Battery prices

[pessimist]

Have these suddenly gone through the roof, or am I just out of date.

Just been quoted 95GBP for a 110 a/h engine starting battery. Seems a bit OTT. Wasn't in the chandler's either.

 

[brianrunyard]

Last yearI paid £53 for a 115ah battery, I've just phoned to check and the current price is £74.87.

 

[savageseadog]

Lead Prices

$/Tonne

 

[[10753]]

You could try http://www.batteries4caravans.co.uk/ . I bought 2 batts in June. Guy mentioned then that lead may cause increases in prices.

 

[1611]

I got excellent service and prices from www.batteries4leisure.com .Have a good range of deepcycle as well as starter.

 

[Talbot]

[ QUOTE ]
Have these suddenly gone through the roof, or am I just out of date.

Just been quoted 95GBP for a 110 a/h engine starting battery. Seems a bit OTT. Wasn't in the chandler's either.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont want to be pedantic, but a 110 amp/hr rating is used for a deep cycle domestic battery. The correct specification for an engine start battery is CCA which stands for Cold Cranking Amps. The correct version will depend entirely on what engine you have, and how many amps the starter requires to turn the engine over when the temperature is cold.

There are some batteries that have the capabilty to do both tasks (especially those with carbon fibre reinforced plates such as Optima or Elecsol), and these are large numbers of notes, and normally specified with both CCA and amp/hr rating. For example the Elecsol 90/110 battery is also specified at 400 CCA, whereas the Elecsol 200 amp/hr battery is specified at 700 CCA.

 

[pessimist]

Errrrm. Ok I give in. I just need this one to start the engine, the house batteries are fine.

How do I begin to work out the CCA? The engine is a Perkins 4108, four cylinder diesel. I assume this to be low compression 'cos it comes in three flavours 38,48 and (I think 58 hp). Ors is the 38.

Heeeeeelp!

 

[Talbot]

If you have the engine manual, it will tell you there. However if 38 refers to the horsepower (not familiar with that engine) then one of the larger diesel engined car battery should be fine, and should be a lot cheaper than your quote. Personally I got my last two car batteries for a bigger engined car from Macro fo abt £55

 

[pessimist]

Thanks for that. I don't have the manual to hand but I guess I can start looking at the same kind of battery that our diesel powered Discovery uses.

Should be a lot cheaper.

Thanks again,

Colin

 

[tazzle]

38hp BMC here - I find a 500CCA / 85Ah fine for starting. I like the Squadron semi-sealed one as its got an additional set of 8mm posts - excellent prices and service from http://www.motorcaravanning.co.uk/shopuk/leisure_batteries.htm but if you buy a couple it makes the delivery charge much more reasonable.

No connection.

 

[2Tizwoz]

There was a BBC news story today concerning churches facing the problem of lead theft. Just Googled for it and produced over 200,000 hits with lots of un-Christian fury and anger.

For what its worth prices are predicted to fall next year as more production comes on stream.

A couple of 110amp batteries cost me £65 in August from an agricultural supplier. Farmers up here don't like paying over the top.

 

[samwise]

Might take a bit of time to feed through to the battery makers

 

[ccscott49]

Not right, even car starter batteries are also quoted in AH. CCA is another thing they are often marked with, but a 110AH starter battery is just that, a starter battery.

 

[pyrojames]

I just got one from these guys

Starts my striaght six ford quite happily.

 

[hollandd]

perkins 4108 was fitted in some vans (transit size) so may be of some help

 

[pessimist]

Thanks everybody. Now have information overload. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Talbot]

Just cause some battery salesmen dont understand either doesnt make it wrong!