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My first RedTop Optima died after being "bled" to death while being in the body shop for 5+ months. It never would hold a charge after that, and I had heard that RedTops hate being drained all the way and they don't come back from a full discharge like a yellow-top will. Well I've also got a slow electrical drain that I can't isolate so I figured that with my new RedTop that Optima gave me, I'd get a Tender. I have heard really good things about the "battery Tender" brand, but I actually bought (on an impulse really) the 1.25amp version made by a company called Schumacher, I believe. Got it locally at Advance Auto for about $35 if I remember right. Has automatic "float" circuitry to go from slow trickle charge to a maintain state as necessary. It's set it and forget it and it works very well. All I have heard is that you want a slow, 1.5 amp or less trickle charge with an Optima if you have to bring it back to life. They don't deal well with 10-20+ amp fast charges. Optimas have a full 36 month replacement warranty, if you can try and swap it out, then get a tender as insurance. I got both my Optimas from that same Advance Auto and when the first one wouldn't hold the charge they gave me a new one right off the shelf, no questions asked.
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