Battery

[Mark B]

Any suggestins on a new battery for my VX
Cranking Amps?
Cold Start Amps?
Warranty?
Manufacturer?
Cost?
VX driven in Florida
Thanks for any suggestions

[Marlin]

Some folks run Optima red tops, $$$$ but worth it in my opinion, I have optimas in both of my trucks(red top in VX, Yellow in Expy), paired with battery buddies, which means it is almost impossible to have a dead battery.

[nfpgasmask]

Some folks run Optima red tops, $$$$ but worth it in my opinion

x2. Optima all the way.

Bart

[vt_maverick]

Put a Diehard Platinum in my VX a month or two after I bought it after reading reviews that had it #1 or 2. Been very pleased so far. :thumbup:

Btw Marlin, what's a battery buddy?

[handeeman]

:thumbup:

Btw Marlin, what's a battery buddy?

A friend with jumper cables.
Sorry the devil made me do it.:dan_ban:

[MSHardeman]

If you can swing the cash, I would say to go with an Optima. I used to have a standard battery in the VX and the posts and cables kept corroding. I had to constantly clean them off, and the corrosion ate into the heat/sound mat on the underside of the hood. Since I installled the Optima I haven't had any corrosion problems. The Optima's are sealed so they can be mounted in any position and have a high vibration resistance.

I know they're expensive, but in my opinion, they're worth the price.

[VX crazy]

Optima for sure, I have had redtop and yellowtop in other VX and have the yellowtop in the current VX. Drycell is far superior especially in the heat.

[Ldub]

RED-TOP...:heart:

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

RED-TOP...:heart:




X 2

[vt_maverick]

A friend with jumper cables.
Sorry the devil made me do it.:dan_ban:

Oh okay, lol...

[tomdietrying]

I put in a Red Top Optima after advice on the board. The battery didn't even last the warrenty. I think it lasted only 35 months. I got it at Sears and the guy told me they started having a lot of complaints with Optima. He said the quality controll wasn't the same as it has been a few years ago. I don't think they even sell it anymore. Anyway, Sears honored the warrenty, and I put in a Diehard Platinum in it's place. That was over two years ago and haven't had any problems yet.
Peace.
Tom

[VX KAT]

RED-TOP...:heart:
x3

[circmand]

good warranty full replacement none of this pro rated crap

[etlsport]

die hard platinum if you can swing it.. its $190..880CCA.. 4 year full replacement warranty plus an addional 4 years prorated (8 years total) only stipulation of the warranty is that the battery must be tested at a sears auto center

all the qualities of an optima battery but with a better warranty

i do work at sears auto center just fyi.. right now ive got an optima blue top thats serving me well, once its gone ill be replacing it with the diehard platinum

[tom4bren]

Optima Yellow top works great in Protons:)

VT, a battery buddy is an electronic device that is installed in series with the positive lead on the battery. If the voltage drops too low, the battery buddy isolates the battery from the electrical system (shuts down). Theoretically it shuts off with just enough juice left to restart the vehicle. You have to actually pop the hood and push a button on the battery buddy to start the car if it's been tripped.

[vt_maverick]

Sounds like a really good idea. Where would someone pick up one of these mythical devices?

[circmand]

Optima Yellow top works great in Protons:)

VT, a battery buddy is an electronic device that is installed in series with the positive lead on the battery. If the voltage drops too low, the battery buddy isolates the battery from the electrical system (shuts down). Theoretically it shuts off with just enough juice left to restart the vehicle. You have to actually pop the hood and push a button on the battery buddy to start the car if it's been tripped.


Instead of this a trickle charger would be better

[Riff Raff]

VT, a battery buddy is an electronic device that is installed in series with the positive lead on the battery. If the voltage drops too low, the battery buddy isolates the battery from the electrical system (shuts down). Theoretically it shuts off with just enough juice left to restart the vehicle.

I have the watercraft/marine version "Battery Buddy" in my ski-boat. It has saved my bacon on countless occasions, and you definately don't want to be out on the open water with a dead battery!!! Most vehicles have things that always draw power; namely the clock on the stereo is the biggest culprit. The "Battery Buddy" is best for vehicles that are operated infrequently (like a boat); situations where it may be hard to get an actual jump from another vehicle (like a boat), or isolated locations such as a boat marina without a nearby electrical outlet (like a boat).

For cars that are driven daily, the "Battery Buddy" is really not necessary. Stored cars (garage queens) should always have a high quality Battery "Maintainer" plugged into an electrical outlet at all times anyway, thereby keeping the battery at full charge capacity. Every vehicle in my detached 8-car capacity 1800SF garage/shop has a high quality Battery "Maintainer" plugged into it (always ready to go).

As far as battery brands, I've always used Sears DieHard's over the past 30+ years in all of my many vehicles (cars & boats) with great success. There is always a Sears (& now K-Mart) nearby, and their build quality, high CCA rating and battery warranty on the entire DieHard line is the best in the industry. I've never used Optima due to their very expensive price. The Sears DieHard (also @ K-Mart) gets my vote everytime for ease of purchase availabilty, high build quality, great monetary value, high CCA rating, and the best warranty in the business.:yeso:

[nfpgasmask]

I put in a Red Top Optima after advice on the board. The battery didn't even last the warrenty. I think it lasted only 35 months. I got it at Sears and the guy told me they started having a lot of complaints with Optima. He said the quality controll wasn't the same as it has been a few years ago. I don't think they even sell it anymore. Anyway, Sears honored the warrenty, and I put in a Diehard Platinum in it's place. That was over two years ago and haven't had any problems yet.
Peace.
Tom

Tom, I hope that your experience was with an isolated batch of bad batteries. The RedTop in my VX came out of my Xterra so that battery is going on 5 years for me. I just put a new Optima in my Trooper. I hope it doesn't crap out. :_huh:

Bart

[vt_maverick]

I have the watercraft/marine version "Battery Buddy" in my ski-boat. It has saved my bacon on countless occasions, and you definately don't want to be out on the open water with a dead battery!!! Most vehicles have things that always draw power; namely the clock on the stereo is the biggest culprit. The "Battery Buddy" is best for vehicles that are operated infrequently (like a boat); situations where it may be hard to get an actual jump from another vehicle (like a boat), or isolated locations such as a boat marina without a nearby electrical outlet (like a boat).


Or when you're say, out on a deserted beach in a national park, miles away from the nearest car, gas station, etc., and the minimum tow fee is $250. :eek:

[nfpgasmask]

Or when you're say, out on a deserted beach in a national park, miles away from the nearest car, gas station, etc., and the minimum tow fee is $250. :eek:

Well, that is always my fear. I am building up my Trooper to be my hard-core expedition vehicle. After I am done, she is going to be pretty stout. The last thing I want is to get stranded 60 miles from the nearest paved road because of a dead battery. I guess I should always park near a hill so I can do a push start if I get stuck. :eek:

Bart

[tom4bren]

VT,

Try here:

http://batterybuddy.com/

Looks like they've discontinued the 'battery buddy' so that they can introduce the 'battery brain' for more $$$ (but still less than $70 so that's not too bad).

The only experience I've had with them was when we installed some surveillance equipment on some Suburbans for the Boarder Patrol years ago. We didn't want them to use the equipment for hours on end without the engine running and then not be able to start the Burb for the final chase.

[pbkid]

Well, that is always my fear. I am building up my Trooper to be my hard-core expedition vehicle. After I am done, she is going to be pretty stout. The last thing I want is to get stranded 60 miles from the nearest paved road because of a dead battery. I guess I should always park near a hill so I can do a push start if I get stuck. :eek:

Bart

you should invest in one of those jumper boxes (im not sure what they are called but they store enough charge to jump a vehicle and are relatively small) if your really planning on using the trooper for long expeditions like that.

[circmand]

you should invest in one of those jumper boxes (im not sure what they are called but they store enough charge to jump a vehicle and are relatively small) if your really planning on using the trooper for long expeditions like that.

$29.95 at Pepboys but you needed to keep it charged as well. I do not see why you could not create a one way circuit that would allow a running motor to charge up a battery. Then have a switch that you could hit that if your car would not start would reverse the flow so the always charged battery could then jump the car.

[pbkid]

$29.95 at Pepboys but you needed to keep it charged as well. I do not see why you could not create a one way circuit that would allow a running motor to charge up a battery. Then have a switch that you could hit that if your car would not start would reverse the flow so the always charged battery could then jump the car.

sure, but then you would need a very large diode/very expensive battery isolator ;)

same idea that they use for high end car audio, 2 batteries. but they dont cross signals, otherwise they would drain each other.

[vt_maverick]

$29.95 at Pepboys but you needed to keep it charged as well.

That's my major problem with the chargers, I'm too forgetful to make sure it's charged all the time. :o The battery brain/buddy isn't a replacement for a charger, but it should at least help to avoid the drain situation, which in my experience is what caused all of my battery flatlines.

Want to eventually have both, but chargers can be big $$$ if you want a really good one.

[Marlin]

There is no button to push on the battery buddy. It has a solenoid that disconnects the battery somewhere around 13V terminal voltage. If you push the brake pedal or flash the brights, it reconnects the battery. No wiring required, just connect it in series with the battery's positive cable. For those with lots of accessories, they all have some small amount of leakage current, amps, monitors, GPS and so on. My expy sits for 5-6 days at a time, so it needs a battery buddy. But as said before, having a dead battery in BFE National Park would not be a good thing. It also could save your battery's life. Running a lead-acid battery to dead reduces its life dramatically.
I will break down the benefits of one battery vs another when I get home from work(I teach all this stuff at school, so I can make it understandable.)

[tom4bren]

There is no button to push on the battery buddy. It has a solenoid that disconnects the battery somewhere around 13V terminal voltage. If you push the brake pedal or flash the brights, it reconnects the battery. No wiring required, just connect it in series with the battery's positive cable.

I told ya it was years ago since I had any experience with a battery buddy. Back in the day when cars had wooden wheels ... ya had to pop the hood & push a button.:)

[Riff Raff]

I told ya it was years ago since I had any experience with a battery buddy. Back in the day when cars had wooden wheels ... ya had to pop the hood & push a button.:)

Tom--- Don't feel bad. I was in the second wave of Covered Wagons behind your main lead caravan with the Lewis & Clark expedition. Yes, my vintage (circa 1994) marine/watercraft "Battery Buddy" on my ski-boat has an actual "button" (circuit breaker) that has to be physically re-set by pushing down on the re-set button. It's kinda' a pain in the neck to remove the engine cowling cover, but the peace of mind is always worth it when you re-try the starter and it fires right up. Plus, I always love the look on my friends faces when they say "Oh Boy, now we're really stranded without a prayer." I just smile and say "Not so fast boys with your judgement, just give me a quick moment and we'll be on our way".:yeso:

[tom4bren]

:dance:

Riff Raff,

Rekin it's up to us to keep these 'know it all' snot nosed kids in line. They still ain't figgered it out that old & sneeky beats young & energetic EVERY time.

[Ldub]

Tom--- Don't feel bad. I was in the second wave of Covered Wagons behind your main lead caravan with the Lewis & Clark expedition. Yes, my vintage (circa 1994) marine/watercraft "Battery Buddy" on my ski-boat has an actual "button" (circuit breaker) that has to be physically re-set by pushing down on the re-set button. It's kinda' a pain in the neck to remove the engine cowling cover, but the peace of mind is always worth it when you re-try the starter and it fires right up. Plus, I always love the look on my friends faces when they say "Oh Boy, now we're really stranded without a prayer." I just smile and say "Not so fast boys with your judgement, just give me a quick moment and we'll be on our way".:yeso:

That...and the fact that it's kinda hard to flash the high beams, or tap the brake pedal...on a boat...:laughing:

[tom4bren]

That...and the fact that it's kinda hard to flash the high beams, or tap the brake pedal...on a boat...:laughing:

Dam ... I must be getting old ... that one slipped right by me.:)

[Ldub]

Dam ... I must be getting old ... that one slipped right by me.:)

Prolly from lack of nicotine more than age...:rolleyesg,:yesgray:

[tom4bren]

Prolly from lack of nicotine more than age...:rolleyesg,:yesgray:

May be from too many lightning bolts down my shorts lately.

BTW - I've cut my Baccy use in half lately but haven't quit yet (I'll get there).

[pbkid]

Running a lead-acid battery to dead reduces its life dramatically.

more than 50%....

[circmand]

more than 50%....

replacement vs the prorated warranty

[Moonrover]

which red top would fit as there are for different ones listed on their website

[etlsport]

a group size 34 is what ive got

[Mark B]

Thanks for all the help.
I can't decide between the Die Hard or Optima.
The Optima has a $ 25.00 rebate.
Will do some price shopping this weekend.

[VX KAT]

FYI- Don't forget to check out Amazon.com as they have some really good prices, FREE shipping, and you still can send in for the rebate. I got 2 blue tops from them a few months ago, killer prices, free shipping, no sales tax, plus 2 rebates from Optima. :thumbup:

[VX KAT]

Wanted to revisit & get new opinions on Optima batteries as they've gotten older...
Our FJ needs a new battery, we figured we'd get an Optima Yellow top. Called around, looked online for pricing. Called local "Batteries Plus" ....salesguy says "Optimas are made in Mexico as of about 3 yrs ago, they've taken back about 10,000 bad ones, stopped carrying them since quality problems and they've had so many problems with them." Tried to sell us another AGM (I think their house brand, but didn't catch the brand), more CCA, more reserve. Meanwhile, they still sell Optimas on their website....hmmmm,:_thinking

Optima's site says FJ takes a Group 35.
Sales guy rattled off some rapid fire stuff about the physical size of a Group 35 being smaller than the other AGM he recommended, and we'd need that adapter thing to fit (no big deal in my mind) and recommended a different size (can't recall which one), said it would fill up the battery holder area, so it's a "bigger" more powerful battery....:bla::bla::bla:

~We figure we don't need tremendous CCA as our climate is pretty mild. (Yellowtop has 770 @ 32 degrees)
~We don't need a ton of reserve as no monster stereo, amp or winch, etc... (Yellowtop has 100)

I've had a Redtop for 18 months, 0 probs. (Theoretically mine would have been made in Mexico, but I haven't verified that yet)

What's everybody else think / know about Optimas (specifically the yellowtop)?
Anybody know if the ones made in Mexico are really showing higher problems?
Eric do you get to hear the scoop on this kinda stuff from work?
I know several of you mentioned the Diehard Platinum, has more CCA & reserve I believe, and circ pointed out it had a better warranty....but, we're still most interested in the Optima Yellowtop.

Thoughts? Experiences? Problems?

[Marlin]

Hmmm, I guess it's true what they say. Anyone who lives in the State of Arizona don't like anything from Mexico.

:)

Anyway, I have a yellow top in the F150 that has made its way through my last three trucks. I got it in 06, never had a problem. I got it to support my 06 Explorer that I added a fridge, inverter, dvd and so on.
The problem of the optimas not filling your factory spot are easily solved. Its 1/8" steel and he will cut just about whatever pattern you want in the top, just make sure you tell him which way you want it oriented:( If looks are important, and I have seen your hubby's FJ, looks are important, the optima with custom tray is the way to go. Here is a link to the dealer I used for the tray. As I said, it's definitely high quality, and he cuts the top for free within reason, so if he wanted "FJ" or some such, it would be no problemo.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Optima-Battery-Box-/280402850858?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item41494ff42a


http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/IMGP0956.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/IMGP0953.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/IMGP0952.JPG

[Gussie2000]

Thanks for all the help.
I can't decide between the Die Hard or Optima.
The Optima has a $ 25.00 rebate.
Will do some price shopping this weekend.


I bought an die hard platinium series and let me tell you this...you can't go wrong with this one.

This is my 2nd die hard & never had any issues with them.

Mines have 880 CCA with 1000 reserve. My horse fires up like a rocket

[vt_maverick]

Ditto on the recommendation for the Diehard Platinum, although I do kinda regret not having a gel-cell like the Optima. The wife's Axiom has a no-name brand battery in it, so when her's goes out I may trade batteries with her and pick up an Optima for the VX. You can't argue with the super-high CCAs on the Diehard though; we did trade batteries for the trip to Wisconsin last winter, and it started up her Axiom in -17 degree weather on our last day there.

Honestly I don't think you can go wrong either way. :thumbup:

[habs10]

Anybody have any feedback on Odyssey batteries?

[Bulldoggie]

I run with the "Blue Tops" Marine deep cycle.
They can bounce back from low charge better and they can start a car engine as well as any boat engine.
Battery problems are not on my list.

[VXR]

Tom, I hope that your experience was with an isolated batch of bad batteries. The RedTop in my VX came out of my Xterra so that battery is going on 5 years for me. I just put a new Optima in my Trooper. I hope it doesn't crap out. :_huh:

Bart

X2 I got a red top at costco a few months ago (OEM lasted over ten years)

we shal see...

[VX KAT]

X2 I got a red top at costco a few months ago (OEM lasted over ten years)

we shal see...
That's good to know! IIRC, when I checked 18 months ago my Costco didn't carry Optima...I'll check them out tomorrow, probably be the best price around if they carry or can order them.

[VXR]

That's good to know! IIRC, when I checked 18 months ago my Costco didn't carry Optima...I'll check them out tomorrow, probably be the best price around if they carry or can order them.

and a good warranty:yesb:

[Bob Barker]

How is a battery selection so difficult? I always thought that a battery with a waranty was still a battery. If it doesn't have a warranty then I wouldn't buy it that way when the cheap turd stops working I can just take it back and replace or refund... maybe I'm missing something that requires our VX's to have a special battery?:_confused

[etlsport]

Die hard platinums are gel cell

Sue,
The size difference he was probably talking about is common. Most toyotas take a group 24f battery. A group 35 is the same height and terminal configuration but length wise it is about 2 inches shorter. Any battery hold down made for one will work with the other. If you wait until Monday I'll confirm the fit at work.

As far as quality control I know die hard was made in mexico by JCI for a while and towards the beginning of this year we saw a lot of problems with batteries coming in over filled so they would leak a small amount during the first charge. Other than that the only other quality control issues we see often are with dual post batteries (top and side post) the gel cells the side terminals work lose and you lose connection unless you take the top off and retighten it. The acid batteries with dual posts Labeled SUV batteries we are seeing come in after 18-30 months dead as a doornail. They happily discontinued those batteries last year and the old ones that are dying usually are fully warrantied out. The other is with vented batteries like in vws and other European cars. They just have a tendency to die within a year or two they are replaced under full warranty often as well.


After those problems we switched to a new manufacturer in Pennsylvania affiliated with Deka. So far so good. The new manuf. Batteries are easily identified by an animated logo on them as opposed to just a solid color.

Keep in mind this stuff applies to northern batteries and may be different than the batteries you would get which are designed for the warmer weather of the south.

[VX KAT]

How is a battery selection so difficult? I always thought that a battery with a waranty was still a battery. If it doesn't have a warranty then I wouldn't buy it that way when the cheap turd stops working I can just take it back and replace or refund... maybe I'm missing something that requires our VX's to have a special battery?:_confused

Hey BB- Here's my take on it.....No, the VX doesn't take any special battery...us neurotic owners just tend to fuss over things like this a bit more than normal folks..:goof:
I think the Optima has been so popular because of a couple reasons I can think of...it claims to be 15x more vibration resistant, it can be placed in any orientation, it's sealed and won't leak, and maintenance free. Since many VX owners have added high electrical load items such as stereos, amps and lights, etc.., the Yellow top & Blue top "claim" they handle that load "better" than most other batteries. The vibration resistance factor is a key reason Dave & I are interested in them since we drive about 2 miles on dirt/rocky roads every day .

But I guess there's also a bit of illogical reasoning too...it looks good!

And thanks for a ton of good info Eric!

[Ldub]

But I guess there's also a bit of illogical reasoning too...it looks good!

Don't forget, the style conscious VX'r wants his or her battery to match their coil packs...:thumbup:

[Triathlete]

How is a battery selection so difficult? I always thought that a battery with a waranty was still a battery. If it doesn't have a warranty then I wouldn't buy it that way when the cheap turd stops working I can just take it back and replace or refund... maybe I'm missing something that requires our VX's to have a special battery?:_confused

Kind of hard to do when it dies in the middle of nowhere out on a trail...sometimes its nice having that little bit of insurance.:yesy:

[Marlin]

Don't forget, the style conscious VX'r wants his or her battery to match their coil packs...:thumbup:

I think that hits the nail on the head. If you didn't care about looks, you would be driving a plain old jeep:) (or an old box shaped blazer)

[Triathlete]

I think that hits the nail on the head. If you didn't care about looks, you would be driving a plain old jeep:) (or an old box shaped blazer)

Under the hood...its more about function then looks! I don't pop the hood so others can gaze at it in awe! Truthfully most would just see a lot of red moab dirt...still.:bwgy:

[etlsport]

Sue,

took a look. The FJ calls for a group 27F.. big honkin battery! we dont even stock them. A group 24F will fit but is physically a bit smaller. The group 35 will fit as well, but is even smaller still.

beware, there is a group 27, and a group 24, but unless there is an "F" associated with it, the terminals will be backwards from what you need. Toyota original battery is 710 CCA, but we show batteries as low as 580 being compatible.

hope this helps!

[circmand]

but when I got my free replacement on a 3 year battery the guy actually put in an RV battery which fit fine and worked fine

[etlsport]

but when I got my free replacement on a 3 year battery the guy actually put in an RV battery which fit fine and worked fine

if thats on the VX, that would make sense, a group 34 is a common marine/RV battery, which fits in the VX. thats what I have is the optima blue top which is marine/RV

[VX KAT]

Anybody have any feedback on Odyssey batteries?

I'd never heard of Odyssey until you mentioned it. But when researching more on the Optima, I found a few posts on the Toyota 4Runner forum about it, thought I'd share it here. Don't know how accurate it is. ** Remember this is from a Toyota 4Runner forum so it's not pertaining to our VX...just some brief input on Odyssey batteries**


6/20/08 -So here is some interesting info I thought I would put here, as I did not read it in my searching. We have a Group 31 main battery. Typically they are used for commercial use (big rigs etc), and Marine applications, not light trucks. YEAH TOYOTA! Optima now makes batteries in this size, but typically they are special order, stores seem to carry the standard/original size Optima. I have provided the spec's for the stock battery, my Die-Hard (PC2150 essentially) and the Group 21 Optima Yellow Top.

Odyssey PC 1700
875 CCA
1700 CA
142 Minutes Reserve Capacity
68 Amp Hour or 3.4 amps for 20 hours

Optima Group 31 (Yellow Top D31T w/studs or the D31M Blue Top with posts & studs)
900 CCA
1125 CA
155 Minutes Reserve Capacity
75 Amp Hour Battery or 3.75 amps for 20 hours

Die-Hard Platinum (Essentially an Odyssey PC2150)
1150 CCA 2150 CA
205 Minutes Reserve Capacity
100 Amp Hour or 5 amps for 20 hours

Despite the hype the Odyssey 1700 is not better than the stock battery except for cranking power and construction type. It has 22 less amp hours, and 23 minutes less reserver capacity
The Proper Odyssey Battery would be the PC2150. Why buy it though when you can get a Die-Hard that is the same battery for less $$$?
The Optima's are a great battery, and perform better than stock by a lot (in the right Group 31 size) but are not the equal for the Group 31 Odyssey/Die-Hard Platinum
Marine Batteries are rate for deep cycle and for some reason are also rate to be able to be fully charged in less than an hour. Presumably this means they can take high current recharging better than standard battery's, or Yellow Tops even. They also seem to be rated to be able to be fully discharged 300 times in their life, where the other types will not tolerate this abuse, again not even Yellow Tops. I cannot remember/find again where I saw this in my searching but it was very interesting to me.
Reserve Capacity is the how long a battery will go dead (below 10.2 volts I believe) at a 25amp load. This essentially simulates how long you could run your car with lights on after the alternator dies. This is NOT a measure of a battery's deep cycle capability.
Amp Hours is a strange spec. It gives us an idea of hour much load is required to flatten a battery (again 10.2 volts I believe) in 20 hours. This is THE measurement of a Deep Cycle battery. If you take the Amp Hour Rating and divide it buy the 20 hours you can see the load it can handle to last 20 hours before it is dead. Look at the spec's above, the stock battery blows the Optima and Odyssey 1700 away. I found this very interesting.

Apart from the specs listed there is a far more important aspect to batteries, and that is how long it lasts and can handle abuse. Heat, discharging to low voltage, rapid charges up to 100A or more, etc. Odyssey is rated very highly on the abuse factor and I guess we will find out over time how good they really are for our application.

Bottom-line of what I learned, as long as we choose a battery that is over the 710CCA the stock battery had we should be focused on 2 things only. We want to get the most Amp Hours in a battery we can (for winching, fridges etc) and construction type (gel etc for durability in the abuse we give it). I hope this helps the next guy/gal.

[djmdma02]

After having too many die hard's "die hard", optimas are the way to go. though a few people have talked about the blue tops, stay away as they do not work (at least in my experience) for road vehicles too well. as for the red and yellow, I prefer the yellow, though have never really had a problem with either.

Though if you are bound and determined for a lead-acid, the stinger accessory batteries make a great primary battery as well... :)

[ZEUS]

I had a problem with both the red and yellow - don't let them sit too long and Optimas are alright.

[VXR]

I had a problem with both the red and yellow - don't let them sit too long and Optimas are alright.

Just out of curiosity what is too long? Are we talking days or weeks?