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JustMercMe
07-28-2010, 12:58 PM
Anybody running Optima batteries? Think I have a battery going bad in the 22C. I've been running an Optima on my tunnel boat (2.5 Merc) and the charging system does'nt seem to jive to good with it. Thought about getting another one and putting them in the Donzi.

Anyboby had bad luck with em?

RickSE
07-28-2010, 01:11 PM
I have Optimas in my boat and drag car and the last red top in the drag car went for 12-years. The blue tops in the boat are 4-years old with no problems. I try to trickle charge them through the winter.

Tidbart
07-28-2010, 01:15 PM
Anybody running Optima batteries? Think I have a battery going bad in the 22C. I've been running an Optima on my tunnel boat (2.5 Merc) and the charging system does'nt seem to jive to good with it. Thought about getting another one and putting them in the Donzi.

Anyboby had bad luck with em?

First off, you need the Blue top ones. Automotive batteries don't like the marine voltages, up to 14.7.
I have had 2 in my 22, one is 7 years old and the other is a year old. I killed that one, not the boat.
Since they are AGM batteries, you should use the correct type of charger for this style of battery. Don't use a regular automotive charger.
They hold a charge real well, no maintenance and no spilling. Yes, they are about $150 bucks at Costco. That is the down side.
I will continue to use them.

Bob

gcarter
07-28-2010, 01:30 PM
I know from reading that they do and can fail.
So, you want to be on the water on a holiday, or Sunday and they fail, what do you do???????
If you go w/a marine starting battery from Walmart or Sam's, you can get a replacement most any time. Probably save $80-$90.00 too.
Also, they have a multi year free replacement policy

Tidbart
07-28-2010, 02:06 PM
I know from reading that they do and can fail.
So, you want to be on the water on a holiday, or Sunday and they fail, what do you do???????
If you go w/a marine starting battery from Walmart or Sam's, you can get a replacement most any time. Probably save $80-$90.00 too.
Also, they have a multi year free replacement policy

That is why I have 2 batteries, so I don't have to go shopping on a Sunday or holiday.:wink:
If both fail, I am going home.:bonk:

B

hdsadey
07-28-2010, 02:10 PM
Whatever you do stay away from Odyssey batteries. They have pure lead plates suspended in gel. The pure lead does not hold up to vibration or shock. The engineer from Odyssey finally admitted that too me after replacing 5 of them in a rigid Harley in a matter of 6 weeks. They kept shorting out on me, drove me out of my mind, kept blaming the charging system! Don't know if they would hold up in a boat that has the likely hood of pounding in a chop. Regular lead acid batteries have a lead alloy for plates, much more durable.

Planetwarmer
07-28-2010, 03:06 PM
I am happy with my battery from Interstate. Regularass 27 marine deep cycle.

I have heard that Optimas aren't what they used to be. I sure havent done any testing on them , so I dont know if it is true. I had 2 in cars that I no longer own, and they worked fine.

Which ever battery you buy, will be the one you recommend to the next guy that asks this question. You know how it goes. What is 50.00 if you are happy and the battery lasts 5 to 10 to 15 years. I asked the same question, and someone replied that they had an Interstate deep cycle for 12 years and is still good.

Get a name brand battery and you will probably wont have problems for a few years. I would go with deep cycle though. They are more suited for what you will use it for.

Forrest
07-28-2010, 03:25 PM
I have a couple of 11-year old Optima blue-top starting batteries in my Magnum that still work just fine, and I treat them like crap. On the other hand, I just had to replace my 5-year old Optama red-top battery in my Excursion that gets driven almost daily. After about two years of use, the red top started to not crank as well as I thought it should have, but it did work so I gave it little thought. Looking back, I probabaly should have had it replace under warranty. Of course, it's to late now. Did I replace it with another Optima? Nope! I went to Autozone and bought a Duralast Gold for about $70 less than an Optima - and wow! I never knew that my Excursion's starter motor could turn so fast!

Anyway, it seems that AGM type batteries like Optimas hold up well during long peroids of non use, but I really don't think they are any better than a regular lead-acid battery for daily use.

BYW, most battery brands, both major and house brands including Optima, are either made by or owned by Johnson Controls.

justleft
07-28-2010, 08:02 PM
I lost a red top in my off roader and replaced with another. Not bad for 10 yrs of abuse !!

Have been running a yellow top in my 22c for 4 yrs now without an issue. Fresh water use only.
The Optima web site says that the blue top just has stainless steel connections.

The blue top comes in a non deep cycle (34M) engine starting type (like the reds) and deep cycle/dual purpose types.
I prefer the dual purpose like the yellows and most blues. If I were in salt water I would go blue.

b.guggenmos
07-28-2010, 09:04 PM
I have one red top in a car that sits alot and it is fine. I read on another website "so it must be true" that Optima's are not what they used to be. The older ones held up well and lasted a long time. Then they started to produce Optima batteries south of the border and they are not as good.

Totally different subject but the same thing happened with Vice Grips. They were made in the USA and now they are made in China. No price change but they are not the same. I have stocked up on several types and sizes of the USA ones. The packaging is identical except for the USA Flag on the front. Luckily hardware stores seem to put the new ones in front of the old so you can still find them.

Sorry to get on a rant but alot of you work on your own stuff as I do. Brian

dclassic
07-28-2010, 11:46 PM
I have had a blue top in the 22 for 3 years. It is doing just fine. I also run red tops in most of my vehicles and have been pleased. The fact that they don't leak all over more expensive items, like a cruise control module, makes them a good long term investment in my book.

MOP
07-29-2010, 06:20 AM
I have never even tried one due to the constant controversy, they seem to be a love hate item. I stick with tried and true brands that you hear little to nothing about, that has stood me well for about 50 years go figure!

Sweet Cheekz
07-29-2010, 07:51 AM
Last 4 boats I have had 10 blue tops, severe stereo duty, lots of boating and one failed after a year and was replaced. Very good
Parnell

Tidbart
07-29-2010, 08:04 AM
Oh, one other thing.... Russ just reminded me. You can take an Optima, flip it upside down and use it to jump another vehicle by touching the terminals together. No jumper cables required. :yes: Try that with a standard lead-acid.
Don't ask me for details.:bonk:

Bob

JustMercMe
07-29-2010, 12:07 PM
Thanks for the replies guys. Like I said, I have one and was debating on getting another. Think I'm gonna try it and see how things go. The Interstates that are in it came from the factory as far as I can tell so they are at least 4-5 years old. Bout time for them to start failing the way I treat a battery.

Thanks again guys!

Tidbart
07-29-2010, 01:05 PM
If you ever need a charger, consider this type for the Optimas. $99 at Northern Tool.

http://www.batteryminders.com/batterycharger/catalog/BatteryMINDer-12-Volt-2-4-or-8-Amp-Charger-Maintainer-Desulf-p-16133.html

Pismo
07-29-2010, 08:13 PM
Die Hard 27582, under $100

My first lasted 10 years, 2nd lasted 7 then I moved it to a car where it is still going so now over 12 years on that one and I am on my 3rd in season 7. I have long cold winters tho, so that ups the life.

BlownCrewCab
07-29-2010, 08:39 PM
I did NOT Read this whole thread (so don't think I did :) ) But I had to chime in, Unless you have a 145+ amp alternator you can't use a yellow top (cause you can't charge it) yes it will last 12/13 months even without a big alternator but it's slowly dieing. to re charge it you need a battery charger that can put out 100amps (minimum) for 15 minutes, not many can. If you have a Red Top then a 145amp alt will charge it, but if you have ANY Drain like a clock, radio clock,etc,any small minute miniscule worthless drain it will die in 12 months or less......Yes I have/Had Both. I was in Pep Boys Last Saturday Morning and a guy was Bringing in a Yellow top for exchange (seeing how I have problems with mine I hung around to see whats up) I asked how long he had it...Its The 3rd One He's Brought Back Since the 1st Weekend In June. IMO Spend your Money on a Good Diehard or Real Lead Battery and spend whats left on the wife (it'll be a hell of a dinner) if you gave me a pallet of Optimas I wouldn't use them, Not worth the time to swap them out :)

northernoffshore
07-29-2010, 10:53 PM
Have 2 optima battery boxes from eddie anyone interested?

Marvair
10-22-2011, 07:18 AM
Reading this thread I'm still not sold on the Optima Blue batteries. I'm replacing the set of trolling motor batteries in the bow of the Haynie. There's a lot of vibration up there, so if they don't like a pounding now and then I'm not gonna fool with them. Also is it that important to have a specific charger, I have a Guest 24v. Is that ok ? I know products change from time to time so any input would be apprectiated.

Thanks,

Marvin.

Carl C
10-22-2011, 09:24 AM
The stock cheapy batteries in my '05 are still strong after 7 years of pounding. I will load test them in the spring and see if they are up to an eighth season. With performance like that it's hard to justify the cost of optimas. They just aren't needed.

Dr. Dan
10-22-2011, 09:44 AM
:spongebob:I ran regular Group 24 Diehard Marine units from Sears since 2000 in the "Bull Hamsta" - never had an issue. I had some decent Eddie Marine bling boxes to hold them in place.

This being my 3rd Generation Re-Power - I decided to give the Blue Tops a try - really just because few people use them, and I had never used them prior. They are real spendy, but that logic has never really ever stopped me from doing anything with either Boat, so I figured wtf?

I know that regardless of what you choose to use, if they are maintained and monitored - they should last a long time.

I do always remember a good buddy of mine had a Battery get low on water - it off gased and when he started it ...the gases ignited one of the batteries and it exploded. Very rare and semi - unusual, but it always stuck with me, so I change mine every 3rd year regardless of condition as part of my routine. Of course I log a bit of time in these...so they do get used...perhaps the Blue Tops may be a longer term deal....

I chose to try them in the little boat because of their impact resistance and to see what they were about?

I have never had an issue with any of my regular batteries...so I am a self ackowledged addict to go with the Bling and Obsessive Compulsive Billet Boxes that contain them....all of which I love.

Going to test them on the water in a bit...lets see if it starts?

Doc of Optimum Bling and Insignificant Commentary :wavey:

biggiefl
10-22-2011, 10:20 AM
I had a red that came standard in my Jeep Liberty Diesel. It lasted 38 months. They have a 36 month warranty and said go screw....I said hello Duralast.

BOBMX
10-22-2011, 02:06 PM
just another opinion. i have 2 red tops in my chevy diesel, 5 yrs old and left for 3 months (in MD) last winter while travelling on business. turned the key on a freezing day when i returned and they fired right up. i've run the blues and reds in all my boats and trucks for years and never had one fail or lose a charge. probably have had a dozen of these things. i've heard some "they don't hold charges" comments but alot from people that dont pony up for them. i wouldn't buy anything else. i'll be dropping 2 blues in my 22 this winter.

VetteLT193
10-24-2011, 07:02 AM
I replaced 3 Optimas over the last year, all newer ones. The Costco by me stopped selling them because they were constantly having to replace them. They offered a kirkland battery the last time and a partial refund. I replaced the other two with Interstate batteries.

It seems that Optima used to be the best but now they have slipped in quality. If you look around at reviews of them the newest reviews (say over the last two years) are horrible compared to the older ones.

Marvair
10-24-2011, 03:42 PM
Thanks for the input guys, I noticed the dates on the old Stowaways were 05. I think I'll try another set for now.

Thanks,

Marvin.

jstokes8407
10-24-2011, 07:42 PM
I bought a red top for my trans am that i only put 500 miles on a year and it craped out after a year but was replaced no questions asked. i bought the red top for that reason i dont use it often and there reputation. 1 year later battery is still going strong soooo idk :bonk:

pipnit
10-28-2011, 10:14 AM
[ QUOTE=$originalposter]{$pagetext}[/QUOTE]

Where did you get this information? I don't think it's correct. I have had a yellow top that I've used and abused for five years now and I'm not ANYWHERE CLOSE to 145 amps charging. On top of that, a 145 amp alternator isn't going to be dumping all 145 amps in to a battery, there are so many variables here that you can't just say 145 amps. Does your truck have lights, are they on? Does it have a stereo? Does it have navigation? etc. etc. Some cars use over 150 amps just powering items inside the car, think all electronics on with heated seats...
The yellow top I use is in a golf cart. I have it on it's side, and use it to power lights, stereo, subwoofer, etc... I use a small battery charger that is AGM friendly and it doesn't put out more than 15 amps because I have a 15 amp inline fuse. Riddle me that! :wink:

FYI, according to their website, they can charge from 13.65 to 15.00 volts... http://www.optimabatteries.com/_media/documents/specs/D34_78.pdf

pipnit
10-28-2011, 10:17 AM
I also have two redtops in my truck and one that is on it's own system for radio equipment. The only time I've ever smoked an Optima is on one that was externally regulated and was charging at 16v by accident for an extended period of time.

boomr
02-12-2012, 10:18 PM
Those of you that are using the Optima blue top batteries. Which one's are you using, the d27m, d34m, or the d31m?

Tidbart
02-13-2012, 06:59 AM
D34m

pipnit
02-13-2012, 08:17 AM
[ QUOTE=$originalposter]{$pagetext}[/QUOTE]

BlownCrewCab
Registered User
Join Date
Nov 2007
Posts
1,299
I did NOT Read this whole thread (so don't think I did ) But I had to chime in, Unless you have a 145+ amp alternator you can't use a yellow top (cause you can't charge it) yes it will last 12/13 months even without a big alternator but it's slowly dieing. to re charge it you need a battery charger that can put out 100amps (minimum) for 15 minutes, not many can. If you have a Red Top then a 145amp alt will charge it, but if you have ANY Drain like a clock, radio clock,etc,any small minute miniscule worthless drain it will die in 12 months or less......Yes I have/Had Both. I was in Pep Boys Last Saturday Morning and a guy was Bringing in a Yellow top for exchange (seeing how I have problems with mine I hung around to see whats up) I asked how long he had it...Its The 3rd One He's Brought Back Since the 1st Weekend In June. IMO Spend your Money on a Good Diehard or Real Lead Battery and spend whats left on the wife (it'll be a hell of a dinner) if you gave me a pallet of Optimas I wouldn't use them, Not worth the time to swap them out

More misinformation B.S. Where did you get these little jewel of BS from? I have a 12v yellow top that I trickle charge at 1.5 amps on my golf cart which is there for lights, stereo, etc. I constantly bring it down to 11v, full discharge and charge it back up with a 1 amp battery tender. This will be my 6th year on the same battery.

From Optima's website:

For regular charging we recommend a maximum of 10 amps, 13.8-15.0V. For float charging, we recommend one amp maximum, 13.2-13.8V.

Tidbart
02-13-2012, 08:48 AM
That post was from 2010. Is there a need to bring it back up?

B

JayZ
02-13-2012, 08:55 AM
Red Top in my old '74 Porsche has been there for a long time. I'll have to really think about it but it is over 15 years now probably about 18 years as strange as that sounds. It has become a bit of a science project for me at this point because it is at the end of it's life. ...really been curious how long it would last.

This car is not a daily driver in fact it has sat for months at a time and I'll go out there and the old red top will coax the car into firing up every time. ...I'm now at the point where if I leave it for a while I'll have to jump it but it continues to start throughout the day when I'm driving it.

I've bought a lightweight oddysey battery that I'm going to try this time around. (car is pretty much a track car or hill country toy).

I'm not sure the batteries are as good as they used to be but mine ...well I certainly got my monies worth out of it.

****correction I installed it in 1998. still damn impressive!

mphatc
02-14-2012, 08:07 PM
I didn't see this in any comments ..

The original Optimas are seemingly proving to be more reliable than the newer units. The company has been sold, and since then the battery cases don't seem to be as well sealed. An Optima has a small amount of liquid added at assembly which is then gasified during the initial charge. If the top cover does not have a good seal the gas escapes and the battery will not recharge.

I have several red tops that have had nothing but intermittent boat use without issues. I also have an 11 year old one in my shop forklift which has never given us a problem. but have also bought 4-5 units in the past 3 years for customer race cars and these have had issues.

For the race cars we have now switched to a gel battery from another manufacturer.

We also use only CTEK battery chargers on the Optimas

Mario L.