Our Optima blue tops really worth $276?

[ONE-A-DAY]

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem spending money, I’m far from cheap, but it just seems like optima batteries are a bit of a rip off at $276. You could buy three batteries at Walmart and change them every year for that price . I don’t sit in the channel for days and bump my stereo, I just get in my boat and go fast and then chill, I like listening to music but I just don’t sit there for days on end listening to it.

But I agree that the Optima’s are a sexy looking battery compared to your basic black box, but what am I missing here, is there a reason why I should spend $276 for a battery versus $100 for a battery?

 

[Blackmagic94]

No


Military 6TL batteries from interstate are worth 275 dollars all day every day.

 

[River Runnin]

No! Even though interstate bought them!

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

No.

Buy a prettier battery box if you are worried about being seen with a regular battery.

 

[ElAzul]

Not since Johnson Controls bought them and moved everything to Mexico. I always wondered what changed after the move they have had a nice new modern manufacturing facility cranking them out it's not the Mexican labor or locals saving a buck like a ghetto China build house.

East Penn makes great batteries in the US and OEM's for a lot of brands just check the label. Yuasa, Odyssey, NorthStar are also top notch

 

[PlanB]

Odyssey’s in almost everything we own.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

FWIW the pair of Duralast Marine batteries in my boat are going on 5 years, but they stay on a battery tender when not in use for more than a week or so.

 

[boataholic]

Nope...

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[Springfield]

@ONE-A-DAY, Sent you a PM.

 

[bagged97taco]

Get yourself an interstate from Costco. Around $100 per battery and exchange it every 11 months. Done deal. Optimas new claim is that they don’t use recycled lead like all other batteries. The last couple red tops I have had were garbage Had good luck with the interstates for how cheap they are

 

[Jed-O]

One word. Deka... Done. Never go back to an optima.

 

[707dog]

Get yourself an interstate from Costco. Around $100 per battery and exchange it every 11 months. Done deal. Optimas new claim is that they don’t use recycled lead like all other batteries. The last couple red tops I have had were garbage Had good luck with the interstates for how cheap they are

Iv ran the Costco batteries in my last 3 boats with no issue the last boat was 6 years and they were still strong when I sold it. never had a weak one even after a few months of no use. My new float with be getting them here in a week or so

 

[J DUNN]

This doesn't really answer your question, just sharing my experience. I just took two yellowtop optimas out of my Dad's '62 Impala. It has 2 compressors for air ride, two amps, subs, big sound the whole works. On top of that gets started maybe once a month and driven 2 to 3 times a year. Batteries lasted 11 years. Even at that they didn't really die I just noticed some corrosion and a slight drop in amperage. In order to access and clean them I took apart all the trunk panels and after seeing install date written on batteries of June 2008 I figured I better replace them while I have everything taken apart. They were on tenders last 5 years but not the first 6. I felt like they performed well for the demands on them so I replaced them with new yellow tops.

Worth it? IDK. I have 2 regular lead batteries in my Hallett, keep them on tenders and will likely change every 3 years just for the piece of mind.

Anyway, there's some food for thought.

 

[Gelcoater]

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem spending money, I’m far from cheap, but it just seems like optima batteries are a bit of a rip off at $276. You could buy three batteries at Walmart and change them every year for that price . I don’t sit in the channel for days and bump my stereo, I just get in my boat and go fast and then chill, I like listening to music but I just don’t sit there for days on end listening to it.

But I agree that the Optima’s are a sexy looking battery compared to your basic black box, but what am I missing here, is there a reason why I should spend $276 for a battery versus $100 for a battery?

Buy the 100 dollar battery and some blue paint
The Mopar batteries in my truck are usually good for 4-5 years life. Two of them cost just a little more than that one optima. Stealership prices at that

 

[CoolCruzin]

I’m running two reg auto battery.
No problem . I’ve done this to every boat a owned
No marine battery and no blue top red top no yellow

 

[Big B Hova]

I have an optima in my truck from 2008 or 2007. Still works great. Truck sits for months at a time. But I did hear the new Optimas dont last

 

[farmo83]

Dad has Optima's and replaces them about twice as often as my Interstate.

 

[Fun Times]

Install date written on batteries of June 2008...They were on tenders last 5 years but not the first 6.

I have an optima in my truck from 2008 or 2007. Still works great. Truck sits for months at a time. But I did hear the new Optimas dont last

Probably along the lines of what Blue mentioned above about moving but x 3 with my 2008 installed optima blue top in the boat...Still works & test's good even with no tender on it all these years.

 

[lbhsbz]

No, they’re garbage. Find a battery made by East Penn. Deka is one of their brands.

 

[lbhsbz]

Get yourself an interstate from Costco. Around $100 per battery and exchange it every 11 months.

That’s a shitty way to do things and part of what drives companies to switch to selling cheap garbage.

 

[bonesfab]

I have been using SVR batteries with good luck. The first set I had in my big truck went 10 years before I replaced them out of concern.

 

[bagged97taco]

That’s a shitty way to do things and part of what drives companies to switch to selling cheap garbage.

Costco ain’t going anywhere and companies demand to get product on their shelves. It’s part of the deal. If they didn’t like it they would change policies. Take advantage of what’s available

 

[Bullet28]

Nope, my Interstates have never failed me so far.

 

[HB2Havasu]

Pickup an Odyssey AGM Battery. They are about 1/2 the price of an Optima and if you keep them on a tender when not in use they will last around 7 years. I run them in my RZR also!

 

[Bigbore500r]

My blue tops (3 of them) went 8 years in my boat....but I do run a guest 3-bank charger and keep them juiced when the boat is in storage.

I think they would still be going strong if the last shop that serviced it didn't leave the key on and put it back in storage without plugging it in, and the battery switch on "all". They were'nt able to recover from that draining

 

[FreeBird236]

I got 9 years out of the factory installed Centennials in my 08 Eagle, on my second set now, a very good conventional battery.

 

[brgrcru]

I have had good luck with blue tops . That's all I'm say 'n

 

[RiverDave]

I ran interstates for most of my adult life and honestly for bang for the buck they are hard to beat. Then I switched to Optima blue tops and was really impressed with them (this was mid 2000’s).

Something changed the last set of them I had were junk.

I have two 6/7 year old interstates in My Schiada. 1 big full river AGM in my SXS and Four big full rivers in my Hallett.

I am impressed with the Full rivers and their resilience to the abuse I put them through. I flattened that Sxs one and left it dead on accident for months.. etc. I charge em up and they behave like new.

That said if you think optimas are expensive these aren’t for the faint of heart. Slightly cheaper than odyssey though. I don’t have the retail prices but I think they are 400’ish for a group 31.

Bionic and another company are now marketing a new technology battery that I am just starting to read up on. Supposedly have a ten + year life and other features.. that said at the boat show they were quoting prices of 700.00.

RD

 

[Runs2rch]

Anyone else run Lifeline's?

 

[Uncle Dave]

I have a boat with Odysseys and one with Optimas.

Odysseys every day. Optimas were moved bought etc became - hecho in mexico- went from great to shitty now they are back to OK.

I dont feel I have to remove my custom optima mounts anymore but it got close.

Lifeline is a good alternative Ive used lifelines in RV/Work Van inverter applications and they hold up well.

If I had a generic battery box Id switch over odysseys in boat 2 in a scanline (tv jargon)

UD

 

[Boat 405]

Nope. I’d go Odyssey, Braille or Deka

 

[TCHB]

Nope! Waste of money.

 

[Englewood]

Anybody use Stinger? I have 3 big ones and they will last forever, even blasting the stereo for hours on end.

 

[78Southwind]

I must have got a good one. It's been sitting for a year and is 13 years old.

BTW...it's Are


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[ONE-A-DAY]

I’ve now realized that a volt meter is a pretty lousy indicator of a batteries condition. My optimas read 13 on a volt meter but only 10 under load.

I must have got a good one. It's been sitting for a year and is 13 years old. View attachment 736764 View attachment 736765


BTW...it's Are [emoji16]


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not

 

[78Southwind]

So here is the worst of the two that I have. I can't remember if I bought this one before or after the 2006 battery. I will have to see if I can find the receipt. But it tested under load at 12.24 volts. I am going to get the 2006 battery load tested as well.

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[was thatguy]

I used to be an optima cheerleader and for good reason.
But not any more.
I’ve had one good optima in the last 6 I’ve bought. The blue that is in my Miller is the unicorn of the last 6 optimas I’ve bought between 2004 and 2012 more or less. All of them failed almost immediately (reds, blues and yellows).
The blue in the Miller is over 10 years old. Never tended, never disconnected, it just will not die.
But I will never buy another one.
Years back they were the shit, now they are shit.

I’m a diehard platinum fan now, but with the discontinuation of that line I’ve had extremely satisfactory results with die hard golds.
They are my go to battery now.

 

[Cray Paper]

As mentioned , NOPE. Bought 3 over the last 5 years and ... NOPE. Just replaced the two batteries in my rarely driven Duramax a couple of weeks ago. It had Les Schwab specials purchased in 2008. I got 11 years out of those 6 year batteries. Didnt come close with the 3 Blue tops I purchased for the boat, even when charging with the correct charger in the winter.

The 3 Blue tops that came with my boat were all from around 2000 and held up OK, the replacements sucked.

 

[Dalton]

I used to be an optima cheerleader and for good reason.
But not any more.
I’ve had one good optima in the last 6 I’ve bought. The blue that is in my Miller is the unicorn of the last 6 optimas I’ve bought between 2004 and 2012 more or less. All of them failed almost immediately (reds, blues and yellows).
The blue in the Miller is over 10 years old. Never tended, never disconnected, it just will not die.
But I will never buy another one.
Years back they were the shit, now they are shit.

I’m a diehard platinum fan now, but with the discontinuation of that line I’ve had extremely satisfactory results with die hard golds.
They are my go to battery now.

diehard platinum was basically an odyssey right?

 

[was thatguy]

diehard platinum was basically an odyssey right?

I couldn’t tell you.

 

[PlanB]

diehard platinum was basically an odyssey right?

Yes...

 

[rlemn8r]

I must have got a good one. It's been sitting for a year and is 13 years old. View attachment 736764 View attachment 736765


BTW...it's Are


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Those chargers are bad ass. My boss bought one of those, and he brought back 2 batteries from 5 volts back to 14 volts and they work perfect...

 

[Headless hula]

Those chargers are bad ass. My boss bought one of those, and he brought back 2 batteries from 5 volts back to 14 volts and they work perfect...

The 12 amp one works even better.

 

[78Southwind]

Those chargers are bad ass. My boss bought one of those, and he brought back 2 batteries from 5 volts back to 14 volts and they work perfect...

Yep, I have been wondering if that's what's happening with some of these guys that are having bad luck with these Optima batteries. Maybe they are falling below 10.5 volts and the old school analog battery charger is not bringing the volts back up.

 

[was thatguy]

My vehicles sit at airport parking lots for weeks on end in sub freezing temps.
I need a battery, not a capacitor.
To me, a battery that needs full time maintenance is not a battery.
It’s one thing in a boat or rv that can be tended and fawned over, it’s another thing when it just has to work.
Optimas used to do that, and the blue one in my Miller still does. When you get a good one they just don’t quit. Unfortunately getting a “good” optima seems rare these days.
The die hard platinums I’ve had (4 in two Cummins, one in a Tacoma, one in my Tahoe, one in my old 88 1/2 ton chev) never once let me down.
They say that they are odyssey batteries, but the one odyssey I bought for the vette was junk.
I am not a battery engineer, I don’t know who builds what, I only know my own experience.
And my experience is that modern Optimas can not be depended apon to work when needed.
The die hards have never once left me with jumper cables hooked up waiting for a Good Samaritan or parking lot attendant to give me a jump, even sitting as long as 90 days in Salt Lake airport in the dead of winter, or 60 days plus sitting in Grand Junction airport in winter.

 

[78Southwind]

So I pulled out my old Sea-Doo batteries that have been sitting unconnected in my Sea-Doos for almost 4 years. One was at least five years old and the other was at least six years old. They have been sitting in my Sea-Doos since before my accident which was August of 2015. One tested at 6 volts and the other at 1.5 volts. I was able to bring back the 6 volts one that was at least 5 years old. Sea-Doo started right up. I have never been able to bring back one of these batteries with an analog charger.

 

[warlock250]

I got a boat with 3 Blue tops and they are barely 2 years old and there shit.

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[warlock250]

I'm gonna try and save them with a Noco charger. Best battery charger I've owned yet.

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[No Butt No Putt]

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem spending money, I’m far from cheap, but it just seems like optima batteries are a bit of a rip off at $276. You could buy three batteries at Walmart and change them every year for that price . I don’t sit in the channel for days and bump my stereo, I just get in my boat and go fast and then chill, I like listening to music but I just don’t sit there for days on end listening to it.

But I agree that the Optima’s are a sexy looking battery compared to your basic black box, but what am I missing here, is there a reason why I should spend $276 for a battery versus $100 for a battery?

No. I really like the Full River agm batteries. Made by Odyssey but about $100 cheaper. They are a really good battery with a 2 year 100% replacement warranty.


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[ONE-A-DAY]

I got replacement Blue Tops for $160 each, boat already has optima brackets, so changing brands is going to be expensive. Lets see how well they last.