...I've got to say I've learned a bunch about Optima's in the last few months and if they last as well as they currently work, I am a new fan...
...I received this note from a member here (not a vendor) a few months ago when I installed my first
Ballistic battery box and he helped me with lot's of information and cleared up some mis-information concerning Yellow, Red, and Blue tops...Great guy for answering your questions while not trying to sell you anything, the guy is the ultimate Optima question and answer man...:biggthump
OptimaJim said:
Hi there, I really enjoyed reading your post about your new battery box. Your truck looks very impressive as well. As you continue to mod your truck, if you ever get to the point where you consider adding a winch, I hope you will also consider powering it with a YellowTop. Our RedTops offer great starting power, but they are not designed for winching applications and all winches should always be connected at the top posts. If you ever have any questions or concerns about our batteries, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
...I don't know if he knew what he was in for by dropping me a compliment note on my thread but boy did I ask him a ton of questions that I had...Since I ran a Red top in the Ranger I already wanted to run a Yellow Top in the X when I did the next battery box...
...Not that I'm currently looking into getting a winch but this brought up some concerns I had about wheeling in the winter with everything on after letting the X sit during the heat of the summer, then having multiple cold starts in a day when I do drive it...(say 10-15 in less than 2 miles every day that it gets driven locally)
...After asking him a bunch of questions and getting a ton of answers I probably couldn't find from anyone else but him, he lead me to a site which I started reading up on Optima's usage on their various vehicles, on another auto Forum and came across this quick bit of info which I share with everyone who has questions about "Red top or Yellow top???"...:biggthump
http://www.myrideisme.com/Blog/optima-battery-red-or-yellow-top/
...The first thing I noticed when I put the Red Top in my Ranger was that it spun it (turned over) like air...The good news is the Yellow Top spins my X''s motor the same way...Like having the belt off and no plugs in, I mean these have ultimate cranking power...
...The Yellow top for my X was always just going to be a test more or less but it turns out it alone is exactly what I need for a ton of lights, heater blasting, running at idle for long lengths of time with the stereo and all the other accessories on ...
...Here's some more quick info from the link above...
# If you think you need more than one battery, get yellow tops
# If you use a “battery tender” or external charging source to keep your ride ready to roll, you need a yellow top
# There’s no reason to have two red tops
# If you’re not sure which one you need, you can’t go wrong with yellow top
# Mixing red tops and yellow tops is wrong! (unless they’re wired completely separately)
...If you’re running anything on your ride that needs power, especially when the engine is off, that wasn’t there when it was built, you need a yellow top."...
...I hope this answers some of your questions..
