Optima Yellow Top Batteries - Any Good?

[auf_wiedersehen_pet]

I'm thinking of replacing my 2nd battery in the Disco with a yellow top Optima. It will be used to power a 500W amp, two 12" subs, two 240 Blitz Lightforce spots, roof bar with four 55 W spots, etc. NO WINCH.

What do you think of them as they ain't cheap!

[hrh_dave]

I dont know about the yellow ones... but we have a red as main at the moment and its fantastic!!!!

[redhand]

If yu read optima's own website it'll tell yu that their batteries are useless for landy's?? (check it out if you don't believe me)  and lots of people are finding that they just don't last long enough to justify the exhorbitant prices that they charge. Ypu'd be better off with a std  battery. or leisure/marine battery if yu need a deep cycle battery given that they're on average only a 1/4 of the cost of an optima they make perfect sense. As an optima will never outlast 4 std batteries.

[Boddle]

 If my understanding is correct with regards to Optima batteries the red battery is design for normal use E.g everyday driving, The yellow is for heavy draw  run flat and quick charge, but not to often E.G a winch battery(for Winch challenge truck) or where you are likely to use the full charge of the battery in one go this limits there usage as they tend reduce the number of cycles it can do.
You may well find the red better for what you are looking to use it for. I'm using to 2 red optima even though the main use of the second battery is for 2 Running a PC (150 watts) and on occasion 2 winches which will allmost certainly take more power than the 500watt amp which is the heaviest load you have, Although it may not be a good idea to try and run all these at once. I had these 2 batteries for 6 years so far, So I can't advise on how long they will last.

[Disco Matt]

I have a Red Top as my main battery and it seems decent enough to me. I'll probably fit a Yellow one too when my current auxiliary battery (my old main battery - running a laptop and a CB doesn't bother it) expires.

[Lyndsey731]

I have a yellow top for the winch and have no problem with it, I had a look on Optima's web site, couldn't find the useless for landys comment but they seem OK for jeeps as they've got a video of one off roading and winching, strange!

Gav

[Mud_Medic]

The Optimas are a very compact battery, so you can often fit 2 of them in the space for one standard battery. :D

They don't have a very large capacity  :( (AH rating) but can give out high currents  :D (CCA or MCA). They are very expensive.  :'(

So you pays your money, you takes your choice.  :?

I don't use them, but use standard batteries, and accept I may have to change them more often than optimas. This still works out cheaper. The more lead you have, and the heavier the battery, and the more resilient it will be.

YMMV

Ed

[crazymac]

I did hear that if you tried to claim on the optima warranty for any reason, they refused to pay out if the vehicle was EVER used off road!!

I have bought the Numax 4x4 leisure battery http://www.tayna.co.uk/Numax-CXV-X-1000-Amp-P7632.html

I bought two of these so there was no incompatability issues and they work great.

I have one for starting etc, and one rigged into a split charge for my winch, gave it a hammering at the weekend (25 100ft pulls in a row with engine on tickover) and it hasn't hesitated.  and at £65 each inc they are a heckof a lot cheaper than the optimax!!

http://www.tayna.co.uk/catalog/455/0/Leisure-Batteries-Optima-Leisure-Batteries-page1.html

[redhand]

I did hear that if you tried to claim on the optima warranty for any reason, they refused to pay out if the vehicle was EVER used off road!!

I have bought the Numax 4x4 leisure battery http://www.tayna.co.uk/Numax-CXV-X-1000-Amp-P7632.html

I bought two of these so there was no incompatability issues and they work great.

I have one for starting etc, and one rigged into a split charge for my winch, gave it a hammering at the weekend (25 100ft pulls in a row with engine on tickover) and it hasn't hesitated.  and at £65 each inc they are a heckof a lot cheaper than the optimax!!

http://www.tayna.co.uk/catalog/455/0/Leisure-Batteries-Optima-Leisure-Batteries-page1.html

Yep I use Numax as well. can't fault them and as said much cheaper than an optima.

[auf_wiedersehen_pet]

I have bought the Numax 4x4 leisure battery http://www.tayna.co.uk/Numax-CXV-X-1000-Amp-P7632.html

I've ordered one - can't justify the Optima's high costs.

[Disco Matt]

Seems a bit unlikely that they'd have an "on road only" clause, when at least one of the testimonies on their US website is about agricultural machinery (which spends most of its working life off road!)

[crazymac]

Seems a bit unlikely that they'd have an "on road only" clause, when at least one of the testimonies on their US website is about agricultural machinery (which spends most of its working life off road!)

Don't know just how far the claims go about this as all I have is "heard" about the claim refusals, but I found this on their site

OPTIMA YellowTop Deep Cycle Battery Warranty
OPTIMA Batteries, Inc. deep cycle batteries used in series string applications with a battery management
system have warranty coverage for 12 months from date of purchase with proof of purchase. OPTIMA
batteries used in series string applications without a battery management system have warranty coverage
for 1 month from date of purchase with proof of purchase.

Notice that unless you have a battery management system then the warranty is only 1 month!