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Optima red vs yellow

Discussion in 'Technical Chat' started by Cr250jumper, Feb 2, 2011.

  1. Feb 2, 2011 at 2:17 PM
    #1
    Cr250jumper

    Cr250jumper [OP] Señor member

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    Not sure if this is the right area but what is the difference betweeen optima red and yellow tops? I see people using both and they have red tops and yellow tops listed as both marine and automotive
     
  2. Feb 9, 2011 at 10:45 PM
    #2
    DevL

    DevL Well-Known Member

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    Red top has more cold cranking amps for starting. If it is drained it is damaged.

    Yellow top has less cold cranking amps and more usable capacity. It is not a true deep cycle... its more of a hybrid deep cycle and starter.

    Deep cycle batteries are used in RVs for power and can withstand deep repeated drains... not good for starting.

    Got a winch or will you ever get one? Get a yellow top.

    Marine is blue top... same as yellow top with extra marine terminals. Red and yellow are not marine, blue is but the only difference is top color and terminals vs yellow.
     
  3. Feb 9, 2011 at 10:46 PM
    #3
    Detective_Dan

    Detective_Dan "Place original and witty user title here"

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  4. Feb 9, 2011 at 11:14 PM
    #4
    Janster

    Janster Old & Forgetful

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    Get a Yellow Top.

    I've had a Red Top in a JEEP GC, sold the vehicle to my father-in-law and it wasn't long that the Red Top kicked the bucket. I've heard of others having the same problem. Moral of the story....The Red Tops don't seem to last any longer or be any better than a standard batteries you get elsewhere (example).

    We've had a Yellow top in our Jeep (trail rig) for many many years. Although it never saw daily driving duties, the thing could hold a charge forever (it seemed). It would start even after sitting for months. I left the lights on one day after driving it to work. The battery was drained.... got it jumped, plugged it up to a charger, and its been flawless ever since. The Yellow Tops just appears to be a 'better overall battery' than the REd Top.
     
  5. Feb 18, 2011 at 4:02 PM
    #5
    JasoTaco

    JasoTaco Well-Known Member

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    I like my yellow top. If I remeber right it wasn't much more $ than the red.
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Feb 18, 2011 at 4:11 PM
    #6
    SocalMan22

    SocalMan22 Well-Known Member

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    I have had my red top for 3yrs its an opinion and a certain situation that they wouldnt last longer, i dont see my battery going out anytime soon and i have a spare redtop to replace it.
     
  7. Feb 19, 2011 at 9:34 AM
    #7
    linkfeeney

    linkfeeney Well-Known Member

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    Since johnson controls makes optima and die hard batteries

    I notice Diehard has more CCA and higher RC than optima red and yellow
     
  8. Feb 19, 2011 at 1:40 PM
    #8
    DevL

    DevL Well-Known Member

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    This is ONLY becasue Optima uses less material in the batteries by rolling up the mat into rolls... thus less of the space is used between the rolls. The flat stack mats of Die Hard allow more mat material to be used... its not that one is better than the other its strictly more "battery" being used (and thus more weight) in the provided space.

    Optima and Die Hard batteries of the same WEIGHT have about the same capacity and same CCA. This makes sense considering they use the exact same technology.
     
  9. Feb 19, 2011 at 4:43 PM
    #9
    linkfeeney

    linkfeeney Well-Known Member

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    are they same price??

    Die hard platinum is like $200, and I think the Red and Yellow is $200 a pop too.
     

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