AGM Battery

[denverd1]

well it seems I beat on my rig too much for standard lead acid battery. pretty sure I knocked a plate loose and caused battery to fail, which lead to my alternator having some issues.

Which AGM is worth the money? "Worth the money" to me: no optima, northstar, odyssey, etc

There's a Bosch group 34 AGM at Pep Boys (jeez I hate that place) for 190 with 25% discount. 4 year free replacement, ends up being 150'ish.
Duracell makes a group 34 AGM for 200'ish. Sam's club has one for 129 with 3 year replacement. rebadged Deka's it looks like

what AGMs are you guys running with good results and a good price tag?

[4.3LXJ]

I know you said you don't like Optimas, but I am running blue top starting batteries. No complaints after two years so far. Got them cheap too at $160 each

[denverd1]

I know you said you don't like Optimas, but I am running blue top starting batteries. No complaints after two years so far. Got them cheap too at $160 each

If I could find optimas at 160, I'd be all over them. in my experience, they're not the same battery they were 10 years ago, yet prices have gone up considerably. Where did you find them for 160? I expect they've gone up since then, but even close to 160 would work. expecting to spend 150 to 200

[4.3LXJ]

I think they are still a good battery, but you need to not try to use a deep cycle battery for cranking and winching. That seems to be where the yellow tops fail. Blues come in cranking and deep cycle

[denverd1]

ran a few blue tops in the boat. they seem to bounce back better after a full draw down as well. where do I buy them for 160'ish?

[4.3LXJ]

I found mine on ebay. I think the last time I checked there was one vendor at $190. Just checked 229 is best price now

[denverd1]

I think they are still a good battery, but you need to not try to use a deep cycle battery for cranking and winching. That seems to be where the yellow tops fail. Blues come in cranking and deep cycle

so blue top starting is what I need? anything will spin the motor, thought deep cycle would be good for winching, no?

[4.3LXJ]

From what I am picking up on the net, the yellow tops don't hold up well to high discharge rates. They are designed for sustained low discharge. I am guessing they use the same tech in the blue top marine deep cycle too. One other tip, don't winch off the studs by the standard terminals. They are not designed to be used for that purpose.

[denverd1]

From what I am picking up on the net, the yellow tops don't hold up well to high discharge rates. They are designed for sustained low discharge. I am guessing they use the same tech in the blue top marine deep cycle too. One other tip, don't winch off the studs by the standard terminals. They are not designed to be used for that purpose.

hmm.. the go to battery for big sound systems for a while was the blue top. 4 - 10 blue tops pushing several thousand watts through systems that were setup to play for several hours before they needed juice. I don't think they're they're like yellow tops, but have no real proof other than quite a few builds that used them.

looks like yellow tops are designed to fully discharge and recharge repeatedly.

From Optima:
REDTOP® BATTERIES
The REDTOP high-performance AGM battery is the ultimate starting battery and is designed to deliver a strong burst of ignition power for a reliable start-up every time. It has high-power delivery and extreme resistance to the most common causes of battery failure.

YELLOWTOP® BATTERIES
The YELLOWTOP high-performance AGM battery is one of the few true dual-purpose automotive batteries available. With premium cranking power and impressive cycling capability, this heavy-duty battery is also perfect for modern accessory-loaded vehicles. Low internal resistance also provides more consistent power output and faster recharges.

BLUETOP® BATTERIES
The BLUETOP is a high-performance AGM battery with exceptional running time and more recharges than you’d get out of a traditional battery. On top of providing outstanding vibration resistance, the BLUETOP’s efficient power delivery and faster recharge time mean you’ll spend less time worrying about your battery. This means more time for fun. Again and again. This flexible boat battery and RV battery is ideal for those who need a sure-starting, strong-cranking, maintenance-free power source.


clear as mud! blue tops do sport better CCA and AH reserve tho

[denverd1]

biggest reason I'm looking elsewhere is they changed their free replacement warranty.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN OPTIMA® DEEP-CYCLE AND A STARTER BATTERY?
The OPTIMA deep-cycle battery utilizes different chemistry. This chemistry change allows for a much longer life in cycling applications, with only a slight reduction in starting power.

If you're looking for a reliable battery for starting your vehicle and to support a load of electronic accessories, including winches, audio systems, an OPTIMA YELLOWTOP deep-cycle battery is the right choice. The YELLOWTOP battery is also ideal in vehicles that don't have an alternator or have electrical demands that temporarily exceed the alternator's output. It helps meet those high electrical demands until you're able to recharge.

YELLOWTOP batteries provide deep-cycle power. This allows you to enjoy all of your electronic accessories while your vehicle is off, such as audio systems, DVD players or underbody lights. For off-roaders, your battery will allow you to winch your way out of precarious situations. There are also a number of key-off draws that pull energy from your battery, including clocks, alarm systems, digital radios (station settings) and onboard computer systems. You'll be able to pull all of this power from your YELLOWTOP with the confidence that your battery's energy will recover time after time.

now i'm really confused. wonder how much difference we're talking about? somebody needs to do a battery shootout. how far/how many times can you winch a rig up a trail with each.

should I get a marine battery with side posts?

[denverd1]

more yellow vs blue: "I asked our Optima factory rep at one time about this, and the dual version blue (D34M) is essentially a yellow (D34) with stainless threaded terminals for marine hookup. That being said, I have never used one for a non-marine application."


then you have light grey bottom vs dark grey.

red (dark grey bottom)= starting
yellow (light grey bottom)= dual purpose deep cycle
blue (light grey bottom) = dual purpose deep cycle marine
blue (dark grey bottom) = marine starting

[4.3LXJ]

As to the side posts, I don't care for them. I like the traditional posts

[denverd1]

As to the side posts, I don't care for them. I like the traditional posts

what are you winching off of?

[4.3LXJ]

My two blue tops, main posts. My cables go from the back to the front to a buss I made. Starter and winch cables go from there.

[denverd1]

pep boys had 25%. bought a bosch AGM for $167 with 4 year free replacement warranty.

bet that turns the winch like a champ! If I did a 2 battery setup, I'd probably use an isolator/combiner. Connected with key on, separate when off. Could winch engine off till one battery is completely dead, then fire it up to charge the dead one.

you running a fridge or anything with engine off?

[4.3LXJ]

Yes, I have an apartment style fridge that runs off an inverter.

[denverd1]

do you have a way to isolate them? or do 2 blue tops provide enough reserve to run the fridge and crank engine in the morning?

[4.3LXJ]

I went the cheap route for isolating them. Each battery has two winch solenoids to connect to the rest of the vehicle. I can use both or isolate. Also a small theft proof device because they get turned off when I exit the vehicle. Running off an inverter, the fridge will run for a couple of hours. If it was a 12V fridge, that would be another story. I am going to get a small one that will become part of my console that I will run off one battery.

[denverd1]

are the power draw dynamics significantly different with an inverter to 110? interesting way to do it.

[4.3LXJ]

Yes, the power draw is dramatically different. It takes about 10 times as much power from the battery with the inverter. I suppose it shouldn't seem that way, but the inverter will draw down the battery quickly.

[Pookapotamus]

"Pook's 2 cents"

I have a yellow top in Mort that i have has for 5+ years no issues yet, done lots of winching and boosting. AND its yellow!!!!

[4.3LXJ]

Of course it is Dana, if it was blue you would just paint it :D

[bluedragon436]

I am running a DieHard Platinum AGM battery, which is built along the same specs and same line as the Odyssey AGM batteries.. I haven't had any issues out of mine in over two years... And it sat for about 4 months without being started through winter cold months with snow sitting on the hood, and I got no issues starting it up even in the dead of winter with a foot+ of snow sitting on the hood... and that's with it being charged off a muddy stock alternator... Can't wait to get the upgraded alternator installed though, especially before making real use of the winch!!

[denverd1]

"Pook's 2 cents"

I have a yellow top in Mort that i have has for 5+ years no issues yet, done lots of winching and boosting. AND its yellow!!!!

Pook you would've bought a yellow top even if it was Optima's Lawn mower battery!!