Batteries

[Don]

I am going shopping for a pair of batteries this weekend and was wondering if anyone had good or bad luck with a piticular brand or any other recommenditions.
Thanks in advance for any help
Don

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1996 Extended Cab 2500 4X4, 5 Speed, Rhino Spray in Lining, Ultra Wheels, Dee Zee Black Tool Box, Smitty Bilt Step Rails, KC Backup Lights, Tow Hooks, PrimeLoc etc. etc.

 

[DennyDay]

Last set I bought for my '94 were from NAPA. No problems for the next 100k when I sold truck

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Denny
'99 2500 4X4 White short Q cab to much added to put here

 

[Bad340fish]

How long do you plan on keeping the truck?? If your going to hang on to it for awhile i would throw the cash out for a set of Red Top Optimas from Interstate Batteries. Interstate sells the SAME battery as Optima does except with a different label and more warranty. List price is around $130 a battery but they are a 36 month Free replacement with a 72 total month warranty. They are TOTALY maintanence free and can be used upside down or however you want. They will also not spit on the fenders like some other regular lead acid batteries do. And umm I Also work for Interstate as a Route Driver so help me out man?? lol IMO those optimas rock.

However if you do not go that route be sure and by a battery that is NOT maintance free. If it is a regular lead acid type battery it will go through water(acid) in the summer time. A Maintance free battery will still do that but you just can't add any. The Optimas are totaly sealed, they reabsorb there own acid that is used if it is used and you have no mess and no dirty teminals to clean.

The Interstate optima is also cheaper than the regular Optima label and it has more warranty on it. It would be best to get them from an Interstate Warehouse(you should have one near by) as they stick to the Interstate retail price where some Dealers Double it($200 for a red top) Sorry for the long post, hope it was of some help. www.InterstateBatteries.com There is a Dealer Locater on the website.


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Clark
1999 2500 QC SB 5spd Flowmaster 3 chamber, K&N Re-0880
1968 Barracuda Formula S Viper Blue 11. 98@112

NHRA member for life

[This message has been edited by Bad340fish (edited 03-09-2001). ]

 

[rmrc]

I agree with Bad340fish!!!

 

[24V-DSL]

ditto

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White 2001. 5 2500 ST, SWB, 4X4,QC, AUTO, 4. 10's, LSD, 285/75/16 On Weld Outbacks, PIAA 510's, Line-x, Tinted glass, Redline 85+.

 

[illflem]

I've bought five Optima Red Tops in the past year for one Ram and three tractors,they're great batteries,but replaced my forklift battery this week with a Champion brand "Red Top". I can see no difference between the two except the price,the Champion was $85,warranty and amp hours are the same.

 

[Guest00]

You can get red or yellow top at COSCO.
I think $99 for the red top. They have the house brand label on them.

 

[maint.man]

I deal with a local place and was quoted 100. 00 ea. for a optima style battery made by exide. seemed like a deal. But the ones I chose were a standard exide made replacement for 45. 00 ea. and that was a 60 month battery and the guy even delivered them. Either way I couldn't complain my rig's was put in service in Nov. 95' and the batteries I removed were the original ones.

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1996 3500, slt,club cab, Cummins, auto,3. 54 posi, straight pipe,A-pillar boost,trans temp,pyro ,stock plate and afc slid all the way forward, K&N, DTT VB

6 IN A ROW AND BUILT TO TOW

 

[John]

I disagree with the Red Top Optimas being the best choice for our CTDs. I believe the superior choice is the Optima Yellow Tops... so does Optima (check out their website). Although they cost more, they are better suited to the actual duty usage in our Cummins powered Rams.

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John Treibel
'98. 5 2500 QC 4x4 Sport, Glasstite Vision II, 285 BFG A/Ts on M/T Challengers, Warn 4X Boards, Mopar fender flares & tow hooks, NW Custom s/s-rubber mud flaps and accs. , Mag-Hytec diff. cover & trans. pan, Edelbrock IAS shocks, Reese Titan V hitch, SPA gauges (3), Dynamat, '00 Sport grille and headlights/PIAA Super White bulbs, PIAA Dual Sport 900 aux. lights, BD exh. brake, Amsoil Dual Remote Bypass, Optima Yellow Tops, DD3s and DD TTPM, Aeroquip AQP braided s/s fuel hoses, Banks High-Ram intake manifold and 14 cm2 turbine housing w/Big Head wastegate actuator, ATS 3-piece exh. man. , Banks 4" dia. s/s exh. sys. , DTT 93% TC, DTT custom tuned VB, BD modified trans. front pump (enhanced by DTT), Air Bulldog induction hood (with NACA ducts), plus MANY other trick modifications

NRA Life (Patron) member

 

[Bad340fish]

As a Route Driver for Interstate I can vouch for all the stereo shops that quit using the yellows due to warranty problems. I would say I sell 10 red to every yellow I sell. The free replacement warranty is also 24 months more than the yellow. I think the yellow is a good battery but the reds just flat out sell it and have less warranties. My . 02

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Clark
1999 2500 QC SB 5spd Flowmaster 3 chamber, K&N Re-0880
1968 Barracuda Formula S Viper Blue 11. 98@112

NHRA member for life

 

[RobbyRam]

Why do you need two batteries? The only reason Dodge installs two is because of the
grid heater. If you happen to live in a warmer state, you can easily get by with only one by disconnecting the grid heater. If it gets too cold just hook up the block heater. HVAC has done this with good results!


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Y2K Black 3500 ISB 4x4, 4:10 LSD,Auto,QC,SLT Laramie,"EZ", LB, Polished Stull Billet Grill & Fog inserts, Chrome Smitty-Built Step Rails, Mopar Chrome-Tipped Mud Flaps, A-Pillar mounted West-Tach Turbo/Pyro/Trans Temp gauges,Rancho 9000's set at '1',Diamond Plated Tool Box, OEM U. R. Bedliner + other stuff.
Fact:The First Fords' had 'DODGE' Engines! The new PSD's need them!

 

[Big_Bad_Dually]

Had an Optima Red Top on an old John Deere 4320 DIESEL tractor that was started alot. The Optima battery was eight years old, YES EIGHT(8)YEARS OLD #ad
, before it decided to go.
Have dual red tops on my 95 3500 and have ran my stereo all day in the shop, many of times and then and she still started right up afterword.
OPTIMA, MY FAVORITE BATTERY #ad
#ad
#ad


P. S. we currently have optimas in all of our farm and our personal viehicals, incuding the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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1995 Ext. Cab, 4x4, 5 speed manual; removed turbo silencer ring; 3" straight pipe w/Banks turndown tip; Adjustable Propane Injection; Autometer UltraLite Boost & SportComp Pyro; Custom 1400 watt stereo with 4-6"x9" Blapunkt mid/high ranges and 2-10" AudioBahn Subs; Cobra CB and Police scanner; Motorola UHF Two-Way radio; Lund winterfront; 312,500 miles and still adding 50+ a day.
The BOMBing will NEVER end!!!

 

[radixr]

A note of caution to anyone replacing their batteries with Optimas: They (at least the yellow tops) are not as tall as the stock batteries. I did not realize this when I installed mine and the clamping bolt (fender side) on the driver's side was now too long and penetrated a wiring harness under the battery tray. Damaged 4 wires.

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1996 Dodge 2500 4X4 SC, SLT, Cummins 12V, 5-spd. , JRE 4" exhaust (my kitty ran away into the woods and the muffler fell off!), TST 280 HP/685 Ft-Lb Uprate Kit, AFC Spring Kit, Horton Fan Clutch, Jacobs/Ram Exhaust Brake, MagHytec Differential Cover, Prime-Loc, Rancho RS9000 Shocks, Combo Gauge, K&N Air Filter, Brite-Box, Geno's finger-touch oil pan drain plug, Optima Yellow Tops, no turbo silencer ring, full-time fog lights.

 

[Cooker]

No doubt the Optimas are a good battery, but IMO I cannot justify the added expense.

Whatever you do don't buy an Exide battery(many betteries are Exide, so don't assume that just because it doesn't say Exide on the top that it is not). The material for the core is not as thick and the battery will not have as long of life and will not take the cycle of the grid heaters as well.
I personally have been running Wolverine batteries for year in all of my vehicles. I just bought 2 last fall for the CTD. 850 or 900 cca, I don't remember size exactly, for $55 each. I would have liked to spring for the Optimas, but for $100 each I almost bought 2 for 1 with the Wolverine's.

The originals lasted almost five years and they were not near the quality of Optimas, and most likely not as good as the Wolverine's. So the way I see it, if these last 4 0r 5 years I won't be disappointed. I don't know how long we can expect the Optimas to last, but to justify the cost for me they would have to last 7 or 8 years, and maybe they would?

JMHO, Ryan


[This message has been edited by Cooker (edited 03-11-2001). ]

 

[Jeff H]

Originally posted by maint. man:
I deal with a local place and was quoted 100. 00 ea. for a optima style battery made by exide. seemed like a deal. But the ones I chose were a standard exide made replacement for 45. 00 ea. and that was a 60 month battery and the guy even delivered them. Either way I couldn't complain my rig's was put in service in Nov. 95' and the batteries I removed were the original ones.

Now I like that little ditty.
6 In A row & Built To Tow

 

[Don]

Just a note of thanks for all the replys to my post I appreciate all of you taking the time!
Don

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1996 Extended Cab 2500 4X4, 5 Speed, Rhino Spray in Lining, Ultra Wheels, Dee Zee Black Tool Box, Smitty Bilt Step Rails, KC Backup Lights, Tow Hooks, PrimeLoc etc. etc.

 

[QRTRHRS]

It's been quite a while since the battery issue came up! I paid 116 for my Interstate-Optima Redtops. Some guys got them for a bit less some a bit more. Some guys are running the yellow tops which cost a bit more but since the Optimas last so long, there has not been any feedback as to which is ultimately the best buy, Red or Yellow. IMHO of course!