Optima Batterys: Red top or Yellow? Which is the best?

[BuckBronco76]

Which one is the best? I am ready to ditch my Sears Die Hard. I have six KCs on a light bar on my top. I need a strong one and heard they were good batterys so your imput is appreciated.

 

[Baja71]

Before you ditch the Diehard for the Optima, check out the Sears Platinum Diehard. It's made by Odyssey and simply rebadged for Sears.

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/

 

[73Russell]

If your vehicle sits at all, and the batteries go dead forget about getting them to take a charge. They have there warranty, but if you get a scratch on it they won't warranty the thing. I was replacing mine every year.

 

[Crewwzin]

In my experience in the car stereo world, the yellow tops arent all they're cracked up to be. The red top has a longer amp/hour rating and higher cranking amps. Both batteries are fine for use in a Bronco as a main starting battery though. The red top is a little cheaper too.

 

[sprinksbeme]

Red tops are better starting battery and use the yellow top if you winch. But they need to stay charged, when the Red tops go dead they are hard to bring back. Most modern battery chargers won't do it, as they need charge in the battery to know what to do. I have fooled mine by hitching a good battery and the dead optima together with jumpers till the charging was done.
When they stop warranting them I going with the odyssey. Nice tip on the Sears battery.

Make sure you are putting enough power out of your alternator. If your still running a stock one it is probably most of the trouble, not enough amps for the draw of you lights.

If you are running 6 100watt daylighters there draw is 50 amps at 12 volts if you are running the 130watt ones that is 65 amps at 12 volts your battery is picking up the slack if your charging system cant ecceed the draw on all your equipment + dead battery.

 

[Itsa67]

I have always run redtops and have had no problems. If I had a winch I would go with the yellow (marine) type though.

 

[nysledge]

Check the warranty. I had a yellow top die from sitting and the warranty was only for a year. For some reason the warranty on the red is either 3 years or 5 years. Needless to say, I replaced mine with a red top.

 

[jedblake]

Red top for me and no complaints, although I've had great luck w/ a yellow in my boat for years.
I just added a 10K lb. winch and will upgrad to the dual battery set-up. Thinking about going w/ dual Reds.

 

[clkwrkorg36]

i'd stick with something made by odyssey, they're much better batteries.

 

[73ny]

Which Odyssey is a good choice? Seems like alot to pick from (just for starting, no winch and maybe a few lights).

 

[MarsChariot]

1500 DT. You will appreciate the additional side terminals.

 

[csjr]

Before you ditch the Diehard for the Optima, check out the Sears Platinum Diehard. It's made by Odyssey and simply rebadged for Sears.
http://www.odysseybatteries.com/

I did not know this about the Platinum. Good info. I quit buying Die Hards when I was going through them every year to 18 months. In my research it seems the Odyssey's are the best (they make batteries for the military where people could die if the battery doesn't work). They are AGM technology. But you will pay for it. We have a 1200 at work I bought at a boating place and paid $210. We've had VERY good luck with a DEKA Intimidator--much cheaper but still a hardy battery that can take a bunch of charge/discharge cycles.

If you do go red top--I bought mine at a Costco. I was messing with some wiring one weekend and left the ignition key on. Yeah, I killed it and my cool new charger wouldn't budge it--error codes. (Another good tip about the batteries in series charging trick!). Anyway, lucky for my there was still a month/year sticker on the red top when I brought it back to Costco and it was 100% warrantied. No proration. There was an increase in the price of the batteries so I just had to pay the difference. I have heard that possibly due to demand, the quality of the newer ones are somewhat less. I think my Costco red top was $139.

 

[NC-Fordguy]

Before you ditch the Diehard for the Optima, check out the Sears Platinum Diehard. It's made by Odyssey and simply rebadged for Sears.

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/

X2 on what he said

The diehard did well with all of the winching from last weeks wheeling trip

 

[clkwrkorg36]

another one to consider is the north star battery. they are VERY strong and well built. just not as easy to find.

 

[bigbri69]

i had nothing but bad luck with all my yellow tops.when thay are charged thay are great.but once thay died thay were nothing but shit to me.my brother had the same trouble.we have bolth switched to the odyssey and even sitting this winter i had no trouble.

 

[Bronco]

Another vote for the red top. I also got mine at Costco, and with their return policy you could return it at anytime for a full refund whenever it dies(or you don't want it). Don't have to worry about any warranty.

 

[RRRAAAYYY2]

Man I go away for a week and optima is back in already. LOL I would do some searches on hear for some long discussion about batteries. you can get a decent Optima, but it is a crap shoot. I would go either with the Intimidator or the Sears Platinum (rebadged Odyssey). My warranty rate on the Deka Intimidator is below 1%, even when Optima was a good battery their return rate was over 10%.

 

[RRRAAAYYY2]

Another vote for the red top. I also got mine at Costco, and with their return policy you could return it at anytime for a full refund whenever it dies(or you don't want it). Don't have to worry about any warranty.

If you are 35 miles into the bush when if lets go, the return policy will me little to you. Not meant to offend you, just nothing ever seems to fail in your driveway.

 

[garberz]

I have always run redtops and have had no problems. If I had a winch I would go with the yellow (marine) type though.

Marine is the blue top. It has additional threaded post on top. I wouldn't recommend Optima for that kind of cash.

 

[BuckBronco76]

Thanks for all the info. I will go get the Red Top.