Is Optima a good brand?

[dremd]

I purchased an optima starting battery last year, already been replaced 2 times. First time could have been me (left car stored, and it wouldn't ever recover). 2nd time was totally not me; had battery disconnected and it went dead in less than a month and hasn't recovered yet.

I may however be highly unlucky . . .

[SatanicMechanic]

I have used both Optima Red and Yellow Tops for E.V.'s. One thing I noticed was a failure of one in fourteen batteries. I have worked with over sixty Red Tops and 20 Yellow Tops. Usually a seal blows out or a cell dies (or reverses). Also, the Optima's are sensitive to temperatures below 40F.

[Smoove]

My Optima red top just kicked the bucket after 5+ years of 1-2x a week use. I didn't buy another one as I couldn't justify the cost vs no real upgrade in performance (it was lighter than stock, yet the same weight as my new battery).

I found this interesting:
"The majority of car batteries are created by 3 manufacturers - Delphi, Exide and Johnson Controls Industries. Delphi makes some EverStart models sold in Walmart and ACDelco. Johnson Control Industries makes Duralast seen in Autozone stores, Diehard - sold in Sears, Kirkland - the Costco brand, Motorcraft - which Ford sells, some of the EverStarts, and Interstate. Exide makes Exide batteries, Champion, Napa and even a % of the EverStart batteries."

[Bror Jace]

"The majority of car batteries are created by 3 manufacturers ..."

That's true of a lot of auto parts ... oil filters, brake linings, etc ... Many are the same (or very similar) design but in a different box, with a different label, etc ...

[reformed]

Originally Posted by dremd

I purchased an optima starting battery last year, already been replaced 2 times. First time could have been me (left car stored, and it wouldn't ever recover). 2nd time was totally not me; had battery disconnected and it went dead in less than a month and hasn't recovered yet.

I may however be highly unlucky . . .

Nope, I've had similar luck with optima batteries. I used to be a dealer for them but they would just not come back after going dead, and that is unacceptable for a high priced battery. They are great for high load applications, but every one that I ever had that went dead, was gone for good afterward. They made good on their warranty for most of them though, so I have to give them that.

[bennelson]

Define "best battery".

Optimas are sealed and can pull lots of power quick, which is why I used them for my cycle.

A true deep cycle, such as a Trojan 6V would be better for an electric car.

If anyone wants to buy Yellow Tops, consider Blue Tops instead. According to Optimas own web site, the yellows and blues are exactly the same inside. The blue ones have threaded post, which are handy for hooking accessories straight onto. I think they are also a little less expensive, and might have a few more amp-hours on them.