Yellow Top, Blue Top?

(yosquire) · (yosquire) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 03-29-2006, 8:04 PM

Can someone explain the difference between the Yellow Top and Blue Top Optimas?

(texasbear08) · (texasbear08) **Join Date: Jan 2005** 03-29-2006, 8:41 PM

Blue top is designated a marine battery... I think it might have stainless terminals, and the others dont.

(fullspeed)

I looked at the stats for the optima batteries and I tought that the Red top was the best. You might want to check it out. COSTCO has the best prices for all 3 of the batteries. RED looked better if I had to buy one.

(yosquire) · (yosquire) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 03-29-2006, 9:34 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, It looked like the Red top was a Starting battery.. Which for that application does seem better.

I'm looking for a deep cycle battery(s) to power an amp bank, which lands me in the Blue top or Yellow top arena.

(99_slaunch) · (99_slaunch) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 03-29-2006, 9:45 PM

Craig
You are correct yellow or blue. I would go with the blue(marine)or look into golf cart batteries.

(lukeduke95) · (lukeduke95) **Join Date: May 2002** 03-29-2006, 11:12 PM

Blue's have the longest reserve capacity of the Optima Batteries.

Longest reserve = more playing time without running the boat to charge the batteries

All of this equals = whatever you make of it.

Regardless, I am not sure why you would buy either the yellow or red unless you needed a lot of cold cranking amps to turn over a motor. Even then, a COUPLE blue tops would be more than sufficient to handle that.

Golf Carts are the way to go unless you have limited space like myself. The usually have twice the amount of reserve per battery than the blue tops. But you will need two of them as they are only 6 volt batteries.

(cyclonecj) · (cyclonecj) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 03-29-2006, 11:30 PM

Terminals are different, no studs on Yellowtops. Same capacity, etc. just one more set of terminals on marine batt.

Golf cart batteries leak if you hit a lot of double ups.

(fullspeed)

Sorry guys you are right about the red being a starting battery. The blue is the marine.

(topside_marine)

The red top is a starting battery and not normally used or recomended in marine applications. The yellow top is a commercial/industrial type battery. The blue top is a marine battery.

The blue top comes in two types SC34DM and SC34M. Both are marine batteries, however the SC34M is a marine starting battery only and not designed for deep cycle operations (nor is it warrantied for deep cycle). For stereo and accessory loads you need to use a deep cycle battery (SC34DM(blue top) or SC34DU (yellow top)).

The specs for the SC34DM (blue top marine deep cycle) and SC34DU (yellow top commercial deep cycle) are identical except: the blue has an additional top post for top mounting and the yellow top has and additional side post for side mounting. Also, the blue top has an 18 month free replacement warranty, the yellow only 12 months.

The SC34M (marine starting battery) has a higher cranking amp and cold cranking amp capacity when compared to the SC34DM and SC34DU but, it's reserve capacity is in fact lower by 10 minutes.

The bottom line: SC34DM (marine battery deep cycle) and SC34DU (commercial battery deep cycle) are essentially identical per the dealer spec sheets.

(loux2) · (loux2) **Join Date: May 2004** 03-30-2006, 12:19 PM

Topside,
Thank for the explanation. Finally cleared it up for me.

(brucemac) · (brucemac) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 03-30-2006, 2:57 PM

the bluetops are also designed to handle more vibration i think. sorry if i missed that above. don't go with red tops.