Battery: Optima Red or Odyssey
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 16
From: Nashville TN
Battery: Optima Red or Odyssey
Trying to decide between the Optima Red Top 34/78 weighing 39lbs for $130 or the Odyssey PC925MJT weighing 26 lbs for $120. Price is a wash, but the weight difference is significant. I have used Optima in the past without problems, but have heard some horror stories lately. Would like to hear some opinions from current users. So which would you buy? I did a search and read the stories about the Red top but could not find much data on the Odyssey. Has anyone tested it over time?
Thanks
Chris
Thanks
Chris
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From: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and
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I've had no issues with my Optima in 2 1/2 years. I have no experience with the Oddessy battery. As far as the 13 lbs difference in weight - I don't race, so the difference is insignficant to me.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: The warm part of Anger Island
St. Jude Donor '09
Why change up from something that has worked for you in the past? I personally love my red top battery. Not one single problem except my last one died while it sat at my fathers house while I was in Korea for three years. I've never seen on leak (not even when the vendor punctured one as a demo when working for the auto parts store). 
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I've had my Optima Red Top for well over 4 years now - not one problem. Can't say the same for the original Delco. Never heard of an Odyssey battery, so hard to comment on how it does.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: City of Turbo Buicks in Corvette County FL
Odessey here. The techs at the track think I have some kind of lawnmower battery in there
Had the 925 since last summer. No problems. I used the plastic mount they sell with it to keep it in place. It was like $13 IIRC.
Had the 925 since last summer. No problems. I used the plastic mount they sell with it to keep it in place. It was like $13 IIRC.
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Drifting
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 1,712
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From: Seekonk MA / RI border
Last year I bought the Optima red top 34/78 and it lasted 1 month.
At that time I noticed others on the forum were having trouble with the Optima red tops. I brought it back and the guy (clerk) told me that he had problems with his red top and swapped it out for the yellow top (more Cold Cranking Amps). He said that I would surely be happy with the yellow top...they swapped my red top for the yellow straight up and it worked great for the rest of the year.
It's in my basement on a tender until the end of March.
At that time I noticed others on the forum were having trouble with the Optima red tops. I brought it back and the guy (clerk) told me that he had problems with his red top and swapped it out for the yellow top (more Cold Cranking Amps). He said that I would surely be happy with the yellow top...they swapped my red top for the yellow straight up and it worked great for the rest of the year.
It's in my basement on a tender until the end of March.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 335
Likes: 34
From: Lincoln Nebraska
Speedway Motors sells Optima.... their catalog shows the red-tops with more cold cranking amps than the yellow.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/asp...qx/Product.htm
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/asp...qx/Product.htm
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: San Diego CA
Here's the Odyssey battery web site.
http://www.odysseyfactory.com/
Personally, I think the Exide Orbital is at the top of the heap right now, but my AC Delco AGM is still going strong after 4.8 years of almost daily driving.
http://www.odysseyfactory.com/
Personally, I think the Exide Orbital is at the top of the heap right now, but my AC Delco AGM is still going strong after 4.8 years of almost daily driving.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,285
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From: Nashville TN
Losing wieght only works for overweight fat guys and I dont fall into that catagory. So I guess I will go with the Odyssey and see what happens. Time will tell how it will endure daily driving.
Drifting
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 1,712
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From: Seekonk MA / RI border
Originally Posted by av8or
Speedway Motors sells Optima.... their catalog shows the red-tops with more cold cranking amps than the yellow.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/asp...qx/Product.htm
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/asp...qx/Product.htm
I am wrong...red has more CCA than yellow...however...here's an excerpt from their page -
http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...utomotive.html
The OPTIMA RedTop
If your battery is used in vehicles that demand extra reliability and performance, or if you just take pride in getting the best performance out of your vehicle, OPTIMA RedTop batteries deliver the performance you demand.
The OPTIMA YellowTop
If your vehicle has a lot of accessories like running lights, high-performance stereo/AV system, winches, or hydraulics, your vehicle demands more from its battery. OPTIMA YellowTOP batteries provide the extra performance and deep cycling capability that your vehicle demands.
--------
I think we fall in the yellow category.
We're not flipping over little 4 cylinders'.
The red top did not do well my 2000 coupe.
