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best battery

hobie237

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Newark, DE
I use fleet batteries, which come from http://www.tristatebattery.com/. They're local to me, and I'm in there with disturbing frequency to get isolated ground alternators rebuilt, etc. They're $100-$120 each, I think.

Edit, I believe they have 1000 and 1200 CCA sizes that work with the CUCV well.
 
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uoa

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Location
OSU, OK
I just bought 2 walmart marine batts... These were the biggest ones they had, 975cca at 0. They are for my deuce, we will see how long they last. only $76 each
 

muddog

Member
343
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16
Location
Spartanburg SC.
I have two Walmart batteries 850cca in each of three of my MV's (M35, 109, 1031) haven't had any problems yet. Wasn't what I wanted to buy but was all I could afford at the time, seem they all went bad at the same time and was all I could afford at the time. They are about a year old now.
 

HeadWizard

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Chantilly, VA
There is lots of talk about batteries and what is best, and how many cranking amps, etc, etc, etc....

While the CUCV's came with 6TL's, what is really NECESSARY for these vehicles to start reliably for a good amount of time?

I would argue that using a battery reference to the civilian Blazer 6.2' would provide a good guide. Yes, I know that the civilian version is 12v and the CUCV is 24v...but that fact is effectively irrelevant when you consider Ohms Law. Power=Amps times Volts. How much POWER does it take to turn over a 6.2? Should be the same for either a civilian or military version.

The battery manufacturer guides show that TWO 550 CCA 12V batteries wired in parallel (12v) is what is required for a 12 volt 6.2 powered 1986 Blazer. That would mean that TWO 550 CCA 12V batteries wired in series (24v) should be sufficient for a 24 volt 6.2 powered CUCV. Same total POWER provided by each setup.

My 1994 6.5 diesel powered pickup has operated just fine with TWO Group 75 batteries for its 200k mile life. Any CUCV should operate just fine with TWO 12v batteries that supply at least 550 CCA.

My 2cents.

Find cheap batteries with a good, long warranty.

If anyone wants to argue, go find Ohm and argue with his law :-D
 

wsucougarx

Well-known member
6,951
67
48
Location
Washington State
Optima Redtops!!!! Been getting reports from other MV owner that theirs have been lasting 12-15 years. You do spend a bit more money up front but they two to three times longer and don't leak acid
 

hobie237

New member
486
5
0
Location
Newark, DE
There is lots of talk about batteries and what is best, and how many cranking amps, etc, etc, etc....

While the CUCV's came with 6TL's, what is really NECESSARY for these vehicles to start reliably for a good amount of time?

I would argue that using a battery reference to the civilian Blazer 6.2' would provide a good guide. Yes, I know that the civilian version is 12v and the CUCV is 24v...but that fact is effectively irrelevant when you consider Ohms Law. Power=Amps times Volts. How much POWER does it take to turn over a 6.2? Should be the same for either a civilian or military version.

The battery manufacturer guides show that TWO 550 CCA 12V batteries wired in parallel (12v) is what is required for a 12 volt 6.2 powered 1986 Blazer. That would mean that TWO 550 CCA 12V batteries wired in series (24v) should be sufficient for a 24 volt 6.2 powered CUCV. Same total POWER provided by each setup.

My 1994 6.5 diesel powered pickup has operated just fine with TWO Group 75 batteries for its 200k mile life. Any CUCV should operate just fine with TWO 12v batteries that supply at least 550 CCA.

My 2cents.

Find cheap batteries with a good, long warranty.

If anyone wants to argue, go find Ohm and argue with his law :-D

While I don't dispute what you're saying, I tend to go overboard battery-wise, so that I have the extra power available for inverters, work lights, etc.
 

doghead

4 Star General /Moderator
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Don't forget that other factors are important also. A battery will not perform at its rated output over time(2-5 years later), they degrade. Also, cold weather climates, more cca is always a plus. For example, a 550 cca battery in 2 years at -10, will probably not start a deuce, even though it did when it was newly installed. But an oversized battery would have plenty of cca to start it in the same conditions(age and weather). Also, in cold weather, your engine definatly requires much power(therefore amp load on the starter) in the cold. Oil gets thick fast.
 
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mbarber84

New member
137
1
0
Location
Pittsburgh / Pennsylvania
I bought 2 brand new Werker Ordinance Pro batteries from Batteries Plus in Bethel Park, PA to use for my new deuce.....installed them yesterday during the recovery operation and I am quite pleased with the initial performance. I believe they are 850 on the cranking....

I am curious to see how they last in the long run, I paid approx $350 for the pair after a 10% commercial account discount. I had the clerk ring up the Hawker Armasafes :drool: just to see a comparison, they are in the area of 1225 cranking, and $532 per battery......way too much for a first-timer MV purchase. (Maybe if i hit the lotto..........)
 

HeadWizard

New member
729
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Location
Chantilly, VA
I don't see how that is relevant since both trucks started with 6TLs.
It might be relevant since we don't know what the vehicle manufacturer called for in CCA's for the Deuce? GM specified at least 550 CCA's for the Blazer, so that is what I based my comparison on.

The fact that the Guberment put 6TL's in the CUCV's might or might not have to do with what the vehicles really needed. It probably had to do with the fact that the 6TL's are almost universal to what the Military specified/put in almost everything for a while.

Again, my 2cents
 

CUCVFAN

Gunner's Mate First Class
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Jarrettsville, MD
I thought GM put Group 31's in the CUCV's from the factory, but I won't swear to it? The battery trays are designed for either the 31's or 6TL's. You can also get the Optima's and 6TL tray adapters.

Tractor Supply sells a stout Group 31 for about $85 each. I've had good luck with them, but they are listed as commercial/equipment batteries, so the warranty is very limited. It's only like a year or two. Of course, the 6TL's I looked into were about the same.
 

CUCVFAN

Gunner's Mate First Class
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Jarrettsville, MD
I will also add that the Group 31's have the posts in the center of the width of the battery, whereas most civilian batteries (78's, etc) are offset to one of the long edges. This feature of the 31's makes it less likely for the connections to short on the hold-downs (they line up with the scalloped sections of the hold-downs) if you're not careful.
 

Michael

Active member
1,348
24
38
Location
Fulton, MS
I thought GM put Group 31's in the CUCV's from the factory, but I won't swear to it? The battery trays are designed for either the 31's or 6TL's. You can also get the Optima's and 6TL tray adapters..

I agree. I thought they had AC/Delco group 31 from the factory.

I have bought several from GL with off brand group 31 batteries in them as well as several with 6TLs. Never got one that would take a charge.
 
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