DIY Electric Car Forums banner

Costco 6V GC Batteries (Johnson Control): Opinions??

45K views 18 replies 12 participants last post by  Zemmo 
#1 ·
Anyone had good or bad experiences with these? They have very similar specs to Trojans but are about $60 cheaper a piece. Since this is my first pack and I have heard I am expected to destroy it in as little as 18 months :), I thought that it would be better to go with the Costco brand first. Thoughts??

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
are they flooded deep cycles?
 
#5 · (Edited)
Okay, ended up having to call Costco for the full specs... here is what they gave me:
6V
220ah@20hr
63lbs
100min@75amps
425min@25amps

These are manufactured by Johnson Control-- the model is 2-gc5 CCA
They are $75.99 a piece.
Those specs are respectable. There are better numbers out there, but for the money, pretty darn good. Do you know if they have 8 volt GC batteries also?

Gary
 
G
#11 ·
I have 12 of the GC2's in my Ghia. So far so good. Not many miles so I can't give results. I say if you find out how to properly care for them and really make an effort to care for them properly they should last as long as any other. They are designed for the golf cart so they need to handle some rough play. Specs are good and yes they make these in 8 volt.

Pete : )

http://inertext.homeunix.com/woodruffgroveorganics/Site/Photos.html
 
#13 ·
I just purchased 6 new golf cart batteries at the Gilroy, CA Costco made by Johnson Controls for only $70 and so far, so good. The batteries have a white body with a red top and individual cell caps with almost identical specs as a Trojan T-105 but at half the cost. I was sitting on the fence trying to decide what is the better battery to buy but after reading several positive comments on Johnson Controls...I decided to take the plunge since the Trojans I really wanted were $131.99 each. I know they may not live as long but should last long enough with proper maintenance. I emailed Johnson Controls for the specs and here is what they provided:

6Volt

GC2 Enertec product Blk/Blk: SAM'S CLUB/Costco
Amp-Hour at the 20 hour rate: 225Ah
Minutes at 75 amps: 110 minutes
Minutes at 25 amps: 447 minutes

I'll post a photo later to help identify - there seems to be different brands and colors out there and is not listed on the Costco web site and I see questions regarding Costco batteries on this and other boards.

Great site...glad to be a new member!
 
#15 ·
The only bummer on those, which pushed me away - was 6 mo warranty, while marine dual purpose with similar specs were 18 month free replacement plus some prorated. Since it is my first build - i decided to go with smaller pack of 12v MAXX29, but very interested to hear if 6V ones from Costco work good.
 
G
#16 ·
I am currently running 16 Energizer GC2 6 volt floodies from Sams Club. I have had no failures and all batteries are up to proper charging and no low cells. So far so good. Been using them now for over a year. Not tons of miles but I do run my car a few times per week. Some times more than once per day.

I am pleased with them.

Pete :)
 
#18 ·
I've run both the Trojan T-125 (top of the line) 240 AH batteries, and the GC-2 220 AH Costco Johnson Controls batteries. While the specs are similar, the performance in an EV is different. A string of 144V Trojans can produce 1000A, at a modest voltage sag. This is nice for an EV, to have the extra power. I could get about 40 miles on a charge.

144V of GC-2 220 AH produce only about half the current (500A) at the same voltage sag. I'm getting only about 20-30 miles range.

So, I'd say there is a difference in performance. The GC-2 are about 1/3 the price of a Trojan T-125.
 
#19 ·
I had Trojan T-125's in my car and just this year replaced them with these CG-2's from Sams(210 Ah). Mine are made by Interstate Battery, their logo is on the label, although small, it is there. I haven't noticed any power difference between the Trojan and these batteries thus far. I also have the same mileage with these batteries. I've just passed 1,000 miles so far. So they are still pretty new and only time will tell but I've not had any issues thus far. I use my car as a daily driver. As for the warranty it is 6 months, but I checked with my Trojan seller and they told me that Trojans also only have a 6 month warranty. So you might check with your seller of Trojans to verify the warranty time. I only paid $66 a piece (times 20 for 120 volt pack) for these, and that is under 1/2 of what I could buy the Trojans for (at the time they were $140). The way I see it, if they last 1/2 as long as Trojans, I am breaking even, if they last longer than 1/2 the time, then I am ahead. I am figuring this will be the last lead pack I buy for the car, hope in a few years new battery technology will be that much cheaper.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top