i love my new OPTIMA red top battery ran me $170 with tax and all, but its awesome with its 800CCa's and can handle my 600+watt sound system! id advise getting an optima!

 

i got a red top after my stock one crapped out recently, works good so far... but i only pay 130 for it lol

 

i also have one, no complaints. id be curious to see if anyone has run theirs dead, just to get an idea of how long i can pound on the system till it dies.

 

I love my redtop i got off craigslist for $50!

 

Got mine for $30. It was only a few weeks old.

 

my stereo is close to 500w in my truck and i ran it dead going through 2 full movies at the drive-in, something like 5 hours and thats a small break with no start inbetween the movies, its possible, just takes a while.

 

My Yellow Top has done many many burps 2 SI Mag 15's + A SAZ1500D at 0.5ohm my guesstimate of power being in the 2400w area. With out the engine running, of course. I'd do 30sec engine off bassrace rounds (144.XXdB average on music for 30sec straight). I'd do this stuff until it was down in the 11's (where high current amps start to dislike the voltage) and it still started the truck.

When my alt went it dropped into the 10's and still started and ran the truck for over 60mi. (meaning well over 100mi total).

Just playing music at a decent level with the truck off I've done hours on end. I dont know how long but we watched the Advanced and Outlaw classes at a small wakeboard competition (over 30 riders, each with about a 3min run, plus time in between each run plus a 30min brake between the two classes). It still started the truck. It was loud enough to hear it clear (bass and all) with in about a 30' radius.

So that shows it's quick drain and recovery, low voltage ampere output, and large amp-hour abilities. Even now after 3+ years it is still better than a conventional lead-acid battery.

My mom asked why I needed a $170 battery when a $50 would "do the same thing." My point was proven when my alternator went out. My excuse was reliability. Plus it does great with my stereo. Voltage never drops below 12.5 with the truck running.

 

my stock battery (when it was like 2 years old) played my stereo full blast for 3-6 hours a day about 3 days a week for 3 months with no problems at all. this is with the 290 watt pioneer system option. i think ill just get another regular car battery when this one finally dies (if it ever does). oh, and runs the winch just fine too.

an optima would be nice, i just dont know that i could justify the cost over a conventional battery since i don't roll my truck over (often that is)

 

a friend of mine and i ran his mustang with a 500w ish system for 4 hours at a show on a yellow top (decent volume) and the car still started up with no problems.

 

i wish i had my red top when it was -26 out lol even though my stock one started up it was still saying "Fukc you its cold out" lol

 

It isn't just vibration resistance. Red tops provide a LOT more cranking amps and yellow tops can provide the amps needed even with low voltage and you can theoretically drain them to 0 and it wouldn't harm the batter. If you drain a conventional battery very low at all it is permanently damaged. Drain it really low once or twice and it will be almost inoperable (wont hold a charge properly).

Also, with that little system you're OK. You're talking 20a draw tops if it is LOUD.

Yep, not even a studder. I have no problem taking my truck out in the woods, opening up the doors, cracking open a few beers with my buddy's for a few hours and having music playing the whole time. I would never do that with a conventional battery.

 

The new optima batteries have had a lot of trouble with crapping out after 6 months to a year. A new company took over Optima a couple years back and there has been nothing but problems since. I'm glad people here have good things to say, but do keep an eye out if it starts to go out. If I were in the market for a high-dollar battery, I would look into Odyssey.

 

I do not have one in my Ranger (as of yet), but I do have a Yellow Top in my Chevy Show truck.
It handles the air ride compressors, the stereo amp, and the truck sitting more than its driven with no problems.

 

I heard about the take over as well, though I haven't heard about them crapping out early that often. A lot of audio competitors have switched to Kenetik batteries because they are just as reliable but provide more current. They dont have the same vibration resistance, though.

 

i stopped at the local napa today to see if they can get me an optima (i get a nice discount there) and they dont sell optima but they do sell a knock off of one made by exide called "orbital" the price is quit a bit lower but the specs are about the same as an optima (850 CA, 690 CCA, 345 AMPS) anyone have any experience with these? good, bad? heres a link: http://www.exide.com/products/light_...t_orbital.html