Red Top versus Yellow Top

[mustangmarty]

Which battery would y'all recommend for my '77? It's got a 408 with 10.5 to 1 compression with a mechanical fan and a winch that I use from time to time. No stereos, or A/C any thing else drawing electricity apart from stock minimum. And I live in Central Texas, so it get hot a lot.

Or if you have a third better option for me, please let me know what you think.

 

[Hank_]

I have been using these for years http://www.dekabatteries.com/default.aspx?pageid=163 . I don't think you can do better. Great product and a little easier on the wallet.

Henry

 

[Apogee]

Nothing against the Optima's, but solid alternatives with higher power density than the Optima's would be the Deka Intimidator mentioned above made by East Penn Mfg or the Hawker Odyssey, also marketed as Sear's Platinum line in the Group 34/78DT and other similar sizes.

 

[TBS-POPS]

don't but an optima , since they moved the plant to mexico they are junk. buy a Deka!!! My Battery dealer won't sell Optima's and only stocks them to warranty them. that should tell you something .

 

[mustangmarty]

Well I've already changed the cables to use the side posts for the winch and the top posts for the starter. so wanna stay with the dual post type battery.

 

[jms5580]

While I've heard similiar stuff about the optimas...is any of the above related to first- or second-hand experience? My friend has a red top, has run it dead many times. Sits overnight and will fire up the next day. I run a yellowtop with my winch and stereo, not much in the way of lights yet. I have cranked my wake speakers all night with no perceivable loss in charge. Yellowtop is definitely great for large draws on the battery like the winch/lots of accessories/extended time with truck off. I guess only time will tell if the battery lasts. Optima does have a great warranty though.

 

[viper982]

I would agree deka is the way to go. I have a optima red top in my bronco right now but I run deka batteries in the fleet of semis and forklifts I maintain and have had great luck with them.

 

[mustangmarty]

Does Deka make a dual type post like the Optimas?

 

[Pokey71]

Optimas are garbage.

search pirate4x4 for the answers to optimas downfall.

IMHO: this battery will be your best friend. Made by the same company that makes Odyssey batteries. Just rebranded and mass produced for sears.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...tive&cName=Batteries&sName=Car Batteriesmv=rr

 

[broncomitch]

I have had good luck with my red top(4years running)
If you keep it charged and recharge it correctly it should last some time..

Everyone I know that goes through optima's kills them often and dose not recharge them correctly..

I have never had a yellow top so I can't vote for those.

 

[casadejohnson]

I voted for the Red top but I have been converted to DieHard Platnum for a while now. Word around the camp fire is that they are Odyssey Batteries in Sears clothing.

 

[Bronco Brian]

Well I've already changed the cables to use the side posts for the winch and the top posts for the starter. so wanna stay with the dual post type battery.

switch back the side post are not for winching.

 

[Toddml]

Have to agree with the Deka's. Have had two of them in my fifth wheel for 3 years, still going strong. Price was right as well.

 

[casadejohnson]

switch back the side post are not for winching.

Why not?

 

[mustangmarty]

switch back the side post are not for winching.

Yeah, why not?

 

[bknbronco]

Actually i would vote a blue top with the light grey base i think. The blue is a starting and a deepcycle. It takes way more discharge cycles than either the red or yellow. The wing nut termanals are perfect for a offroad truck. My dad had a few yellows for his jeep but they didnt last but a year or two. My blue top i have had for maybe 8 years or more and have charged and discharged a thousand times.

I buy nothing but interstate nowadays. Why the need for a expensive dry cell battery? You mounting it sideways or upsidedown? The interstate i got for my bronco was less than 90 bucks.

 

[needabronco]

I have a Red Top in my Bronco and have never had an issue with it. In fact everyone I know that runs Optima's hasn't had any real problems either.

 

[KyleQ]

Optima batteries are now junk - go for the Sears platnum batteries, also do some reading on Pirate as others suggested, there is a GIANT battery thread where Optima weighs in a bit.

I'll probably go with a Sears batt, but there are some Extreme series comp style batteries that sure are nice. Arctec makes a bunch of boxes - so don't let that deter you either.

 

[DirtDonk]

Why not?

Yeah, why not?

Every battery manufacturer that I've read about, says the same thing. Don't hook any extended draw accessories to a side-terminal. A starter is ok under normal circumstances because it's usually a heavy drain for only a second or two (usually!). But winches and using the starter motor to push the truck over obstacles can do damage internally to the connections.
The side posts do not have as robust a connection to the main plates as do the standard top posts.

That said, I don't know about the Dekas or Odyssey or other specialty batteries, just what the mainstream manufacturers have said.
And, plenty of people do run their winches off of the side terminals with no problems. But that may be due only to the fact that they don't winch for extended periods either.
Most winchings I've been involved with only lasted a few seconds. But I've seen plenty of others go MUCH longer. So up to you...

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

The blue is a starting and a deepcycle. It takes way more discharge cycles than either the red or yellow.

Not quite. The Blue Tops are EXACTLY like a Red Top or Yellow Top. Just depends on which version of the Blue Top you get.
If you get the one with the "D" in the part number, it's basically a deep-cycle Yellow Top with a blue case and Marine terminals.
If you get the non-D version, which is a starting battery, you're basically getting a Red Top in blue livery.
If the main body is Grey, it's a Deep-Cycle. If it's Black it's a starting battery. Blues can be had either way.

The wing nut termanals are perfect for a offroad truck.

Totally agree. Which is why I bought Blue Tops (deep-cycle types) the last time.

My dad had a few yellows for his jeep but they didnt last but a year or two. My blue top i have had for maybe 8 years or more and have charged and discharged a thousand times.

Maybe you got the better batteries. Or, it might just have been the different vehicles under different circumstances.
I don't think you can really compare apples-to-apples directly when two different people with two different vehicles have different results with different batteries.
Not that you can't draw an initial conclusion from it, of course. You just can't count on future results always agreeing with you.

Why the need for a expensive dry cell battery? You mounting it sideways or upsidedown? The interstate i got for my bronco was less than 90 bucks.

Kind of agree, but I still get Optimas and their ilk because, even though I don't mount my batteries sideways, I bounce around and park on side-hills. And also, the only time I've ever had a battery acid spill, was when my alternator overcharged on the freeway and it spewed juice all over my engine compartment.
So for me at least, the extra cost is still usually justified.

And just to clear up a misconception that's still around, the Optimas are neither dry-cell or gel-cell batteries. They're liquid filled lead-acid batteries with chemistry just like (or at least almost like) a standard battery.
It's just that the liquid is held in sealed spiral wound glass mats (like a foam cell maybe?) that keep things very consistent inside the case, and hold the acid safely in suspension.
The top vents are only to allow expansion and contraction of the plastic outer case.

Paul