Optima Yellow top battery

Submitted: Saturday, Sep 18, 2004 at 22:26
ThreadID: 16383 Views:9570 Replies:9 FollowUps:3
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G'day all,

Looking at buying an Optima Yellowtop group 31 75a/hr deepcycle battery, quoted $480.00. I'd like like to get opinions from anyone who currently owns a yellowtop to give me an idea of the lifespan of these batteries and how good they really are?

Cheers
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Reply By: Member - 'Lucy' - Saturday, Sep 18, 2004 at 23:26

Saturday, Sep 18, 2004 at 23:26
Doug.

I have the Marine Version. (Blue Top)

It is a replacement for the new one I purchased approx 5-6 months ago.

The first one basically 'blew up' two cells expanded, bubbled up on top and one cell collapsed completely. First time used, didn't even last one day.

It was replaced, with reluctance and verbal - that if it happened again, tough sh i t.

The first one was delivered without any packaging and a couple of fittings missing.

The replacement came fully shrink wrpped with manufactures labelling and instructions plus all fittings.

This one works like a dream and has just done a 2000km trip with extensive fridge and lighting usage without missing a beat.

So, if you do purchase an OPTIMA, make sure you get a new one, as I am sure my first one had seen better days before I got it.

Ken Robinson

AnswerID: 76962

Follow Up By: Member - Doug (Midwest) - Saturday, Sep 18, 2004 at 23:43

Saturday, Sep 18, 2004 at 23:43
Thanks for that Ken. I'll make a note of that.

The guy I spoke to from Auto One says he'll have to order the battery in so I would have to assume that it would be brand new.

Is your battery in a dual set-up or as a stand-alone supply?

Regards

Doug
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FollowupID: 336670

Follow Up By: Mainey... - Monday, Sep 20, 2004 at 02:00

Monday, Sep 20, 2004 at 02:00
Doug.
the Marine Version (Blue Top) has two possitive +connections and two negative -connections at each end, benificial with connecting fridge and isolator over the yellow top.
At only 75 a/h has low power, you have to recharge often.
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FollowupID: 336747

Reply By: sean - Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 at 08:16

Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 at 08:16
Doug

I am always interested in why people spend so much. Are they really that good - if they are I will buy one or two. I too am interested to see how this thread goes.

But I just did the canning and for 30 days touring ran 2 fridges and not a problem on 7,000 trip. Exide extreme Battery cost 120 and was year old before trip and is still good and there LOTS of corrugations that rattled the car to bits in places. And for a little more I hear the AC Delcos are even better but still alot less that $480.00.

I know one blokes who uses the optima becaues they do not spill even if vehicle is on side and thats why he uses them.

Sean

AnswerID: 76976

Reply By: Member - Raymond - Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 at 09:28

Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 at 09:28
Hi Doug
I went through the same thing last year and bought an exide Ultima battery 55AH for $330. Not enough storage, but great starting battery and recharges quick.
I have just ordered a AGM battery from Val at Fridge and Solar and the 90AH battery which fits the GU is $250.00
Val has been great to deal with

link text

Ray
AnswerID: 76984

Reply By: Member - Jimbo (VIC) - Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 at 12:30

Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 at 12:30
Doug,

I did like Ray and bought an AGM, I got a Lifeline (USA made) 100 amp AGM for $350 from Battery World. They also do a Remco (Chinese) for about $250. The one Ray is talking about is, I think, a Fullriver (Chinese). The Chinese ones are apparently manufactured by American companies based in China.

Talk to bloke at Federal Batteries in Sydney, he distributes many different batteries including Optima. He reckons the USA batts are only marginally better than the Chinese and I only went the American because I was having it built into the lease package and an extra $100 on a 4 year lease made bugger all difference.

I have tested my AGM and found it took 20 amps of charge in 20 minutes of driving. No conventional battery will do that.

For the capacity and price I thought the Optima to be very expensive.

Cheers,
AnswerID: 77008

Reply By: Member - Michael (NSW) - Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 at 20:38

Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 at 20:38
$480!!! I'd want to sleep with it for that kind of money!!!!! WoW. That must be just throwing money away at that price..
AnswerID: 77062

Reply By: cj - Monday, Sep 20, 2004 at 10:04

Monday, Sep 20, 2004 at 10:04
I've been running a Yellow top Optima for about a year. The reason I got it was because I wanted to be able to use a winch from time to time but don't have a fridge and didn't want dual batterys. Also space is limited under my bonnet and the the original battery was tiny so the only way I could fit a large capacity battery was to lay it on an angle. It's been fine so far and I paid a little under $400.
AnswerID: 77096

Reply By: Solar Panel - Monday, Sep 20, 2004 at 20:08

Monday, Sep 20, 2004 at 20:08
Chinese Fullriver are as good as any US battery
I have mates with many years experience in battery sales that no longer sell Optima or Odyssey and sell heaps of Fullriver
AnswerID: 77166

Follow Up By: Mainey... - Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004 at 13:42

Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004 at 13:42
Fullriver website ->
http://www.fullriver.com/HGL/HGL_series.htm

As I have previously stated, my next power system will be
twin Fullriver 6v wired in parallel ~200 a/h

Long way from the average 'N70' system, is horses for courses,
as the 'N70' stereotype would be suitable for most when it is recharged daily by the vehicle, however as I often camp for months in the one place and get free solar power daily I have "truck loads" of power available to me.

Yes, $$ are involved, and it does depend on where you wish to draw the line as to what you want and what you are prepared to spend to get the results you require.
Some, only some, guy's drive their new pride-an-joy 4x4 with all the bells and whistles and then (don't) spend like scrooge to buy a budget priced fridge and battery system, only to silently whinge when they only get a few days power and have to then buy a generator to repower their "it saved me money" battery system.

I believe the moral could be, buy the most appropriate battery system you can afford, from a reputable supplier.
However in my own case I was (unfortunately) sold a USA made 120 a/h DC battery in 1997 when I started this round Aust trip, the battery was hard to fully recharge from the alternator as I did not drive often, so I had to add the 80wt solar panel a few months later, when the original DC battery failed in 2003 I replaced it with two 80a/h, 12v calcium DC batteries wired in parallel, that has finally worked for me.

We often make wrong decisions however we learn from them, we move on to a better way of doing things, relative to results we wish to attain.

-+- Honestly hope no one is offended by my post -+-
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FollowupID: 336899

Reply By: warthog - Monday, Sep 20, 2004 at 22:30

Monday, Sep 20, 2004 at 22:30
Hi,
I have a yellow top and paid $360 9 mths ago @ battery world. I find it will run my waeco cf60 for over 24 hrs no problem have done 36 hrs without starting car to recharge.There are wet cell batteries around that have a larger a/h capacity however the optima will accept charge much faster and is maintenance free. It is also reputed to handle corrugated roads better than a wet cell. I was put onto them by the mechanic at the ambulance stn where I work. Understandably we require a reliable battery and he told me that in 6 years he had only experienced one failure.
AnswerID: 77192

Reply By: Member - Doug (Midwest) - Wednesday, Sep 22, 2004 at 16:50

Wednesday, Sep 22, 2004 at 16:50
Thank to all who replied, appreciate the input.

Regards

Doug
AnswerID: 77446

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