What’s the Best Battery for F150?

Buying a new battery for your Ford F-150 will probably change your life with your truck in two ways: one, you’ll know that all the electronics are working perfectly, and two, cold starts won’t be a problem anymore. But like every other component we’ve talked about, there are a lot of options on the market, and choosing the right one for your truck is key to trouble-free ownership. In this feature by Mechanic Guides, we’ll look at the popular choices for the best battery for F-150.

Keep in mind to check with the seller if the particular battery you choose will fit your vehicle. The BCI Group number is a good way to find out. We’ve mentioned that right before every battery’s description.

The 5 Best Batteries for F150:

1. ACDelco Gold AGM Battery – Group: 94R – the best battery for Ford F150
2. ACDelco 65AGMHR Battery
3. Optima RedTop 34/78 Battery
4. Odyssey Automotive and LTV Battery
5. ODYSSEY 75-PC1230 Automotive Light Truck Battery

Our Recommendations

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Gold Standard: ACDelco Gold AGM Battery – Group: 94R – the best battery for Ford F150

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The ACDelco battery for F-150 stands out with the maintenance-free absorbed-glass-mat technology that ensures there’s no spillage or leaks from the battery. Since it’s rated maintenance-free, you don’t need to add water to it, either.

It’s made to fit 2015 – 2019 Ford F-150 trucks across various models (diesel, EcoBoost, and the full-fat V8 gas ones), but to be sure, check with the seller about compatibility. Other features of the ACDelco battery are a leak-proof pressurized valve system that prevents dry-out and terminals from getting damaged by acid. The battery also offers a good amount of vibration resistance whereas it also comes with a long life and what ACDelco calls a dependable ‘high cycling’ service.

36-month warranty

These Gold batteries (it’s just marketing; no traces of the precious metal here) are good with start-stop vehicle applications. Backed by a 36-month free-replacement limited warranty, the ACDelco battery is likely to further the trouble-free ownership of your truck. The robust envelope separator ensures the acid recirculation isn’t an issue — and hence the battery remains cool. The battery has a CCA rating of 800 A and a reserve capacity of 140 minutes.

What do we think of it?

Users have maintained that the ACDelco Gold AGM 36 Month battery is satisfactory overall. But a handful of users have complained about the battery being dead prematurely. To ensure that it doesn’t happen to you, check with the seller about the manufacturing date of the battery, the warranty offered (ACDelco offers 36 months), and as mentioned above, compatibility.

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For Older F-150s: ACDelco 65AGMHR Battery – Group: 65

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If your Ford F-150 truck takes in a 65 group battery, the ACDelco 65AGMHR is a good replacement that you can consider. It’s made for the older Ford F-150 trucks (with the model years 2003 – 2014) and offers a reserve capacity better than its sibling mentioned above but has a lower CCA in comparison.

AGM technology ensures leak-free operation

With AGM technology the battery is maintenance-free, requiring no water or maintenance. AGM is an absorbed glass mat, which encloses the electrolyte of the battery flowing in a glass mat. This means there are no leaks or spillage. It’s a 12-volt battery, like others in the segment, and features cold-cranking power (CCA) of 775 A.

ACDelco’s line of automotive batteries was also available as ACDelco Professional before being rebranded ACDelco Gold. All of these come with a 36-month limited warranty that covers manufacturing defects but the manufacturer warranty doesn’t cover batteries failed due to negligence, charging system failure, freezing, incorrect installation, etc.

What do we think of it?

If you have an older Ford F-150 truck (model years mentioned above), the ACDelco battery looks like a good replacement choice. Users have largely been happy with the product both for the initial performance as well as cold-starts. That’s reassuring, and the fact that there’s a reduced chance of leaks and spillage, the ACDelco battery certainly makes a lot of sense.

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Optima Performance: Optima RedTop 34/78 Battery – Group: 34/78

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Optima Batteries offers a variety of products, but it’s the RedTop that focuses on everyday automobile use. But it’s not just an everyday product because Optima promises that it can withstand hard launches and extreme corners, without sacrificing on the ignition power or vibration resistance.

The 12-volt battery offers 800 cold-cranking amps and has a respectable reserve capacity of 100 minutes. It’s also claimed to be 15 times more resistant to vibrations and is flexible when it comes to mounting positions. It’s compatible with the model years 1984 – 2014, and we’d suggest you check with the seller if it’s going to work with your truck.

Spiral cell

The battery is made of spiral cells fitted with two lead plates (positive and negative). The battery offers better starting power, denser in energy than conventional rivals, includes a glass mat separator for spill-free performance, etc. Optima offers a 36-month warranty to non-commercial use vehicles.

What do we think of it?

With a promised 15x better ability to stand vibration, leak- and maintenance-free performance, and even respectable (but not the best) CCA and RC figures, the Optima Batteries product looks good. Keep in mind that if your truck needs more battery power (newer trucks), it makes more sense to get the Optima YellowTop.

Users have appreciated the long life of Optima products but a fair bit of users have also complained about the batteries dying prematurely. And that’s not all, there’s a mixed response on the warranty claims as well. So before you go ahead with the purchase, check about the compatibility and warranty claims (whether Optima will deal with the warranty or the seller, in case something goes wrong).

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A Smooth Odyssey: Odyssey Automotive and LTV Battery – Group: 65

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Made for the Ford F-150 trucks that accept the Group 65 batteries, the Odyssey battery for F-150 is a heavy-duty example with some solid claims. The manufacturer mentions that it’s the fastest-charging sealed lead battery with a capacity charge fully in 4 – 6 hours. It’s also backed by an impressive limited 3 and 4-year warranty. And not just that, it also has vibration resistance and a spill-free design.

Long battery life

It comes with a cold crank amp rating of 950, a reserve capacity of 145 minutes, and a wide range of operating temperatures: -40 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius. Odyssey also claims the battery to exhibit a longer life (3 – 10 years; 70 percent longer life than rivals) and high stable voltage over longer periods.

What do we think of it?

Odyssey makes some great claims about its battery, and the users have also reaffirmed that with positive reviews coming for both long life as well as cranking power. But since it offers more pure-lead plates, the battery is heavier and more expensive. Check with the seller regarding the compatibility, warranty, exchange options in case of bad batteries, and the manufacturing date on the batteries.

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For Newer F-150s: Optima Dual-Purpose Yellow Top Battery – Group: 34

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For trucks that need more power from the battery (you might have more electronics), the Yellow Top batteries from Optima will do the job. It can be used with Ford F-150 trucks that accept Group 34 batteries, but you should still confirm with the seller before making the purchase.

It’s a spiral cell battery, which means it’s smaller than standard batteries and offers good performance. The 12-volt battery has a cold cranking amp rating of 750 A, a reserve capacity of 120 minutes, and is said to be made for cold-weather starts.

15-times more resistant to vibrations

Like other Optima Batteries products, this one is also claimed to offer 15 times more resistance to vibration. It has a very low self-discharge rate, which should be positive for those not using their trucks daily. With deep-cycle and good cranking power, the Yellow Top battery is also claimed to offer faster recharge times and 300+ charge/discharge cycles.

What do we think of it?

Before going further, confirm with the seller the compatibility, the warranty (because as is the case with the RedTop, warranty issues have been reported), and any other relevant detail that the original listing doesn’t offer.

For what it offers, the Optima YellowTop looks great for newer trucks. Users have mentioned its long life and leak-free performance. But on the other side, apart from the confusion in who handles warranty (Optima or the seller), some users have complained about its poor life.

What is the best battery for Ford F150?

A good battery is bound to offer trouble-free ownership, but by choosing one that’s better than the competition will give you a strong advantage in the way your truck handles difficult situations. Got a heavy audio setup, live in cold climate, or aren’t able to use your truck regularly and want it to perform well? A battery can make a world of difference in such cases.

Among the ones we’ve mentioned here, the ACDelco AGM batteries (Group 94R and Group 65) march ahead of the competition with the use of the absorbed-glass-mat technique for a leak-free and zero-maintenance use. The Optima RedTop Batteries (Group 34/78 and Group 25) also benefits from its construction (spiral cells) and offers a smaller form factor. The YellowTop takes it a level ahead with becomes the easy choice for more power-intensive applications. And don’t count out the Odyssey — it offers great performance, a long warranty, and superb charging times.