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When I bought my Vette about a year ago, it had a new battery in it. Cheap junk $29 special new battery that is. Only 450 CCA. After having gone flat for the 3rd time (not always the fault of the battery), its goose is pretty much cooked.

So I went to my local Sam's Club to see what they had. I can get a conventional battery with 730 CCA for $49, or an Orbital battery with about the same rating for $99.

My car spends a good amount of time in the garage, so this battery needs to keep the clock running and the stereo remembering its settings for weeks at a time. Is there any good reason to spend the extra bucks on the Orbital?

BSeery

The Orbitals are good if you want a completely sealed battery and are worried about problems caused by vibration (off road racing).

For a street car, I would buy a good battery and a battery tender (trickle charger) for less than the price of the Orbital.

no_radio

I have an orbital in my '74. Bought it when the battery in my Suburban crapped out, put the old lead-acid battery from the '74 into the truck, then bought a new orbital for my '74. It died within a year, due to a faulty alternator (2 volts output wasn't cutting it). After realizing how bad the alternator had been I had a new respect for the battery. It also had a 3 year free replacement warranty, so I got a new one at no cost.
Bottom line, the orbitals are supposed to be better for cars that sit, and/or extreme vibration, temperature extremes, etc. For the 50 bones I'd buy the orbital...but I tend to be into overkill.
Jeff

Stoge

I just buy the cheapest one at Autozone. It has lasted 3 years so far.