Battery Upgrade

[JaxLoki]

Before I install winch and upgrade all the lights (heads, driving and fogs) do I need to get a new battery? If so, any recommendations?

[Lorrel]

Although I've had two RedTops that have lasted me for the last 15 years, were I to buy a new battery today it would be a Sears Diehard Platinum. Over the past couple of years the Optima's have gone down hill. Porbably due to the closing of the plants here in the US and moving to mexico, while Sears signed a contract with EnerSys, the company that makes the Odessey. The Diehard Platinum has the same specifications as the Odessey.

[JK-Ford]

I have seen this question and so many like it I have to get this out.
The battery is a energy storage device, its job is to store energy for later use primarily to start the vehicle and secondarly these days to keep all the various modules in modern vehicles from forgetting what they have learned.
The alternator is the device that has to supply energy for instant use like keeping the engine running and powering all those nice toyies. As you add more things you need to be aware of how much load you are putting on the alternator. If the total load exceeds its output then you are using the stored energy from the battery. The alternator should be replace with a high output type if you are going to run lots of nice offroad lights.
The winch works a lot like a starter, it is a high current device. The best thing to do if you do lots of winching is to have a high cca battery, something like 850 cca would be the thing to have for good winching. And then you need to have that good alternator to put that energy back into the battery. If you have to do lots of long steady pulls with the winch then two 850 cca batteries would be good to have. By that I mean like if you were put at a spot on a trail as the person who had to pull everyone who got hung up at that spot over and over again. Then by having two good high cca batteries you would be giving your winch plenty of current and voltage so it would not be working extra hard due to low voltage and current. If you can't give the winch enough power it will burn out quicker.
Lights should not be using any power from your batteries unless you have the engine off. Your lights should never draw more than your alternator can deliver. That is a rule older than me and I am old.
Hope that helps answer your question.

Koodos to "Genesbro" for this post.
Future mod will be:
Upgrade battery
Upgrade alternator
Upgrade conductor between battery and alternator
Upgrade grounding conductors.

[JaxLoki]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll go with the Sears platinum and tell the wife that I need a new alternator for Christmas!

[RevyJKU08]

I got a optima yellow top just recently for my lights and winch and have been happy so far.

I was considering these however, local parts store warranty & price won out for the Optima:

Diehard Platnum
Northstar
Oddessy

I believe these batteries had better warranty however, i could not get my hands on them in my small town unless I travelled 2 hrs.

[wazooz2424]

the biggest problem with the optima batteries that has been discussed a few times, is that users are using the side posts for winches and other high draw accessories. This voids the optima warranty and specifically prohibited by optima.

[bigapplephx]

Sears Diehard Platinum is the way to go. One big advantage is the side terminals are capable of winching. Optima side terminals have lead strips that could melt at high amp draw. Diehard Platinum side terminal strips are copper coated tin, made for high amperage loads. This is per Odysseys customer service.....

[bigapplephx]

Sears Diehard Platinum is the way to go. One big advantage is the side terminals are capable of winching. Optima side terminals have lead strips that could melt at high amp draw. Diehard Platinum side terminal strips are copper coated tin, made for high amperage loads. This is per Odysseys customer service.....

My bad...the Diehard Platinum Battery side terminal strips are tin plated brass....

[RAINSTATEBEAR]

Damn now I want to go get a new batterie