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Odyssey vs. optima vs. orbital

M

Mike1331

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Folsom, CA
So I got a 100 dollar gift cert to Amazon, I’ve decided to put that towards a decent starting battery. I need to keep it under $200, so I won’t be able to afford a 1200 or higher. I do plan on running 4 soltek lights fairly soon but no winch or fatty stereo so I’m hoping a decent starting battery will suffice I’ve read over several threads and it seems odyssey has a better rep around here. How many of you have run all and prefer one over the other? Did any one take the beatings our off road rigs give better than the other? Optima’s look tough but that says nothing about actual use. I’m very concerned about the battery being able to take the rigors of off road use and bumps as with a lot of us, I’m VERY hard on my rig with desert missions and what not.
I think I’ll get this one
http://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-PC925...5?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1262026558&sr=1-25
It has a width of 5” and a length of 6 5/8” so it should fit in the stock box location. It seems decently priced for a 925.
 
Try summitracing.com or your local Riebes automotive for prices of an Optima red top and compare that with Amazon. Also see if there is a rebate available from Optima. I bought one a few months ago and took advantage of the $25 rebate.

I like the additional side posts for accessories on both of my red tops and they have never failed me. Tie it down properly and it will work well for you and your planned use.
 
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I can't speak for the other brands, but I have personally had very good luck with my Optima red tops. I'm on my second one now, the first one lasted ~6.5 years and got put through some pretty brutal North Country NY winters. The only times it ever failed to start the Jeep were 2 instances when I left the headlights on all day while skiing and then the 3rd time which was the day I replaced it. I had it start the Jeep down as low as -40 and once almost welded someone's jumper cables when I let them incorrectly hook them up.

As for lights, as long as you wire them up properly with the right gauge wires and relays, I don't see any problems from the battery's perspective. I run a set of Lightforce 170's and a set of Hella 550s (one of these days it'll be another set of Lightforces) along with my IPF H4s and have never seen anything adverse.

I'm sure others will chime in with some less stellar reviews of the Optimas, but I'm a happy customer.
 
I have a red top Optima in my XJ and have no complaints. It always starts regardless of the weather, and recently survived a collision with a deer that shoved my radiator back into it.
 
I have had two optima red tops. First one lasted a year, went on a fishing trip to mexico, and forgot to close hatch tight. Light was on for a week, whe I got back the optima could not be saved, that said it was replaced for free with a new red top. Has worked flawlessly now for 2.5 years and I beat the crap out of my heap on the trail
 
x200 on Optima Red Top - had one since Jan 2006....was drained completely once b/c SOMEone (ex) didn't close her door properly - put it on a trickle charger for about 24 hours and it has worked great since (this was in Aug 2008). Never had any problems with it - it's jumped plenty of other vehicles in an instant, never had problems in cold starts or hot weather.
 
I am going to say I would def. go with the Red Top... cause if it wasn't worth running, the USAF and other branches of the military wouldn't trust them in most of their vehicles, and almost all of their equipment.. I will def. be rolling with a Red Top... or if I can afford it I would rather get the Yellow Top like I had in my car... wish I had never lost that battery...
 
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I like my redtop so far.. But what i have noticed is, If you let it drain down to far, it needs to be slowly recharged for like 2 days via trickle charger. Jumpstarts and 20min bursts from the alturnater does not "Charge" it like a normal battery
 
good to see optima is still pleasing peeps. I'll probably just end up with a red top as it seems they have the most cold cranking amps for the buck compared to everybody else. Prob just end up with an 800
 
didn't the USAF also trust K and N air filters? I run a yellow top in my Cherokee, just replaced the first one that I installed in 2004.
 
Why a red top? Those are starting batteries. Get a yellow top that is for deep cycle and cranking power. If you have a winch, lights and other electronics, you'll want a yellow top. I've also heard plenty of good things about Odyssey batteries.
 
My yellow top optima went crappy in two years. I bought a red top Exide Orbital for much cheaper and it is about 1.5 years old with no issues.
 
I had good luck with my yellow top in my XJ, but this red top that I have in the YJ is not so good. But don't know the history of this red top but done some research recently and have not seen any good review of recently purchased optimas. I was looking at a odessy and when I came accross some some articles talking about a sears battery that is an odessy batter but cheaper and found a local wheeler that has used one with good results so I am going to try it once I get a little more money saved up.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02850090000P?vName=Automotive&keyword=platinum
 
Lots of dissatisfied Optima owners since Johnson Controls bought the brand and transferred manufacturing to Mexico, rumors are use of recycled lead and subpar manufacturing.

The Sears DieHard Platinum is the good sears battery made by Odyssey. This will be my next batt.

Deka is another brand i'v read good reviews of.




KSXJ said:
I had good luck with my yellow top in my XJ, but this red top that I have in the YJ is not so good. But don't know the history of this red top but done some research recently and have not seen any good review of recently purchased optimas. I was looking at a odessy and when I came accross some some articles talking about a sears battery that is an odessy batter but cheaper and found a local wheeler that has used one with good results so I am going to try it once I get a little more money saved up.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02850090000P?vName=Automotive&keyword=platinum
Click to expand...
 
The die hard platinum is just a rebadged odyssey. I got mine for right around 200 bucks.
 
OverlandXJ said:
Lots of dissatisfied Optima owners since Johnson Controls bought the brand and transferred manufacturing to Mexico, rumors are use of recycled lead and subpar manufacturing.
Click to expand...

I was talking to the guy at American Battery where the shop I used to work for got all our batteries, and he told me that the Odyssey batteries are made by the same company that made the optima batteries before they were bought out. I personally run an Optima yellow top, but that's because I got it for free.:viking: I've had it drain completely because I let it sit for like 2 weeks in sub-zero temps, but I put it on a good (but not too good) charger for a day and it was back up to par. I got it for free cuz it had been returned to American Battery as a core when a cart racing place in town bought all new batteries. so it was like a year old when I got it a year ago. currently still going strong.
 
yep think I heard something about Optima being made in mexico aswell. Ill see how this new one goes. but truthfully, with the warranty, I would rather pay $200 for an optima then a sears battery.

Overland XJ----funny you say Deka is a good battery, the PO of my cherokee put one in, and I swapped it for the optima out of my TJ. Always thought it was just a cheapo battery, so I bought a used redtop for my wrangler.
 
austinaubinoe said:
Overland XJ----funny you say Deka is a good battery, the PO of my cherokee put one in, and I swapped it for the optima out of my TJ. Always thought it was just a cheapo battery, so I bought a used redtop for my wrangler.
Click to expand...
The "sears" battery has a 4 year No questions asked warranty aswell FYI
 
I'm on my second Duralast battery. My first lasted 7 years with no issues at all.

For the price, I cannot imagine buying any other battery.


Edit:
It is a Johnson Controls battery also... so I don't know if they moved manufacture of them to Mexico or not. I've had the new one for about a year and a half so far with no issues.
 
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