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Location: MPLS, MN | Anyone use these? Opinions? The guy at batteries plus said they are the best but they are pretty expensive. |
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Location: St. Cloud, Mn | They are a great battery and people love them but does the price outweight the benefits? I was just at Batteries Plus looking at them too. Ended up buying their brand (Werker) since they were on sale and had a rebate. Just couldn't justify spending 2.5 times the price when I know they won't last 2.5 times longer.. |
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Location: MPLS, MN | Hey Tippman thanks, that's what I'm trying to decide if I should save the $$ and go with Werker. |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | It's not just the life span of the Optimas that has them costing so much, it's their toughness and versatility. In the off-road community Optimas are what you want because you can mount them upside-down, submerse them, bang them off rocks, roll them down a hill and not give it a second thought. You get what you pay for, but you may not need all the features the Optimas have to offer.
Jeff |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | I just retired an Interstate battery from my Gambler after 7 years of good service (deep cycle), I think I gave $88 for it's replacement if that helps. m |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Tippman - 5/7/2008 4:09 PM
They are a great battery and people love them but does the price outweight the benefits? I was just at Batteries Plus looking at them too. Ended up buying their brand (Werker) since they were on sale and had a rebate. Just couldn't justify spending 2.5 times the price when I know they won't last 2.5 times longer..
Tippman- I'm real curious as to how or what methodology you used to determine they wouldn't last 2.5 times longer. Care to share?
Al |
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Posts: 42
| Price absolutely justified IMO..... I had nothing but problems with (2) Interstate batteries.
The Optima has been trouble free and a joy to use. Highly recommended.
Since I don't have a gas engine, my trolling motor and battery are my only source to move my boat and the Optima has proven to be totally trouble/maintenance free.
Edited by BassMiesterNJ 5/9/2008 2:40 PM
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I fish quite abit. I have a Tuffy Esox Magnum and a Minnkota 50 Power drive. I was going through monster sized deep cycle batteries every year to year and a half. Plus towards the end of the batteries life, the usable time between charges was grossly reduced.
I bought my first Optima 5 years ago. I got FOUR solid seasons out of it, and it still was doing fine. The duration between charges was easily double that of the old monster sized deep cycles. The Optima could be "topped off" without adversly affecting its life. I never had to worry about it freezing. It was lighter to carry. It can be mounted in any position. It can NEVER leak.
Last year my trolling motor died. I replaced it with a Minnkota Auto Pilot. Expecting that it would require more juice to operate and realizing that the original Optima would't last forever, I saw that there was a magnum sized Optima Deep Cycle so I bought it and kept the original for an emergency back-up.
Both the usable duration between charges and the over all life of the battery far exceeded the price differential!
Initial price should not be the only consideration!
Edited by Steve Van Lieshout 5/9/2008 9:05 PM
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Location: St. Cloud, Mn | ESOX Maniac - 5/9/2008 10:38 AM
Tippman - 5/7/2008 4:09 PM
They are a great battery and people love them but does the price outweight the benefits? I was just at Batteries Plus looking at them too. Ended up buying their brand (Werker) since they were on sale and had a rebate. Just couldn't justify spending 2.5 times the price when I know they won't last 2.5 times longer..
Tippman- I'm real curious as to how or what methodology you used to determine they wouldn't last 2.5 times longer. Care to share?
Al
From talking with optima owners, the staff at a couple different battery stores, and the Optima website itself which states they can last UP TO 2 times longer than traditional batteries. I bought a battery with a higher reserve (210 mins) and think the overall price vs. benefits will be in my favor. I believe Optimas with the same are about $260??, I paid $75 for my Werkers after sale and rebate.
Edited by Tippman 5/10/2008 6:49 AM
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Comparing an Optima to a Werker is like comparing an Calcutta 400TE to a Zebco 33, i.e., there is no direct across the board comparison.
Did they tell you that the Werker is a private label AGM battery manufactured by Exide Battery for Batteries Plus? Of course they are going to push the Werker battery. Exide Battery also makes the "Orbital series", i.e., a spiral plate battery similar to the Optima. Guess what Exide say's about the "Orbital" versus conventional flat plate batteries->
http://www.exide.com/products/automotive/exide_select_orbital_XCD.h...
http://www.exide.com/products/marine_rv/orbital_deep_cycle.html
http://www.exide.com/pdf/orbital_marine_specs_and_features.pdf
Here's some background information on spiral plate battery technology.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/1266741.html
http://www.dcbattery.com/optimacatalog.pdf
Optima is probably most well known because they pioneered this technology, and because of that, they probably lead the market against the competition.
OK- What's the big deal? Actually, I don't use the Optima's. Why? Because I can't justify the ~ $800 expense for three batteries, i.e., I just don't fish enough. If I was guiding where every day made an impact on my income, I'd use them. If I was fishing tournament's for a living, I'd use them. If I was retired and fished LOTW & Crow as much Bob Pieske, I'd use them. If I was filthy rich, I'd use them! Why, because they are probably the most indestructable marine deep cycle battery out there.
Have fun!
Al
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Posts: 5874
| I have never had a set of my Remy's last less than 4 years. Been buying them for close to 20 years, so that makes about 5 sets. Paid $70 each last year for them. And I can go all day pulling harnesses with my Terrova AP. Way more draw than a day of muskie fishing. A friend asked me on Saturday about what Battery I use, He told my his brand new Optima's don't last more than 8 hours, and they are shot. Same trolling motor, same conditions. He's getting rid of them, and going with Remy's. BTW, Remy's are made by Johnson Controls, and are basically the same battery as Northen, Deka, and Interstate. There are only a few manufacturers of batteries today.
I am concerned with SVL's statement about time between charges, and that the Optima's can be topped off without hurting them. Are you implying you don't charge your batteries after every use? That you only charge them when they are nearly drained? If so, that is probably the reason you didn't get much time with your previous batteries. Lead acid batteries do not have memory, so charging them after every use not only doesn't harm them, it is the best thing you can do.
I use my batteries as much as anyone, and as hard as anyone, and I cannot justify the cost of the Optima's. I don't see where they are going to last me 10 years, and I know they don't have the reserve to last as long as my Remy Group 31's. |
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| Great topic, thanks for your view guys! |
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| There is a place here in Milwaukee where I have bought my trolling motor batteries for my entire boating life. Right now I have 2-150amp deep cycle trolling motor batteries rigged parallel. I replaced the batteries last fall after the first 2 that I bought from them couldn't hold a decent charge. That was 9 years ago. I guess having to buy batteries every 9 years isn't a bad deal, and the 2 of them together cost less than an Optima. I couldn't believe that they want $200 for a starting battery. I got a starting battery for $50. I know that all of the pros like to run them, but they don't have to pay for them. |
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Posts: 5874
| And that place would be........
Remy Battery? 43rd and Lincoln?
Just found out that Pamp's in Green bay is selling Remy Batteries this year.
Edited by Shep 5/15/2008 2:27 PM
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Posts: 227
Location: New Brighton, MN | I may be laughed off this board, but has anyone ever considered Wal-Mart deep cycle batteries? $80 with a 18 month exchange/return policy. |
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| Willis - 5/15/2008 4:09 PM
I may be laughed off this board, but has anyone ever considered Wal-Mart deep cycle batteries? $80 with a 18 month exchange/return policy.
I would buy them! Johnson Controls makes the following: Everstart (Wal-Mart), Die Hard (Sears), Power Connection and Interstate. All the same batteries just a different sticker. |
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Location: Kildeer, IL | I've used Everstart for the last three seasons without any problem. |
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Posts: 227
Location: New Brighton, MN | do they (everstart) require water to be added periodically? |
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Location: Warroad, Mn | Yes, they are wet cell batteries.
My experience with wet cell is that the Wal-Mart everstart are about the same as any other that I've had, except that they are cheaper. This will be my third year on a set of group 29 everstarts and so far they still work! I don't expect miracles, so I'm going to pick up another set just to have as spares for the summer. Maybe I've been lucky, but I'm going to try them again.
No doubt the some of the more expensive batteries may be better, but I've tried some of these and my experience hasn't been too much different than the everstarts. I use my batteries almost every day in the summer and for two months in the winter. I would guess I go through the discharge and recharge cyclye 175-200 times a year. I recharge every time I hit shore and keep good water levels in my batteries. I would guess if you fish lots of days, then go for the high priced stuff, if you are a weekend warrior then go cheaper.
Doug Johnson
Edited by dougj 5/17/2008 7:06 PM
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| I got my starting battery at Wal-Mart....I was out of town.
Yes. it is Remy batteries. They've been selling batteries longer than Sworrall has been selling boats.
Beav |
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