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Are optima batteries still junk?

Stomis

Stomis

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Im looking to move my battery along my frame rail in my truck. Eyeing up a group 51 from a honda to ditch 20lbs but I think it would be easier to mount the thing upside down, so I want an AGM more than likely. However the only battery I can find AGM in the size is an optima.

Ive had terrible experiences with them and Im scared lol.
 
No clue as to quality, but I thought an optima couldn't be mounted upside down, only upright or on it's side.:dunno:



EDIT:
Guess you can, optima just says they don't recommend it.
 
Odyssey batteries rock. They are what Optima batteries used to be. Only better. Optima was great for a while, turned into junk, then started a come back.

No idea where they are now.
I have an Odyssey on my Ford because I was tired of replacing battery boxes due to driving too fast through the woods and sloshing acid.

Just put one on my tractor last week because I was seeing some rust and corrosion around the battery on a two month old tractor with less than 50 hours on it.

But, even Odyssey does not recommend upside down. Not sure why.

http://www.odysseybattery.com/
 
I'm running red tops in two separate trucks and have had nothing but success personally.
 
everyone i know has had good luck with Optima. a pair of them lasted 6yrs in my dad's super duty. hat a long damn time in the desert. i've got two of them in my suburban right now, they're only a couple months old so we'll see how they do.
 
I still have a bad taste in my mouth about optimas. Everyone was raving about them so I bought a few. Two red tops and a blue top. The two red tops are junk, wont charge at all. Tried all the tricks etc. Even with a trickle/float charger on there still dead. The blue top is still going strong. I have several friends that have had the same experiences with the red tops. I have no real feed back on yellow top.

Next battery will most likely be a yellow top or an odyssey
 
I have only had one, a yellow top in my V8 Miata. It has been in there for three years and starts maybe 4-6 times a year but has held a charge with limited float charging.
 
Personally, I have never had an Optima fail in an unreasonable time. The one on my K5 is over 10 years old and turns the motor every time. I keep a $15 solar charger on my dash plugged into the lighter to keep it charged. The one in my old daily driver died at 9 years.

I have purchased probably 20-30 optimas for me and friends over the years. I used to buy the optima blems at a battery warehouse for around $50-60 depending on size/ color. See if you can get blems to save some money.

If you have an Academy sports nearby, stop in and look at their gel batteries. About half the price of optimas. I haven't used them personally, but some of my friends have and have been satisfied.
 
Well I could mount it sideways probably just as easy. The problem is that optima is the only brand I can find that makes an agm in the group 51 Honda size.

Just out of curiosity if you put two batteries in parallel does the CCA combine?
 
Stomis said:
Well I could mount it sideways probably just as easy. The problem is that optima is the only brand I can find that makes an agm in the group 51 Honda size.

Just out of curiosity if you put two batteries in parallel does the CCA combine?
Click to expand...

I believe so, I know "they" say the amp hour ratings double with 2 of the same batteries.
 
This might help......
 

Attachments

  • OdysseyBCIConversion.pdf
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I put a red top optima in my boat 2 seasons ago,and since then I have not had to charge or jump the boat.and it sits all winter long,so far I am really happy with the optima
 
Series equals double voltage, parallel equals double capacity.

I've had decent experience with Optimas. I had a red top in my Corvette that suffered a couple of discharges and never wanted to hold more than 11.8 volts, but it started every time and was still going strong when I sold the car. I've got a yellow top as the auxiliary in the truck and it does fine. One thing you can do to save money is find out who makes the store brand batteries since they just rebrand someone else's. For instance, I believe the Diehard Platinums are rebranded Odysseys, and the Autozone AGM brand is a relabled Deka.
 
I am a fan of Optima batteries. I have 3 red tops in separate vehicles, 2 blue tops in a boat, a yellow top in my Jimmy and 2 yellow tops in my RV.
 
I have been doing a little forum jumping lately to get some ideas on rigs,and/or garage storage. I have been to garage journal, expo portal, Chevy sites, hot rod sites and anything else Google fu brings to my fancy. The one thing I have found all to have in common is there are threads discussing problems with Optima batteries.

The general consensus has been since Johnson control bought them and they moved production to Mexico there has been a big problem in reliability. It all seems to be the batteries that have been made in about the last 3-5 years +/-. Optima has finally realized a problem and started to correct it in the last year or so. Take that for what its worth. Not ready to trust them yet myself.

In reading these threads everyone has good results with the oddessy brand and was also happy to know that they build the AGM's for Sears Die Hard. Same battery 20/25% less cost. I have always had awesome luck with Sears and Costco brand FWIW. Maybe Sears specs one in that group size?
 
seems to be hit or miss with them...I've got a redtop and a yellow top that I've kept readings on since new and posted them in my thread .... http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268618&highlight=optima&page=6
I do try and keep them on a trickle charge if I know I won't be using them sometime soon...
My .02....I believe they don't want to mount them upside down due to the fact they still have to vent, and there is acid in that AGM material...won't spill like a normal lead acid battery but still may drip????
 
Jeep crd

My 2006 liberty crd came with red top. I had to replace last year. I replaced with another. Even when the old one started to crap out it could still turn that little diesel over a few times, which was usually enough to get her running.
 
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