What battery should i buy?

[ecsong187]

I need to get a new battery for my 85 k5 and am wondering what the best battery out right now is from your guys' experience? i havent really done much research but i've heard a lot about optima batteries?
thanks for the input
edwin song

 

[lethe]

ive had pretty good luck with my red top. my first one has a bad cell after about two years though.

 

[Paulie]

Yellow tops work awesome

 

[landbruiser1]

Been running dual red tops for over 5 years and have never had a problem..

 

[NotMatt]

Search, we've had a couple threads about this recently I think.

Anyway, I put an Exide Orbital in since my red top finally gave up the ghost after 6 years or so, and it's working great so far, holding up to my 8274 with no sweat.

 

[PORTER]

I used to run red tops, but now I run Exide Orbitols. IMO Optima quality has went down.

 

[pokey]

I used to run red tops, but now I run Exide Orbitols. IMO Optima quality has went down.

same issues here. I will be running the orbitals in the new jeep. The optimas just dont seem to hold up like they used to:booo:

 

[Travis1]

same issues here. I will be running the orbitals in the new jeep. The optimas just dont seem to hold up like they used to:booo:

My wifes jeep's red top has worked well from day one.





















If all we wanted to do is start the Jeep. It can't put enough power out to run the winch beyond "snug". Even the 7yo OEM battery worked better than that.

You'll find most people praising the optimas have had them for over 4-5 years. Sometime in the last 3-4 years their QC has gone down the crapper. Some people seem to get good ones, but a lot of people seem to end up with dead or dying year old optimas.

 

[iceman1]

Think I paid $200 for a yellow top recently.......hope it hangs in there,,,,so far so good,,,,,,,,,been a couple of months now.we got duals.

 

[toyzuk]

has anyone tried the industrial ones big rigs run. thats what im gettin next time. they can sit for ever and still have enough juice to start a bigger diesel.
when its really cold some of the diesels at work take forever to start and you can crank on them forever.

you can get em for about 125. the downside is they are as big and weigh as much as 2 or 3 batteries.

 

[TOPWOP]

Take a look at these I have two in my truck. they are really spendy. I went 2 week with out an altanator.

http://www.kinetikaudio.com/hc2400.asp

 

[iceman1]

wow..those are spendy,,but are they worth it?

 

[TOPWOP]

I have a 99 tacoma xcab With way to much stereo stuff. I can hit 151db in side the cab, and the head lights wont dim. Im running to of those kinetik 2400. Im also still running the stock altanator. I had 4 yellow tops at one time but they couldnt keep up and then i tried the bule tops no good. I found these love them.

 

[moparmagician]

I need to get a new battery for my 85 k5 and am wondering what the best battery out right now is from your guys' experience? i havent really done much research but i've heard a lot about optima batteries?
thanks for the input
edwin song

For what's its worth, at a local northwest warehouse, the warrenty rate of an optima is about 10 to 1 over the orbital. If you really want a killer battery, the orbital extreme is the best. Pricey, but it can double duty as a starting and a deep cycle battery. The biggest thing most (including me) people do is not charge these batteries properly. I have an optima that is over 8 years old, it was constantly dead after sitting in my pickup for extended periods of time. I finally asked the rep. how to charge it. No more than 5 amps over a 24 hour period of time. If you zap them harder than that, they simply float the charge over the top and won't absorb it. Since charging mine that way, it hasn't been dead since. And think about it, if you charge it with an alternator, way too many amps also. So trickle charge them once in a while.

 

[Binder]

Im running to of those kinetik 2400.

How long have you had them?
Batterys like those typically don't last very long because the plates are super thin in order to get more in there. Thin plates don't last as long as thick ones.

 

[Glenn]

I have a 99 tacoma xcab With way to much stereo stuff. I can hit 151db in side the cab, and the head lights wont dim. Im running to of those kinetik 2400. Im also still running the stock altanator. I had 4 yellow tops at one time but they couldnt keep up and then i tried the bule tops no good. I found these love them.

Wow, hearing IS over rated. :awesomework:

 

[Glenn]

What kind of requirements do you have for a battery? Do you have winch, stereo, lights, DVD player, electric icebox, etc etc? Most of these high dollar batteries are more for people with the need for high capacity batteries. If it is mostly stock, then I think you're wasting money to buy a battery you don't really need. MY off the shelf battery from GI Joe's has never let me down for 3+ years. I don't have a lot of electrical things either.

 

[ecsong187]

Yea right now its stock but im starting to get some more parts, and am looking ot get a winch, so i am looking at these higher end batteries, i think im going to try the exide orbital
thanks
edwin song

 

[TOPWOP]

Wow, hearing IS over rated. :awesomework:

LOL. Ive had these batteries for about 4 years now.

 

[mthompson223]

Buy the crappiest 60 month battery you can find in Wal-Mart and secure it against vibration/movement. Perhaps something a bit beefier if you have a winch.