Least expensive 6 volt Optima battery?

jjbubaboy
jjbubaboy Senior Contributor
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Hey all,

Anyone got a great deal on a 6 volt red top Optima battery anywhere?

Shopped around and seems like the best I can find is about $150, and that is shipped.

Looking for leads...



Thanks,

T Jeff

Comments

  • rambos_ride
    rambos_ride Senior Contributor
    I'd verify warranty and replacement pro-rating before ordering a battery online.

    If it fails or needs replacement during the warranty can you return it and get a replacement or pro-rated return at any Optima dealer or would you need to send it in?

    Might not be worth saving 40-50.00 depending on the answers you get.

    I've used Optima batteries in all my rigs for the last 15+ years.

    I bought 2 red top optimas for my 98 Crew Cab Dually from Autozone - they went bad in less than 6 months because they (red tops) where the wrong battery for a diesel.

    I took them back in to Autozone and got 2 yellow top - deep cycle batteries and got full value for the red tops and just had to pay the difference for the extra cost of the deep cycle batteries.
  • RonS
    RonS Senior Contributor
    Amazon usually is a locator for things.You would need to contact the company that actually sends you the battery for the standard Optima warranty. Downside ... if the batt fails after, lets say, 5 years, then you might have a problem since the smaller seller might be out of business or any of them might fail to respond to your claim. I have bought Optimas on line through Amazon for years, but none have ever failed sooner than 7 years.
  • TOM-WA-
    TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
    As an option you might want to consider this. After many frustrating attempts to find a relaible 6V Battery with enough cold cranking amps for my Hudson I located a GREAT BATTERY..



    It's called A Ultra Pro 6V Group2 SLI2 AND is available nation wide at

    WWW.BATTERIESPLUS.COM

    http://www.batteriesplus.com/p-36451-pro-series-heavy-duty-6v-battery-werker-sli2.aspx



    It Runs around $80 and I have had mine for 2 years and LOVE IT
  • rambos_ride
    rambos_ride Senior Contributor
    TOM-WA- wrote:
    As an option you might want to consider this. After many frustrating attempts to find a relaible 6V Battery with enough cold cranking amps for my Hudson I located a GREAT BATTERY..

    It's called A Ultra Pro 6V Group2 SLI2 AND is available nation wide at
    WWW.BATTERIESPLUS.COM
    http://www.batteriesplus.com/p-36451-pro-series-heavy-duty-6v-battery-werker-sli2.aspx

    It Runs around $80 and I have had mine for 2 years and LOVE IT

    Interesting specs:

    Rayovac
    Voltage: 6 V
    Chemistry: Flooded Material
    Capacity: n/a
    CCA: 625
    Reserve Capacity Minutes: 150
    Weight: 35lbs

    Optima
    Voltage: 6 V
    Chemistry: AGM Batteries Material
    Capacity: 50 Ah
    CCA: 800
    Weight: 19.05lbs


    Anyone know what the heck "reserve capacity" is? I've never seen that noted on a battery spec before....
  • J Spencer
    J Spencer Expert Adviser
    edited November 2013
    Amazon.com $116.49 (including shipping)

    http://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteries-8010-044-Starting-Battery/dp/B00099HVN6

    You might try to find an Interstate Battery Distributor,- you know the one the garages get theirs from- and see if they can be of help. A few years ago I was able to buy one for ninety bucks. That was the price to a garage which I use to have but at the time no longer had. Got any connections with someone that sell Interstate batteries? Had one in my own Pacemaker - lasted about ten years. Good Luck!!

    Jim Spencer
  • J Spencer
    J Spencer Expert Adviser
    rambos_ride wrote:
    Interesting specs:



    Rayovac

    Voltage: 6 V

    Chemistry: Flooded Material

    Capacity: n/a

    CCA: 625

    Reserve Capacity Minutes: 150

    Weight: 35lbs



    Optima

    Voltage: 6 V

    Chemistry: AGM Batteries Material

    Capacity: 50 Ah

    CCA: 800

    Weight: 19.05lbs





    Anyone know what the heck "reserve capacity" is? I've never seen that noted on a battery spec before....



    Simply stated reserve capacity is how long a good battery fully charge can last in minutes at a certain amperage (discharge rate) should your charging system fail before it leaves you stranded by the side of the road waiting for help. An older car like our Hudson's can likely last longer than new cars because the electrical demand is not as high as the modern day computer equiped cars.



    Reserve capacity on an Interstate 6volt Optima style battery is 120min and CCA is 850 AGM spiral cell construction



    J Spencer
  • coverton
    coverton Expert Adviser
    Dan,according to "Al Santini,Automoyive Electricity and Electronics" [ the text book we use at Our Comm College ASEP Progran ] and GM's Stage 1 text book guide-Reserve capacity is the ability of the battery to maintain load w/o the charging system working.To include lights etc on expressed in minuates. How long it will take the battery to discharge at a load of 25 amps.A two hour rating means 25 amps for two hours-or so the text book says. We were covering this just today at 1PM in class or I doubt I would remember it either.
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Well, since everyone's putting in their two cents worth on their own (non-Optima) batteries, I'll chime in on the one I've been using for several years:



    DEKA #902 (East Penn Mfg. Co., Pennsylvania)

    Group 2

    6 volt

    CCA: 780

    Reserve capacity: 200

    Weight: 36.5

    Warranty: 30 mos.

    Price (as of last May): $89.95 + tax.



    This is a typical old fashioned lead/acid battery. It does have 780 CCA, almost as much as the Optima's 800. However, I could never hope to get 7 years out of it, like the Optima! (5-6 years, tops!)
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    I just replaced a Deka battery #902. It lasted 3 years, which is typical for std. lead/acid batteries. It went out suddenly and I wished I had gotten one of the Optimas. The new lead/acid from NAPA cost $93. I did get a trickle charger for this winter. HOpefully this will help this one last a bit longer.
  • jjbubaboy
    jjbubaboy Senior Contributor
    Hey all,

    THANKS for all the input and replies! Great job!

    Looks like Rick's vote with Amazon wins! The warranty is through Optima and is 3 years.

    If I was going to stay with a lead acid then Tom I would go your way but like the cranking amps and versatility of the Optima.

    Paid about as much as that for my Autozone P.O.S battry and it works OK but wouldnt expect more than a couple years out of it at best.



    Thanks again,

    T Jeff
  • hornet53
    hornet53 Senior Contributor
    I've used a 6V Optima in my 53 for about 9 years now. The first one lasted about 8 years, and that was with bad grounds. It would always crank really slow and wear the battery down, but it always came back with a good charge. When it wouldn't start anymore I went through all the connections with some Scotch-brite, installed my Pertronix kit, charged the battery and load tested it. The needle on my load tester couldn't have fallen any faster if I dropped it on the ground. So I replaced the battery with a new Optima and the car cranks like never before. It did cost me about $160 at a Batteries Plus store in Raleigh NC, which seems way more expensive than the one I bought back in 2000.

    A friend who used to be a battery distributer tells me the Optima quality has fallen off a lot in the last few years due to changes in manufacturing methods and locations, but I figured 8 years... with the abuse I subjected it to... I'll give them another chance.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I've had my Optima for two years now and even with the generator not charging it started the car, it was starting to slow down some but I would guess it did twenty starts without the generator working while I was tracking down the problem. I paid about $145 through Amazon, with free shipping and the warranty card, Optima says if I have any problems take it to any Optima dealer for warranty replacement, sounds good to me
  • Nevada Hudson
    Nevada Hudson Senior Contributor
    Costco also sells Optima batteries.
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