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optima red top or no?

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Old Jan 21, 2011 | 08:54 PM
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Default optima red top or no?

i have to get a battery for my car tomorow and thought about getting the red top optima, but the reviews lately have been hit or miss.

im going to get it from advance autoparts since they got a deal on batteries right now.

my choices are

Opitima red top
Autocraft gold

they are both close to the same cranking power, the red top does have a little more, but the autocraft has more reserve capacity. both come with a 3 year warranty.

what do you guys think?
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Old Jan 21, 2011 | 09:43 PM
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I love my red top. I say go with it!
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Old Jan 21, 2011 | 09:43 PM
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The model 78-7yr AC Delco battery is a beast. Much better than any Optima. It can only have an equal, there's no better battery out there that'll fit and is made for regular passenger cars. And with a 50 month 100% free replacement, it can't be beat for $109.00. Its also the lightest battery. 15 pounds lighter than the Die Hard Platinum.

.
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Old Jan 21, 2011 | 11:15 PM
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I fyou do buy the red top from Advance, can I recommend paying for it online and picking it up int he store. You can use one of these coupon codes. I got a red top for something like $70 when I bought mine.

http://zservers.com/aapimages/aapbrakespromo-10off.html
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Old Jan 21, 2011 | 11:33 PM
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Originally Posted by BRUTL
I fyou do buy the red top from Advance, can I recommend paying for it online and picking it up int he store. You can use one of these coupon codes. I got a red top for something like $70 when I bought mine.

http://zservers.com/aapimages/aapbrakespromo-10off.html
yea thats exactly what i was going to do. that the reason im undecided on those two batteries. i know i a lot of people run different batteries from other stores, but advance is the only one i can you one of the online coupons for.

$40 off of the red top
$30 off of the autocraft

cant believe im "coupon shopping" i almost feel like a woman
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Old Jan 22, 2011 | 01:28 AM
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I'd go with the red top.
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Old Mar 20, 2011 | 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted by lusting4ls1
yea thats exactly what i was going to do. that the reason im undecided on those two batteries. i know i a lot of people run different batteries from other stores, but advance is the only one i can you one of the online coupons for.

$40 off of the red top
$30 off of the autocraft

cant believe im "coupon shopping" i almost feel like a woman

Optima Batteries Redtop® Starting Battery
Part No: 75/25-925
FREE INSTALLATION & TESTING; Red Top; Dual Terminal; CCA: 720; OE Group 75; OE CCA Rating: 525

$209.99

Promotion: BIG50
$50 Off Orders of $200 or More

Free shipping

$159 .... not bad. Is there another coupon I missed?
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Old Mar 20, 2011 | 09:29 PM
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Go to walmart , pick up their battery, use it, if have problem , their alway a walmart down the street, no matter where u are ^^. their battery made by johnson company, its good battery with good price and warranty.
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Old Mar 20, 2011 | 09:50 PM
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Not sure what to recommend.

My 78-7 yr AC Delco lasted through:
-3 different daily beaters over 3 years in KS,
-2 years in my TA in KS
-sitting unplugged for 10 months for basic and AIT in KS (relatively bad KS winter)
- a winter in fort drum NY with temps down to -52 degs F
-a deployment (unplugged except for starting monthly)
-a mild summer
...then it died.

My optima red top lasted 2.5 months of a mild fort drum NY winter (about like a Kansas winter) and died. Replaced under warranty but still I am less than confident in my purchase.

Batteries are so melodramatic. Most parts just quit. Batteries....they die
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Old Mar 20, 2011 | 10:41 PM
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I wont get a red top again, The one i got lasted like 3 months and died. I believe i have the AC Delco as well
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Old Mar 20, 2011 | 10:42 PM
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Originally Posted by killagt
Go to walmart , pick up their battery, use it, if have problem , their alway a walmart down the street, no matter where u are ^^. their battery made by johnson company, its good battery with good price and warranty.
I was at O'Reilly Auto with a friend getting his Walmart battery tested. It was bad...along with all 5 OTHER Walmart batteries sitting around the battery machine. Keep in mind that the Optima is a dry cell battery. If you wanted to relocate to the rear, a dry cell is a MUST to keep from filling your interior with explosive hydrogen gas when the battery starts to die.
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Old Mar 20, 2011 | 10:49 PM
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I have bad luck with red top optima as well, after third one, and last one I stuck in the rains, and walk fking 2 miles with that fking red top to advance and they refuse to exchange, cause it was the third one -_- under 1 year.
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Old Mar 21, 2011 | 01:04 AM
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I have 3 red tops (69 Camaro, 70 GS Clone, & my 2000 Camaro SS) and so far "knock on wood" they seem to be great batteries. I don't even disconnect them and my cars start right up ever month during the winter. So far, so good. Go Optima Red Top.

Side note: I've heard that they have been bought out and move the manufacturing to Mexico and since then, the quality has suffered.

But, I would buy another (especially with a discount coupon).
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Old Mar 21, 2011 | 01:11 AM
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Get the red top.....

The one in my goat has lasted through two deployments of mine, every weather condition in the US, and 5 years now. Its so good I bought one for my TBSS when the ACDelco in that one crapped out.
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Old Mar 21, 2011 | 04:07 AM
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i had a yellow in my 95 no problems what so ever
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Old Mar 21, 2011 | 11:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Swiat34
I was at O'Reilly Auto with a friend getting his Walmart battery tested. It was bad...along with all 5 OTHER Walmart batteries sitting around the battery machine. Keep in mind that the Optima is a dry cell battery. If you wanted to relocate to the rear, a dry cell is a MUST to keep from filling your interior with explosive hydrogen gas when the battery starts to die.
Ummm, no it's not.

The Optima Red Top uses a water acid mixture. They can vent hydrogen gas during unusual situations.
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Old Mar 21, 2011 | 01:52 PM
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Red top here
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Old Mar 21, 2011 | 10:55 PM
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Originally Posted by loyolacub68
Ummm, no it's not.

The Optima Red Top uses a water acid mixture. They can vent hydrogen gas during unusual situations.
Oh hell. I'd been told it was dry cell. Is the Yellow top battery the dry cell? I must have confused it with something then..
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Old Mar 22, 2011 | 01:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Swiat34
Oh hell. I'd been told it was dry cell. Is the Yellow top battery the dry cell? I must have confused it with something then..
Nope, I have a yellow top. Not a dry cell. You're thinking of Odyssey batteries.
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Old Mar 22, 2011 | 01:30 AM
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I run a Red top purchased almost 3yrs ago but times do change and I hear their are other gel type batterys out there now. My car is a garage queen and during the winter I run a battery tender, YMMV
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