apollard

While the gel/AGM batteries do provide additional spill protection, I have to say I find this to unconvincing as a reason to purchase them.

After 30 years of working on cars and boats, I have yet to see a battery acid spill from a properly mounted lead acid battery. If you need to mount your battery sideways, you need gel or AGM; we use these in industry all the time for such situations.

In regards to the charger, I can confirm what Optima Jim says - keep the battery voltage up, and they will last. I have two Walmart batteries right now that are 7 years old, no issues. Both have homemade mattery maintianers that hold the voltage at 13.4 volts.

Used to get maybe two years out of the lawn mower battery. Put the same type homemade battery maintianer on it, and the battery is now on it's fifth year.

OptimaJim

Hi Trippin, there are a multitude of battery chargers on the market today. So many, that we simply don’t have the time to test all of them. As a result, we do not officially endorse specific maintainer/chargers, but we will supply information about devices that are advertised as being compatible with AGM batteries. These include the CTEK MULTI US 7000 or 7002, the Interacter EX (12 volt 6 amp model) and the PulseTech Xtreme XC100. These units tend to do a very good job of charging and maintaining Optima batteries. Since Optima batteries are not “gel” batteries, I really cannot comment on that technology or specific companies associated with it.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries