Optima yellow top--not worth the price

[TRCM]

I purchased an optima yellow top in june of 04. So, it is roughly 20 months old. it will no longer hold a charge. Optima says to replace it, they pro rate it based on the list price.



They said the list price was 235 bucks, and it would cost me 195 bucks to replace it under warranty.



I got the optima in the 1st place cuz everyone said how good they were, and that the warranty was awesome. Well, if the warranty is this bad..... I WILL NOT be using optima's in the future.



I also wish I had just bought a 70 buck battery instead of this one, which while I got a good deal on it, I still paid 125 bucks for it.





Just a word of warning... ... ... for anyone considering them.

 

[HeavyHauler]

Which yellow-top did you buy? I'm assuming it wasn't a group 31 (D31), right? They have a 2-year free replacement - a little better than the regular deep cycle batteries.



I did not have great luck initially either, but I don't regret the purchase one bit. One of mine may have been dead from the beginning. We found out that it was a dud when I developed an electrical drain. It was about six months old at the time. Advance Auto Parts replaced it no questions asked.



Also, I have never been in a vehicle that starts quicker than my Cummins in cold weather. The D31s do have the cranking power, that's for sure.



EDIT: It is the red top batteries that have the really good warranty. 3 years free replacement plus 3 years prorated. The regular yellow-top batteries have the "worst" warranty of all of them. I've also got a red-top in my little Isuzu and it cranks nearly as fast as my Cummins after sitting for a month or more.

 

[WUrbowicz]

Hello trcm

Just replaced 2 batteries on my '01 3500/ Looked @ the red and yellow tops ( the blues were on back oreder and two months out)/ the best warrantee offered was on the red top and was 1 year only/then started to look @ the generic batterys and for the price of one ultima, I got two Duralast Golds w/ 8 yr pro-rate and free 3 yr replacement/Duralast offers better cca's as well/ let me know how you make out/w

 

[HeavyHauler]

Hello trcm

Just replaced 2 batteries on my '01 3500/ Looked @ the red and yellow tops ( the blues were on back oreder and two months out)/ the best warrantee offered was on the red top and was 1 year only/then started to look @ the generic batterys and for the price of one ultima, I got two Duralast Golds w/ 8 yr pro-rate and free 3 yr replacement/Duralast offers better cca's as well/ let me know how you make out/w

I don't know where you were looking, but the red-top starting batteries have a 3 year free replacement warranty. (see my post above) But the Duralast batteries sound like they have a good warranty too. And all you have to do is go to the nearest AutoZone to replace them.



I had problems getting a replacement D31 because they aren't a regularly stocked item. It took over a week to get one from the factory.

 

[TRCM]

it was a 34/78... ...

 

[abrankod]

Finally, someone else speaks out against the Optima. Everyone I've spoken to in the past insists that either I'm crazy or somehow I'm damaging the batteries in normal use. I can never get Optima yellow and blue top deepcycle/marine starting batteries to last for more than a year in commercial service despite what any of the dealers say.



I've had major issues with all the optima yellow and blue top batteries in both 34/78 size and group 31 size. They will not stand up to any abuse at all. I've experienced everything from shorted cells (melting the case of the battery)to melting of the studs off the group 31 batteries (the studs vibrate loose from their lead base then spark and melt out) to simply no longer holding a charge. I've had failures on almost every one of the 32 optima batteries we tested in our fleet of school buses.



The 34/78s in my truck dont stand up to an occasional jumpstart of another vehicle. That was simply unacceptable for a $150 battery (at costco). Not to mention that once they die, they usually take the alternator with them.



In all cases on our fleet we've gone back to using standard Deka group 31 low maintenance wet cells. On my truck I went with the Autozone Duralast™ gold (orange top). They have a 3 year free replacement warranty and 3 year free jumpstart warranty.



Oh, one thing we have had EXTREMELY good luck with is one of our test buses with a kaPower Supercapacitor from Kold Ban International. This product really makes starting our one trouble bus easy as heck in the most rediculous weather. It is placed in parallel with the normal set of batteries and can provide about 3 seconds of extremely high amperage (1500A) at almost any temperature which makes it fantastic for giving a trouble vehicle a real kick in the pants on a cold morning. Not to mention the fact that it makes the power in this bus smooooooooooth as butter since it kills any ripple from the alt. The only downside is a steep up front price ($600,) but its worth it to make a trouble bus a reliable starter every day.





-Daniel

 

[WDaniels]

We switched the NiCad batteries in our airplane(KC-135's) to the optima red tops. What a POS the optima's are. If and when the batteries go totally dead, and they will sooner or later, there is only a 15% chance of recovering them so that they will take a charge again. And that takes a special charger that costs almost 10k. They are very, very overrated. And yes, the battery in the plane is the same that you and I buy, just more expensive. 1200 bucks a pop. I've always said that they are not worth the money. I like Alaska Batteries best, but for the price you cannot beat Sears.

WD

 

[RDelissen]

the yellow top is not the best choice for Cummins engines to begin with

The Redtops however are starting batteries and I've had zero issues with those in my Dodge and neither have I had any issues with my yellow tops in the Jeeps



Call it a bandwagon thing with the Optimas, but for me they've worked well

There have been previous posts on these batteries though and there are differences out there (light gray case or dark gray case) and yes there are differences between the Costco Optimas and the 'real' ones :-laf

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Yellow's or blue's aren't very good from what I have heard. What I have been told from an Interstate Batteries driver is that those batteries are deep cycle batteries and they need to be cycled otherwise they will be junk. That means that they need to be basically fully drained OFTEN. The yellow's are supposedly good if you do a LOT of winching.



I have a red top in my Jeep CJ and haven't had a lick of problems from it. It is now on its 3rd year. It is a 'real' one btw.



Jeff

 

[HeavyHauler]

the yellow top is not the best choice for Cummins engines to begin with

What makes you say this? Why wouldn't they be just as good as any other battery out there?



I will say that the D31 Optima is the only battery that Optima has that meets or exceeds all of the specs of the factory batteries. I would not run a red-top in the Cummins, but I see no reason why not to run one of the commercial yellow-tops like the D31. They are a dual-purpose, starting/deep-cycle battery.

 

[John]

the yellow top is not the best choice for Cummins engines to begin with

The Redtops however are starting batteries and I've had zero issues with those in my Dodge and neither have I had any issues with my yellow tops in the Jeeps

Actually, you are not quite correct. The Yellow Top Optima is superior to the Red Top simply because they are used WITHOUT ASSISTANCE from the alternator at startup when the grid heaters are first cycled. That would be in excess of 100 amps each time a cold CTD is started. Also, even though Optima Yellow or Blue Tops are rated as deep cycle batteries, they are excellent starting batteries as well... without the starting restrictions of normal deep cycle batteries.



I have used Optima batteries for well over 10 years now in different vehicles and have two Yellow Tops in my '98. 5 QC 4x4, and they work extremely well! I also have a Blue Top in which I use for electric fencing, to use in powering my sprayer pump which rides in my Polaris 6x6 pickup box, when using my 12v chainsaw sharpener, you name it! I've had that battery for at least nine years and it still works as well as the day I bought it!



If you really look deeply on the Optima Website you will see that the logical first choice for our CTD powered Rams is in fact, the Yellow Top.



Does Optima ever have battery failures, yes. I had a Red Top go bad about 10 years ago. I had it replaced under warranty for a fair co-pay and the replacement (the aforementioned Blue Top) has worked like a champ ever since. And BTW, it has been FULLY discharged more times on fence duty than I can even remember!



In summation, I have purchased at least six Optima batteries in the last decade or so and have had only one go bad and the other five have worked WELL BEYOND what any reasonable person could expect.

 

[BRobertson]

Well put John, I have had the same good service from them for many years

Bob

 

[Jaysyl]

6 red tops for cars and trucks no problems. One blue top and yellow top for the boat and trolling motor no problems. Now the 3 Diehards in 5 years is another story. All 3 leaked Acid. Die EASY is a better name.

 

[TRCM]

In summation, I have purchased at least six Optima batteries in the last decade or so and have had only one go bad and the other five have worked WELL BEYOND what any reasonable person could expect.

Ok, but that's still a 17% failure rate... kinda high for such a product.



My biggest beef is the answer I was given about their warranty.

 

[Thomas]

... that's still a 17% failure rate... kinda high for such a product...

Relying on a six-item sample to check the failure rate of an automotive battery? I'd be more concerned about the reliability of the survey than the battery.

 

[WDixon27]

when the batterys in my truck crapped i first thought about optimas till i saw the prices, wound up with a pair of regular group (27 or 24 i can't remember whatever stock size is) from sams wholesale club for $74 out the door, i figured at that price if i only get 2-3 years out of a pair ill make it to about the same life expectancy for the same or less money then optimas

 

[John]

Ok, but that's still a 17% failure rate... kinda high for such a product.

If you factor in exactly how I used each of the Optimas, your analysis doesn't mean all that much.



For one, I purchased a second set of Yellow Tops after having my original Yellow Tops in my Ram for 3-4 years (guessing). Why did I replace them? Because I have a need for quality deep cycle batteries on our small farm. I replaced the existing Yellow Tops in my Ram with a new set and sentanced the old pair to hard duty around the farm.



Like, use on the fence line until fully discharged, use until the charge is so low while I'm spraying that I have to replace it with a fresh one ready to go... .



the bottom line is, I USE these batteries!



You could offer me brand new [insert ANY other brand of battery here] and I would still rather have my used Optimas!



And BTW, the original Red Top that died and was subsequently warranted was due to a problem early on with Optima that they have since rectified.

 

[4xquadrod]

I have a red top Optima I purchased in 98. It is still functioning fine in my motorhome, which sits several months throughout the year. Its probably a fluke and now it will be dead because I bragged about it here!

 

[EricBu12]

I bought The Odessey 1700 amp dry cel batteries which I got from Mr. Bobs...



These batteries are awesome... . How good? ... I was ALMOST able to get by in Salt lake City Winter on only 1, yes 1 battery!!! But it wasn't quite powerfull enough for the heaters and the starter so I got another one..... no problem now..... These batteries are supposed to last 8 years... 1 of mine is 3 years old right now, the other is 2 years old. They both hold a charge, and have a long life! They fit in the stock tray but the new models of this battery has a metal outside shell. Take this shell off and it fits in the tray.



#ad

 

[kscheffler]

AGM Batteries

No Adsorbed Glass Matt batteries should be discharged below 10. 5 volts. If you run a AGM battery completely dead you willl likely not be able to get the battery to accept a charge again. Lead acid is much more forgiving with complete discharges. So you need to weigh the pro/cons of the batteries. If you purchase blue tops you need to make sure that you get the Dual service marine (blue tops) if it is not a dual purpose it is only rated for deep cell battery and therefore heavey start loads will shorten the life. Dual purpose optimas have a "D" as the first letter in the model.