Optima Batteries

[Milford Cubicle II]

Since this is back up, Milford, did you ever take a picture of the battery to show the date of manufacture?

and x2 on replacing your cable terminals with those^

I already scrapped the optima to get some core charge back but last I looked at it, it was a few months old (like 2 or 3 IIRC) when it came into my possession.

And yes, I've used those terminals in the past and they're handy. But BE CAREFUL which ones you get! I don't remember where I bought mine at, but the studs were sunk into the terminal rather than going all the way through to the other side. All they were, were bolts turned upside down and sunk into the terminal while the lead's hot. And of course, as time went by they loosened up and created an open circuit. Eventually they would've just pulled right out altogether, really bad design. Find some where the stud goes all the way through the terminal and is secured on the bottom side (like an elevator bolt).

All the batteries I've owned since then have had studs as well as posts so I haven't needed them anymore.

Milford - the more you bash, the more you make your argument less credible.

1. So they are made in mexico, who cares? So is alot of stuff. The only issue major issue theyve had has been uneducated customers. And instead of telling them to piss off and voiding the warranty on a good battery, they are being proactive and educating customers on how to correctly charge them to ultimaty save the customer money. You couldnt ask for a better company.

2. You bought the battery used, as is. Sucks. Hate it for ya. Maybe you shouldve bought a new one and jim could warranty it out for you?

3. Maybe theres an unknown issue with the jeep that has caused the battery to fail? 8 times outta 10 when we install a battery at the shop and it comes back to be warrantied, theres an underlying issue with grounds or an alternator on the fritz.

:smsoap: READ THE FREAKING THREAD! When did I ever complain about where they're made? And yea, maybe I should've just forked over $200 for a new Optima- why didn't I think of that?? :twak:

And no, there are no charging or electrical issues with my jeep - nice try though.

And if my argument's not credible, then go ahead and tell me how a previously damaged battery would work fine for over a year before becoming an expensive paper weight.

There's nothing special about Optimas. Except their price.

 

[the buddmang]

I already scrapped the optima to get some core charge back but last I looked at it, it was a few months old (like 2 or 3 IIRC) when it came into my possession.

And yes, I've used those terminals in the past and they're handy. But BE CAREFUL which ones you get! I don't remember where I bought mine at, but the studs were sunk into the terminal rather than going all the way through to the other side. All they were, were bolts turned upside down and sunk into the terminal while the lead's hot. And of course, as time went by they loosened up and created an open circuit. Eventually they would've just pulled right out altogether, really bad design. Find some where the stud goes all the way through the terminal and is secured on the bottom side (like an elevator bolt).

All the batteries I've owned since then have had studs as well as posts so I haven't needed them anymore.



:smsoap: READ THE FREAKING THREAD! When did I ever complain about where they're made? And yea, maybe I should've just forked over $200 for a new Optima- why didn't I think of that?? :twak:

And no, there are no charging or electrical issues with my jeep - nice try though.

And if my argument's not credible, then go ahead and tell me how a previously damaged battery would work fine for over a year before becoming an expensive paper weight.

There's nothing special about Optimas. Except their price.

Mistaked you for another poster on the location issue.

I have seem batterys fail fairly quickly. Worked fine, then out of nowhere...poof. done. Dead. No ryhme or reason, just failed. So theres no telling what couldve caused your battery to fail after a year of use.

If you had purchased it new, you probably wouldve gotten a brand new one at no charge. But you didnt.

/you/ took a chance on buying a used battery, optima didnt sell it to you. Go bash the surplus auction you got it from.

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

Jim - ive never been more impressed with how a companys customer service rep handled a forum with cheap, angry people bashing a company that made a product that they purchased second-hand. I have an optima red top in my 01 limited xj, a red top in my wifes 03 accord, a red top in our 99 lexus, and my father in-law has two redtops. One in a 95 wrangler, and one(iirc) in his 03 2500 chevy. We have had no issues with any of them. If one was to require replacement, my money would go right back to optima again, without question.

Cheap, angry people huh? I think what you meant to say was "forum full of people who have more sense than money and don't handle issues by throwing more money at them."

Way to mention all the vehicles that you have red tops in without mentioning how long they've been in them, that really proves a point :gee:

I've had personal experience with just as many vehicles as you mentioned, with $50 parts store batteries and they've all lasted just as long as your red tops that you paid 3 times as much for.

Go hop in your lexus, take it to your nearest parts store, and buy yourself a car load of optimas.

 

[the buddmang]

Cheap, angry people huh? I think what you meant to say was "forum full of people who have more sense than money and don't handle issues by throwing more money at them."

Way to mention all the vehicles that you have red tops in without mentioning how long they've been in them, that really proves a point :gee:

I've had personal experience with just as many vehicles as you mentioned, with $50 parts store batteries and they've all lasted just as long as your red tops that you paid 3 times as much for.

Go hop in your lexus, take it to your nearest parts store, and buy yourself a car load of optimas.

Jeep is 4 years, as well as his 2500. Accord and lexus are less than a year old. God knows how long the one has been in the wrangler, it rarely gets driven.

The solution isnt to throw money at anything. Your missing the point completely. You bought a used part and are complaining that it failed, well, no shit....you bought it used because you didnt want to pay for a brand new one.

You get what you pay for, regardless of how it looked, you got exactly what you paid for. A USED battery. Your decision to buy a USED battery has nothing to do with optima.

Shit, I've got a set of barely used brake pads for sale. If they fail in a year you could go and bash EBC because they make a shitty product.

 

[the buddmang]

Ive got some used tires for sale too, they still have lots of tread left. You could go bash goodyear if you get a nail in them a year from now.

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

Jeep is 4 years, as well as his 2500. Accord and lexus are less than a year old. God knows how long the one has been in the wrangler, it rarely gets driven.

The solution isnt to throw money at anything. Your missing the point completely. You bought a used part and are complaining that it failed, well, no shit....you bought it used because you didnt want to pay for a brand new one.

You get what you pay for, regardless of how it looked, you got exactly what you paid for. A USED battery. Your decision to buy a USED battery has nothing to do with optima.

Shit, I've got a set of barely used brake pads for sale. If they fail in a year you could go and bash EBC because they make a shitty product.

You're incapable of following logic. Anything you buy "new" is "used" the second you USE it, obviously. Just because it's used doesn't mean it's immune to fault for any failure. Used or "new," assuming it hasn't been abused then it should fulfill the same expectations as a "new" product. Trust me, there are PLENTY of "cheap people" (your words, not mine) on this forum that rely on the fact that "used" parts should do the same job as "new" parts. But you wouldn't understand that because apparently you have a lot more money than brains.

I didn't buy a used, old, beat to crap optima, it was new and had rarely if not never been used. Regardless of who it was owned by before I got it, it was for all intents and purposes, new when I got it. You can argue that somehow it was abused without anything ever being connected to the posts or that whoever connected terminals onto it used extreme caution when sliding them on and didn't tighten them down, but that's just asinine and a poor excuse for a failed product.

Ive got some used tires for sale too, they still have lots of tread left. You could go bash goodyear if you get a nail in them a year from now.

Your goodyear example is retarded and irrelevant.

 

[iwannadie]

I gotta be honest, the idea of buying a used battery is not a good one. Just because the terminals looked as if they had never been touched doesn't mean much of anything. The battery may have been frozen solid for months, left out in the sun daily, used as a shop battery with alligator clips or who knows what else.

The person before you may have even hooked up the battery backwards and killed it, anything could have been done or happened to that battery even though it looked newish. My battery terminals are smooth metal I could certainly slide them on to the battery posts and not cause visible marks. It is not like the terminals have jagged edges, they are smooth soft metal and if clamped loosely could leave no marks on the battery posts.

No matter the brand, you bought a used product with an unknown history and without warranty and it failed. It could have been any brand battery and I would say the same thing...

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Optima Closes U.S. Plant.. Moves to mexico, and jacks battery prices up 20%...

I have had a few red tops and a yellow top.. They are good batteries, But i decided to try the Exide Orbital XCD Green label, and so far it has been Everything the Yellow top was.. without the problems of the Red top.. all for $150 Where, the yellowtop is normally well over $200


I have driven it to 0Volts many times and it takes to a trickle charger Very nicely.. Unlike ANY red top.. Once one of those is dead.. it's a 50/50 chance of bringing it back to 100% duty

all of this is MY OPINION..

MADE IN USA
$149.99

Why is this thread still going?

 

[iwannadie]

Optima Closes U.S. Plant.. Moves to mexico, and jacks battery prices up 20%...


MADE IN USA
$149.99

Why is this thread still going?

No one near me sells them, other thank quick lube places. I don't want to go to a jiffy lube if I ever need to warranty the battery. I want to go to either 1 of the million walmarts or an actual parts store.

 

[OverlandZJ]

1. So they are made in mexico, who cares? .

Raises hand...

 

[the buddmang]

Raises hand...

nevermind.

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

I gotta be honest, the idea of buying a used battery is not a good one. Just because the terminals looked as if they had never been touched doesn't mean much of anything. The battery may have been frozen solid for months, left out in the sun daily, used as a shop battery with alligator clips or who knows what else.

The person before you may have even hooked up the battery backwards and killed it, anything could have been done or happened to that battery even though it looked newish. My battery terminals are smooth metal I could certainly slide them on to the battery posts and not cause visible marks. It is not like the terminals have jagged edges, they are smooth soft metal and if clamped loosely could leave no marks on the battery posts.

No matter the brand, you bought a used product with an unknown history and without warranty and it failed. It could have been any brand battery and I would say the same thing...

Sulfuric acid, at the concentration used in lead acid batteries, doesn't freeze till about 65* below zero. Not to mention optimas are AGM's so there's very little water in them to begin with therefore the chances of cold temperature damaging them anywhere on the planet Earth is zero. Nice try though :gee:

And how would being left in the sun damage it anyways? Maybe someone uses a giant magnifying glass to melt it? I'm pretty sure I woulda noticed if my optima was a heap of melted plastic and lead. Not to mention being left in the sun for a significant amount of time would fade the battery and/or the label. Which neither of which was the case. You're really grasping at straws huh?

And again, how would any damage that occurred before it came into my possession (reversed polarity, droppage, etc.) allow it to last for over a year before crapping out?

Also, it didn't look new-ish, it looked off the shelf brand spankin new. No scuffs anywhere on it from battery trays or hold downs, no marks from terminals ever being permanently installed, brand new. It was one of those deals where the seller couldn't list it as "new" because it was already purchased by another entity, regardless of whether or not it had or had never been actually used. Many many of you would've done the same thing. And had the battery not actually been crap, it woulda been a very good deal.

I understand the risk of buying something without a warranty, I'm not upset about that. I took the risk, and lost. I'm upset by the fact that the optima (which is supposed to be the be all and end all of batteries, right?) was a piece of crap. Whether or not it was a fluke, who knows. What I do know however is that I've been through many other regular parts store batteries that have been MUCH cheaper and lasted MUCH longer.

 

[xcm]

take that racist bullshit outta here, you racist XXXX. at LEAST milford has a better reason than you do to do his bashing....

 

[Shorty]

take that racist bullshit outta here, you racist XXXX. at LEAST milford has a better reason than you do to do his bashing....

was it me or you who forgot to take their meds today?

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

FACT: Mexicans suck at making batteries.

 

[OptimaJim]

Milford Cubicle II, I'm sorry to hear you were not able to take a picture of your used BlueTop's label, so we could verify exactly how old it was. Regardless of it's age, our BlueTops can be found in a wide variety of military and government applications, some of them far more demanding than others. Although I am not allowed to discuss specific applications, I can say that some batteries in more demanding applications will be changed out after a specific length of time, regardless of the battery's performance in that application. In some instances, this length of time may be measured in hours. Without knowing the exact application, usage and service history, purchasing any used battery from anyone, even with a load-test report from a carbon pile tester, is a gamble at best.

Since you mentioned freezing temperatures, I should clarify that fully-charged RedTops and protected from freezing down to -50F, while fully-charged YellowTops are protected down to -30F. “Fully-charged” is important, as discharged batteries can be subjected to damage much sooner. We do extensive testing at cold temperatures, as do some of our customers and even though our numbers fall short of the -65F freezing point you cited, they are actually far better than what someone would find in a typical battery.


Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

 

[the buddmang]

FACT: Mexicans suck at making batteries.

Hes mentioned a couple of times that plant is pretty much automated. I didnt know mexican robots make worse batteries than american robots?

 

[Jeepguy03]

I'v had an optima yellow top for three years, my friend had a red top in his old Ranger for years, and he now has a year old yellow top in his XJ. No issues with any of them. I've found that cheap parts store batteries last a decent amount of time but are very weak. I try to avoid Duracrap when possible.

 

[bigalpha]

Used or "new," assuming it hasn't been abused then it should fulfill the same expectations as a "new" product.

And this is the problem. You can't say whether or not it was abused.

 

[Lurch]

our BlueTops can be found in a wide variety of military and government applications, some of them far more demanding than others.

Cool link, couldn't quite make the connection between an arty drop and Optima batteries though.