Optima

Have a new Optima Redtop. I know that Optimas are sensitive to charging. During the hot summer months down here in the desert SW I like to keep my battery on a battery tender. Anyone have experience with this?

I'm in Michigan, have the same Red Top battery as you in my BB Dart. Its now 4 yrs old and still cranks over like the first day I got it. I keep mine on a Battery-Minder charger at all times, unless the car is going to be driven some place. Hope this answers your question.

Schumacher tender works fine on them.

I was under the impression that they had to be charged a special way.

When they get really low the charger doesn’t sense them. Have to hook at regular battery up to it so it will take charge. As long as they aren’t way low they take charge.

The last few Schumacher tenders I've bought worked fine on an Optima.
Maybe 10 years or so ago, yeah, AGM batteries needed a "regular" battery between them and a non-compatible charger.

Good to know,,, thanks

Whatever charger you use make sure it has a setting for AGM batteries and use that setting.

The 4amp Optima charger is a great value at around $100. It can charge 4 amps and it is a maintainer as well, it also tells you what it is doing on this display which is nice. I have never used the larger optima charger but I am sure it is good as well.

I put a lead acid battery in series with the Optima then it charges just fine. That way you also have two charged batteries!

Important correction: You put a lead acid battery in PARALLEL with the Optima.....

I have a yellow top that I just charged on my 25 year old Sears charger on the 2amp. setting.
It took about 12 hours but worked great.
Ron

I hate Optima’s.... but just because of the price. 11 year old blue top I just retired from the boat, but still use it in the car trailer for the winch and between round cool downs on the race car. The one in my 96 daily driven XJ is dated 2-13. The two in my pickup are 2-18 and 4-19. One was in my daughters Chrysler 200 I snagged before we traded it, the other was in my Duster. Reason they’re in there is that my 2 year experiment with sams club duracell AGM failed so they gave me my money back. Regular wet cell batt I had laying around in the racecar failed at my last race. Borrowed an optima from the pickup. Got home and bought a new one for the racecar and put the borrowed one back in the pickup.

Batteries are a hard game to play in the desert. I’ve made thousands over the years repairing damage from wet cell batteries. To me the initial cost of the red tops has to be considered for the fact of how clean they stay. The battery cables in my 01 Cummins equipped pickup look like new still.

Concur with this. ^^^
I have a 6 yr old RedTop in my Cuda (seldom driven). It used to run down from sitting and had trouble getting it to take a charge. I keep a Schumacher tender on it now (for several years) and it keeps it topped off. No issues.

https://www.batterychargers.com/en/...-automatic-battery-chargerengine-starter