I hear you. Let me officially change this question to "What battery has the highest CCA and reserve that will fit in my Bronco?"

 

10-4 on the Ford Silver Series, but the Excide batteries are also as good as any Sears battery made. I believe there are only a handfull of battery makers, and batteries are marketed under different names. For all I know, WalMart batteries might be the same as a DieHard...

 

The following are the battery manufacturers in the U.S. - (according to Google)

Balox, Inc. - DC AC Power Inverters - Tamarac International Corp. - ACDelco - Allpak Battery - Atlantic Battery Co., Inc. - CCB Industrial Battery Company - Continental Batteries - Crown Battery Manufacturing Co. - Dynalite Corp - Dyno Battery, Inc. - Ellis Battery - General Power, Inc. - Interstate Batteries - JB Battery Solutions - KENRAY BATTERY CO INC - Kettler Solar Products Inc. - New Castle Battery Manufacturing Co. - Optima Batteries Inc - RADRIDEZ sub: of Superior Concepts - Superior Battery Manufacturing Company Inc. - TurboStart Midwest Battery Sales - US Power - Voltex Batteries Inc. - West Coast Batteries

 

I do not know which Optima you tried but Mine has a great reserve

 

The "reserve capacity" is a quantity of minutes that the battery can sustain a continuous load without dropping below a certain voltage. Optimas are rated for less reserve than most other comparable batteries. Read about it on the Optima site that I linked above and here.

 

Personally, I've had the best luck with my interstate thats about 2 years old. I have never tried optimas mainly cause they are are so overpriced.
I have used diehard, everstart, motorcraft, and several others that I can't remember the names of.
I would still take an interstate. Anyway, I love nascar and one of my favorite drivers is Bobby Labonte, and he durives from corpus cristie, TX. baby, yea!

 

I think one of the biggest considerations for a battery is warranty. A battery always dies at a time when you need it most. I personally use the sears battery's because they are in every major city and have a express lane to get in and out fast.

 

I'm an owner of a small business that sells auto/truck/marine batteries.

First - CCA (Cold cranking Amps) is a rating of available amps @ 0° f.

-CA (Cranking Amps) is rated @ 32° f.

Batteries perform better at a warmer temp, so a few years ago a few mfg's started using 'CA' because it was a higher number and looked more impressive - so be sure you use CCA's to CCA's or CA's to CA's when making any comparisons.

Optima battery does NOT make the Group-65 size that fits in Bronco's from 1987 (as I remember) to the end of production. If you elect to use an Optima, you'll have to modify the hold down to keep it from banging around under the hood.

Optima Batt's have far FEWER CCA's than most Group 65 Ford style batteries.

The Group 65 batt's available in the after market range from 650 CCA - to about 850 CCA. We only sell the 850 CCA, as the battery case in both versions is the same - the smaller CCA battery has fewer plates inside the case.

My advise is to only get an 850/875 CCA, Group 65 version. Pick up the battery and make sure it's HEAVY - that's a good test - heavier is better in the battery business!

RESERVE is the number of minutes a 12 volt battery will run a 25 amp load till the voltage reaches about 10.5 volts. The higher the number, the longer you'll be able to run if your Alternator craps out. RESERVE is related to the number of plates in the battery - here again, heavier is better - means more plates.

In the Nor-Cal area, we sell the Group 65 battery from about $60 retail. Go to a battery specialist shop in your area and have them fix you up with the heaviest they have.

 

I thought about the Optima not fitting the tray on my Bronc. I've decided to just buy the battery that has the highest CCA that I can find, regardless of brand. All I know about my current Interstate battery is that it does not take much to kill it.

 

I have had great luck with the Interstate Batteries both personally and professionally. Perhaps the one that you have is either "sick" or not adequate for your trucks needs. For some of our trucks with a lot of electrically powered equipment we have installed "Deep Cycle" Interstate batteries. Also may wish to double-check that your alternator is indeed fully recharging the battery - whatever brand it is. Before giving up on Interstate call them and determine the CCA's and capacities of their products - there are many more than are on the shelf. As I recall their telephone is: 1-800-crank it.

Russ

 

I'm no battery expert by any stretch of the imagination, but my Interstate Mega-Tron Plus (875 CCA) has given me nothing but flawless performance and has never left me stranded. My alternator took a dive on me while going over a mountain pass in a snowstorm. I drove for two hours with the headlights on with the battery alone and I made it to the parts store.

I swapped out the alternator for a new one, threw the battery on the quick charger (to keep from frying my new alternator) and it's still going strong.

Any battery than can sustain the ignition, headlights, and fuel pump for that long gets my vote.

 

(The following is NOT a paid endorsement of the Optima Battery)
You can get a good warranty on something and have to use it often. Or you can get something good and not have to use the warranty.
I have had the same Optima battery in my Bronco since May 1995. It sat several times without being started for months on end while I was out of the country, and still started my truck without a jump when I got back.
Optima now make two different red top batteries. One is rated at fewer CA and CCA than the other and is about $20 less.
I replaced the battery in my GMC 1 ton twice since I put the Optima in my Bronco. The second time I replaced it with an Optima and haven't worried about it since.
In the words of some unrelated commercial I once saw
"Expensive...And darn well worth it!"
BTW, I have noticed I don't have nearly the corrosion issues with the Optima that I had with my other "wet" batteries.
I give this advice freely, so remember, "Free advice is worth what you pay for it"

 

Second that

 

Ok, batteries are like tires, everyone has a personal preference and opinion on what's best. I personally have used the Optima Red-tops without a problem. Both the 34 and 34/78 configurations (which is what you would put in a Bronco) are rated for 800CCA, and 110 minute reserve. The 75/35 configuration is for Chevy's, and is rated for less CCA's.

I will only use dry cell batteries after my experience with my Expedition. I had to remove the battery to get to the PCM, and found that the battery tray and fender underneath was severly corroded.

And please, if you are going to install dual batteries, connect them via parallel and use an isolator. Series will kill your electrical system quickly.

 

I've also had good luck with Wal-Mart's $28 economy battery. The one in my wife's Jeep is about 2 years old, & it held up all last winter--started it dead-cold several times at -10.

I have 2 Die-Hard Weatherhandlers (both ~2 years old) in my F-350. When they die, it's probably getting 2 Wal-Mart batteries.