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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Mail order battery supplier

Chaps

After much sweating over weekend replacing all wheel studs, finding one rear drum with oil within - and thus replacing brake cylinder just in case, then finding an exhaust clamp was missing....the joy....I finally found the battery had died and thus failed to reward my efforts with a good blast in the sunshine.

Therefore, does anyone have experience of a a decent mail order battery supplier who may be cheaper (including P&P) than my local Halfrauds, and what is the specification of the battery? Currently I have a Halfords HBO 36 fitted. Pretty certain it is less then 3 years old, which does not seem particularly satisfactory.
Oggers

Correction ...038 fitted.....
Oggers

If you haven't bought a battery lately, be prepared for sticker shock! They seem to have gotten very expensive. Looks like that HB 038 only has a 3 yr. guarantee. I can't tell the size since its in those silly millimeters, but when I replaced my battery, I got one designed for the Miata boot. Its an AGM type and it is smaller and lighter than the old lead acid one I replaced. Made it much easier getting it behind the heater. Also, since the AGMs don't outgas, you won't get that white crusty build up on your battery hold down.
Jack Orkin

My concern is its ...mail order

if it goes bad in the 1st year who pays ship and hand to return it and get a replacement and how long will it take to ship process and retrun it ... over night or 2 weeks

if i was to do mail order id go all in and just learn to rebuild the battry and take out all the middle men

i dont think id be a fan of mail order just to many options for murphys law to kick in

prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Hi Oggers,
My Halfords battery failed 2 weeks after the end of its guarantee period so I was in need of a replacement. I bought from
http://www.batterymegastore.co.uk/
Choice of brands, free delivery and at around £30 it was slightly less than 1/2 of what Halfords were quoting at the time for a shorter guarantee period. Since then I have bought several from them and they have all been good and well priced.

But for a quick start when an otherwise OK battery has just gone flat I also have a Floureon U8 jump start battery. The size of a slim paperback (1/2 thickness of 50 Shades of Grey!) it holds enough charge for a dozen or more restarts before it needs recharging. Just handy to keep in the parcel shelf!
Guyw

Re. mail order car batteries. My advice: before buying mail order, be mindful of how you will deal with a 'guarantee claim' should the need arise further down the line. Before buying, confirm with the seller whether they will want the failed battery returned - if so, it will obviously incur your inconvenience and considerable shipping costs.

All other things being equal (which they never are!) when buying a car battery it is probably best to buy from an established retailer that you can visit. Having said that, one must question whether the retailer will still exist when the time comes to make a guarantee claim.

I speak from experience. Eighteen months ago Unipart went into receivership, rendering the guarantee on their car batteries worthless. And less established motor factors and retailers are always going bust.

My final word when buying a car battery: at the time of purchase don't take any guarantee too seriously (for the reasons given above). But, should the battery fail within the warranty period, just think yourself fortunate if you do manage to get it replaced.
Andy Hock

>>> Pretty certain it is less then 3 years old


As it has a 3 year warranty isn't it worth taking it back? You may not even need a receipt if it has a date code on it. You never know you may get a decent replacement.


Jim
J Smith

I think the way guarantees work on a lot of things these days has little to do with the quality of the product, and more to do with getting the buyer to pay for what is effectively a mis-sold insurance for the benefit of the seller. I am pretty sure that a large chunk of the cost of a £60 battery is no more than insurance against a claim by the purchaser.

The £30 battery I got from BatteryMegastores also has a 3 year guarantee, but I guess their business model is that few would bother to claim on a cheaper-end battery. If the battery lasts more than a couple of years, at £30 I would probably just cut my losses and buy a new one. As Andy says, P&P return costs on a heavy battery could soak up a good deal of any refunds due!

A killer for car batteries is low level or infrequent use. If its not in a daily driver car it is more likely to fail. So either buy cheap and accept a more frequent replacement, or buy expensive and nurse the battery with automated trickle chargers, adding yet more to the cost!
Guyw

I tend to go for better quality batteries and nurse them. I have had the same battery for 5 years now and its as good as gold.
Bob Beaumont

I agree that the warranty aspect is a valid consideration, but after a deal of consideration I obtained a new DA45L Duracell Advanced Car Battery 12V 45Ah (049 - DA 45L) for £53 delivered from Tayna Batteries for my 1973 midget in January, my previous battery that I had bought locally 5 years previously for about the same price having reached the end of its useful life.

This 049 size fits perfectly in place of the old 038 and has a much improved specified performance - but time will tell.

Service and delivery were excellent <www.tayna.co.uk>
Peter Blockley

you could try eurocarpart they usually have a local depot if you have any problems, also i have found if you register and put something in your basket and don't check out they send offers for you to complete your order.
mark 1500 on the road Preston Lancs

Or this from the Prince of Darkness:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LUCAS-038-Car-Battery-MINI-1960-on-VAUXHALL-RASCAL-VAN-/191816888185?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Bill
W Bretherton

I would always advocate using a local independent supplier. Here in Troon we have a guy who fits tyres, exhausts and batteries from his own premises. Over the years I have used him for all our cars and he treats me as a valued customer. He can't be beaten on price for tyres or batteries; not even the internet is cheaper, and it's so much nicer to talk to someone who knows what he is selling and who will offer good aftersales service. For example, when the exhaust silencer on my wife's car developed a rattle because some internal baffle had broken adrift, he replaced it free of charge even though it was out of warranty.

He doesn't have everything in stock, but will get anything for the next day. When I needed a battery for a Midget I told him what rating I wanted, the layout of the terminals, and the physical dimensions and he went through his catalogues with me to get something suitable. Go local. You know it makes sense. The big chain suppliers don't give a monkeys whether you use them or not. The local guy depends on your custom, so in turn you can depend on him.
Mike Howlett

Despite advocating BatteryMeggastore online, I do like the philosophy behind your advice Mike. I really should bear that in mind. The problem of course is locating your local, dependable, independant supplier in the first place.
Guyw

Tayna Batteries. Good prices, good service, good batteries with decent guarantees. They're a small independent based in North Wales and they are very helpful.
J Tickle

If you dont need 100% reliability and willing to risk a few dollars qnd time...go to youtube and plug in (how to rebuild a car battry) i think its worth a try...read the comments sect. 1st as there are some gems of info

if this is a daily driver then id just replace it and be done with it

prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

If you want one today 02/08/16 try carparts4less and use PAYDAY20
voucher code 20% off and free dilevery.
mark 1500 on the road Preston Lancs

Chaps

Thanks for you suggestions, but both Megastore and Tayna wanted exorbitant postage prices - basically because Aberdeenshire is viewed as being somewhat North of Mars - despite the fact that the distances involved are not the greatest from the supplier. Ebay is possible, but I fear Mr Halfrauds or Mr ATS seem to be the supplier of Hobson's choice.
Oggers

Try Eurocarparts (used to be Partco)
http://www.eurocarparts.com/car-batteries
They have a branch in Aberdeen. Should be a lot less than Halfords
Guyw

This thread was discussed between 31/07/2016 and 03/08/2016

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