Optima Batteries and Battery restorer/conditioners

[driver0606]

I replaced the four “Blue Top” 75 amp. hr. Optima service batteries on my boat early in 2017. There has been a suspicion about their capacity for a while, but a cold cranking amperage tester shows them as good. They are charged regularly but not continuously and have never been discharged below 12 volts. They are charged from the same charger as two of the same model battery between 7 and 14 years old used for engine start. However, a capacity test on the service batteries using a 16 amp load from fully charged (about 12.7 volts), down to 12 volts, showed capacity of only 16 to 18 amp hours for each battery.

The decision now is to replace them either with Optima or another make of deep cycle batteries. There is much talk about Optima no longer being of good quality. Any comments please?

Also, I wonder whether to try a Battery restorer/conditioner as last resort. Again, there are mixed reports of these. Has anybody tried one?

 

[simonfraser]

the optima's are sealed, how are you going to get battery restorer in ?
but they sound nearly dead to me, how old ? 7-14 years ? replace them i'd say

 

[driver0606]

the optima's are sealed, how are you going to get battery restorer in ?
but they sound nearly dead to me, how old ? 7-14 years ? replace them i'd say

Its the other way around. The 7 -14 year old batteries are still good, its the 3 1/2 year old ones that are bad.

Some people say the quality of Optima batteries has gone down since they switched production from the USA to Mexico.

The battery restore/ conditioners I was thinking about are the electronic (pulse charger?) type. Does anybody have experience of them?

 

[Plum]

The battery restore/ conditioners I was thinking about are the electronic (pulse charger?) type. Does anybody have experience of them?

My multistage battery charger has a recondition setting that I have been using once per year for the last 4 years. Batteries over 10 years old and remain at 12.7v at rest even after 3 weeks (no mains connected when i am not on board) but of course I have no way of proving the recons have helped them to last this well, but certainly not done any harm! (Standard lead acid batteries)

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Fishtigua]

Blue Tops are AGM gel and your other batteries sound like regular wets. Wets and gels charge at a different rate. Maybe you need 2 chargers or a smart charger?