# Optima Batteries



## Mojo^ (Jun 26, 2012)

Anyone have any experience with Optima batteries? Are they worth the extra money or is it just hype? I like the idea of them lasting 3x longer, being lighter and no chance of spilling but the $200 price tag is a little hard to swallow.


----------



## Frogman Ladue (Jun 26, 2012)

They're good batteries. IMO, not good enough to justify $200. They are AGM (absorbed gas mat) batteries that requre a specific charger. Chargers are pricey. You can get away with one of the batteries in a situation where it is being constantly recharged (eg. via alternator/stator/generator)....get it too far below 11 volts and it won't recharge with a conventional recharger...not a good thing to have around with trolling motors.


----------



## redbug (Jun 26, 2012)

I have a 36 volt trolling motor and run 3 agm batteries they were the best investment i ever made they run strong all day and recharge fine with my on board charger


----------



## nlester (Jun 26, 2012)

I have saved enough to make up the difference in price, by not having to buy tee shirts and jeans to replace the ones with acid holes. I am on my fourth year on my Optima trolling motor battery. It was about $150 back when I bought it and for the first two years an electric motor was all I had. What I remember most was the stick shock from wife felt when I bought it. She was expecting something more in the $50 price range when she gave her okay. There seems to be more choices in batteries now than there were back then. I am happy with mine but I would look around a little bit if it went out today.


----------



## redbug (Jun 26, 2012)

lol sticker shock I feel your pain!!! i have over 650 invested in my batteries. I run DEKA batteries and love them.
but i'm on my 3rd year with them most on board chargers will work with agm batteries


----------



## wihil (Jun 26, 2012)

Run AGM's in my cars and love them. The boat's getting one also - worth the extra money in my mind.


----------



## Mojo^ (Jun 27, 2012)

Is there any specific brand that seems to perfrom better than the others? I'm looking for strictly deep cycle to run a trolling motor, lights, etc... All of the ones I've looked at (except Odessey) are all around $200.


----------



## Scottinva (Jul 3, 2012)

I have 3 Optimas for my tm and love them. I fish about 50 days per year but only about 4-5 hours per trip in river current. I am on my 4th year and still have good performance. When I get home, I plug the charger in and forget about them. No maint is great. I have heard others that fish 8-10 hrs a day in heavy current and don't like them becuase they don't last, but for my application they are great.

Scott


----------



## gotmuddy (Jul 3, 2012)

I ran two red top optimas in my 1996 psd for starting purposes. I got a stellar deal on them and I was thoroughly impressed with the difference between what I had and what I got. However they only lasted 3 years so I for sure wouldn't buy them again. I replaced the optimas with two neverstart trolling batteries that came out of one of my boats. They were already a couple years old. I have had them for two years and they still work great.

I just bought two wheelchair batteries off the battery truck that stops by the shop. They are the size of a lawnmower battery but they are deep cycle AGM batteries. I am going to use two parallel on my 56lb thrust motorguide and see how they last. at $25 each it was a hard deal to pass up.


----------



## Wallijig (Jul 3, 2012)

I got 2 used Cabelas AGM 27 group batteries from buddy last yr. for $20 ea. 
I fish 4-5 nights a week and most every weekend. He bought them in 2007. I have had no issues. they work great. I have a 70lbs 24v Maxxum on 17' boat. I last saturday and sunday I was on lake trolling around 1/2 power from 5:30am to 8pm and batteries held up great. figured I would run them til they die turn in for $20 ea recycle and buy new ones.


----------



## nlester (Jul 7, 2012)

Check out the mod below. Besides a really clean boat, he appears to have done something I would not have attempted. To get the battery under his bow deck, it looks like he has installed an Optima battery on it's side. Try that with a standard acid battery.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26483&start=15


----------



## Bugpac (Jul 8, 2012)

Agm battery do not take a special high priced charger, they charge exactly the same as a non sealed battery, the worry is charging them without a smart charger and over charging them, a smart charger can be had for 30 bux. Gel battery's charge all together at different rates and such, a conventional charger will toast them, IMO i would spend 300.00 bux and buy ups battery's before a deep cycle optima, for the same price you can get a much higher amp hour battery. And Ups battery's are rated for 10 yr life cycle.

Mojo, if you hold out there is a guy who sells a few yr old ups batterys here in ga, he gets them by the pallet full, there usually 50.00 each. I have had several of them in different boats, and sold a handfull to a few others.

My agm battery are lying on there side as well!


----------



## DanMC (Jul 8, 2012)

Optima all the way !, i have using Optima for a good 17 years or so (i first heard of them in Popular Mechanics) and been hooked ever since. They last and last,vibration does not bother them,recharge,discharge don't bother them much. I speak for Red Top and Blue Top (i have one in our boat...yes it needs a special charger but most good charger nowadays will have a selection for glassmat type...no biggie) i forgot to mention that cold weather doesn't affect them much...Here is Canada at Canadian Tire we have another option...a made in Spain similar design,same performance,same price ...$ 200.00...or a Made in Mexico Optima. Back in the days when crazy car stereos rulled my life i used to torture Optima Red Top and not once did it refuse to start the car ( i would listen to tunes while car engine was turned off easily one hour!)...i run a Nakamichi head,4 Nakamichi amps,Mb Quart Q series speakers and 10" a/d/s/ sub of the same Optima Red top that started my car ( BMW M3) every time...
Dan


----------



## Andrew04 (Jul 8, 2012)

I had one in my 04 gto, it survived 3 yrs and 1 month to the day. Seems as if they are designed to fulfill the warranty and nothing more. Better experiences with interstate and even wally world batteries. Never again.


----------



## Stove Iron (Jul 8, 2012)

For anyone considering an Optima marine battery, give Sears Diehard Platinum Marine batteries a consideration. They are AGM batteries inside a traditonal box carrier, no spirals just a box. Sometimes Sears will run a sale with $$$ off any Diehard battery. Also, they are made by Odyssey, so you can save yourself some $$$ by purchasing the Diehards. Unless of course, you like paying for brandname merchandise.


----------



## Bugpac (Jul 8, 2012)

Problem with a agm battery in a car. If there is one single hicup in the charging system, It will over charge and blow the seals on the battery, then they are junk, I would never run one in a car with a conventional charging system. As the car cannot float charge at 13.2 volts, if its making 13.9 or 14 it will overcharge the battery and pop the seal.


----------



## Frogman Ladue (Jul 8, 2012)

Ah hem....from Optima



> Tech Tips – Powered by OPTIMA Batteries®
> Tech Tip #2 – Charging Your AGM Battery
> 
> You've learned that with minor adjustments, you can keep your vehicle running smoothly. A tweak here, a new tip there, and you'll be able to get a little more from your ride.
> ...



...so what have we learned? Non-specific AGM charger will only recarge that $200 Optima to 80%

Show of hands here......who here puts an 80% recharged battery to the trolling motors and says _" Yup, at'll be OK for an all day trip on the lake"?_

Below 10.5 volts...

https://www.optimabatteries.com/product_support/techtips.php

..click video #3. Optima will tell you, use a AGM specific charger.


----------



## Bugpac (Jul 9, 2012)

Obviously they want you to buy there special charger. Here is a clip of a article I read, as well as many others on how to charge AGM's. Bs on the 80% with a smart charger, Bulk charging will charge to 75-80%, the float cycle charges the remaining 20-25%. As I said previously, All you need is a smart charger, and they are not expensive to own. 



Bugpac said:


> Agm battery do not take a special high priced charger, they charge exactly the same as a non sealed battery, the worry is charging them without a smart charger and over charging them, a smart charger can be had for 30 bux. Gel battery's charge all together at different rates and such, a conventional charger will toast them, IMO i would spend 300.00 bux and buy ups battery's before a deep cycle optima, for the same price you can get a much higher amp hour battery. And Ups battery's are rated for 10 yr life cycle.





AGM batteries have several advantages over both gelled and flooded, at about the same cost as gelled:

Since all the electrolyte (acid) is contained in the glass mats, they cannot spill, even if broken. This also means that since they are non-hazardous, the shipping costs are lower. In addition, since there is no liquid to freeze and expand, they are practically immune from freezing damage.

Nearly all AGM batteries are "recombinant" - what that means is that the Oxygen and Hydrogen recombine INSIDE the battery. These use gas phase transfer of oxygen to the negative plates to recombine them back into water while charging and prevent the loss of water through electrolysis. The recombining is typically 99+% efficient, so almost no water is lost.

The charging voltages are the same as for any standard battery - no need for any special adjustments or problems with incompatible chargers or charge controls. And, since the internal resistance is extremely low, there is almost no heating of the battery even under heavy charge and discharge currents. The Concorde (and most AGM) batteries have no charge or discharge current limits.

AGM's have a very low self-discharge - from 1% to 3% per month is usual. This means that they can sit in storage for much longer periods without charging than standard batteries. The Concorde batteries can be almost fully recharged (95% or better) even after 30 days of being totally discharged.

AGM's do not have any liquid to spill, and even under severe overcharge conditions hydrogen emission is far below the 4% max specified for aircraft and enclosed spaces. The plates in AGM's are tightly packed and rigidly mounted, and will withstand shock and vibration better than any standard battery.

Even with all the advantages listed above, there is still a place for the standard flooded deep cycle battery. AGM's will cost about 1.5 to 2 times as much as flooded batteries of the same capacity. In many installations, where the batteries are set in an area where you don't have to worry about fumes or leakage, a standard or industrial deep cycle is a better economic choice. AGM batteries main advantages are no maintenance, completely sealed against fumes, Hydrogen, or leakage, non-spilling even if they are broken, and can survive most freezes. Not everyone needs these features.


----------



## Bugpac (Jul 9, 2012)

Walmart, 40.00

The Schumacher SpeedCharge 12-Amp Battery Charger is a great combination of efficiency, ease-of-use, and reliability. It is a microprocessor-controlled battery charger that monitors the condition of the battery and adjusts the rate of charge according to the battery condition. It also prevents the battery from getting over charged and getting damaged. This fully automatic battery charger is designed for 12-volt AGM, gel cell, and deep-cycle batteries. It also enables 8-amp medium charge and 2-amp slow charge for motorcycles, ATVs, snow mobiles, and lawn tractors. It features electronic push button controls and is easy to use and operate. This AGM battery charger has a digital display that shows the percentage of charge and also indicates the remaining volts. It is a quiet charger and does not make any noise. Even with so much capacity, this battery charger is lightweight and is very portable.
Schumacher Speed Charge 12-Amp Battery Charger:
Fully automatic microprocessor controlled.
12-amp fast charge monitors battery condition and adjusts charge rate to prevent battery damage.
8-amp medium charge and 2-amp slow charge for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and lawn tractors.
50-amp clamps for top and side-mounted battery posts.
Electronic push-button controls.
Digital readout of charge percentage.
A retractable handle for easy portability and storage.
Model SC-1200a.
5.5-lbs.

https://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=13005744&findingMethod=rr


----------



## PBRMINER (Jul 11, 2012)

I bought one for my truck in 2003. Pulled it in 2011 when I bought my New truck left it sitting in the garage until yesterday threw it on a charger and just load tested it. Perfect still. 

I don't care what anyone says they are worth the money and If I had the need for more than the standard battery I would buy one again but right now I don't fish from my boat enough to justify it. 

when one of my vehicles needs a battery though, it will be an Optima without question.


----------



## russ010 (Jul 11, 2012)

I've been running two blue top optimas on my 24v Motorguide 71# bow trolling motor.... I'm not completely happy with them after 2 years of use. If it's a windy day, they will be pretty close to dead near 3pm (I'm pretty much just tournament fishing now). If I had to do all over again, I think Trojan, Oddessey or Deka's are the only thing I would buy based on people I know who fish every day

My charger is a 2 bank Noco Genius charger, and I leave them plugged up all the time. These are some of the best chargers you can get for any type of battery.


----------



## Mojo^ (Jul 22, 2012)

Well, I went ahead and bought an Optima D31. If anyone is interested, AutoZone seems to have them priced incorrectly on their website (same as the D27), which is about $50 less than anywhere else I've seen plus free shipping plus a $30 gift card. Not a bad deal. I will be using it for nothing other than a trolling motor and lights at night so hopefully it will last for many years.


----------

