Your opinion/experiences with an "optima" battery

[mrein3]

The first time I had to replace the batteries in my bass boat - three of them - I asked around about Optimas.
My most trusted source explained it to me this way:
"They last twice as long as lead-acid and cost twice as much. I use lead-acid."

I replaced them all with lead-acid and never looked back.

Batteries are a funny thing. I've seen lead-acids last 7+ years like in longhornman's case and I've seen them die in a year or less. Up here where it used to get cold before we were told there is man-made global warming, I simply plan on replacing my daily driver's battery after 4 cold seasons. By the 5th one you are on borrowed time. If you go every 4 you never get stranded with a dead battery.

Oh and there is a quality set of jumper cables in EVERY car I drive. Stuff happens.

[70jnktrk]

red top in my street rod...first one lasted 7 years and was replaced because I got nervous about a battery that old...the rod is fired up every couple of weeks...flawless batterys..

[70cst]

Good thread guys...

[vegaschevy]

Originally Posted by mrein3

My most trusted source explained it to me this way:
"They last twice as long as lead-acid and cost twice as much. I use lead-acid."

remember that when you have that nasty acid rust on the engine bay.

[rwolf9653]

It seems as though these batteries are either good or bad, with no in between. I guess it is just a crapshoot as to which one one get and if you will be happy or pissed about it. I wonder if it is a difference in manufacturing, storage, care, etc.
Most of the people I know are not replacing their optimas with optimas, so I am kind of suprised at all of the rave reviews that have been posted. Probably as suprised as you are about all of the bad reviews.

[vegaschevy]

Originally Posted by rwolf9653

It seems as though these batteries are either good or bad, with no in between. I guess it is just a crapshoot as to which one one get and if you will be happy or pissed about it. I wonder if it is a difference in manufacturing, storage, care, etc.
Most of the people I know are not replacing their optimas with optimas, so I am kind of suprised at all of the rave reviews that have been posted. Probably as suprised as you are about all of the bad reviews.

Optima in my ford, Optima in my chevelle, bought another for my jeep, another two for my boat, two for my dodge, one for my titan, one for my new jeep, one in the chrysler 300 SRT8, one in the Chevy now.

However, the OEM battery in my first jeep took a crap, one in my chevy was junk and dated at less then 3 yrs old. the rest I pull out the new battery and drop in an optima instantly. Except the boat. the OEM batt left me stranded and I replaced with optimas and no problems since.

Im sure WAY more stock batteries have been replaced but no one is reporting on it as they did not pay big money for them.

[Classic Heartbeat]

I went to optimas both red and yellow tops because of the acid drip problems that lead acid batteries have and so did my oldest son. Both of us had always heard great things about them, only to find out that they were junk. I went through 4 red tops and a yellow top on the "Garden Truck", witch many of you guys know was a first class restoration that has all new M&H wiring and an 86 amp alternator. The batteries wouldn't even stay up for a weak and that was sitting in my shop, not outdoors, unless I drove it every day. My son had simeler problems with his and since then we have gone back to lead acid without any issues. It would seem reading through this thread that the optima does better in the hotter cliamates than it does in the cold. WES

[mrein3]

As long as some folks are talking about the 'acid drip' problem let me type what I did for that.

In my truck, the area around the battery was a mess when I bought the truck. The tray was junk and the fender cup had pin holes.

I purchased a new tray and welded on the fender cup patch panel. I treated all the remaining area that obviously had acid issues. Epoxy primer over that. Single stage body color on the inner part of the fender and #1613 Krylon (semi flat black) on the other stuff over the epoxy.

Then I purchased a "batt-mat" or some similar named product. It is a felt like mat that sits under the battery.

So far I have had no issues up there. It has been a good 5 years since I did all the work. I'm thinking if the original stuff lasted 35 years with no epoxy or batt-matt, my set-up should last another 35 years. By then I'll be a drooling idiot and won't care.

[Leo70]

I went to buy an Optima from a dealer, and the guy there recomended another battery with same technology ( Dry Cell) but he said it's better. The battery is called Odyssey, it suppost to last 8 -10 yrs, it has more crank power and they can sit 2 yrs ( according to their brochures) before they have to be recharged. Towards the end of the life they start to slowly loose power, not just die like normal batteries. I bought one but its only been a month, so far so good..

Leo

[70cst]

http://www.odysseybattery.com/index.html

Here is info on the Odessey battery...

[Mister laugh]

I have a 15+year old red top that i got about 5 years ago for 5 bucks, by far the best battery i have ever owned, it takes tons of abuse and usually ends up sitting in vehicles that don't move very often and it has NEVER given me any problems what so ever.

Edit: I might aswell make it know that i got it at work from some guy that asked me to dispose of it because he didn't like it, he bought a new conventional battery for $110, and was back the next day to warranty it because it was bad.

[Stew215]

I have a red top optima and i love it. when i bought the truck 2 years ago it was in it so i dont know how old it is but its atleast 2 years. i have had the truck sit for about 4 months without a start up and it turned over no problem. i also did not unhook the battery so it sat hooked up the whole time

[BossHogg69]

I've used Optima Red tops in every truck I've had. In the '92 I had, after some 'spirited' driving, the red top I had in it fell over onto my headers and i didn't know it, the headers melted a big a$$ hole in the side of it and when I got in the truck the next morning it still started. I didn't know it had fell over until I smelled something burning, lifted the hood and was like 'WTF'?? I replaced it, but I couldn't believe it still worked.

[Pont406]

I ran a red top battery mounted in the trunk. Car was rearended and a tailight stud punched a hole in it. It still worked in the other car untill I washed the engine and water got to it.
Last red top lasted just under 2 years. Autozone replaced with a new one under warranty. My car does sit a lot. I start it every 3 to 4 weeks.

[jkade]

Don't waste your money.....they suck. I have been through 3 in the last 3 years. Only good thing is that advance auto keeps replacing them free of charge.

[leddzepp]

Hit and miss. I have had good luck with one, bad luck with another. Both red tops.

[jake wells]

i run Everstart Deep Cycle marine batteries i never had any problems and they are cheap like me

[highperf4x4]

I run a red top. I bought it used 2 years ago from an interstate battery store where i have a business account. Apparently someone claimed it was bad and returned it. They said it checked out ok so I bought it for 45.00

My truck sits for long periods, sometimes more than a month. It sounds the same every time I crank the engine. I used to run it in my 4x4 which has a Pioneer Premier head unit, an 800 watt Pioneer amp, a 12" sub and since my "acc" doesn't work on my ignition switch I have to keep the key in the "on" position to listen to the radio on the jobsite. I've run it down several times like this and all I had to do was shut the switch off and let it sit for a while and then it would crank the truck. The engine has 10:1 compression ratio.

I use it now in the '72 to crank the big block.

[Ackattack]

I had a red top in my corvette w/no problems
Red top in my jeep w/ a winch no problems

I now have another red top sitting on the shelf ready to go into my 68.

[Mudder]

The red I run daily has been great. 3 years and counting. The one in the stepside has had problems since it sets for long periods of time unconnected. I like the warranty. Three or two years and they replace it if it's bad at no cost to you.

[leos11104]

i have duralast gold for over three years n no problems

[2tons of fun]

Originally Posted by mrein3

lead-acid.

uh, optimas are lead acid. the acid is in gel form and the laed is in coils not sheets.

[Lift Gate Gus]

I keep a trickle charger on both of my red tops that I have in vehicles that sit in the garage. I have been told the quickest way to kill an optima is to let them go completely dead. Thus the reason I keep the trickle charger on them. Trickle chargers will charge very slowly at like a half amp and once fully charged they turn off and just maintane the battery. Just my $.02 and opinion that works for me.

[sleepertruck72]

Optimas are a glass mat battery with the same sulfuric acid as flooded cell batteries. The reason they are sealed and wont leak it that the glass mat seperators have about 5% extra space to absorb the hydrogen and oxygen gasses that are given off and normally appear on standard low or "maintenance free" batteries. I have not owned one simply because of the price of them, but I do plan on buying one in the future to avoid the acid on the top of my battery. From what I understand, the Optima battery needs to be charged with a "special" charger because the standard charger puts out 16 Volts and thats too much for the Optima

[wwotr]

Well I went and bought a Yellow Top on the advice of the Optima Tech for my needs/climate, and I'm happy for the whole 36 Hours I've owned it!


Thanks for all the input on my Thread guys!

Roger
"RATIKLE"