Optima Marine starting batteries - Worth the money?

[fishinwrench]

If you have a voltmeter on your dash you can monitor battery condition and charging system, but what to look for depends alot on what motor you're running.

Generaly, when you are cranking the motor to start, voltage should not fall into the 10v range or below.

When you are running, voltage should show 13v or above....but not over 14.5.

When you operate the trim you should see voltage dip down but quickly recover back to where it was.

Analog dash meters aren't all that accurate as far as "true voltage" but if you always keep an eye on it and are used to how it acts then you can detect when things aren't as they should be.

[tbooks]

Thanks again. I will set up my voltmeter and see what it does.

[WeekendWarrior]

Optima batteries are junk now is what I was told, bought 3 blue tops and one went bad in 2 years and got a replacement and lasted a year without abuse and always charging as should. My other 2 on TM or still doing fine but for the price would not go down that road again is my 2 cents worth

[fishinwrench]

I haven't kept up on this, but not that many years ago there were only 3 companies making batteries, regardless of the many different names and colors of stickers on them.

[Unimog]

I have not had good luck at all with the optima group 31 blue top. Bought the first one new in fall 2010 lasted until summer 2013 and bought another. That one lasted until spring of this year and O'Reiley warrantied it. So I'm on my 3rd in less than 5 years. I won't have any more.

[Sac River Jim]

I haven't kept up on this, but not that many years ago there were only 3 companies making batteries, regardless of the many different names and colors of stickers on them.

wrench how accurate are the voltage displays on graphs. ive got hummingbirfs and the 1197c is off sometimes over a volt compared the the 1158c on the front deck. im running a blue top starting batt and its 2 years old so im thinking i better take it to oreilly's and get it tested.

[Feathers and Fins]

When I read people having bad luck with any battery I have to wonder how it was treated?

Glen correct me if im wrong here but if people run them down all the time they only have so many cycles before they are shot and if people leave them in a freezing boat all winter or in a boat in the sun all summer doesn't that also wear them down faster?

Mine sits in the garage and is recharged after each use and the power is cut from it to EVERYTHING until I turn it on the next trip out, winter I have a heater for the garage and it keeps it about 58 to 62 even on the coldest days and summer I have a fan in there that keeps it around 76 to 82 hottest days. And I seem to have no issues. So I always wonder the conditions the batteries are kept in.

[fishinwrench]

Usually the digital voltage display on the graph is way better (when running) than the analog meter on the dash. But they won't read the dip in voltage during cranking unless the motor takes 5+ seconds to cold start.