Classic25

Picked one up for the boat December, 2017. It croaked around Thanksgiving, 2018. A few weeks later I got around to replacing it under warranty with a new one built 12/18. Tried to start the boat with this one and it's deader than a door nail, and wouldn't take a charge. 21 month old Optima battery,no longer covered by a warranty. The guy at the parts store says Optima's just aren't what they used to be. I believe him! Lol!

jobowker

How did it go dead? In my experience, most premature battery failures are due to the conditions, not the battery manufacturer.

You can take the best brand of battery (starting not deep cycle) and charge it up, run it completely flat, and repeat 3 times. That battery is now junk and won't hold a charge, regardless of brand.
You can take a deep cycle battery, leave it connected with a parasitic draw that runs it down in a couple of weeks, and then leave it on a trickle charger for a week straight, and do a fair bit of damage to that one as well.

I just replaced both my batteries this year as one started acting up a little. Looking back, I had purchased them over a decade ago, so I went ahead and swapped out both. You need to figure out what is killing your batteries, rather than focusing on brand.

Onebadlarry

I’m with him.

how do you have your current setup? What’s the charging system like? What’s battery maintenance for you? What model Optimas were they?

Gnrphil

I've ran an optima battery down to 3-4 volts and brought it back , get one of these.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

First Light

I have 4 Optima batteries on my boat that were purchased in 1996 and they still showed strong under a load test 6 months ago - so as eluded too above, it appears you are doing something wrong.

frogbite

The Optima batteries must be tendered. Well at least that has been my experience. A buddy and I had them in our bass boats for the trolling motors and they would last 6+ years. We left the batteries on the charger whenever our boats were not being used. Another buddy would only put his on the charger the night before going out. His batteries would last only a year or two.

Furbird

My Optima's tend to last 10 years or more, and all but one was bought as a refurb from Interstate (which means somebody killed them previously.) You have some sort of issue going on electrically as others have said.

Angler2500cc

I personally wouldn’t use anything else. My blue tops last over 8 years and have never let me down. Im on my second set.

jim

joestina

What brand chargers is everyone using to get that many years out of their optima's?

bills106

I've been using them for a long time too. Chargers have been; Charles C type, Blue Seas, Pro Mariner, Cruisair Sentry (Dolphin) and Minn Kota. Most also have multiple sources from alternators on main engines and genset alternators distributed through both isolator diodes and VSR's. Haven't had a set go less than 8 years yet and many of the boats have eight or more.

Furbird

My Firebird sits on a Duracell floating charger (made by somebody else I'm sure) and it has for over a decade. The rest of them are on those cheapo Harbor Freight ones they sell for next to nothing. What I really need is one that charges multiple batteries off of a single unit.

Classic25

Interesting. I disconnect the battery and leave it in the boat. I didn't turn the Perko switch to off, I disconnected both terminals. It is in Florida and the boat stays covered. The guy at the auto parts store bounced/dropped the battery on the ground a few times to "loosen up the gel" and tried to force charge it. Never saw that done before. I did not keep a tender on it as we would only be gone about 3 months. They sit is stores longer than that..

C Skip R

I have 6 Optimas D31M and overall have had good luck with them. Two are 2013 and two 2015 and two 2018. They are constantly connected to the charger which is always on. Over 12 yrs have had a couple go bad.

BLUE DOLPHIN

Bought two for a 24v trolling motor, left connected to motor always, recharged after use always regardless of amount of use. One went bad at 19 months,replaced at my cost, other is fine at 4 yrs. Have original off brand agms in my 29 Freeman, installed in Jan 2014, charged only by engine alternators. Just purchased a 2013 Freeman, has original off brand agms only charged by engine alternators as well. No more Optimas for me.

Onebadlarry

what Optimas were they?

Classic25

d34m. Blue top..

semperfifishing

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/support/charging/optima-battery-special-charger#:~:text=For regular charging, we recommend,rest” voltages below 10.5 volts.

Gnrphil

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...l-1200-charger
"

• Recovers deeply discharged batteries and charges batteries other chargers can't. Accidentally left a light on in your car? Battery dead in your car after storage? Your battery may be deeply discharged. These chargers will charge batteries discharged as low as 1.25 volts, the best in its class"

Riptide31

vmax tank batteries are very good alternative. They have lasted around 8 yrs if maintained w float charger on my boats

From the Helm

Bouncing the battery to loosen the gel? That's awesome.