Any REAL advantage of Optima Red Top Batteries vs. Interstate?

Thanks for the write-up on the Odyssey.

It sounds like an evolution of the Optima which is actually pretty old technology.

After doing clean-up and corrosion repair on numerous vehicles I'll do my best NOT to go back to an liquid/acid cell battery.

 

Sear has a new AGM battery with a four year free replacement warranty! And get this, 880 CCA. The Odessey is a nice battery, but don't be fooled by some of their ratings, the PC925 is only a 380 CCA battery (factory battery is probably somewhere between a 650 and 750 CCA). The reality is their batteries have smaller CCA's than a standard sized battery (there is no free lunch). What IS different about AGM technology; supposedly, is that they are capable of short term high current...so for the first couple starts, they CAN put out higher CCA's than under the standard, longer test that gives it the 380 CCA rating. Now obviously, by the users of the Odessey here on f-chat, that smaller size and output is not causing a problem, but it would probably be more appropriate to use the PC1500 size 34/78 which has the identical 880CCA as the Sears AGM battery. It would just appear to me that if, for some reason, your car was not in a ideal state of tune, and required more than three or four attempts at starting, that PC925 may run down very quickly.

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/documents/US-ODY-1500-002_1206.pdf

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Batteries+%26+Chargers&pid=02850090000&vertical=AUTO&subcat=Automotive+Batteries&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

If you compare the Odessey and Sears, it in fact appears they are identical! Probably both are made by Odessey.

But beware, the PC1500 and Sears Platinum weigh a bunch... like 53lbs. The typical replacement Interstate 34R weights 37lbs.