The prices on them have certainly dropped in the last couple of years. They're now made in Mexico- somebody mentioned they used to be made in the USA? I've got no doubt there are better batteries out there, but the Optimas are readily available and if there are problems then there's plenty of dealers to handle the warranty.
I bought one because of the "technology" inside it. The Absorbed Glass Matt construction gives a number of advantages - like higher starting current, faster recharging capability, no more acid leaks (important in my case! ;( ), more resistant to vibration problems.
I've read AGM's don't tolerate engine bay heat as well, but that could vary with each brand?
If I was keen to experiment I'd have gone for a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery - Google them..... LiFePO4 . Some awesome starting power in a very small package.
Optima Battery
AGMs have become quite popular now even though the Optima is the one that's most famous. I couldn't get an Optima for my Porsche, so I got a Braille that fit perfectly and is also AGM. They even have the crazy expensive Lithium Ion batteries which cost over a grand each. 
Too rich for me!
LiFePO4 definitely seems like an interesting technology as well as all the various Lithium based ones out there. We all hear about Lithium Ion, but there's a lot more work towards making safer and more efficient batteries, which is quite cool.
Too rich for me!LiFePO4 definitely seems like an interesting technology as well as all the various Lithium based ones out there. We all hear about Lithium Ion, but there's a lot more work towards making safer and more efficient batteries, which is quite cool.
AGM technology is the reason I am interested in the Optima. I have a Lifeline battery in my RV and I love it. Prior to that I had to keep the battery charged all the time (RV's sit a lot unused), and constantly adding distilled water. I hated it. I then splurged and bought the Lifeline which also uses AGM tech, and I never add fluid, and the darn thing sits for up to 6 months and the battery is still fully charged.
Interesting about the issues reported with Optima...I am a little hesitant now...
Interesting about the issues reported with Optima...I am a little hesitant now...
I wouldn't worry. Optima still remembers where they came from. Their booth at SEMA a few years ago had examples of customer batteries that still worked after being badly abused. One had only half the casing on it and was frozen and left in the rain. It still worked. There was another example of a battery that had ran for 500,000 miles and was still good.ragmopp01 wrote:AGM technology is the reason I am interested in the Optima. I have a Lifeline battery in my RV and I love it. Prior to that I had to keep the battery charged all the time (RV's sit a lot unused), and constantly adding distilled water. I hated it. I then splurged and bought the Lifeline which also uses AGM tech, and I never add fluid, and the darn thing sits for up to 6 months and the battery is still fully charged.
Interesting about the issues reported with Optima...I am a little hesitant now...
SEMA isn't for consumers, it's for the resellers, so if they're selling reliability to distributors, it has to be real. Distributors will drop a bad products in a heartbeat as it can erase any profit to deal with the overhead involved in a return and exchange. If Optima was really that bad, you'd see their batteries ending up in closeouts and distributors would be dropping them.
SamirD - Braille make some very nice batteries. I think they'd be a rung or two above Optima?
Ramopp01 - Lifeline are one of the best brands out there (from what I've read - I've got a small scale off grid solar system at home.) I assume you leave the Lifeline disconnected/ isolated when the RV isn't in use - or on a float charger? It would also be isolated from engine bay heat? That would greatly improve the life, but is a bit hard to do with the Kizashi's starter battery.
Ramopp01 - Lifeline are one of the best brands out there (from what I've read - I've got a small scale off grid solar system at home.) I assume you leave the Lifeline disconnected/ isolated when the RV isn't in use - or on a float charger? It would also be isolated from engine bay heat? That would greatly improve the life, but is a bit hard to do with the Kizashi's starter battery.
David
It's actually not too surprising that when you look into who actually manufactures various branded batteries, it's a couple of the big names that are even behind oem batteries like Johnson Controls, Varta, etc. I believe JC bought Optima, but still keep the production separate. I don't doubt the Braille battery is actually just a Varta since the battery is available in the same form in Europe, just not here in the US.murcod wrote:SamirD - Braille make some very nice batteries. I think they'd be a rung or two above Optima?
Ramopp01 - Lifeline are one of the best brands out there (from what I've read - I've got a small scale off grid solar system at home.) I assume you leave the Lifeline disconnected/ isolated when the RV isn't in use - or on a float charger? It would also be isolated from engine bay heat? That would greatly improve the life, but is a bit hard to do with the Kizashi's starter battery.
Yes, Johnson Controls is listed at the bottom of the optima USA website. I also noticed the warranty period has been reduced since 2009- the details are on their site: http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/su ... -2-1-2009/
http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/su ... -2-1-2009/
It's still 36 months for Red Tops in private use, which is pretty good IMHO. It's comparable to warranties I've seen for other 'top model' batteries sold here in Australia.
http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/su ... -2-1-2009/
It's still 36 months for Red Tops in private use, which is pretty good IMHO. It's comparable to warranties I've seen for other 'top model' batteries sold here in Australia.
David
Interesting. On the d34/35 yellow top batteries that I've seen stocked regularly and fit most of my cars, they've actually entended the warranty.murcod wrote:Yes, Johnson Controls is listed at the bottom of the optima USA website. I also noticed the warranty period has been reduced since 2009- the details are on their site: http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/su ... -2-1-2009/
http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/su ... -2-1-2009/
It's still 36 months for Red Tops in private use, which is pretty good IMHO. It's comparable to warranties I've seen for other 'top model' batteries sold here in Australia.
Ramopp01 - Lifeline are one of the best brands out there (from what I've read - I've got a small scale off grid solar system at home.) I assume you leave the Lifeline disconnected/ isolated when the RV isn't in use - or on a float charger? It would also be isolated from engine bay heat? That would greatly improve the life, but is a bit hard to do with the Kizashi's starter battery.
I do disconnect the battery from the trailer when not in use. Although I DO have a charger, I have not needed it. It still amazes me that after 5 years I can go and check the charge and it is basically still full.
In the interest of checking all options, Braille batteries? Never heard of them. Would it be a toss up on which brand to choose?
I do disconnect the battery from the trailer when not in use. Although I DO have a charger, I have not needed it. It still amazes me that after 5 years I can go and check the charge and it is basically still full.
In the interest of checking all options, Braille batteries? Never heard of them. Would it be a toss up on which brand to choose?
That's definitely a good battery if it's not needing charging even after 5 years.ragmopp01 wrote:I do disconnect the battery from the trailer when not in use. Although I DO have a charger, I have not needed it. It still amazes me that after 5 years I can go and check the charge and it is basically still full.
In the interest of checking all options, Braille batteries? Never heard of them. Would it be a toss up on which brand to choose?
I was impressed by Braille. If you stick to the major brands, you'll find that there's certain designs that are actually 'made' for different brands. Optima is one of the few that makes their own. But if Lifeline has been good to you, I'd go with that if possible. I'm looking into them right now.