The American Dream has been something that many have migrated from their homelands to be a part of. This idea that when you put your aspirations into action, magic happens has been heralded by many. However, it is the founders of companies like Interstate who do get to know what it really means.
Starting out from selling batteries from the back of his truck, John Searcy founded a company whose sole purpose was to provide the best quality batteries to vehicle owners all across the continents of America, and that is what happened as they are present in over 20 countries across the globe.
That is a testament to the quality they provide, but back home, where can their products be found?
Does Walmart sell Interstate batteries? Most definitely. Walmart stocks a large variety of Instate batteries, from button cells up to the beefiest batteries you can install into your vehicle. Interstate are known for providing excellent quality batteries, and Walmart would be amiss by not stocking them.
Interstate Batteries are one of the oldest battery manufacturers and distributors in the United States. As such, they have been through it all and have gathered enough experience. This experience has helped them come up with a variety of batteries that cater to different manufacturers and vehicle modifiers.
Some of the battery lineups include:
1. MTZ Line of Car and Truck Batteries
These batteries are built using absorbed glass mat technologies. This is the crème de la crème of Interstate’s batteries. This is evidenced by the 48-month warranty period that the company offers. Some of the models in this lineup include:
• The MTZ-34 which is capable of squeezing out 800 cold cranking amps. The battery size is 34 and has a reserve capacity of 125 minutes.
• The MTZ 48/H6 which outputs 730 cold cranking amps and 130 minutes in reserve capacity. This battery is meant for vehicles utilizing the H6 battery size.
There are other models in this lineup. The type of battery you get will be determined by the type of posts it has. These could either be top posts or side mounted posts.
2. The MTX Line of Car and Truck Batteries
The batteries in this lineup are also built using absorbed glass matt technologies. These are offered with a 36-month warranty by the manufacturer. This lineup has some surprising heavyweights such as:
• MTX-95R/H9 which right off the bat was meant for RV owners and camping enthusiasts. This battery offers 190 minutes of reserve capacity, enough to watch two soccer matches and their half time breaks. It also gives out a whopping 950 amps to start your vehicle during a cold winter’s day. The battery size is H9.
• MTX-49/H8 is the next heavyweight in this lineup. Meant for vehicles using h8 size batteries, this model can give out 900 cold cranking amps and has a reserve capacity of 160 minutes.
• MTX-94R/H7 is next in the pecking order of power. This one is meant for vehicles using h7 size batteries and provides 850 amps to shock your vehicle’s engine into life. It also gives 140 minutes of reserve capacity.
3. The MTP Line of Car Batteries
This line is meant to be used as a replacement for original equipment manufacturer batteries. There are numerous batteries in this line up, attempting to list them all will turn this article into an Excel spreadsheet.
Depending on your needs, whether you’re looking for a simple swap, upgrade to a slightly beefier battery or even modifying your car to fit a bigger battery, this lineup has got you covered. These batteries are meant for vehicles operating in cold to moderate climates.
4. M line of Car and Truck Batteries
Not everyone has got a liquid account where they can splurge on the most expensive battery. Some are trying to minimize the financial liabilities they are facing, and save a few bucks here and there. Interstate came up with this line to cater for people looking for bang for their buck.
This line also has various models too numerous to list, but the important thing is that they all come with an 18-month warranty. Most are geared towards car owners who use top post batteries for their vehicles.
Interstate have a suite of batteries for every need. There are two more categories that could have been listed here but the gist of the lineups has already been put forward.
Explanation of Terms
Whenever you go out to purchase a battery, the labeling and the salespeople will blast you with a lot of numbers and jargon that may throw you off balance. If you’re not careful enough, you may end up buying something that isn’t adequate for the needs of your car, or even one that exceeds the needs, but cannot fit in your vehicle.
As such, it would be best to understand what these numbers and language mean for you, the car owner.
• Reserve capacity is the amount of time your battery will power your electronics until it goes flat. This metric is measured by placing a voltmeter and reading the output while the battery is being operated at an ambient temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The battery should output power at a rate of 10.5 volts until it drops.
• Cold Cranking Amps is the rating used to determine how much power a battery will provide to start an engine during a cold day. This rating is conducted by drawing power from the battery for 30 seconds while temperatures are at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and maintaining a voltage of 7.2 volts. There is another metric, Cranking Amps, but it’s not as important as cold cranking amps.
• Absorbed Glass Mat also known as absorbent glass mat is a type of battery technology. Traditional batteries use acid in container to store and transfer power. With AGM batteries, the sulfuric acid in the battery is absorbed by a glass mat. This makes them spill proof, and can be used in a variety of applications and most importantly, makes them maintenance free.
Sources:
1. Interstate Batteries – Wikipedia
2. Car And Truck Batteries – Interstate Batteries
