Magna Power Batteries Suck? Let’s Review the Evidence

Reviewing The Evidence...

I was doing some research the other day and came across a bold proclamation on PWCtoday.com, a personal water craft forum, which read: Magna Power Batteries Suck! It caught my attention and compelled me to dive into the post and review the evidence.

Having a well-defined understanding of power sport battery technologies and brands I was committed to find and share the truth. I was also quite certain there was more to this story that was certainly lost in the attention grabbing headline! And to that, it did not disappoint. Within the first few threads the user admitted to negligent care of the battery, the source of purchase, average life expectancy, age of his battery and the specific application (which most of you probably already guessed to be Jet Ski or Sea Doo since it was on a PWC forum). Some well-meaning forum members countered and challenged his announcement and offered some battery charging tips for the ETX part numbered battery. Some of the responses were a little off technically speaking, but the spirit of what they were saying was correct. Magna Power Batteries DO NOT Suck!

Magna Power vs. DEKA Power Sport Batteries

It is well known and documented that East Penn Manufacturing (EPM) of Lyons, PA is the OEM for Harley Davidson motorcycles. What may not be quite as well known is that DEKA and Magna Power are also brands made by EPM. In fact, the DEKA and Magna Power batteries are exactly the same in every regard except for the front sticker and distribution channels. The Harley batteries are also technologically the same but differ aesthetically employing black outer cases vs gray for the others.

Why does this matter?

The American Made DEKA battery has an excellent track record for quality and power. This is affirmed by independent tests, bloggers and forums posts and the staying power of Harley and BMW using them as their Original Equipment battery provider.

So if this is true for DEKA, then it must also hold true for Magna Power and a host of other private label brands using the same basic battery. Again the only material difference or insignificance is the sticker. They are made in the exact same factory. Come off the exact same line. Share the exact same specs—confirmed by the top mount sticker. Use the exact same UPC codes and leave on the exact same trucks! The warranty information on the battery labels all refers you to the same East Penn website.

Honestly, look at the East Penn ETX15 battery pictured here. Can you tell me which brand it is? If it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and looks like a duck…

Why Buy One Over the Other?

Each label provides the brand holder the rights to change immaterial aspects surrounding the value proposition of the brand, such as length of warranty and where or who can sell the product. They have the right to set their own pricing strategies and return metrics. They can market the heck out of the brand or rely on traditional distribution and word of mouth.

As a consumer you should demand the best value. One label may only offer a 3 month warranty (i.e. those from the automotive box stores) while another offers a one year warranty (like those sold by Impact Battery). Battery centric stores, such as Impact Battery, will also likely have fresher product and will maintain and test their stock on hand. Big box stores will probably have older product and be less prone to maintaining their batteries.

“But I can get it for $$$ from ___________!” Saving a buck or two now sometimes is worth the risk reward and can satisfy that instant gratification that yearns inside us. In other cases having a knowledgeable partner in your back pocket is worth its weight in gold. If they took care of the battery prior to the sale, provided technical prowess during the sale, they will more than likely be there for you after the sale! Maybe those other guys just like seeing you come through the front door every 3-9 months. Don’t take this the wrong way, but we don’t! When you come back in a few years, we know we did our job of selecting the best battery brands and took care of you for the long haul!

Bonus Section

To keep the smart-allicks and lawyers at bay I should ask and answer the following two questions:

Can you say a DEKA battery IS an Extreme Magna Power battery?
NO, because the label is different. That is where lawyers, branding and marketing come in to play.

Can we point out the commonalities and let the astute shopper connect the dots?
Absolutely! And we just did. We can bring the horse to water; the rest is up to you.