Battery preferences

[Trogdor636]

Yea when I bought my first red top it was like 80-90 bucks. I hadn't bought a battery in so long I didn't realize how much they all had gone up. I needed a cheap quick battery and Wal Mart used to have like a 40 dollar one. Now the cheap one is 70 or 80.

[Tungsten]

If I had to guess I would say the main reason the price for batteries went up is transportation cost since fuel became that much more expensive over the last few years. Another factor could be supply and demand for the materials to make the batteries or even for the batteries themselves. Maybe the demand for materials has increased because of the amount of hybrid cars now.

 

I never actually used Optima Yellow and would be surprised if it wasn't that great since AGMs are usually pretty damn good. One thing I do know is all the DieHard AGMs at my local Sears stores were gone like hot cakes within a year even at their price.

[ahardb0dy]

Well The yellow top I bought my buddy is still in his Toyota pickup and working so it must be OK, I bought that battery for him over 10 maybe 15 years ago.

[westslope]

A few years ago, lead along with other base metals enjoyed a tremendous bubble in prices. That drove up the price of batteries that have been declining slowly since then. Or so I think I notice.

 

ahardb0dy: 10 years, perhaps more, of automotive battery service? That's excellent. Divide by two for hard-pounding gravel roads?

 

A lot of these companies sell hybrid cranking/deep cycle batteries. The money basically buys the consumer thicker plates or am I wrong about that?

[westslope]

I reckon that batteries are like tires and hiking boots. An expensive price tag usually buys quality and can buy more safety and durability making the expensive item cost effective over the full life of the item.

[Harbinger]

What are you guys using to charge your AGM batteries? (Inb4 alternator). The instructions said I couldn't use a normal charger if it's agm mode is a gel/agm setting?

 

Wouldn't see why it would matter if a normal vehicle alt works...

[Precise1]

Hopefully that isn't an issue, as I've used an old trickle charger many times. So far it doesn't seem to matter, but maybe it reduces the number of useful drain/charge cycles? Damn you Electrons!!

 

B

[Harbinger]

Hopefully that isn't an issue, as I've used an old trickle charger many times. So far it doesn't seem to matter, but maybe it reduces the number of useful drain/charge cycles? Damn you Electrons!!

 

B

 

http://www.optimabat...-care/charging/

 

Hrmmm, I can't find the paper that came with my Red Top, but the instructions on Optima's website doesn't mention anything specific. Guess I'll put my charger on it (since the truck is sitting awaiting a transmission) and hope it doesn't blow up! Planning on installing a second yellow top in the rear of the truck when all my wishes come true!

 

Hrmmm, they only specify to use a charger under 15 amps in this video...nothing about special modes.

 

Edited September 17, 2012 by Harbinger

[Harbinger]

This is what I was thinking of.

 

http://m.optimabatteries.com/tech-tips/charging.html

 

Apparently older chargers with an agm/gel mode can undercharge and cause damage over time.

 

I'll be looking at getting one of these.

http://smartercharger.com/products/batterychargers/ctek-multi-us-7002/

[JamesRich]

I think the main thing they don't want you to do to an AGM battery is use those small 1/2 amp trickle chargers. Most recommend an automatic charger that hits the battery with decent amperage. My camper convertor has a setting for regular batteries or AGM. I was planning to just add an AGM but now I will have to wait till the regular battery fails and then put two AGMs.

James

[Precise1]

Thanks for clearing that up James!

It turns out my charger is 6 amp @ 6 or 12 volts only, so no trickle charging there.

 

B

[The_Magicians_Eye]

Yellow top Optima in my ride. I bought it about a year and a half ago. I went with the yellow top for all the reasons westslope listed.

 

I also went that rout because what killed my last battery was a complete drain of it's power due to me not having my flood lights wired properly. I wanted to make sure if something like that happened again it would still work. As most of you know Deep-cycle batteries are the only ones designed to handle that abuse.

 

As far as Optima being crap now days... They still carry their 36 months free replacement warranty so I have no worries at all in that department. Plus mine works just fine even cold starting in -18 weather.