need a battery. Which one? and where to buy?

[LARGEONE]

Look at the Sears Die Hard PLATINUM pictures and then look at the Odyssey. They are obviously made in the same plant with different colors. Same battery.

Not sure on the 25? My guess is nearly the same as a 34? You'd have to look at the dimensions on-line and the CCAs.

 

[OilHammer]

Ack! Why are Odyssey batteries THAT expensive??? Holy smokes. I thought Optimas were expensive at $150 plus, but $500 bones for a battery?

At that point, I would change to Lion.
http://www.jegs.com/p//Lithium-Pros-12-Volt-Lithium-Batteries/1770167/10002/-1

Less weight, better charging, little dangerous, but meh....
Probably only good for a second battery, but LOVE the weights on those. Wow....3 pounds!

 

[mikeyhcrana]

The odyssey is $250. The Diehard Platinum is $220. The Odyssey has 880 cca, Diehard 850. Odyssey makes a group 25, diehard does not, I'd have to use a spacer to fit a 34. The group 25 weighs less too.

Also, I think $250 is fair for the performance I expect. The Optimas were supreme 12 years ago. They still cost the same as 12 years ago however. One way to hide inflation is to decrease quality. If their quality were the same as when they came out, I would expect them to be about $250 now too.

 

[Red_Chili]

Unless production costs and materials savings make up the difference. Still wondering about CURRENT and ACTUAL experience reports on Optimas. Understandable they went through a teething period when production moved.

Just needing actual current experience data instead of dated and conjectured information.

The O'Reilly's up here reports zero warranty claims on yellowtop Optimas currently, and they are on sale through the end of the month. Other batteries do not fare as well.

 

[corsair23]

Bill, my current Red Top in the 40 that I won at CM a few years ago seems to be doing ok...Granted, I've been keeping it on the charger now vs. just letting it sit after the bad luck I had with the 2 previous Red Tops...So, either quality has improved or how I treat them improved - or both

 

[Keith]

Some experience to add to this thread:

3-4 months ago I* installed a dual battery system (Columbia Overland tray and National Luna kit) into my 05 V6 Tacoma. I put in 2 group 35 Autozone Duralast Gold Batteries. I had a good reason for using 2 starter batteries rather than 1 starter and 1 deep cycle... But for the life of me, I can't remember what that reason was.

So, anyway, on Saturday I went to start the truck and found the starter battery to be 100% discharged. I put it on a trickle charger for the whole day and it still wouldn't hold a charge. Drove to Autozone this AM (the jump-start feature on the dual battery system works great!) and they tested the starter battery to find that it was, indeed, quite dead.

I find it rather disconcerting that this happened. The battery was practically brand new and had never been abused in anyway. It has never been below 12 volts in it's entire life as far as I know.

At any rate, I got the full refund on it... And applied it to an upgrade to an Optima Yellow Top. So, I now have my old auxillary battery (Duralast Gold) in the starting battery position and an Optima Yellow top in the aux battery position.

I'll update in a few months or years when I know how that system works out. Hopefully it was just a fluke bad battery. If the 2nd Duralast Gold fails, then I'll swear off them for life.

*I installed the dual battery system... With a lot of help from Marco.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i have issues with my batteries (blue tops) lasting more than a couple days, ever since adding my national luna setup. i'm thinking that might be the issue as the batteries tested as good.

 

[Romer]

Put a meter between the neg terminal and ground and see if there is a draw. A Bad ground or something always on or a short might cause that. You would see that if there is a current draw when it should be off

 

[coax]

Just another data point. I've had one of my group 35 DHP's for about 2.5 years now. Still going strong. Recently installed the blue sea dual battery setup and got another DHP. I inadvertently deeply discharged the first one by leaving the door open for a few weeks a year or so back. It was quite dead at that point. (changed to LED's after that). The old one still holds about 12.65 volts or so. The new one about 12.75 or 12.8

So overall very happy with them considering the truck sits for sometimes weeks at a time and the bonehead discharge maneuver I pulled

 

[Keith]

I don't think it's a problem w/ the National Luna system. The starter battery that failed had never been below 12 volts when I'd go to start it, and it regularly sits for a week or more. It was usually at about 12.7 when I'd get in the truck... Except for last Friday when it was completely discharged.

 

[Jacket]

Die Hard Platinum's are 25% off right now for online/ship to store orders.

http://www.sears.com/automotive-batteries-car-batteries&DieHard_Sears/b-1100206?filter=Brand_storeOrigin&keywordSearch=false&previousSort=ORIGINAL_SORT_ORDER&viewItems=25

 

[coax]

The post on mud also had this code in it. If it works...

SEARS5OFF50

 

[Rezarf]

So my 12 year old Red Top Optima isn't coming back to life using the parallel battery charging trip. I left the radio on after doing some work and drained it really really good this time. I have had it charging for about 2 days and seeing if I can get it to revive once more, but I'm doubting it.

Am I a fool to buy another Optima? 12 years!!!!! they have earned at least a shot in my book. Probably going to run a yellow top this time, and perhaps install a dual system.

I know the Sears Die Hard Platnium is getting good reviews but is there any other deals out there right now?

 

[MDH33]

So my 12 year old Red Top Optima isn't coming back to life using the parallel battery charging trip. I left the radio on after doing some work and drained it really really good this time. I have had it charging for about 2 days and seeing if I can get it to revive once more, but I'm doubting it.

Am I a fool to buy another Optima? 12 years!!!!! they have earned at least a shot in my book. Probably going to run a yellow top this time, and perhaps install a dual system.

I know the Sears Die Hard Platnium is getting good reviews but is there any other deals out there right now?

I know some folks have had issues with Optima, but I am still a fan. I've been running the same yellow top for 7 years. I had it in my old FJ60 along with a red top. Now it's in my new FJ60 and still going strong.



This would be a good setup for your 40 if you wanted to run a red top and a yellow top in a dual battery setup. I saw your post that you were looking for a tray:

http://stainlesstrays.com/?cat=1&view=143

 

[Corbet]

Additional tray options: http://www.artecindustries.com/Battery-Mounts_c_134.html

Although its hard to beat those Stainless Trays if the configuration works for your needs. I had them in my 60 and wish he made an 80 series option.

I just got a set (27 & 31) of X2 Power batteries from Batteries Plus: http://www.batteriesplus.com/produc...-Group-27-Marine-AGM-Battery-SLI27AGMDPM.aspx They make a group 27 which is nice if you want an OEM sized option for an 80. They are pretty much Odyssey clones like the Die Hard Platinum.

 

[FJCDan]

So my 12 year old Red Top Optima isn't coming back to life using the parallel battery charging trip. I left the radio on after doing some work and drained it really really good this time. I have had it charging for about 2 days and seeing if I can get it to revive once more, but I'm doubting it.

Am I a fool to buy another Optima? 12 years!!!!! they have earned at least a shot in my book. Probably going to run a yellow top this time, and perhaps install a dual system.

I know the Sears Die Hard Platnium is getting good reviews but is there any other deals out there right now?

I was debating that option when my Optima red top died after 3 1\2 years during the cold last month.Went out and bought their charger $200 bucks. tried to revive it did'nt work. 4 Wheel parts would only pro rate it. another $116.00 hopefully this one will last a lot longer. I am actually running the original panasonic battery in that came in the truck. It had been sitting in the garage for 3 1\2 years, put it on charger and has been fine since then.

 

[Rezarf]

I was debating that option when my Optima red top died after 3 1\2 years during the cold last month.Went out and bought their charger $200 bucks. tried to revive it did'nt work. 4 Wheel parts would only pro rate it. another $116.00 hopefully this one will last a lot longer. I am actually running the original panasonic battery in that came in the truck. It had been sitting in the garage for 3 1\2 years, put it on charger and has been fine since then.

I learned a trick from Uncle Ben that you should hook your red top up to another know good battery and charge them together. This has brought mine back from the dead twice when a regular charge did nothing.

 

[Corbet]

You should be using a smart charger for any AGM battery. The old fashioned chargers will cook an AGM. I know, I have done it.

I went this direction as a fairly in-expensive option: http://batteryminders.com/details.php?prod=12248

Works for Flooded/GEL/AGM with multiple amperage options as well as trickle charge. I've been happy with it so far. There was a pretty good write up on it in 4x4 Toyota owner a while back that influenced my buying decision.

But I'm done with Optima personally. Just based on location of assembly. I try to buy USA products when ever possible, well except for my actual truck. For the record my US made Optima was a great battery.

 

[FJCDan]

I purchased the optima 1200 smart battery charger left it on for 2 days. was dead again 2 days later. $316.00 later I have new charger, and battery with 3 year replacement waranty.
So we will see what happens.

 

[Rezarf]

Bought another Red Top... let the game begin.