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Infidel Edition
07-26-2013, 10:50 PM
So what's the best battery for the buck?

AGM vs. gel?

Optima?

KMart special 'er a Die Hard...?

I'm due to get a new battery and want to make sure I'm not just spending money for fun

4.3LXJ
07-26-2013, 11:01 PM
The first thing you may want to decide is what type of battery you want. Regular old lead acid works. But the gel type have a couple of advantages. First, no fumes. So you can use then inside a vehicle or turn then upside down if you want and they work fine. Second is that they have very little internal resistance, so can take a very quick charge or more importantly discharge without heating up. Good for winching. You pay for them though. I have Optimas and am happy with them. The trick with them is that you cannot discharge the to where they are completely drained and leave them that way. You need to recharge them fairly quickly. They also recharge very quickly, much faster than conventional batteries.

nickyg
07-27-2013, 01:02 AM
The first thing you may want to decide is what type of battery you want. Regular old lead acid works. But the gel type have a couple of advantages. First, no fumes. So you can use then inside a vehicle or turn then upside down if you want and they work fine. Second is that they have very little internal resistance, so can take a very quick charge or more importantly discharge without heating up. Good for winching. You pay for them though. I have Optimas and am happy with them. The trick with them is that you cannot discharge the to where they are completely drained and leave them that way. You need to recharge them fairly quickly. They also recharge very quickly, much faster than conventional batteries.

Good stuff to know, I often wondered about the diffrence between the two. When you say you cannot discharge them to where they are completely drained and leave them that way. does that mean that if I leave my lights on for a day or two. (which I often do) the gell battery will be toast?

XJ Wheeler
07-27-2013, 01:44 AM
I personally have had excellent experience with the Optima Blue Top. My first one lasted seven years with many discharges (not completely dead though) and am on my second for about a year. My brother has been running a blue top for about two years doing fine. Plus they have some extra threaded posts that have come in very handy over the years. HOWEVER, the yellow top and red top have let us down. The yellow didn't even last a year. Plus their warranty kinda sucks and have gotten uber pricey in the last couple years. I'd still fork out for another blue top though.

Also, Interstate has some good quality batteries. Ran those in one of our trucks and did great.

4.3LXJ
07-27-2013, 08:53 AM
Good stuff to know, I often wondered about the diffrence between the two. When you say you cannot discharge them to where they are completely drained and leave them that way. does that mean that if I leave my lights on for a day or two. (which I often do) the gell battery will be toast?

A day or two, no. But if you leave them that way for a month you will not be able to get them to take a charge. But, Optima claims their own charger fixes that. Not cheap though.

Brasscatz
07-27-2013, 09:36 AM
They're not the best batteries in the world, but if you buy one from O'reilly's and it dies within 5 years (as they usually do) you get a pro-rated one for practically nothing and depending on the situation (I can't remember exactly) sometimes free. That's what I've been doing and I've saved a TON of money. Just food for thought.

01xjcny
07-27-2013, 11:10 AM
The optima is crazy money if i was going to spend the money i would get the diehard platinum. I have had both, yellow top failed in the time of need i since got a platinum

bulrid8
07-27-2013, 08:17 PM
The expo guys are hooked on the platinums. They say the optimas can't even compare to them.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

Infidel Edition
07-27-2013, 10:32 PM
Someone was telling me that the Duralast from Auto zone have the best 'off the shelf' warranty.
And they're 1/2 the $ of Optima.

Gonna see who gives me the better discount (DieHard platinum r Duralast gold) and go with it.

gary63
08-03-2013, 11:30 AM
Can you mix batterys like standerd and a deep or a lead acid and a gel type?
Should they be from the same company? What about size should you stay the same or can one be bigger like stock reg. lead to start the eng. and run the reg. stuff and a big gel type to run the winch and lights? or will it play hell on your charging system?

nickyg
08-03-2013, 01:08 PM
I'm no expert. But I have duel battries in the boat. I always heard to buy the same exact batteies. brand, amp,type,and size. I have always done that and never had a problem. I don't know if thats true or if a jeep charging system is any different.

bulrid8
08-03-2013, 04:45 PM
When running an aux battery, they can be anything. When running parallel starting batteries, like in a diesel, need to be the same.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

Infidel Edition
08-05-2013, 01:49 PM
When running an aux battery, they can be anything. When running parallel starting batteries, like in a diesel, need to be the same.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

Exactly, when wiring an aux battery (not in sequence with the primary), you can do about anything that'll hold a charge.
But for running in parallel, it's highly recommended that they're a match.

The key is in how the aux is connected to the system.

NW99XJ
08-06-2013, 08:43 AM
I'm seeing some bad talk about Optima's all over the web lately.
What many people don't know or realize, is that most of the dry cell or gel cell batteries like the Optima's and others that are similar, is that they like a LOT of amperage. If you're trying to feed one or jeez, even two of these off a stock alternator, their life span is going to be diminished, as they're not seeing the AMOUNT of charging amperage that they would like to. Are they being charged? Yes.... but not the way they were designed to be. I've been told by several dealers and reps over the years, that a Yellow top can drink in 300 amps all day long and love it. Compare that to your stock 90 amp alternator, and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Red, Yellow Blue, all good batteries, it just comes down to HOW you're going to use them.
The Red's are a good OEM replacement/upgrade better capacity, and usually as good if not better CCA, (Cold Cranking Amps) as lead cell batteries.
The Yellows have much more capacity, have a higher discharge rate, and are great for rigs with a lot of electrical accessories like a large stereo systems, and aux lighting. They also provide a great deal of capacitance for winching applications.
The Blue's have a lesser discharge rate than the Yellow's, but their capacity is immense. These are usually best suited for low or steady draw for extended periods of time. Usually marine/RV applications.
When thinking of dual battery systems, you want as much balance as possible. And isolation is key!
Just hooking up a couple batteries into the system with no attention to their rating, capacitance, or resistance/load on the system will often times lend you a melted battery or a fried alternator.
Using at the very least a solenoid to isolate the two batteries from the system when the ignition is off is a good idea, a better idea is to use an actual battery isolater. These are often times a little more forgiving when it comes to differences in the two batteries in the system.
But after working in the automotive electronics field for a decade, I would never mismatch batteries in a dual battery set-up.
Alos, just as a final remark. If anyone is planing on doing something like this, I cant stress enough how important it is to take the time and upgrade ALL of the interconnections and wiring in this set-up AND your whole charging system as well.
Nothing less than 4awg.
2awg would be best.

Mudderoy
08-06-2013, 09:12 AM
Yep unless you must have 1200 cold cranking amps, rail gun?, then you want the batteries isolated from each other. Besides having one dead battery is better than two. One charged one means you can start the Jeep. :D

4.3LXJ
08-06-2013, 03:48 PM
No, you shouldn't mix them. They charge differently, that being the gel will charge before the acid type due to very low resistance in them. So it is possible to completely charge the gel and have a very low acid battery even though they are hooked together

Infidel Edition
08-06-2013, 05:39 PM
I'm seeing some bad talk about Optima's all over the web lately.
What many people don't know or realize, is that most of the dry cell or gel cell batteries like the Optima's and others that are similar, is that they like a LOT of amperage. If you're trying to feed one or jeez, even two of these off a stock alternator, their life span is going to be diminished, as they're not seeing the AMOUNT of charging amperage that they would like to. Are they being charged? Yes.... but not the way they were designed to be. I've been told by several dealers and reps over the years, that a Yellow top can drink in 300 amps all day long and love it. Compare that to your stock 90 amp alternator, and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Red, Yellow Blue, all good batteries, it just comes down to HOW you're going to use them.
The Red's are a good OEM replacement/upgrade better capacity, and usually as good if not better CCA, (Cold Cranking Amps) as lead cell batteries.
The Yellows have much more capacity, have a higher discharge rate, and are great for rigs with a lot of electrical accessories like a large stereo systems, and aux lighting. They also provide a great deal of capacitance for winching applications.
The Blue's have a lesser discharge rate than the Yellow's, but their capacity is immense. These are usually best suited for low or steady draw for extended periods of time. Usually marine/RV applications.
When thinking of dual battery systems, you want as much balance as possible. And isolation is key!
Just hooking up a couple batteries into the system with no attention to their rating, capacitance, or resistance/load on the system will often times lend you a melted battery or a fried alternator.
Using at the very least a solenoid to isolate the two batteries from the system when the ignition is off is a good idea, a better idea is to use an actual battery isolater. These are often times a little more forgiving when it comes to differences in the two batteries in the system.
But after working in the automotive electronics field for a decade, I would never mismatch batteries in a dual battery set-up.
Alos, just as a final remark. If anyone is planing on doing something like this, I cant stress enough how important it is to take the time and upgrade ALL of the interconnections and wiring in this set-up AND your whole charging system as well.
Nothing less than 4awg.
2awg would be best.

I'm in the process of the Big 3 upgrade ~ already hit the 2awg + and -
and the high amp output alternator (haven't installed yet).
... since I'm redoing most of the electrical work / adding a Ford Taurus fan system and such.
But I'm content with a single bat.

*my Optima grip is the warrantee isn't what it used to be and the cost. Haven't personally used 1 before so I can't say it let me down. But I can pick up the Duralast Platinum for $70 less than the Optima and get twice the warrantee. *both are the AGM technology

bulrid8
08-06-2013, 05:40 PM
Expo guys have no problem with mixing and charging. If they are isolated correctly, they charge just fine.
Biggest thing in running dual batteries is to upgrade alt and wiring. Stock won't cut it long.

It all depends on what battery you get. Yes, optimas have gone down hill in quality. They are not the trusted battery of five years ago. The batteries of choice now are the Diehard Platinums and the Odyssies. They have proven themselves over and over again.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

XJ Wheeler
08-06-2013, 06:55 PM
Another thing to consider is are you gonna be wheeling, and how much? We've killed a battery on the trail before from beating it up (yes, it was securely mounted). If you're gonna be wheeling a gel cell can handle stuff others won't.

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

gary63
08-07-2013, 10:04 AM
No, you shouldn't mix them. They charge differently, that being the gel will charge before the acid type due to very low resistance in them. So it is possible to completely charge the gel and have a very low acid battery even though they are hooked together

thanks the was the answer I was looking for. I'm upgrading the alt. and wiring
but I have a lead battery now so when I install the duel batterys I will replace
the lead with a standerd gel and a deep gel. The alt. will be a 200 or 225 amp.
I want the 225 but it my be to big and putout to much heat so then I will go with the 200 ether should be able to charge both battery with little problem.
any helpful tip?

4.3LXJ
08-07-2013, 10:13 AM
thanks the was the answer I was looking for. I'm upgrading the alt. and wiring
but I have a lead battery now so when I install the duel batterys I will replace
the lead with a standerd gel and a deep gel. The alt. will be a 200 or 225 amp.
I want the 225 but it my be to big and putout to much heat so then I will go with the 200 ether should be able to charge both battery with little problem.
any helpful tip?

The nice thing about gels is that they don't get hot. They have low resistance and therefore no heat, so all that stuff about charging too fast does not apply

gary63
08-07-2013, 10:30 AM
I was told about the heat and gels the heat I was talking about is from the 225 alt. the case is the same size as the 200 but it puts out more heat when
it is putting out 225 like when using onboard welder. The Co. I'm getting the alt. from has use the 225 amp in Cherokees but most of the time they run a vent tube from the front to the alt. to give it some cooler air. They said I wouldn't need all the time but if I go though water it will through water MUD into it.

F1Addict
08-25-2013, 12:24 PM
Ugh. This thread is making me think it's time to replace my 8-year-old Kirkland. Gotta love Costco.

RRXJeeper71
01-01-2014, 08:22 PM
anybody running a dual battery setup with a second battery located under hood(air filter area) or in rear storage area? What are you using for a isolator/controller?

4.3LXJ
01-01-2014, 11:45 PM
http://www.xjtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1904