Can someone educate me on Optima Batteries?

T

triehl27

New member
So this morning I found that both of my batteris are kaput! Both were leaking severely and weren't holding a charge. So everyone I have talked to suggested seal batteries such as the Optimas. Ok I can read the web and the company page and they sound great.

But What about from some real users. Anything I need to be aware of?

From what I read you are supposed to charge them at a slower rate but that they charge as fast as normal batteries.

What else should I know?

I found them at Fisheries supply for $189ea and i'll want two. Any other places cometo mind?

Any other batteries comto mind? I really do like and want the sealed battery option. Thanks
 
triehl27":345l2jtv said:
So this morning I found that both of my batteris are kaput! Both were leaking severely and weren't holding a charge. So everyone I have talked to suggested seal batteries such as the Optimas. Ok I can read the web and the company page and they sound great.

But What about from some real users. Anything I need to be aware of?
Click to expand...

What a timely post...

I was sold on the concept of Optimas. I had two installed in Da Nag in 2004. However...just a little more than 2 years later, one is dead, in a big way - it's registering 4.5 volts, which indicates a pretty catastrophic failure. To make matters worse, I almost burned the barn down because of it - my Xantrex charger, sensing the low voltage, was attempting to crank 20A through it due to the low voltage. By the time I smelled the battery fumes and shut the thing down, the battery was too hot to touch. Scary, to say the least...

The Optimas have an 18 month replacement warranty, followed by another 18 months pro-rated. So, even if I wanted to replace it, I'd be out over $100 just to mate it with a 2+ year old battery. Add to that, there was nowhere within a 2 hour drive of Port Angeles that could handle the pro-rated warranty replacement...not the kind of news I needed when discovering I had a fried Optima the night before a planned cruise.

So, since my shore power/charging setup requires all batteries be of the same type, off to Wal-Mart I went to get something cheap for my planned cruise the next day. For less than $100, I plopped in two new Wal-Mart batteries, and yanked the remaining Optima Blue Top.

While I did this primarily to avoid a delay in my cruise, after giving it more thought, I'm probably going to stick with the Wal-Mart cheapies. They have 24 month replacement warranties, that if ever necessary, can be handled virtually anywhere. Do I expect them to last as long as a better battery? Of course not...but with a price so low, I'll probably just consider it a bi-annual expense, and replace them every two years whether they need it or not. And from what I've since read, that should give me plenty of margin for comfort - these batteries seem to get great reviews from the RV'ers, who routinely get 3-4 years out of them.

Still, I'm going to invest in the optional Xantrex temperature monitor for my charger - it halts charging if the battery temps rise. All of the chargers I've seen will crank higher amps through a battery when voltage is low, then slowly back off as the voltage rises. As I saw with multiple dead cells on the Optima, that can get dangerous in a hurry...the temp monitor is cheap insurance.
 
Bill-

I'm with you on the Wall Mart Wonders! Have four group 27's in my 22.

Have two that are 1- 1/2 years old, and two that are 3 years old, no difference in voltage or behavior.

With the $$$ you save, you can have a roll of bills, instead of a rolled up battery (cell design on the optimas).

4 x $190 = $760

vs

4 x $55= $220

Difference = $540

And since I'm not planning on motoring around upside down,*
I really don't need that capability or need to pay for it!

* Optima batteries can operate upside down, since they are sealed.

Joe.,
 
I have tried AGM's and have one now--only because it is in the passanger part of the pilothouse. We got at least 4 years out of good lead acid batteries when full time cruising--Never dischaged over 50% (12.2 volts)

For larger boats I like Golf Cart batteries--I have Trojan 205's for 4 years in the RV and still very close to specs.

A personal feeling, if you will not look at the batteries, or will have them on their side, or in a passanger compartment--then go AGM. If not, Lead Acid is still the cheapest and safest way to do.

A person who purchased a boat from me, had the same experience as Bill with AGM's--the boat had a Posine true charge--good charger, but best to have the temp sensor.
 
Unfortunetly I will have the batteries up front in the passenger area to better balance out the 16'. As some who have met me at a Lopez cruise know I have an Arima 16, with a 75 honda on the back. Having 2 batts in the back was making it alittle heavy. So I moved them only to discover that they were both over the hill. One cracked and had leaked most of the acid into it's box and the other not holding a charge for more then 24 hours. These batts are both 7 years old. So they've lived their life.

Although the cuddy area of the Arima and where I moved the batts too is more open then in a C-Dory, I would rather have the sealed batts. $55X2 = $110 Compared to $189X2 = $360.

Man, major debate time, really thinking of just moving to the back with one on each side of the boat.
 
If you are close to a costco, they have the optima batteries there. I cannot remember what the price was for them last I looked.
 
Replaced my batteries this season and checked out the Optima. Seems to me if one is going to pay more than 2x the purchase price one ought to be assured of getting 2x the life. No such assurance or guarantee is available on the Optima. If only one of a pair of expensive batteries fails BOTH batteries still need to be replaced. Go cheap and take the best care of them you can.
Mike 'Levity'
 
The Mary Ellen came with acid batteries from the factory. After 4 years I had trouble starting the Wallas if the batteries were not fully charged or the motors running. My Brother-in-Law had good look with the Optimas so I bought a pair at Costco. Almost a year later I was having trouble with the starboard motor when starting. I could find no source of the power drain on the starboard battery. I happened to be at the factory for some updates and they advised me to wire in an on/off switch for each battery. I did this and took the starboard battery back to Costco just in case. No problem, they gave me a new one for free. Jury is out, but I have had no other starting problems and they seem to hold a charge great. I have the shore power option with a built in charger. I normally leave the shore power plugged in when the boat is in the shop. I will have to see in a few years if they were worth the $300 plus?
 
Big Mac – the optima batteries will have to last you until sometime after 2014 to be worth it.
Your original batteries lasted four years.
The optima are more than twice expensive
Two times four equals eight
2006 plus 8 equals 2014
Let us know if they last that long
 
While this may not apply to your particular battery chargers, in some of my older boats and my newer motorhome, leaving the charger plugged in dehydrates the battery solution rapidly. I fried a set of four expensive batteries that way, but now have fixed the problem. A helpful tool is that automatic water filler tube system with a bulb pump, much like an outboard engine fuel in-line bulb pump. You rig the $70 tubing system on the cell caps and then just pump until the bulb is hard and that automatically fills each cell to the perfect level. They are saying you could get 6-8 years from a set of acid batteries if you don't run them to naut, and keep the water levels accurately..... don't overfill, don't underfill. The air-exposed plate becomes useless fast.

John
 
We have Exide Orbital's on Discovery. Same battery as the Optimas but by Exide. Got them at a Sam's Club for $120.00 each. They have worked great so far, but only 10 months in service to date. Time will tell. I'am not good at checking the water in hidden batteries, so the Orbital was a good choice for me.
 
I have the optima batteries and like them so far. They seem to hold a charge pretty good.

I'm not sure that the true value of a battery is necessarily how long it lives but of course a premature death isn't good.
 
I agree that they are spendy and can not justify the cost so far. They are supposed to hold a charge for a year even just sitting unused. The factory charging system shuts down when the batteries are fully charged. I also like the fact that I do not have to check the water level. The batteries from the factory were about $100 to $125 to replace. The Optimas were about $158 a piece. I guess if comes down to what makes a person happy.
 
We have an Optima Blue Top as a starting battery and two Class 32 West Marine AGMs as house batteries. The Optima is three and a half years old now and going strong.

Patrick and Mary Fowles
25 ft C Dory Cosmic C
Currently moored at the Midway Marina, Fulton MS
www.the-fowles.com
 
I love optima batteries had them in multiple boats. Last boat had them for 5 years and they still worked well. Lead acid batteries offshore I do not like it much if one turns over because of a tie down or battery box failure, acid normally in the bilge if this happens. I have had an optima fail
during charge in my shop and they do get quite hot and not smell very good. In my Tomcat I have 4 optima's on 2 switches and have no issues.
JoeC
 
I read a recent review somewhere that rated the LifeLine AGMs as the best performing, most cost effective battery for marine applications. Sorry I can't find the reference now. http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/marine.php Maybe more comparative info is available on the web.

BTW, one advantage of AGMs is they do not produce hydrogen when being charged like wet cells do - maybe an important consideration if they are placed in the cuddy.

I think this was touched on in this thread, but do not mix and match AGM and wet cell batteries.
 
We install AGM batteries in almost every new boat we rig; including little aluminum skiffs where we use the lawn and garden tractor sized AGM. I can't tell you in total how many we've installed but it's lots and we've had very few issues with; certainly far less than the traditional wet cell batteries we had used for years prior.

We use them almost exclusively for many reasons:

* There's better than a high likelihood that the electrolyte level will not be checked and kept up as it should be in wet cells. Almost no one likes checking batteries.

* The Optima batteries (in particular) fit where other AGM batteries and wet cells don't and allow us more flexiblility in locating them.

* They self-discharge at a much lower rate than wet cells. One of the two major causes of failure for batteries is sulfation which occurs on a partically discharged battery; that's much more like to happen to a wet cell (and usually does). The other major cause of failure is damage to the postitive plates resulting from overcharge; something very difficult to do in an AGM battery and easy to do with a wet cell.

* They're safer; if this were the only advantage I'd still recommend them and use them my self. There just isn't any liquid electrolyte to handle and no (at least not without massive overcharging) outgassing.

Optima isn't the only brand out there and perhpas not even the best. We use them in the C-Dory because they're physcially smaller than other Group 24 AGM batteries and fit in the battery compartment where others won't. For house batteries I often choose the Lifeline products.

I agree with adding a temperature sensor to the system. It's something that didn't seem totally necessay in moderate climates but does from a safety standpoint if the battery starts to get hot. On th flip side one of the reasons for installing AGM batteries is so that the need to unattended battery charging is minimized and/or eliminated. If necessary I'd use a purpose built trickle charger (like the Battery Tender) or make sure that you have the temp sensor on a larger built-in charger.

Any battery can and fail regardless of its manufacturer or design. I have a rack full of wet cell Interstates so that we have a good supply of warranty batteries. Purchasing an AGM battery does not mean you'll never have a failure.

The "buy cheap and replace often" concept could be applied to almost any part of one's life. Some folks are comfortable with that (even thrive on it) others don't like it at all. This is strictly a personal choice and no amount of chatter here is going to change that. From a strictly technical standpoint, major failures aside, AGM batteries are more efficient and safer; whether or not they're worth it is a matter of personal opinion not technical issues.

Remember too, it's horses for courses. If we were talking about a very robust system for a larger cruiser I wouldn't take the same position on the AGM's. You still can't get the capacity and depth-of-discharge on AGM batteries that you can on truly fine wet cells but then on a cruising boat the electical system deserves (and consumes) lots of attention. What I'm after on the C-Dory boats is simplicity and convenience; I don't want folks to have to pay a lot of attention to their batteries (and most won't any way).
 
When I purchased the battery for my little 8 ft camper I decided to go with an AGM battery. I am amazed at how well that battery holds up. Since I don't charge it with the truck it takes a beating. Simple charge before we go and the battery will power the lights for 2 weeks. Using the battery for my electric trolling motor gives me about 16 hours of use on my 13' Columbian. So far I have been very pleased with the AGM. It was less expensive than an Optima but seems to have most of the benefits.
 
Wonderful topic, and a lot of good discussion.

I have six years on a pair of Optima blue tops. I do bang the hull quite a bit running in the ocean (sealed was recommended) and run downriggers with 14lb wieghts. We routinely fish down to 250 - 300 feet over Monterey Canyon and like to check the spreads every 20 minutes. I got mine at Cost CO for about $120 each and they hold a charge nicely. I'm kinda near sighted and checking the water level is a pain for me so I like not having to do that. Sounds like I might have gone overkill since their are less expensive models of the same technology but my electronics guy here at Johnson Hicks tolds me that I'd be happy with the optimas given what I like to do. I run the stove and radio and radar etc.. most all the time. I've been OK for quite some time but it could also be pure luck.

Since I'm going to replace in the next year, I appreciate this thread.

Shawn
 
Great stuff as usual, Les. A few comments/observations...

Les Lampman":3h4lnl4a said:
* They self-discharge at a much lower rate than wet cells.
Click to expand...

Da Nag, unfortunately, sits for many months at a time unused. I noticed over the last year, that the failed Optima I replaced was always losing its charge, whereas the other was not. I'm convinced the reason for this was something attached directly to it, that was drawing a small amount of power. There are at least 10 wires directly connected to the failed battery, which I'll be moving off to a bus bar, and feeding from the 1-2-All switch. For now, I'm simply disconnecting the batteries when not in use.

While this could be done on Optimas as well, I think this will go a long way towards reducing the self-discharge rate.

Les Lampman":3h4lnl4a said:
* They're safer; if this were the only advantage I'd still recommend them and use them my self. There just isn't any liquid electrolyte to handle and no (at least not without massive overcharging) outgassing.
Click to expand...

If they were in the cabin, I'd agree 100%. With them securely installed in the lazarettes, and a frequent replacement schedule, I'm not as concerned. I always open the hatches when charging, and with the temp monitors in place, the chance of overcharging seems minimal with a quality unit like the Xantrex.

As for the outgassing...you bet, an Optima will outgas significantly when overcharged. I could hear the gasses escaping through the foam vents, and the odor throughout my garage was overwhelming. And this happened rapidly...the charger had only been on for about an hour when I noticed the fumes.

Les Lampman":3h4lnl4a said:
Any battery can and fail regardless of its manufacturer or design. I have a rack full of wet cell Interstates so that we have a good supply of warranty batteries. Purchasing an AGM battery does not mean you'll never have a failure.

The "buy cheap and replace often" concept could be applied to almost any part of one's life.
Click to expand...

Agree 100% on the failure possibility, which is why the "buy cheap and replace often" concept seems to make more sense to me - in this case.

Normally, that's not a theory I subscribe to...I'd much rather buy something of quality, have it last longer, and not suffer with the inconveniences of a lower quality prouct. But in the case of a battery, failure pretty much requires immediate action. Since Optima dealers are much farther and fewer between than Wal-Mart, the chance for the inconvenience one encounters when warranty/replacement is necessary could be much higher, depending on where you live/boat.

Replacing cheap and easily obtainable batteries semi-annually takes 10 minutes, at a time determined by me. To me, this is an acceptable trade-off...I pretty much eliminate the possibility of having a trip delayed, due to a prouct that is more difficult to find/replace.
 
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