Optima batteries - whats what?

[paulb]

Got to replace my battery. I have already decided to go with a yellow top Optima SC 34DU 34/78 but...
once I found the optima web site, there are 5 types within the yellow top SC or spiral cell group, these are D31A, 31T, 6v, 34/78, & 34).
Rather than wait and slowly download each tech spec sheet (no comparitive chart available), anyone know the difference? I expect it is the CCA but with local SoCal prices spread from $109 to $198 there must be more to it :confused .

[norros]

Paul,

Yes, there are a bunch of different yellow tops... I'd definitely go for one with a side mount & top mount, just in case you need to change it up down the road. It will be with you for a while.

I don't know 'exactly' which one you need but you may want to try EE... they have a nice writeup on the Optimas... and a nice writeup on setting up dual batteries.

http://www.expeditionexchange.com

just click on products... then... optima batteries... etc...


Hope this helps.



Nicholas Orros

[Mike Hippert]

OK I read the PDFs they only take me 2 seconds to open at work

The D34 and the D34/78 is the same thing with the exception that the D34/78 has side posts. This type is the one that is most often used.

The D6V is a 6 volt battery it is 1/2 of a D34, DON'T use this battery as it is only 6 volts not 12 volts.

Then there are the D31A and D31T Both the same battery but the D31T has stainless steal studs, they are the same makeup as the others but they are a bit larger. I would not recommend the D31T because Stainless Steal is much more resistive then what is normally used in connectors, so if it was used with a winch the terminals on the battery would get nice and HOT.

Like I said all these the batteries are made the same, you will be fine with a D34 or a D34/78, but from what I am told if you use the side studs on the D34/78 do not bolt your winch to them as they are bars off of the terminal posts on the battery. That being said I have seen people hook there winch directly to those terminals and not have any problems, but I do not recommend it. The side posts are fine for everything else as you winch can and at times will draw over 400 amps.

[paulb]

I saw the EE site and was interested.
Ended up at Pepboys. Got a special $155.00 installed and I didn't have the 2.5 to 3.5 round trip to EE.
I also price shopped Autozone, Sears, 2 independants & Pepboys was $25 to $50 lower than everyone else. Of course that friendly curtious customer interface was lacking, but what the hey.

[Buckon37s]

I can tell you didn't shop Ebay. Nothing like a $50 yellow top. And P.S. unless you have a diesel, the red is better suited to what you need it for, but yellow looks cooler!