Optima Batteries - Yellow or Blue
My deep cycle 6V batteries have served me well for over eight years but it appears it's time for a replacement. I would like to get them off of the hitch and use sealed batteries somewhere inside t...
Forum Discussion
This is Mexico not Houston Dallas Fort Worth San Diego or Fumbuck Michigan.
Anything brought across the line loses it's warranty protection and that is why I choose Lifeline AGM and Rolls wet batteries. If it works well it does not need be worried to death about warranties. I would be more concerned with panels and controllers. I brought (thirty grand) worth of batteries down here 23 years ago. I realized going in that I would be bareeassed on my own.
Very much like Michelin Tires. Costco. Absolutely no road hazard nor tread life warranty even purchased through a Costco store down here.
Battery warranty down here is screwy. LTH, Gohner, whatever. Have a problem? Take it back to the store you bought it from for warranty. Just -try- to warranty it at a different same brand store. Perhaps Wal-Mart and Costco battery warranty is treated differently now. But they are Mexican batteries.
I label spiral cell batteries "Gizmo Batteries". They do one thing reasonably well --- survive the rigors of terraceria (washboard) gravel roads. If my shock absorbers kept breaking off and windshield regularly cracked I would consider optima over flooded.
Mr QTLA has another issue quite apart
Facturization.
Importing the batteries legally. His choice to declare and pay IVA the national sales tax.
And getting the FOB as near the Texas/Reynosa Mexico border as possible. The USA side isn't exactly AGM city. I helped a friend purchase four 8-D Lifelines near Sugarland, just south of Houston in 2005.
IMHO his position is daunting when it comes to choice and availability. I am biased somewhat against spiral cell batteries. In 2008 it took a forty five dollar telephone call to Colorado to slowly break down barriers accessing hurdle after hurdle of of educated sales staff to talk to a genuine engineer. The Herb Tarlek crowd at Optima was insisting that the Optima COULD NOT POSSIBLY LOSE CAPACITY. Idiot arguments against touching the royal Optima charge algorithm. Finally I reached a genuine engineer. 2-minutes of explaining and he agreed 100% with my protocols of recovery. Nice guy. After he hung up I listened to another half dozen extensions hang up. Customer turned to me and said "Nice Job" It was an eighteen hundred dollar cruising sailbost refit. But the upriver battle with the idiots was not impressive.
There seems to be little experience on this forum with other than low priced versus flagship top quality batteries. Next in line to the Lifeline I rank Odyssey batteries. They are not cheap and they have an excellent reputation.
So for the OP's best choice he faces a situation I do not envy. A much easier to get spiral cell battery or migrate north of the Rio Bravo to obtain a vastly more durable and longer lived AGM brand. Then render warranty service untenable. And that brings the all-or-nothing attempt to get warranty-free batteries.
Whistling the "Oooooo but I saved 70%" tune at the city dump does little to assuage wearing a dunce hat in economics.
Some top quality long lasting items are not available down here except perhaps in Mexico City. Then they are priced near 200%, wealthy Mexicans can afford them. I cannot afford a 1,600 mile drive to pay double for stuff.
I'll never forget John Booth (Senior Costco management) giving his opinion about Optima batteries (thumb's down) "Ridiculous warranty returns". A repeat of Delco Voyager disaster.
Anything brought across the line loses it's warranty protection and that is why I choose Lifeline AGM and Rolls wet batteries. If it works well it does not need be worried to death about warranties. I would be more concerned with panels and controllers. I brought (thirty grand) worth of batteries down here 23 years ago. I realized going in that I would be bareeassed on my own.
Very much like Michelin Tires. Costco. Absolutely no road hazard nor tread life warranty even purchased through a Costco store down here.
Battery warranty down here is screwy. LTH, Gohner, whatever. Have a problem? Take it back to the store you bought it from for warranty. Just -try- to warranty it at a different same brand store. Perhaps Wal-Mart and Costco battery warranty is treated differently now. But they are Mexican batteries.
I label spiral cell batteries "Gizmo Batteries". They do one thing reasonably well --- survive the rigors of terraceria (washboard) gravel roads. If my shock absorbers kept breaking off and windshield regularly cracked I would consider optima over flooded.
Mr QTLA has another issue quite apart
Facturization.
Importing the batteries legally. His choice to declare and pay IVA the national sales tax.
And getting the FOB as near the Texas/Reynosa Mexico border as possible. The USA side isn't exactly AGM city. I helped a friend purchase four 8-D Lifelines near Sugarland, just south of Houston in 2005.
IMHO his position is daunting when it comes to choice and availability. I am biased somewhat against spiral cell batteries. In 2008 it took a forty five dollar telephone call to Colorado to slowly break down barriers accessing hurdle after hurdle of of educated sales staff to talk to a genuine engineer. The Herb Tarlek crowd at Optima was insisting that the Optima COULD NOT POSSIBLY LOSE CAPACITY. Idiot arguments against touching the royal Optima charge algorithm. Finally I reached a genuine engineer. 2-minutes of explaining and he agreed 100% with my protocols of recovery. Nice guy. After he hung up I listened to another half dozen extensions hang up. Customer turned to me and said "Nice Job" It was an eighteen hundred dollar cruising sailbost refit. But the upriver battle with the idiots was not impressive.
There seems to be little experience on this forum with other than low priced versus flagship top quality batteries. Next in line to the Lifeline I rank Odyssey batteries. They are not cheap and they have an excellent reputation.
So for the OP's best choice he faces a situation I do not envy. A much easier to get spiral cell battery or migrate north of the Rio Bravo to obtain a vastly more durable and longer lived AGM brand. Then render warranty service untenable. And that brings the all-or-nothing attempt to get warranty-free batteries.
Whistling the "Oooooo but I saved 70%" tune at the city dump does little to assuage wearing a dunce hat in economics.
Some top quality long lasting items are not available down here except perhaps in Mexico City. Then they are priced near 200%, wealthy Mexicans can afford them. I cannot afford a 1,600 mile drive to pay double for stuff.
I'll never forget John Booth (Senior Costco management) giving his opinion about Optima batteries (thumb's down) "Ridiculous warranty returns". A repeat of Delco Voyager disaster.
