Optima...YAY or NAY!?

[chicago]

Red, yellow, or blue?

My red doesn't like the 8274 I just installed. Maybe it's because it's 7+ years old. Probably I should throw it in one of my other vehicles and get a deep cycle for the fj40.

I think he's got a red top...
Went over to RustyTLC's this eve to look at some dimensions on his 40 and 60 and noticed that he too is running a red top with the 8274. He's not had any issues either when I inquired about his opinion on the topic.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Red, yellow, or blue?

My red doesn't like the 8274 I just installed.

I think he's got a red top...
Went over to RustyTLC's this eve to look at some dimensions on his 40 and 60 and noticed that he too is running a red top with the 8274. He's not had any issues

Always 50-50 with the Optimas... I figure I'd have to buy four to get two good ones. No thanks.

 

['74 UA FJ]

Remember, my red is 7+ years old and never failed to crank before I started abusing it with the winch.

 

[poor boy pulling]

whats the ca,cca and warranty for a optima at costco along with the price?

 

[cody c]

[QUOTE=Chop Shop;6516882]This ^^^^^ they dont like to be ruffhoused much.

Theres good optima owners and bad optima owners.

Its not about "the old ones are better" or "they went to **** after (-------) bought them" that tells ya if they are good or not.

They are not a good battery.

They are not a bad battery.

They are a different battery.

People that like them tend to have them in a daily driver or something that gets driven at least once or twice a week.

People that hate them tend to have rigs that sit for long periods of time between runnings.

The optima battery needs daily maintenance to keep it in tip top shape. If they dont get a daily charge they will slowly get worse and not come back. You all can go ahead and tell me all your wives tales on how to "revive" a dead optima, but a dead abused, neglected optima will never come back 100 percent EVER.

An optima is like a cordless phone. If ya never put it on the charger it wont last more than 10 minutes if talking. If ya put it on the charger after each call it will be good for 1-2 hours talk time.

If you are hard on batteries and winch allot and dont drive every day then dont get an optima. A good winch will burn the terminal nuts right out of the side connections also.

If you need a good battery for your fj60 you drive everyday or a new battery for your wifes saturn then hell yeah, an optima will last along time.

I just hate how the optima battery company markets its batteries to guys with boats, RV, 4x4s, hotrods, orvs, muscle cars and other rigs that are not daily drivers.

They should push them to folks at new car dealers.

I vote NO optimas for myself. I have 5 junk optimas in the battery pile and lots of good lead acid plate batteries in ALL my rigs from my diesel tow rig to my wheeler to my tractor.[/QUOTE]

I think Ive heard this before and I agree with the above quote. I had problems with the reds, and was letting the vehicle sit for a week or longer at a time.

I would not buy an optima as first choice (sometimes my vehicles will sit for a week at a time), but would say that the yellow tops are built better for our vehicles and would be a decent choice if you want them and get a decent price. They are a ecent product but the reds arent built for the kind of abuse from winching and then neglecting as we often do.

 

[4rnr]

Honest question: So why would someone buy an Optima over a Platimun, Exide Orbital, Deka, etc?

 

[Mace]

whats the ca,cca and warranty for a optima at costco along with the price?

IIRC 3 years free replacement, 900CCA ish depending on model and about $129 for the red top.

 

[pc4400]

Had one (red top) years ago: overprice junk.

Stopped working, and they did not honor their warranty.

 

[cody c]

Honest question: So why would someone buy an Optima over a Platimun, Exide Orbital, Deka, etc?

Hype.

Although costco did honour their warranty.

 

[megolfer]

I love my die hard platinum it is awesome and it is made by odyssey

 

[chicago]

I'm still consisting the red or blue top for price and ease to obtain. I don't have the luxury to spend a lot on the battery at this point with all the other crap I still have to spend money on. That being said, the size limitations on a wet battery ( also much cheaper ) are killing that too. I'm looking for quick and dirty to get my junk running. I'm leery about the xs battery though it is appealing.

 

[cruiser88]

I think for once Chop Shop nailed it
No really the old ones was awesome before manufacturing took over in Mexico but in all fairness to them (and they even said it themselves on mud?) that there was a manufacturing issue and they was or did deal with it? If that is the case anytime you move shop like bugs will accur. Most are so uneducated on these type of batteries, do your reserch before a purshase. I still see Redtops and yellow tops alike getting sent back but I think its possible that people are abusing beyond that particular amp/reserve and cold cranking design. You should see the look on faces when I try to explain every battery has reserve minutes and I think many dont know or understand how to caculate their needs.


yea I sent Redtops/Yellow batteries back because of drain just setting on the shelf but for the life of me I can have a low grade Duralast Redtop battery on the shelf(like I found the other day in the back) that was sitting there sence 07 and was STILL 77% charged.
In all honesty the old ones by far was better but they still have their place in our community. I hear weekly from customers and people on here that my last one lasted me 5 ,10 or even 12 years and no matter if I buy yellow,red or even blue I cannot get them to hold up and yes I ask questions on needs and loads. So whats diffrent now compared to then? If I can get a blasted battery to last more than 3 years I am one happy mofer

Honest question: So why would someone buy an Optima over a Platimun, Exide Orbital, Deka, etc?

 

[Chop Shop]

How many of you guys run Optimas in your Diesel TOW rig.

Im not talking about an fj55 that tows a widdle wee wee trailer to the trails with you but a rig like a big dodge/chevy/ford deisel with two batteries that tows a 10k trailer with a wheeler on it regularly and driven daily also.

Whos gottem?

 

['74 UA FJ]

What's it matter about a tow rig? Do you use your electric brakes that much?

 

[Fast Eddy]

How many of you guys run Optimas in your Diesel TOW rig.

What's it matter about a tow rig? Do you use your electric brakes that much?

No electric brake use in a long time, and I'm not sure why, but my tow rig eats through good batteries two at a time. I have gradually built up to the top-of-the-line Die Hards that have, I think, a 96 month warranty. I get new batteries about every three years regardless of the warranty. The longer warranty ones just get me a better deal on my next set.

OT: My truck now has an intermittent short somewhere. Most of the time it's fine, but once in a while it will go dead overnight. I caught it the other day, where the door locks wouldn't work when I got out. I figured I need a new solenoid. It was dead the next day. Once I got it started and drove it to the store, the door locks worked fine. Think it's that solenoid?

 

[fjfodee]

Most are so uneducated on these type of batteries, do your reserch before a purshase. I still see Redtops and yellow tops alike getting sent back but I think its possible that people are abusing beyond that particular amp/reserve and cold cranking design. You should see the look on faces when I try to explain every battery has reserve minutes and I think many dont know or understand how to caculate their needs. If I can get a blasted battery to last more than 3 years I am one happy mofer

Well said.

I deal with the same thing cruiser88 deals with and he's right. And even if you understand batteries and use/maintain them correctly it's still possible to get a "not so good" one from the start. Just pick one that suits your needs and has a good warranty. I also recommend that you deal with someone that you know will not give you any crap about the warranty if the battery goes south. In fifteen years I've never had a battery manufacturer deny me credit on a battery I have warrantied, and not all have checked bad.

 

[4rnr]

Honest question: So why would someone buy an Optima over a Platimun, Exide Orbital, Deka, etc?

I think I get it. The optima is for a target group of buyers: Ones who will not abuse their batteries...got it.

BTW Chicago, I understand the budget, but isnt the blue top almost $200 anyways?

 

[Blue77FJ40]

I've done a few posts on this topic: bottom line, no more Optimas ever. I do have a 10 yr old red top on a Battery Tender. When it dies, it'll be replaced by a Sears Die Hard Platinum.

Sears Die Hard Platinum (Odyssey) only.

 

[poor boy pulling]

I've done a few posts on this topic: bottom line, no more Optimas ever. I do have a 10 yr old red top on a Battery Tender. When it dies, it'll be replaced by a Sears Die Hard Platinum.

Sears Die Hard Platinum (Odyssey) only.

so your complaining you got 10 years and counting out of an optima?

 

[Blue77FJ40]

so your complaining you got 10 years and counting out of an optima?

Absolutely not. Merely stating a fact. It's one of the older units obviously. It's still going strong and I will keep it on a Battery Tender to prolong its life. If you had read any of my prior posts on this subject, you'd have seen for a number of reasons, why I won't buy any of the current crop of Optimas. The Sears Die Hard Platinums however, rule.