Optima batteries, 4/10/18...battery status update

[Thunder]

Walmart max batteries are made by Johnson control too. Way cheaper and just as good or better than Opima IMO. Optima are just a feel good name to lighten up your wallet

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Had an optima red top in my buggy, went bad after 3-4 years, the only Optima dealer in Moab told me I was out of luck on a warranty because his distributor gave him so much crap with warranty returns. He even sold Optima batteries Emailed Optima, got some worthless generic response, tried calling and was put on hold for half an hour before I said **** 'em

Bought an orbital from the NAPA just down the street, no complaints and its cheaper.

As for orbital batteries vs. the standard kind, I really like the idea that my battery won't leak everywhere when im on my side or upside down

 

[cdoggwsu]

I've read a lot of the Optima vs. Orbital debates and from what I've seen Orbitals have the clear preference these days but I've personally never used them.

As Thunder said, the Walmart line has proven to be reliable and at a considerable cost savings so it's hard to go wrong there.

 

[Thunder]

As Thunder said, the Walmart line has proven to be reliable and at a considerable cost savings so it's hard to go wrong there.

Plus you can walk into any walyworld any where any time Say my battery is toast. They will test it if it fails..
Free replacement.. no questions asked. Even if after the warenty runs out they pro rate it.. i had a 6 yearold MAX die. WM prorated and it cost me 14.00 for a new battery.
LOL just try doing that with an optima.

 

[Silver84k5]

Im on my third redtop in about 4 years.

Atleast they keep replacing them...

 

[resurrected_jimmy]

Im on my third redtop in about 4 years.

Atleast they keep replacing them...

I gave up on them and went to an exide that has lasted me 5 years now.... My only reason for going to optima was the sealed gel cell

 

[George_Pimpdaddy]

Haha for the price of a crappy optima i can easily get 2 1000CCA batterys from a local battery shop that are gonna last 6 years

 

[Philly87]

I've had to jump start my Blazer twice in the last year with a brand new Redtop... This thread has me thining now as I never had to do that with the DieHard Rangehandler I had in it before?

-Phil

 

[DeviousK5]

The only actual complain i have about my Orbital is that i bought a battery box from Ruff Stuff for an optima, and the orbital is roughly 1/2 in taller so i had to modify the battery box with a 1/2 in spacer, but not enough of a turn off not to buy for me .

 

[nvrenuf]

Thanks for stopping in Jim! It's great to hear from company reps that actually take the time to respond.

Bad news, I saw him viewing this thread at 10:30 this morning but no response. Some of the unhappy replies may have run him off.

 

[chulisohombre]

at least he showed up to give some kind of response.im sure it is hard to tell people that have had bad experiences with his batterys what to do with them.i did try to trickle chatge mine a few times and it never held a charge.i dont know what they are doing different with the red tops,but the old yellowtops used to be the best off road batterys to have.even those are going down in how long they last.i figured mine would be the last one i needed for awhile and it lasted about 3 -4years til it started dying after sitting for a few days.it was usually good if i drove or started it every couple of days but then it became just my fun truck and didnt get driven or started but every couple weeks.it seemed better after a complete charge on the trickle charge but after a couple of times it just wasnt enough.got the exide battery in now for 50 bucks and sits for a couple months at a time and still starts the truck.also with the optima and now with the exide when not in use i disconnect the battery,so there was no load to draw power from the battery in both instances.orbitals thats what i was trying to remember the name of.i heard those are now what optima batterys used to be in cca and lasting longer.i believe have the same wrrantee also.

 

[jms]

So. If you check out some of the videos, you'll be told that the average battery life is 3 years, and that the average life of an Optima is longer than that. If your battery last longer than 3 years, congratulations - you've made it to better than average (and by the way, warranties for Optimas used to be - I haven't checked lately - red/3 years, yellow/18 months).

It's sort of neat when a company representative steps in, but really, what can be expected beyond "...we believe in the product, our quality has increased, and besides, if you're having trouble you're doing it wrong..." - and if he doesn't say that, the company should fire him, by the way...

If my memory serves me right, the increase in complaints about Optimas (at least on 4x4 boards, which may have nothing to do with real-world numbers on returned batteries...) doesn't coincide with the change of ownership in 2000, but I'd venture it was later, starting '05 (-ish?)....

I'm on year 5 with my setup, so I guess I'm on borrowed time (particularly in Arizona).

Whatever the lifetime, I will stick with AGM batteries, though. I don't like free sulfuric acid...

 

[Apocalypse]

Glad I found this thread before picking up a new battery. Unfortunately i had bought into the marketing and thought since the Optima battery was what most all the hot rods and off roaders used it must be pretty decent. I gladly pay double price for double the battery but i want what i pay for not a pretty sticker that says (Look at me im cool because i have this label on my battery)

A name in auto parts and vendors are made or broken by peoples opinion of how well they work.

 

[tRustyK5]

I picked up a blue top marine optima for my boat three years ago. Sold the boat to a friend that I see and talk to almost daily. That batt sits all winter long 3 years in a row and has held it's charge every time so far. It was spendy, but it's held up so far.

On the other side of things my wife has an 86 Mustang 5.0. We replaced the orgiginal battery with a Diehard when the car was 7 years old (94). Ran that diehard for the next 6 years and the car ended up being sold to a friend(2000). That guy hit a pole with the car doing donuts and we bought it back for next to nothing. It then sat in storage (and still sits in storage). In '03 the car had to be moved to another storage place. For giggles I took the battery home and put it on trickle charge for about 30 hours...at this point it was a 9 year old Die hard that had been dead as a stone for at least three years.

I removed it from the charger and it showed 12.54 volts. A week later when we got back to the car the batt still showed 12.50 volts....the car refused to start, but we spent easily 20 minutes cranking and trying to get it going. The battery was still cranking the engine at good speed when we gave up trying to start it and got the tow truck.

That is a battery I can truly say owes me nothing.

Rene

 

[76zimmer]

I picked up a blue top marine optima for my boat three years ago. Sold the boat to a friend that I see and talk to almost daily. That batt sits all winter long 3 years in a row and has held it's charge every time so far. It was spendy, but it's held up so far.

On the other side of things my wife has an 86 Mustang 5.0. We replaced the orgiginal battery with a Diehard when the car was 7 years old (94). Ran that diehard for the next 6 years and the car ended up being sold to a friend(2000). That guy hit a pole with the car doing donuts and we bought it back for next to nothing. It then sat in storage (and still sits in storage). In '03 the car had to be moved to another storage place. For giggles I took the battery home and put it on trickle charge for about 30 hours...at this point it was a 9 year old Die hard that had been dead as a stone for at least three years.

I removed it from the charger and it showed 12.54 volts. A week later when we got back to the car the batt still showed 12.50 volts....the car refused to start, but we spent easily 20 minutes cranking and trying to get it going. The battery was still cranking the engine at good speed when we gave up trying to start it and got the tow truck.

That is a battery I can truly say owes me nothing.

Rene

Thats the way this Gates/Optima is in my Jeepster....I NEVER have to charge the thing, and it sits for months at a time. Now its only turning over a V-6 but it does it every time.
I didn't buy an Optima because of the name, I bought one because of the experience I've had that is going on 20 years old.
Unfortunately I may take it back for something else.
I think other than this old Gates/Optima, the best battery I've had was a Everlast from Autozone, it was 7 years when I sold my 85 p/u.

 

[ryoken]

got some quality lead in them there plates!


I will say, it is apparent that Optima had a quality control issue at some point... is that corrected? I don't know...


I am an AGM fan tho... yet, run the freebie #27 Interstate lead acid's in the rig....

 

[76zimmer]

Paul, I glad you chimed in......do you see many in the marine environment, and what is your opinion of them.
I wonder how many problems are caused by bad wiring/charging systems?

I put an AGM Interstate battery in my scooter and it has done great the couple years I've had it. I didn't put the trickle on it this year, as it was inside the heated storage. Checked it before starting it the other day and it was 12.5 before trying to start the bike (and it popped right off).

 

[ryoken]

Paul, I glad you chimed in......do you see many in the marine environment, and what is your opinion of them.
I wonder how many problems are caused by bad wiring/charging systems?

I put an AGM Interstate battery in my scooter and it has done great the couple years I've had it. I didn't put the trickle on it this year, as it was inside the heated storage. Checked it before starting it the other day and it was 12.54 before trying to start the bike (and it popped right off).

I see a fair amount of Optima's.... almost always owner installed.. and eh, I see about the same as what the general story has been... some do fine, then ya get some sh*tty ones now and then.... moreso lately...

batteries are a HUGE part of my daily existence.. as I type, I have 2 3 bank chargers running right now working their way thru about 100 batteries.. spring commisioning and all that....

and yes, a fair amount of battery failures are due to other conditions, overcharging, connections, etc... probably 75%, especially in boats... but the AGM's seem to hold up better to this type of abuse, a more "stable" platform... lead acids don't seem as durable in that regard..

I'd say the percentages of what I see these days are about 70% lead acid and 30% AGM..

for lead acid we run Interstates mostly... for AGM's we REALLY like Lifelines... http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/

but I do see just about EVERY conceivable battery manufacturer, from Exides to Walmart to freakin Rolls-Surettes...

 

[76zimmer]

could a 16 volt be used as a regular supply for a 12 volt system?

 

[ryoken]

I don't play with that stuff too much really.... mostly 12, 24 and a few 32v systems.....

but a 16v system with an alt (which needs to be changed) will subject 12v accessories to upwards of 18v... some 12v stuff is fine with that, others can produce magic smoke....

IMO, it's something I'd only run in simplest of electrical systems, race-type stuff...