Terry
LIFE MEMBER
The secret is, pay as much as you can afford for standard lead/acid from a decent manufacturer, the more you pay the heavier the battery.
The heavier the battery the more lead there is in it, the more lead there is the longer the battery will last.
Do not drop the batteries below 50% state of charge (12.2v).
As long as you have a proper 3 stage(maybe 4 stage) battery charger you will be able to keep your batteries for a long time.
While agreeing with you to a point I would say get a good one as cheap as possible.Keep an eye on the electrolyte level every 3 mths or so :thumb: never allowing it to fall below the plate tops Mine is kept on charge 24/7 except when away, along with the starter battery and I look at anything above 4 or 5 yrs as a bonus :thumb:
Terry