Optima Batteries

[lilranch2001]

I was in Advance Auto yesterday and was looking at the Optima batteries.
The guy behind the counter was bragging them up, and then made the statement to the effect "as long as you run the vehicle all the time"

Well I was all about the gel batteries until that, there are times in the spring or fall I do not run the tractor for a few weeks at a time.

Any thoughts?

 

[SeymourBota]

I run 3 Optimas, the first two are older, before the company was bought out- the last one newer.

One, mounted in an SUV that was not driven all summer, eventually would not start the vehicle and needed a full charge- but I take the blame for that.

No matter what type of battery, if you plan to let it set, I would use a maintainer- either 120v or solar. Cost < $50 and they will do their job for years.

 

[jinman]

I have an Optima Red Top in my tractor and it has been flawless since I installed it about six years ago. My electrical system is perfect and has no drain on the battery so that I've left the tractor for over a month and it still fires right off. The Optima is NOT a gel battery. It's an SLA (Sealed Lead-Acid). I've had such good luck with mine that I'll happily replace it with another one if it ever fails.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I had an optima gel battery in my RTV and it went dead overnight and it was about 4 years old. The RTV runs just about every day so it was not a issue of setting too long. It developed a short in the cells according to the NAPA guy who tested it. I asked about replacing it with another Optima but he didnt keep them in stock, said he didnt sell many because of the price. He said a regular lead acid battery will work fine as long as you arent rock climbing and turning over etc. Since I dont anything like that, I just replaced it with a regular battery.
When I owned a Cessna, the lead acid battery in it had special caps that prevented acid spills. I suppose one could by some of those for a lead acid battery and be equivalent to the gel cells as far as acid spills. They are also supposedly better at absorbing shock loads but my RTV is just used on my pasture and inter-farm roads so it got little to no shocks but still failed.
Just my 2 cents worth, but I wont buy another one. Neither will I pay Sears $170 for a Diehard with 3 year warranty when I can buy other brands for half that with 4 years or more warranty. I just came back from replacing one in wifes car that sat for about 4 months and the Walmart battery went bad. It was 3 1/2 years old and replacement cost was $48 on an $89 battery with 3 years free replacement. Some high cost stuff just isnt worth the extra money especially if you can buy something for much less with same warranty on it.
Next replacement will be on my 2007 Chevy truck with factory battery in it that is showing signs of weak starting so I expect it to go out soon. I rarely get more than 4 years from any battery in the southern heat they go bad pretty quickly.

 

[Bob77064]

My Optima battery is a D31M about four years old. It is in my truck, the longest it sits is for a few days. The battery still works as well as it did on day one.

 

[Dozernut]

I have a yellow top Optima that is used for several things. The main use is for the trolling motor on the boat. The other uses are for emergency power using an inverter for the pellet stove during outages. It holds a charge well and sometimes sits for months with no ill affects on the battery

It is a good (expensive) battery but I do not think it is any better than a regular lead acid battery. The Optima is sealed and does not emit fumes which is good when I bring it in the house for outage use. If I did not need it for emergency power I would go with a regular lead acid battery.

 

[Cat_Driver]

I've had the worst luck with optima batteries.

After a lot of research I found batteries made by this company to be superior to anything I've ever used.

EAST PENN manufacturing co., inc.: Lead-Acid Batteries; Battery Manufacturers; Thousands of Different Types of Batteries, Cable & Wire Product

Call then up as they make batteries for a lot of companies and just put their name on it. They will tell you what you need and who sells it under what name near you.

Example; I called on a Mecedes battery that was $300.00 and they make them gave me the same battery they make for NAPA for $100.00.

 

[Bigkrank]

I have 21 red and yellow optima batteries in various things. Had the first one actually go bad recently in a large backhoe with 8 years service. Have some over 9 years old working just fine.

Lots of threads on forums about how the quality took a dive after they moved production to Mexico. I don't have any less than 3 years old. In spite of my great experience I am not sure I would buy another due to the recent bad reviews on the internet.

Tried a high dollar Oydessey battery and bought the high dollar matching charger because of all the positive hype, virgin lead, etc and was not impressed.

 

[crazyal]

I was going to buy an optima but after doing a little research I found that Diehard makes the same style of battery (I think the Platinum) but instead of being 6 round cylinders stuck together (very inefficient use of space) they just sandwich the mats so it uses all the space of the rectangle shape.

 

[RFB]

I use absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries (not gel cells) in all of my equipment.

I use Odyssey brand.

 

[Beltzington]

Funny - I was just out pulling a bad 3-year old Autocraft battery from my Dad's car.

I have used the Blue Top Marine Optima's in my SUVs for over 15-years. The reason I started doing this is I was pulling the battery to use in my fishing boat. In that time, after numerous full discharge,s they never failed me, I only used two batteries, one of those was sold with a vehicle so it might still be working as far as I know. I have a third blue top I just bought a few months ago for my RV sitting in my garage ready to go.

I have recently read there have been some quality issues with either red/yellow tops I do not recall. Also, while Optima led the way technology has worked its way into other brands and many offer Gel or AGM batteries. The Penn brand mentioned is highly rated.

The only negative thing I have found is for whatever reason GEL batteries do not last in Motorcycles or PWC that sit allot. Could be as mentioned they need an occasional charge. I have AGM is both my watercraft and so far they are working well.

 

[KYDan]

I use gel batteries in my boat and love them. I have an Optima that I use in my dump trailer. It is an EZ Dumper that has an electric motor to drive the hydraulics. I have found the Optima yellow top to be a good, dependable, and long-lived battery for it. I also use on to power my electric fuel pumps on my diesel and AC fuel tanks. I have had good luck with them too.

 

[204saskman]

i got optimas in my truck. 3 years and going strong. I have killed them time and time again and they still take a charge. There not cheap batteries up here($240 each) but i was sick of buying batteries that only lasted a year. So far so good, and they have been in my 03 cummins since.

 

[Depmandog]

No experience with the Optima, but I have learned to avoid the Interstate brand. I have never had one last like they should.

Dean.

 

[magicheater]

i got optimas in my truck. 3 years and going strong. I have killed them time and time again and they still take a charge. There not cheap batteries up here($240 each) but i was sick of buying batteries that only lasted a year. So far so good, and they have been in my 03 cummins since.

I'm finally replacing my truck (04 Dodge Cummins) batteries before they die. Original ones 7 years old. Trying yellow top Optimas for the first time....we'll see.

 

[scrappy isb67]

I was going to buy an optima but after doing a little research I found that Diehard makes the same style of battery (I think the Platinum) but instead of being 6 round cylinders stuck together (very inefficient use of space) they just sandwich the mats so it uses all the space of the rectangle shape.

the Diehard platinum is a re-branded Odyssey.
I currently have 2 red tops in my 07.5 Dodge Cummins, they have been in there for 2 years and still doing fine

 

[Down South]

HI

I have never owned one of these.
But i recently bought a tractor from a guy who had 6 or 7 Highly modified jeeps and apparently does serious trail and rock climbing.

He had 3 sitting in his shop and I asked him about them.

He said the earlier ones were great. But the last year or so they ant the same battery.

I get the feeling he knows what he is talking about. He still was running 2 of them for a few years.
But the ones replace just didn't hold up.
I know there are 3 color tops, he had 2 of 1 and 1 of the other sitting in the shop.

It could be , like so many other things, the new versions ant as good as the old?

DS

 

[debushau]

I have tried Optima's 3 (or 4) times and each time they failed within 6 to 12 months. I did use them on cars that were not often driven. I found that once the battery was discharged once or twice, the Optima was dead. This is worse, in my experience, than conventional batteries, as they can usually surive 3 or 4 discharges. Customer support at Optima was pretty useless. I, for one, wont ever buy an Optima again.

I do like East Penn (Deka) when it comes to conventional batteries (as someone above mentioned).

 

[scrappy isb67]

I have tried Optima's 3 (or 4) times and each time they failed within 6 to 12 months. I did use them on cars that were not often driven. I found that once the battery was discharged once or twice, the Optima was dead. This is worse, in my experience, than conventional batteries, as they can usually surive 3 or 4 discharges. Customer support at Optima was pretty useless. I, for one, wont ever buy an Optima again.

I do like East Penn (Deka) when it comes to conventional batteries (as someone above mentioned).

My experience is that I have had Optimas in my truck for about 3 yrs. I have only put about 23K. miles on the truck since I bought it (3yrs ago) so it can and has set parked for up to a month at a time.
I have discharged them badly enough that another truck AND a battery charger were required to get it started. the batteries were dead enough that they put the truck in limp due to low voltage.

 

[Down South]

My experience is the Biggest you can physically fit, Biggest numbers ,cca and ca and heaviest physical weight is best. Lead is heavy.

Lately Exides are the winner

DS