Best battery for the buck?

[crbr]

I'm sold on Gel Batteries.

Have 2 Optima red tops 720 CCA, now just over 4 years old and 4 Exide Orbital 750 CCA, 2 x 2 years and 2 x 1 month old.
1 of the Orbitals failed after about a year but was replaced at no cost.

I swap all of these around between 6 tractors, a backhoe, truck, grape harvester, Cushman Truckster, vine training buggy and probably one or two other vehicles that I haven't thought of, love their light weight and lack of acid leaks.

They'll all start anything, including the Cummins 8.3 Litre T/Diesel in the truck.
The truck came with 3 x 410 or 430 CCA Batteries (can't remember exactly), but just one of the above will do it (don't have sub 0 Celsius nights though).

Trouble with swapping batteries is that the terminals seem to compress over time, but so did the leaky old batteries.

I use Optimas exclusively in everything here. Thread question is about the best bang for the buck. Optima.

That said, the life of any battery is only as good as how well care is given to the battery.

Aside from the Optimas themselves, this is the best battery investment care I have spent.

Battery Tender Plus 12 Volt 1.25 Amp Battery Charger: BatteryMart.com

Done deal.

 

[BobRip]

I use Optimas exclusively in everything here. Thread question is about the best bang for the buck. Optima.

That said, the life of any battery is only as good as how well care is given to the battery.

Aside from the Optimas themselves, this is the best battery investment care I have spent.

Battery Tender Plus 12 Volt 1.25 Amp Battery Charger: BatteryMart.com

Done deal.

What's the longest that anybody has had an Optima work?

 

[woodlandfarms]

I am on my second yellow top optima for my 69 Charger. It lasted 5 years and I think I kinda abused it with letting it discharge way too deep too many times. It had a slow voltage pull and I leave town for weeks / months at a time...

I would be intrigued to know how to maintain batteries, anyone have a good website? I am especially interested in the maintaining these new Optimas. i had head the battery tenders were not good for the Yellow tops...

Isn't Optima an Interstate Battery? In our car club the Interstate is quite popular.

 

[radman1]

I have one Optima battery. Great battery but they are very expensive -over $200. I use it in my 34 Ford street rod which does not get used frequently and it has done very well. I have had good luck with Interstate and NAPA. Most batteries that are used on a regular basis and not abused with long drains (ie. leave lights on) will last a long time. My Motorcraft battery in my F250 was just replaced and lasted 9 years. I seem to have better luck just charging infrequently used batteries about every 2-3 months with low setting on battery charger, than I do using a battery tender. This usually means the winter months on zero turn mower, street rod, and few other infrequently use cars.

 

[Farwell]

VT365,
I haven't read all the posts in your thread but thought I would chime in and let you know what I did.
I went to NAPA and paid $135 for a sealed battery because the battery in my JD was always getting banged around and leaking acid in my battery box causing corrosion. I talked to my neighbor who builds race cars and he suggested that I try the NAPA battery. They will not leak if the race cars roll over and are very dependable. $135 later approximately one year ago and I am still very happy with the battery. When my 7 year old car battery conks out I will replace it with the same type battery.
I don't know what the battery is called but the NAPA guys will tell you if you ask.

 

[ctjstr]

O.K...sorry for the completely off topic reply, but at least it DOES relate to batteries.....

Killacycle creator injured by his creation at WebDogPro

 

[IXLR8]

I would be intrigued to know how to maintain batteries, anyone have a good website? I am especially interested in the maintaining these new Optimas. i had heard the battery tenders were not good for the Yellow tops...

There has been lots of discussion on this in the BMW MTC forums. Seems there is a Battery Tender battery charger that is made just for the Optima style batteries, it is about $20 more than the std charger from what I gather.

 

[Hardscrabbble]

I have been retired for several years and have last lost touch with the market place so things may have changed. Johnson Controls used to make both the Interstate and Sears batteries as well as several other brands. At one time they were Cat's biggest battery supplier too.

 

[Spudgunner]

I have been retired for several years and have last lost touch with the market place so things may have changed. Johnson Controls used to make both the Interstate and Sears 'batteries as well as several other brands. At one time they were Cat's biggest battery supplier too.

If one peruses the JC webpage you can see they make Optima as well. They used to list a bunch of other brands, including Diehard and, I think, Interstate. Perhaps they spun those brands off to another company(?) Although they made/make a number of brands, I'm guessing the specs are different in some cases as evidenced by Optima.

 

[Hardscrabbble]

Spuggunner, I am sure you are correct on the specs. Each mfg. has their own requirements that Johnson Controls would build to.