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Whats a good Battery for winching

FlexdXJ

FlexdXJ

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Memorial Lifetime Member
Location
Columbus, In
I am going to put the detours backbone on my jeep along with an XRC8 winch. I was just thinking an Optima red or yellow top. A good friend of mine who is sometimes full of it says winching will ruin an Optima. He was suggesting a powermaster but i could buy 2 yellow tops for the price of one of those. I figure its gonna get used maybe a dozen times a year since i sometimes have no time to wheel so an Optima should be good, correct? :dunno:
 
I like how my yellow top has terminals on the side as well as the top. Running allot of accessories from only the top posts can make things pretty crowded....imo. not sure how a winch could ruin a battery.... maybe by convincing it that its positive is really a negative?
 
like i said sometimes he is full o crap. He is running 7 powermasters in his XJ(stereo comp. vehicle)and he swears by them but my budget is a lot tighter than his!
 
Yellow top is more of a deep cycle. They dont like repeted starts and drains, but last alot longer.

The red top is more of an everyday use one, takes repeted starts, but drains quicker when lots of accessories are added, IE: a winch.

At least thats what our battery guy said.
 
Been using a Optima Red Top on my XRC8 for a little over 2 years now. I love it. I have two of them in the jeep (dual battery), but they have had no issues with winching. I have made PLENTY of hard pulls with it.

~James
 
stumpXJ said:
Been using a Optima Red Top on my XRC8 for a little over 2 years now. I love it. I have two of them in the jeep (dual battery), but they have had no issues with winching. I have made PLENTY of hard pulls with it.

~James
Click to expand...


Thanks man thats what i was wanting to hear. I think i am gonna have to get one then. I saw the odyssey batteries a minute ago. they were like 250 for a 34/78 size
 
Im running a Optima red top and a warn m8000 winch. As long as the XJs running I havent had a problem. If its not running while winching a hard load it will drian the battery down quite a bit (winch looses power before the battery gets too low to start the XJ).
 
CanMan said:
Yellow top is more of a deep cycle. They dont like repeted starts and drains, but last alot longer.

The red top is more of an everyday use one, takes repeted starts, but drains quicker when lots of accessories are added, IE: a winch.

At least thats what our battery guy said.
Click to expand...

I think you misunderstood him. Deep cycle is actually meant to drain down repeatadley.
 
ALL batteries drop voltage as they drain. Starting batteries are designed mostly for high POWER output, ie, starting the engine. Deep cycle batteries are designed for high usable ENERGY storage, ie powering lights for a long time or running a trolling motor on a bass boat.

Optima batteries are good at both, with the different models tending towards one or the other. As long as the battery can handle the power output needed then deep cycle is good.
 
srimes said:
ALL batteries drop voltage as they drain. Starting batteries are designed mostly for high POWER output, ie, starting the engine. Deep cycle batteries are designed for high usable ENERGY storage, ie powering lights for a long time or running a trolling motor on a bass boat.
Click to expand...

Yeah I put the crack pipe down and sobered up. :D Thanks for the correction. I think what I meant was that it takes longer for it to drop. It's definitely safer to completely drain a deep cycle than it is to do the same to a starting battery.
 
Sears Platinum P-4 = Odyssey PC-1500

Just for information All Sizes 34/78

Odyssey PC 1500/Sears Die Hard Platinum P-4

* CCA: 880A at 0°F (-18°C)
* CA/MCA: 1,050 at 32°F (0°C)
* Reserve capacity: 135 minutes
* Amp Hours at 20 Hour Rate: 68

Warranty through Sears 48 Month free replacement, 100 month prorated
Cost at Sears $189
Optima Red/Blue/Yellow

* CCA: 800/800/750A at 0°F (-18°C)
* CA/MCA: 1000/1000/870 at 32°F (0°C)
* Reserve capacity: 100/100/120 minutes
* Amp Hours at 20 Hour Rate: 50/50/55

Warranty through Optima/Costco 36 month free replacement, 36 month prorated
Cost at Costco ??
Specs from

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc1500series.htm

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02850090000P?vName=Automotive&cName=Batteries+%26+Chargers&sName=Automotive+Batteries

http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_edge/technical_specs.php#yellow2

Odyssey beats the best of Optima in every category. Just run one Odyssey and you will get the benefits of great starting ability and reserve capacity.
 
What no one has mentioned is the double terminal. The side terminals are rated for less amps than the top terminals. I had a battery go bad one time. The top terminals were still good, but lost voltage to the side terminals. (separated inside the battery somewhere) The car I had at the time used the side terminals so I replaced it. I’ve got my winch hooked to the top terminals and the starter and the rest on the bottom terminals.
 
FlexdXJ said:
I am going to put the detours backbone on my jeep along with an XRC8 winch. I was just thinking an Optima red or yellow top. A good friend of mine who is sometimes full of it says winching will ruin an Optima. He was suggesting a powermaster but i could buy 2 yellow tops for the price of one of those. I figure its gonna get used maybe a dozen times a year since i sometimes have no time to wheel so an Optima should be good, correct? :dunno:
Click to expand...


I run an Red Top and it's treated me good. I use it probably just as much as you are planning to. Make sure you get a dual post. The winch needs to run off of the top posts.

BTW, it'd be a great time to upgrade battery cables as well.
5-90 can hook you up with a good set of cables very reasonably.
 
I had a Yellow Top and winched with it with no problems. Just don't let your friends use your Yellow Top to do some trail-side welding. That fried it.

Replaced it with a Red Top. Also winched with it with no problems.

But then installed a York compressor and had to relocate my battery. So I now have an Odyssey 1200. Again, no problems winching.
 
I've been running a yellow top (without a winch) for a few years now with absolutely no issues.

I second the 5-90 battery cables also.
 
anyone have a pic of their battery area after hooking up a winch to the top and everything else to the side terminals?
 
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