DieHard Platinum vs. Optima Batteries

I used to be a fan of spiral Optima batteries but after further research I have found that the new DieHard Platinum are the next generation in battery technology. Consumer Reports comparison testing shows them to be superior to the comparably priced Optimas. They provide (28%) more power, last longer, etc. My optima crapped out just when the warranty was up. :( Very disappointing!
I'll keep you posted on how it works out. I would be interested in others' thoughts/experience on these.
Here is an excerpt from the Enersys press release:

These premium-grade batteries are designed for a longer life than traditional batteries, offer increased levels of safe operation, can withstand extreme heat and cold, and are durable for consumer automotive/marine applications. The DieHard Platinum battery will offer proven vibration resistance to the consumer market.
The new DieHard Platinum batteries have up to 28% more Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) than comparatively sized spiral Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries providing much more starting power to automobiles and boats, along with unmatched reserved capacity. These thin-plate pure-lead batteries will carry DieHard batteries' best-ever, free replacement warranty. The DieHard Platinum batteries are manufactured in EnerSys' U.S. manufacturing facility in Warrensburg, Mo, where the first DieHard Platinum came off the production line today. They have a valve-regulated design that allows them to be installed in any orientation ,except inverted, without spilling and the U.S. Department of Transportation has classified them as non- spillable for safe shipping.

But do they have one that matches the color of my Proton?

My concern with them would be vibration resistance and the ability to be mounted in any position (inverted even) externally or internally as the Optimas can. The fact that these can't be mounted inverted is a bit telling, meaning they likely outgas significantly as well which means terminal corrosion along with other related issues. I know that may not be applicable to most of the VX crowd, but I use Optimas on heavy equipment and am also converting my sailboat's auxiliary to electric drive using Blue Tops for the 48V power bank.

Fortunately in using Optimas over the past ten years I've only had one fail prematurely (a Red Top) and actually attribute that to a fault alternator. Always nice to see new technology, but personally I like to see it proliferate into some severe-duty environments for a while before adopting. ;)

The Exide Extreme Cycle Duty is another choice using Valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) recombinant technology. They claim it produces no gas ("under normal operating conditions") and can safely be mounted in any position. (But these aren't made in the USA.) See: http://www.exide.com/products/automo...bital_XCD.html

Interesting, but basically Exide's copy of an Optima. Unfortunately the 18 month warranty is a bit weak and they only have two models with any significant capacity, all the rest are well under 100AH. I just put a new VRLA battery from Yuasa in my wife's motorcycle, so I'm interested to see how it holds up. I've heard good things from folks with Harley's that have them, and that's a good thing since most Harley riders have about as much mechanical skill/knowledge as a 3-day dead eastern grey squirrel. :rolleyes: