current Battery Costs
- Thread starter Birtwistle
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Local price - brands will vary
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...4-1000-cca-autocraft_2100118-p?zoneAssigned=1
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...4-1000-cca-autocraft_2100118-p?zoneAssigned=1
The price of lead has soared over the past few years. The owner of our marina has a little side business cutting up old boats and selling the lead.
This is also an issue for folks that like to shoot guns. Bullet costs have soared over the past few years and the availability of ammo has been scarce.
This is also an issue for folks that like to shoot guns. Bullet costs have soared over the past few years and the availability of ammo has been scarce.
The cost of fuel and, what the government does not want to admit, high inflation. Batteries are heavy and thus the transportation costs have soared with fuel prices since 2008. In addition due to inflation the value of the pre-recession dollar has diminished considerably. Because of these factors it takes more dollars to pay for the same battery. Tell WM it is not fair to blame the goverment, the economy had to recover and the majority of us were opposed to "belt tightening". The result has been "watering down the soup" or in this case $$$.
Steve, you said, "This is also an issue for folks that like to shoot guns. Bullet costs have soared over the past few years and the availability of ammo has been scarce."
Not trying to get into a political rant, however wanting to set the record straight, Ammo prices have gone up because our government has stockpiled gazillions of rounds of it over the past couple of years! Enough to fight 14 years in Afghanistan as I hear it!
I spend nights occasionally near the Miami-Dade Sheriffs shooting range. Twice on two nights I have heard them go through several hundred thousand rounds of automatic weapon ammo! I asked the Miami paper what they thought of that, no response!
There was no reason for ammo prices to go up!
Jack
Not trying to get into a political rant, however wanting to set the record straight, Ammo prices have gone up because our government has stockpiled gazillions of rounds of it over the past couple of years! Enough to fight 14 years in Afghanistan as I hear it!
I spend nights occasionally near the Miami-Dade Sheriffs shooting range. Twice on two nights I have heard them go through several hundred thousand rounds of automatic weapon ammo! I asked the Miami paper what they thought of that, no response!
There was no reason for ammo prices to go up!
Jack
Actually MOST metals have gone up in price. I have a friend who runs a foundry and his costs for base metals have skyrocketed..Brass, Bronze, iron what have you.
It must be up, as evidenced by all these junky looking trucks carrying scrap to the yards. It's like WWII..
...... and I rest my case
http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/lead/all/
This was one of the primary reasons that Hunter (and others) had switched back to case iron keels.
http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/lead/all/
This was one of the primary reasons that Hunter (and others) had switched back to case iron keels.
well, buying batteries from WM instead of an automotive distributor is probably your first problem, as evidenced by that Advance auto link that has the same battery for less than half of what you are claiming WM wants. Oreilly also has 4D batteries for about $165.
Adding the words marine or boat to anything makes the price skyrocket. The fact that lead prices have gone up exponentially lately doesn't help either.
Adding the words marine or boat to anything makes the price skyrocket. The fact that lead prices have gone up exponentially lately doesn't help either.
I picked up a JCI (re-branded) 120 AH S/D group 27 from Wal-Mart for $109. None of the other batteries I looked at seemed much more expensive than I remember from over the last five or ten years.
This is canadastan pricing btw, usually 10 to 30% higher than equivalent purchases in the US.
This is canadastan pricing btw, usually 10 to 30% higher than equivalent purchases in the US.
With a little research you'll find that most batteries are made by one of 3 major companies. Oreilly and several of the other parts chains, as well as wal-mart use relabeled Johnson Control batteries, a lot of the others use exide. With a little shopping around it's entirely possible to get the EXACT same battery for less money with a different tag on it.
The West Marine batteries are made by Deka/East Penn. They are OFFENSIVELY priced.
For example here is the Deka Group 31 AGM battery from Sam's Club and labeled as a Duracell.
The IDENTICAL battery at West Marine, with only a difference in the sticker, is $309.99!!!!
The Sam's Club Group 29/31 Deka Deep Cycle flooded battery is $84.67
The EXACT SAME BATTERY, with a different sticker, at West Marine is $249.99
For example here is the Deka Group 31 AGM battery from Sam's Club and labeled as a Duracell.
The IDENTICAL battery at West Marine, with only a difference in the sticker, is $309.99!!!!
The Sam's Club Group 29/31 Deka Deep Cycle flooded battery is $84.67
The EXACT SAME BATTERY, with a different sticker, at West Marine is $249.99
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