Optima Marine Batteries...Your Opinion

[NoWorries]

Bought a used boat this past fall, and it came with an Optima Marine battery. I've not had any problems with this battery at all. We've run the radio for quite a while while swimming and such, and it still cranks over my BB just fine. <br /><br />I want to install another battery and selector switch and was wondering if the Optima line was worth the money. The battery I have costs $179.00 at a couple of places I've looked. Is Optima worth that much? Are they really that great of a battery? Would any other good grade of marine battery be just as good?

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Optima Marine Batteries...Your Opinion

Folks that have Optima batts usually like them a lot. In the grand scheme of batteries, all of the spiral wound batts (Optima, Orbit, others) come out on the bottom when you consider the value. I’m a big fan of the newer, sealed, maintenance free AGM batts. Like Optimas, not cheap, but better mileage for the dollar, much more forgiving of the charging profile.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Optima Marine Batteries...Your Opinion

I'm on my second optima in little more than a year. I went out to start the boat one day and the battery was dead shorted to ground. I call the dealer and he told me to bring it in and get a new one for free as it was covered under a 3 year warranty. Ok, this is good, I can live with that. .When I got there the guy just smiles and tells me to just set it over there with all the other ones and pointed to a big pile of dead Optima’s sitting in the corner <br /><br />Needless to say I’m not impressed with this battery except for the warranty policy. Unless this Optima lives a whole lot longer than the 3 years I normally get out of a battery I’m going back to my $79 Exide Marine batteries of old..

 

[imported_bjs]

Re: Optima Marine Batteries...Your Opinion

im sorry you had trouble with your batt.cause ive had them in race cars and boats they lasted for 4 yrs or better. that bites to see a good batt.manafucter get that bad rap.but i think they are worth that kind of money but that price sounds a little high.i know they make 3 diff.kinds of blue top batt.one is cheaper than the other.i bought 1 last year i dont think i paid 179.00 for but i will check

 

[CN Spots]

Re: Optima Marine Batteries...Your Opinion

A Trojan with 225 reserve minutes costs about half that. They're heavier though. I know a guy who got seven years out of one but I doubt that's the norm.<br /><br />spots