Buying Used Battery

R

robert shreveport

Senior Member
When going to a Salvage Yard what do you carry with you to verify a hot battery? Where do you buy this tester and how much. Give a description of tester please.
 

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A battery viability can only be determined after it has been subjected to full charging. Only then can a proper hydrometer and load test be performed. Both are required for full battery servicing. A hydrometer, about $10, and a load tester, $20 at harbor freight.
 
I needed a battery recently and didn't want to buy one, so I asked members of my local chapter if they had one they weren't using and wanted to get rid of. I ended up getting a 2 y.o. battery and I had a couple of other offers. FWIW
 
The local city recycling has a tub full of batteries, and I could see some I'd like to take home, but they wouldn't sell them. Said it was against their policy. Typical of government telling us to not waste and recycle, but then won't let us use good parts.

I've had good luck buying almost new batteries from craigslist. When I worked at the junkyard we had some very good batteries and sold them for only $10 to $15. Look for the newest date code. We always had the best luck with Diehard batteries, but there are other good brands also. We had some 6 volt batteries once in a while also. Follow what Russ said to know if you have a good battery. Asking the local club about a battery is a good idea as mhsprecher said.
 
In the distant past, I always had the best luck with 6 volt Delco batteries . They could sit up for long periods, go completely dead and could be recharged and work again .
 
They are scarce as hen's teeth ! I have several antique cars and I change the 6 volt every 4 years. I usually gave the recycler the old ones for two dollars. Now I put them on Craigslist for $25 and I could sell a dozen the first day. I figure there is a four year guarantee for a reason. When on sale TSC has them for $ 68 dollars and with 25 for the old one I think I have a great deal.
Wayne .
 
raprice22 said:
Why would you even want to buy a used battery? Seems to me that the bulk of its life has been used up.
Rog
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Ironically we see a lot of used batteries come thru the shop that would be perfect for someone to use. Probably 75% of the cars that come thru my shop for a full frame-up have a battery that is less than 1 year old. Put a 3-4 month waiting period plus another 12-18 months and their battery generally goes bad sitting on the shelf. Most want a brand new battery installed anyway.
 
We had cars come in the yard with batteries less than a month old. I bought two 12 volt batteries off craigslist for $25 each and they were one month and 4 months old.
 
Batteries are a real pain to remove and replace. You know , the floor boards and mats, plus its sorta close . Unless I got the battery real cheap and planned on using it in a strip down, I would just go ahead and buy a new battery.
 
junkyards around here generally pull the good batteries and try to resell them - if they dont work or wont take a charge you can bring it back and try another. MOST yards arent out to completely screw you over. (i said most because some are)
 
Ha Ha, how do you know how old a battery is ?

By the date code?

I recently bought a 'new' battery at a swap meet date coded fresh.

Upon closer examination after getting home , it was overstamped .

Lucky , the seller was an old mate and he got stuck right up the guy who supplys him.

Now when i get new batteries, they are NEW.
 
You can try Interstate Battery, ask if they have an "econo" battery in the size you want ---last one I got lasted 5 years

I havn't bought a new battery for a car in 16 years, I pick used ones off the "core" pile, I got 10 more years out of one, most I get 4-7 years, a lot of people replace batterys before they need to----or replace them instead of fixing the real problem.

I couldn't find any free 6V batterys when my 16 year old optima died -so I cut a 12V battery in 1/2, not a real good fit but it is secure
 

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Kurt in NJ said:
You can try Interstate Battery, ask if they have an "econo" battery in the size you want ---last one I got lasted 5 years

I havn't bought a new battery for a car in 16 years, I pick used ones off the "core" pile, I got 10 more years out of one, most I get 4-7 years, a lot of people replace batterys before they need to----or replace them instead of fixing the real problem.

I couldn't find any free 6V batterys when my 16 year old optima died -so I cut a 12V battery in 1/2, not a real good fit but it is secure
Click to expand...

I am amazed !
Wayne
 
Not to hijack the thread but I just got my 7th FREE battery from J.C. Penny. I bought my '70 VW van new and still have it. In 1974 I bought the Lifetime guaranty battery from J.C.P. and they still honor it!! Only now I have to go Firestone to get the battery as J.C.P quit selling auto parts years ago and set up the guaranty with them. Wish I had bought one for the Model A.
 
I was thinking of a battery for my other car, a 12 volt system, when I asked this question and should have clarrified that when posting. I was concerned how to check one out at the salvage yard. Russ/40 suggested that a good test should be performed on a fully charged battery. Would a salvage yard let you remove the battery and charge it there so you could do this? How would I keep this battery from getting bought? I guess they would let me put it inside where the salvage salesman work. Would a 12 amp charge for 4 hrs. be sufficient? Perhaps a shorter time? Am considering selling my other car and know the battery in it now will not hold a charge.
I have never seen a 6 volt battery in my area at a salvage yard. Thanks for all the replys.
 
I second the advice to contact your local Interstate battery franchisor.

Many of the battery returns they get are not defective and are as a good as new after a recharging. Often they will sell them very reasonably. When I was still in the car business, these were the batteries I would buy for my own vehicles.

And there's a pretty good chance they will have 6v batteries, too.
 
Lot's of good ideas here. I will relate a story about a friend of mine. He had an old 6 volt Volvo. He was on an old farm with some old cars on it scavenging parts. There was a battery in the field. He took it home, charged it and ran it for about 4 years. As everyone else has said, they are out there for free or little $.

I took an old 6 volt to the scrap yard yesterday, with a little copper, including an old Model A head gasket and got $7 for it all. Not much, but worth the trip and cleaned out my garage a little bit.
 
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