Need input I have a 1972 Oldsmobile 442 with a 455 engine .30 over and high torque starter I'm using a auto zone Duralast 700cc.I don't drive the car everyday. I have it on a battery tender.some time the battery is not strong enough to start the engine the alternator is fine.Is there a better battery on the market.
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A fully-charged battery should hold enough charge to start the vehicle after MONTHS of disuse.

I have ZERO interest in "battery tenders" because they're all Communist Chinese low-budget junk; sold at whatever price they can get for them--cheap or expensive, depending on the boldness of the importer. Leaving them connected and unattended is an invitation to a fire.

Charge that battery "for real", and then have it load tested. IF (big IF) the battery is still OK, you could have a problem elsewhere in the starting/charging power team. A failed starter can draw so many amperes that no battery can supply it. Failed or corroded cables/connections will not allow proper power transfer from battery to starter, or from alternator to battery.

A proper electrical-system test should cost between 1/2 hour and 1 hour labor--in your case, closer to the low end since the vehicle is pretty simple and the components aren't buried under plastic engine covers or tied into a computer.

The starter/alternator/regulator/battery, and the cables that connect them pretty-much need to be tested as a compete assembly. Sure, you can haul in a starter, or an alternator, or a battery and have it tested "off the car", individually--but that doesn't test the cables, and the act of removing/installing the bolts can affect the component grounding.

 

Battery cable end connections and the battery terminals need periodic cleaning because they corrode over time. Try that first.

 

Put the battery on a real trickle charger for a couple days with the battery disconnected. Then take it to a AutoZone or advance auto for a load test. The battery should supply half it’s CCA rating for 15 seconds and not drop below 9.6 volts. If it drips below, the battery is junk.

 

You can even drive your Olds to the auto parts store and have the starting/charging system tested in the parking lot. I recently went to the auto parts store and they tested my alternator on the car. It failed so I swapped it out in the parking lot for a warranty replacement.

 

I suggested charging it with the cables unhooked, to ensure his starting issue isn’t with the car. Assuming the battery tests good, then driving it to have the starter draw measured would be a good idea. The battery needs to be fully charged and in good condition to test the starter

 

Seems to be a bit harsh? I have used Battery Tender® products on my rides for years, without incident and nothing but success/satisfaction and, like you, have "ZERO interest" in the company.

 

Kinda like my wives

Some good some not so good

Harbor Freight not so good

I
I' ve had good luck with Ctek

 

I've had 2 friends that have had battery tenders over charge their batteries causing them to boil out and corroding the surrounding areas. 1 was under the hood and the other was in the trunk. I don't think the comment was harsh at all, I won't ever use one either.

 

I'm now using 3 of the CTEK chargers on cars and equipment. Never heard of any problems with that brand. But they aren't $6.00 Harbor Freight junk.