New, in-the-box (suitable for individual shipping),
old
stock, unsealed for charging and testing. This was manufactured in
Dec-07; Optima states there is no expiration date for Optima Red Top
batteries. While unused, this battery has had the wrapping pulled away
from the top terminals for charging and testing. Because of the high current testing, the SAE tapered posts may have marks or pits from the
charging and testing clamps but will in no way affect performance or
attaching cables.
Testing: These have been tested using:
* Midtronics EXP-800 deep scanning battery tester which gives a very
conservative CCA rating, (printed individual test results are included with
each battery),
* Snap-On MT1590 or MT1560 carbon pile tester, standard. This is the standard live load test run on the freshly charged
battery at one half the CCA Amp rating for 15 seconds at a minimum of 9.6 V at
70 F. The carbon pile test is generally repeated after a few minutes to ensure no surface charge influence and assure good recovery, and both results are noted with each battery.
Buyers are welcome to drop by to witness testing. Bring your own equipment if you like and tests can be run using it, too.
Warranty:
45 days from the date of shipment, provided by Seller. Replacement with
battery (of equivalent or better EXP-800 measured rating) or full refund
less
shipping upon return of battery to Seller. Buyer pays all shipping.
Battery performance to be measured in accordance with Optima's standards
using
a standard carbon pile tester or Midtronics EXP-800 conductance battery tester. The rating used for warranty comparison
will be either the EXP-800 measured CCA or the carbon pile measured CCA
associated with this eBay description at the time of sale. Originally,
this Optima battery carried a 3 year free replacement warranty. However,
Optima does not honor a factory warranty for batteries sold on eBay and is thus
not transferable and is likely not valid. Seller is not an authorized Optima dealer. For a warranty claim
offered by Seller, email Seller for return authorization prior to returning.
Rating as stated by Optima.
This is not a guarantee of attainable
performance.
800 CCA (@ 0 F)
1000 CA (@ 32 F)
50 Ah, 100 min reserve capacity @ 25A.
Recent test results on this battery being sold:
Midtronics EXP-800: 800 minimum CCA
(printed Midtronics EXP-800 results included, battery at 70 F).
Snap-On MT1590/ MT1560 live load carbon pile tester: 1,000 minimum CCA, (70 F, 9.6 V min for 15 sec). (Results hand printed on EXP-800 printout.)
Dimensions & weights
Unboxed: 10.06"L x 6.94" W x 6.7"/ 7.88"H, 38.8+ lbs
Boxed: 10.5" x 13.5" x 13", 43 lbs
Shipping:
Weight: 43 lbs
Non hazmat. Batteries, wet, non-spillable, 8, UN2800, PG III,
Corrosive; NMFC 60700, Class 60.
This will ship by UPS listed daily rate, (this is a slightly
discounted), + $4.40 (had been $3.00, but eBay is now charging their
commission on shipping so the $1.40 increase is for that recovery),
from zip code 46304. Seller does not markup UPS shipping cost and Seller pays the UPS pickup fee.
Local pickups and payment are welcome. Location is about 12 miles north
of Valparaiso, Indiana and 3 miles south of Lake Michigan.
Shipping to USA and Puerto Rico only. While it would be nice to help the
USA's balance of payment, sorry, but UPS charges sooo much for
shipping to Canada or Mexico to make it cost
prohibitive. (Like $100+.) USPS is used to Puerto Rico, and expect
costs to be
approximately $53. The eBay shipping calculator will
show a UPS cost of more than $100 to Puerto Rico and this is one location where
USPS is lower. Seller can work with you if you have a
lower shipping alternative.
A NOTE ABOUT COMBINED SHIPPING: This refers to combining more than one
purchase into one box. If it were two of these Optima
batteries, that would push the boxed weight into the 80+ lb
overweight limit and the shipping would cost even more. Savings would
occur if
the second item were small enough to fit into the Optima
factory box and still weigh less than 80 lbs.
Performance may well improve with the first few deep cycles of use. It
may help to run the battery thru a deep discharge followed by slow recharge
when first put in to use. If the battery temperature
exceeds 120 F or vapor is seen at either of the two battery vents, stop
charging and resume once the battery has cooled. Pulsed charging
can help, too, and the charge voltage should not exceed 15.6 V if rapid charging and 15.0 V if normal charging. Keeping the battery fully charged will lengthen its life and reduce sulfating. Never allow the resting potential to fall below 10.5 V.
Desulfating every few months may help maintain performance
for this as it will for most other lead acid batteries even if the
battery is kept near full charge. Often the CCA will increase, the Voltage will
remain higher over time, and charging temperature fall. Useful battery
life may well increase 50% or more over typical battery
life if the battery is used little or not kept fully charged. This is true for all Optima and other lead acid batteries, not
just these sold here on eBay. Note: Desulfating seems to help flat plate lead acid batteries more than spiral wound such as these Optimas, while Optimas tend to sulfate at a much slower rate than flat plate batteries.
My parents in hot, (like 108 F in July), NW Arkansas have been using an Optima Red Top 34/78 from the older lot of these batteries, (Feb-07), since Jun-2010, in their minivan. Most of their travel is 2 or 3 trips of 2 or 3 miles everyday and several long-distance trips each year. The battery has performed just fine and was tested Jul-12, using a Midtronics EXP-800, and measured 790 CCA using the AGM tester setting, the battery tested 820 CCA when installed in Jul-10.
Anecdote: A local customer returned a Red Top 34/78 battery purchased 15 months earlier saying a local battery stored said it had a shorted cell and failed condition. It had been in a dual battery installation in a larger diesel truck in biweekly service and had tested at 838 CCA by Midtronics EXP800 & 1200 CCA by live load. The measured potential was 3.5 V, and the battery weight had only dropped 0.02 lbs during its 15 months service. After charging for 120 minutes at 5 A using an Interacter PS series charger, the battery measured less than 9 V, and the battery tested less than 100 CCA using the EXP800 conductance tester. The battery indeed seemed bad. The battery was returned to the charger and continued charging for the next 20 hours. The battery was retested and measured 755 CCA, EXP800; 1200 CCA and 1150 CCA successive live load tests. Pretty good, and a later conductance test, 775 CCA. The customer's charger had successively failed to charge the battery, and the battery store failed to correctly assess the battery's condition, apparently because they were not used to a totally discharged battery. Optima instructions included with the battery show how to charge a deeply discharged battery using a conventional charger but these were not followed.