Which Optima, red or blue?

Bryan C. said:
There are also proven stories of warraty replacement batteries simply being used and recharged batteries that were removed from other customer vehicles. Don'y buy a battery from Sears.
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My local Sears has all their batteries displayed on shelves inside the store - should be easy to spot a used battery. Are people having used batteries installed when they drive up to the shop for install?
 
Another nod to Sears Diehard Platinum AGM. I also have a Sears Gold AGM in the Minivan (kids keep leaving their overhead lights on...) Both the XJ and the minivan start STRONG every time. The XJ only gets driven once a month, and I've been known to not start it for up to 2 months :eyes: but it always cranks right up. I use to unplug the battery, I stopped doing that when I switched to the AGM 2 years ago.

Ronbo said:
My local Sears has all their batteries displayed on shelves inside the store - should be easy to spot a used battery. Are people having used batteries installed when they drive up to the shop for install?
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This, and I never let anyone install a battery for me! (I also watch as they scratch-out the date on them.)
 
I run a blue top but there is more than one type of "Optima blue top"

I Run a Blue D34M it is chemically the same as the yellow top but with higher rated top wingnut aux posts.

http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u.../back-basics-optima-redtop-yellowtop-bluetop/

"Our BLUETOP batteries are designed for marine and RV use and come with additional threaded top post terminals for those applications. Internally, our D34M, D27M and D31M BLUETOPs are identical to their YELLOWTOP counterparts and also share a light-gray case. However, the 34M BLUETOP is the marine version of our Group 34 REDTOP starting battery, so it is not designed for deep-cycle use. That battery has a dark gray case"
 
I'd go AGM. I just did. I bought one at sears before I found it at O'reily's for less. They are both the Odysseys rebadged. The reason is I killed two red tops. the first lasted about 5 years the second 2 or 3.
 
I've sure flipped flopped over the years on Optima, I had a really bad experience with a Diehard battery(x2) and sears in general a few years ago. I asked the local napa to price an optima just for fun and the price they give me is at a bit of a discount so I put a redtop in the XJ. I later ended up with a yellow top in 2 other vehicles and haven't had an issue with them at all. The XJ cranks over strong without fail as do the others and they tend to sit / have more stress on them. The yellow tops are in vehicles that I don't drive all that often and often kept on tenders when sitting for long enough. Az heat sure killed batteries fast for me in the past but the Optima batteries are all handing it so far.

I know the napa will take care of me on any warranty issue like they always do so I am in the Optima camp now and say go with a Yellow top and get a Battery Tender.
 
I was taught that you shouldn't run a deep cycle style battery in an automotive application. Something about they're not designed for the duty cycles in an automobile, but rather designed to be slowly charged then drained, as you would in a boat (like with a trolling motor). I experienced this first-hand when I bought an M1008 with a pair of regular wet cell deep cycle batteries that had been freshly installed by the seller. They barely lasted a year before they started to weaken. I swapped in automotive style batteries and they spun the engine over much faster.

That being said, what makes the Optima deep cycle batteries better suited for an automotive application when regular deep cycles are not? I can understand the dual purpose deep cycle/starting batteries, but what about the straight deep cycle batteries? What am I missing?
 
My rig gets used speratically.. Sometimes I drive it 5 times a week.. some times it sits for 2 weeks between starts..

My Orbital(s) Handled the Daily beating, But wouldnt live the 2-3 weeks they sat..

My rig would sit right next a wheelin XJ that gets ran 4 times a year tops.. THAT rig has always had a Blue top, and NEVER needed a Jump start..

After my 3rd orbital, I swapped to a Blue top myself.. and have been a die hard fan ever since..

with that said.. the 4-5 Red tops I've had/experienced Sucked HUGE.. I'd NEVER pay the price again for such an unreliable Pile that always gave me a throbbing headache (My experience)
 
Georgia Mike said:
I was taught that you shouldn't run a deep cycle style battery in an automotive application. Something about they're not designed for the duty cycles in an automobile, but rather designed to be slowly charged then drained, as you would in a boat (like with a trolling motor). I experienced this first-hand when I bought an M1008 with a pair of regular wet cell deep cycle batteries that had been freshly installed by the seller. They barely lasted a year before they started to weaken. I swapped in automotive style batteries and they spun the engine over much faster.

That being said, what makes the Optima deep cycle batteries better suited for an automotive application when regular deep cycles are not? I can understand the dual purpose deep cycle/starting batteries, but what about the straight deep cycle batteries? What am I missing?
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All optima batteries are hybrid starting/deep cycle that is what makes them different than just a deep cycle marine battery. Even the deep cycle focused ones are still hybrid starting batteries.
 
Just to add my own experience, I have been running Optima yellow tops in various vehicles for about 15 years. I have never had a problem with them. The pair that is in my Dodge Cummins is on the order of 10 years old.

I don't know anything about the red tops, except the "parts bundle" XJ that I recently purchased came with a dead one.

I know even less about the blue tops.

But I am very happy with the yellow tops. Especially for vehicles which tend to sit, unused, for extended periods of time.
 
OutkastBoss said:
All optima batteries are hybrid starting/deep cycle that is what makes them different than just a deep cycle marine battery. Even the deep cycle focused ones are still hybrid starting batteries.
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Pretty sure the red tops are just a starting battery, yellow are starting/deep cycle. The blue tops come in two versions, one is deep cycle (for trolling) and the other just like a yellow top but with aux. posts on top.
 
Don't go with an Optima. For how expensive they are, the quality should be much better. I had a yellow top that lasted 1.5 years and randomly quit. Ended up being a dead cell. Luckily it was under warranty and they replaced it for free. That one lasted almost 1 year and had the same problem. I said forget Optima after that. My buddy bought a yellow top for his XJ, and the thing lasted 1 year before it stranded him an hour from home with a dead cell. It was under warranty, and he still has the replacement yellow top in his Jeep, but it has only been a few months since this happened.

From my experiences, I wouldn't put an Optima in my lawn mower.
 
Jus throwing this out there as I jus did it....

I got a group34 or 78 sized battery for my YJ at AutoZone for around 120$

It's thier Platinum line that is an AGM style with top and side terminals. Same specs as a blue top optima.

The battery lists for 150ish...but with the AutoZone code of Big30 gets you 30$ off a 100$+ purchase. ...jus select "in store pickup" upon checkout.
 
Rod Knee said:
Pretty sure the red tops are just a starting battery, yellow are starting/deep cycle. The blue tops come in two versions, one is deep cycle (for trolling) and the other just like a yellow top but with aux. posts on top.
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Not what the folks at Optima say according to some E-mails I saw posted when I looked at what battery I was going to run.
Their starting battery is a bit of a hybrid as well.
 
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