Best AGM battery?

[Northeast Rod Run]

Originally Posted by philofab

If you DO buy an Optima do yourself a favor and get a Yellow Top OR deep cycle Blue Top (Same battery just different posts and colors). The deep cycle is a tougher battery.

I just had my second yellow top die in less than 3 years (this one lasted less than 6 months).

When my first one died, my local hi-per shop suggested I only go with the red tops because in all the years of selling them, he said he has less than a handful returned. he says the yellows get returned all the time. I told him I was going to give them one more shot and this was it.

He asked if I had a drain on my car and I told him I checked and found nothing. My yellow top died after just sitting for a couple of weeks. As a test afterwards, I put a 6 year old A/C Delco in the same car and let it sit for almost a month and the car still fired right up. That battery sits outside all year round in my '69 Camaro (Optima is always indoors), including New England winters. NEVER on a tender and always fires up the Camaro even if it sits all winter.

I will not go back to Optima. I understand that they are supposed to be a great battery, but how great can it be when it always has to be put on a tender, when other batteries, at half the price, don't need the same overly gentle care?