Just to clarify a few items in the thread. There are two main lead acid battery manufacturers in the US, Johnson Controls and Exide. The branded batteries being discussed normally come from one or the other. This mean Die Hard, Everstart, and Duralast can all be the same under the label. Good advice was given on how to identify the supposedly superior JC batteries.

Optima and copies are a dry cell, spiral core battery. Personally I have owned four of these and I was burned on all four. I have zero confidence in Optima. Unless there was a spill issue, I would never consider one especially for a premium.

Odyssey is Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) technology. These are millitary spec batteries with a minimum 10 year life expectancy and better performance than a lead acid battery can offer. I do not know about the Die Hard version but the Odyssey is offered in a steel belted case, should you require that and is also non-spillable. I have owned four of these and find them to be the best bar none. Worth the extra coin? Probably not for the average user, but they are far superior in extreme conditions and should last substantially longer offsetting the price.