Batteries are often crippled from the outset-that may be a bit of hyperbole, but it may be other causes than the battery maker responsible for problems with short lived or early failed batteries, especially with flooded cells. Look at the battery maker requirements for activation of a dry-charged battery as well as elements that an owner can do to adversely affect battery life significantly, and the failure rate and relatively short service life may be not so surprising, as I'll elaborate below. You may find things you didn't realize and how important they are.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/ownership/batteries-dying-young