battery costs rising [RE-wrenches]

[John Raynes]

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We've had multiple issues with Trojan.  We've had to deal with the 
pricing problems like everyone else, but we now have major distribution 
issues as well.  2-3 years ago, Trojan eliminated competition among 
dealers in the state of Utah, giving exclusive distribution rights to 
one dealer in Salt Lake.  Figures, they picked the worst of the two 
distributors, so pricing became an issue and they won't stock the L16 
varieties that we wrenches prefer.

OK, so we go over the border to CO (same travel distance) and get what 
we want, at good prices.  Then, this past year, the same lousy 
distributor managed to wrangle exclusive Trojan distribution in CO, so 
now we're totally screwed.  I've sold 4 T105 this year, everything else 
is going to other brands, mostly Deka.

Our Deka 8L16 and GC15 pricing has gone up, but we're doing noticeably 
better than the prices I'm seeing quoted in this thread.  Relative to 
the Trojans, we're now probably about %40 cheaper, (as best as we can 
tell what our Trojan price actually would be, if the Trojan distrib 
stocked what we wanted).  We've found with batteries you really have to 
jaw to get the best prices, not the way we like to do things, but...  
And at least with the Dekas we get to deal with the old Trojan 
distributor that we preferred.

Both the Deka and Trojan distribs out of Salt Lake will give us free 
delivery for orders of 8 L16 batteries or greater, we just have to work 
around their once every two week truck run.  Which we gladly do, since 
pick-ups are a 450 mile round trip for us.

I agree, Deka carrying handles aren't up to snuff at all.  And we're 
getting some squirrely terminal orientations, not like the spec sheet 
shows, meaning cabling isn't as clean.  But, that's where the market in 
the intermountain region has driven us.


John Raynes
RE Solar
Torrey, UT


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