ClassicCar

jjbubaboy

Hey all,

Anyone got a great deal on a 6 volt red top Optima battery anywhere?

Shopped around and seems like the best I can find is about $150, and that is shipped.

Looking for leads...

Thanks,

T Jeff

46HudsonPU

Amazon.com $116.49 (including shipping)
http://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteries-8010-044-Starting-Battery/dp/B00099HVN6

rambos_ride

I'd verify warranty and replacement pro-rating before ordering a battery online.

If it fails or needs replacement during the warranty can you return it and get a replacement or pro-rated return at any Optima dealer or would you need to send it in?

Might not be worth saving 40-50.00 depending on the answers you get.

I've used Optima batteries in all my rigs for the last 15+ years.

I bought 2 red top optimas for my 98 Crew Cab Dually from Autozone - they went bad in less than 6 months because they (red tops) where the wrong battery for a diesel.

I took them back in to Autozone and got 2 yellow top - deep cycle batteries and got full value for the red tops and just had to pay the difference for the extra cost of the deep cycle batteries.

RonS

Amazon usually is a locator for things.You would need to contact the company that actually sends you the battery for the standard Optima warranty. Downside ... if the batt fails after, lets say, 5 years, then you might have a problem since the smaller seller might be out of business or any of them might fail to respond to your claim. I have bought Optimas on line through Amazon for years, but none have ever failed sooner than 7 years.

TOM-WA-

As an option you might want to consider this. After many frustrating attempts to find a relaible 6V Battery with enough cold cranking amps for my Hudson I located a GREAT BATTERY..

It's called A Ultra Pro 6V Group2 SLI2 AND is available nation wide at

WWW.BATTERIESPLUS.COM

http://www.batteriesplus.com/p-36451-pro-series-heavy-duty-6v-battery-werker-sli2.aspx

It Runs around $80 and I have had mine for 2 years and LOVE IT

46HudsonPU

RonS wrote:

Amazon usually is a locator for things.You would need to contact the company that actually sends you the battery for the standard Optima warranty. Downside ... if the batt fails after, lets say, 5 years, then you might have a problem since the smaller seller might be out of business or any of them might fail to respond to your claim. I have bought Optimas on line through Amazon for years, but none have ever failed sooner than 7 years.

Amazon does sell items themselves also - That's where 'free shipping with orders over $25.00' comes in, and you won't see a seller listed.

The battery listed is sold by Amazon - you'll need to contact them with questions as to how the warranty works.

rambos_ride

TOM-WA- wrote:

As an option you might want to consider this. After many frustrating attempts to find a relaible 6V Battery with enough cold cranking amps for my Hudson I located a GREAT BATTERY..

It's called A Ultra Pro 6V Group2 SLI2 AND is available nation wide at
WWW.BATTERIESPLUS.COM
http://www.batteriesplus.com/p-36451-pro-series-heavy-duty-6v-battery-werker-sli2.aspx

It Runs around $80 and I have had mine for 2 years and LOVE IT

Interesting specs:

Rayovac
Voltage: 6 V
Chemistry: Flooded Material
Capacity: n/a
CCA: 625
Reserve Capacity Minutes: 150
Weight: 35lbs

Optima
Voltage: 6 V
Chemistry: AGM Batteries Material
Capacity: 50 Ah
CCA: 800
Weight: 19.05lbs

Anyone know what the heck "reserve capacity" is? I've never seen that noted on a battery spec before....

J Spencer

46HudsonPU wrote:

Amazon.com $116.49 (including shipping)

http://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteries-8010-044-Starting-Battery/dp/B00099HVN6

You might try to find an Interstate Battery Distributor,- you know the one the garages get theirs from- and see if they can be of help. A few years ago I was able to buy one for ninety bucks. That was the price to a garage which I use to have but at the time no longer had. Got any connections with someone that sell Interstate batteries? Had one in my own Pacemaker - lasted about ten years. Good Luck!!

Jim Spencer

J Spencer

rambos_ride wrote:

Interesting specs:

Rayovac

Voltage: 6 V

Chemistry: Flooded Material

Capacity: n/a

CCA: 625

Reserve Capacity Minutes: 150

Weight: 35lbs

Optima

Voltage: 6 V

Chemistry: AGM Batteries Material

Capacity: 50 Ah

CCA: 800

Weight: 19.05lbs

Anyone know what the heck "reserve capacity" is? I've never seen that noted on a battery spec before....

Simply stated reserve capacity is how long a good battery fully charge can last in minutes at a certain amperage (discharge rate) should your charging system fail before it leaves you stranded by the side of the road waiting for help. An older car like our Hudson's can likely last longer than new cars because the electrical demand is not as high as the modern day computer equiped cars.

Reserve capacity on an Interstate 6volt Optima style battery is 120min and CCA is 850 AGM spiral cell construction

J Spencer

coverton

Dan,according to "Al Santini,Automoyive Electricity and Electronics" [ the text book we use at Our Comm College ASEP Progran ] and GM's Stage 1 text book guide-Reserve capacity is the ability of the battery to maintain load w/o the charging system working.To include lights etc on expressed in minuates. How long it will take the battery to discharge at a load of 25 amps.A two hour rating means 25 amps for two hours-or so the text book says. We were covering this just today at 1PM in class or I doubt I would remember it either.

Jon B

Well, since everyone's putting in their two cents worth on their own (non-Optima) batteries, I'll chime in on the one I've been using for several years:

DEKA #902 (East Penn Mfg. Co., Pennsylvania)

Group 2

6 volt

CCA: 780

Reserve capacity: 200

Weight: 36.5

Warranty: 30 mos.

Price (as of last May): $89.95 + tax.

This is a typical old fashioned lead/acid battery. It does have 780 CCA, almost as much as the Optima's 800. However, I could never hope to get 7 years out of it, like the Optima! (5-6 years, tops!)

50C8DAN

I just replaced a Deka battery #902. It lasted 3 years, which is typical for std. lead/acid batteries. It went out suddenly and I wished I had gotten one of the Optimas. The new lead/acid from NAPA cost $93. I did get a trickle charger for this winter. HOpefully this will help this one last a bit longer.

jjbubaboy

Hey all,

THANKS for all the input and replies! Great job!

Looks like Rick's vote with Amazon wins! The warranty is through Optima and is 3 years.

If I was going to stay with a lead acid then Tom I would go your way but like the cranking amps and versatility of the Optima.

Paid about as much as that for my Autozone P.O.S battry and it works OK but wouldnt expect more than a couple years out of it at best.

Thanks again,

T Jeff

hornet53

I've used a 6V Optima in my 53 for about 9 years now. The first one lasted about 8 years, and that was with bad grounds. It would always crank really slow and wear the battery down, but it always came back with a good charge. When it wouldn't start anymore I went through all the connections with some Scotch-brite, installed my Pertronix kit, charged the battery and load tested it. The needle on my load tester couldn't have fallen any faster if I dropped it on the ground. So I replaced the battery with a new Optima and the car cranks like never before. It did cost me about $160 at a Batteries Plus store in Raleigh NC, which seems way more expensive than the one I bought back in 2000.

A friend who used to be a battery distributer tells me the Optima quality has fallen off a lot in the last few years due to changes in manufacturing methods and locations, but I figured 8 years... with the abuse I subjected it to... I'll give them another chance.

Harry Hill

I've had my Optima for two years now and even with the generator not charging it started the car, it was starting to slow down some but I would guess it did twenty starts without the generator working while I was tracking down the problem. I paid about $145 through Amazon, with free shipping and the warranty card, Optima says if I have any problems take it to any Optima dealer for warranty replacement, sounds good to me

Nevada Hudson

Costco also sells Optima batteries.

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