I have an Optima battery in my Harley and have not had a charging\battery problem since. Do any of you have an Optima in your truck? They are on the Big Bucks side of the price sheet and just wondered if the extra expense is worth it.

The Harley has the old POS 20 amp charging system so I figured a good battery was worth the money. I have never had any problems with the F-100 But have gotten to the "do something with the battery tray" item on my truck wish list. The battery is held in with a bungee cord. WHILE I"M AT IT, I though it might be a good time to change the battery as it was in the truck when I bought it and I know nothing of its history or age.

BTW the new 30 amp system is setting in the garage waiting for the change of seasons. That means stop wortk on the Ford and start work on the Hardly Dangerous.

 

Optima Batteries are definitly worth the extra cost, They last 4 times longer that a regular flat plate flooded battery and they cannot spill, they wont rot out your battery tray, cables or anything else. It doesnt take long for the extra cost to be paid for from the added benifits. Also keep in mind that the cranking amps that are advertised are VERY conservative, during the testing phase of manufacturing, they regularly test at 1000 amps or more!

 

The real specification to determine a battery's worth is the reserve capacity.
I am not totally familiar with the optima buy I assume it is a gel battery. I haven't kept up with that technology. Is there a web site where I can learn more.
I have been a diehard(pun intended) Interstate user for years

 

I have had the Red Top Optima in my truck now for almost 3 years. It is the first battery that never leaked acid all over my inner fender. No terminal corrosion either. Just purchased the Blue Top Optima for my Bronco. I will temporarly use it in my 5th wheel camper this Thanksgiving weekend to test its Deep Cycle ability.

 

I have a yellow top (deep cycle) that I use to run my winch and most of my accessories. I use it all summer to pull logs and it has yet to bog down. I am going to eventually purchase one more to replace the cheesy battery that starts the pickup.

 

Could someone please refresh my memory on what the difference between the blue, yellow, and red tops are. It seems to have slipped my mind. I might have to consider buying one of these batteries for my project truck.

 

The Optima Battery is not a Gel battery, It is a spiral wound AGM (absorbed glass mat) battery, it uses two (pos. and neg.) long grids of lead coated with a lead oxide and acid paste, then covered with the glass paper, then that is wound into a spiral approx. the size of a beer can, that is one cell, six of these are put into a case and then the top is dipped into a mold of molten lead which creates the straps that connect all of the cells together. Then they are sent to an acid filler there the correct (depending on which type of battery it is, deep cycle, sli etc...) concentration of acid is injected into the center of the cells. The glass mat that is covering the cells absorbs the acid and maintains the complete contact of acid with the lead grid. Since the acid is held in suspension in the glass paper, it cannot spill,(because of this,Optima is the only battery that can be shipped by air). Red top is a starting battery. Yellow top is a deep cycle with a large amount of reserve cap. it is also a good starting battery if you have a light alternator and lots of accessories, it likes to be drained and re-charged. The Blue top is the same as the Yellow, only it comes with additional theaded studs for connections. Interstate batteries does not make batteries, they only distribute them, they distribute Optima as well. Sorry for the long thread, just thought I could answer several questions in one. the website is at the bottom of my signature.