Saw a deal at Woot a few weeks ago for a jump starter pack - [sellout.woot.com] $50 or so.

Thinking how nice it would be to have just in case the original battery in our 2014 Prius were to give out from sitting SO MUCH these last several months.
I do drive it every now and then, but with the weather getting colder I decided to get the jump pack.

FFWD a week or so after it shipped. Rainy day, needed to do a Costco run, car won't start I go back inside a grab the jump pack, take a few minutes to YouTube where the jump terminals are then hook it the pack turn it on and within a minute I had it running again!

Couldn't really be any easier, so convenient to have it fit in the glovebox too.

Only concern is the cables included in my jump pack are almost too short for the prius situation, since the actual car battery is not visible under the hood you have to use a terminal inside the fuse block for the positive, and then grab onto a bare part of metal for the negative. Not a whole lot of options in that range, but I did get it onto a screw within reach.

Very pleased I didn't need to call AAA, or a neighbor to help out in the rain that day.

---

Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

EDIT: Also- my wife, who was previously skeptical of the purchase had to admit that it was a good idea!!

Plus an emergency back up for the phone battery. WIN/WIN

Quote
mikebw
EDIT: Also- my wife, who was previously skeptical of the purchase had to admit that it was a good idea!!

me too - bought one a while ago and put it in a small box with a rain jacket and a fleece layer to put in the trunk. Super minimal emergency pack.

I have a similar thing, received for xmas a few years back. I have never tried it, as I have a real auto batter charger at home, but I do take it on the road with me (when I can find it, I'm always misplacing it). What convinced me is my uncle having one and leaving it on a batter for something close to an hour, and it finally started the car. Not sure why it took so long in his case, but it did convince me to keep it in the car (again, when I can find it..).

---

Hurts like a bastid...

I keep one in my bike, and should have got a second, for the ICE occasions (not Internal Combustion Engine).

Maybe there will be a good sale on BF.

Clipping the NEG cable last, to a metal frame bit is a good thing.

You might want to make an extension cable for more convenience, but just being able to use it at all on the odd occasion is a huge convenience in itself.

For my bike, I'll have to add a 'remote' connector as I have to take off a side cover, and all the jump packs I've seen have cable clamps suitable for car batteries, not motorcycle batteries.

Still, only a minor inconvenience, in the scheme of things.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Quote
RAMd®d
Still, only a minor inconvenience, in the scheme of things.

Totally.

In my cheaper days I ran a power cable from inside the house, spliced to the 12V output of a power supply from a Mac SE, and then clamped to the terminals of the battery in my car that needed a new battery, but that I was loathe to replace.

Quote
mrbigstuff
What convinced me is my uncle having one and leaving it on a batter for something close to an hour, and it finally started the car. Not sure why it took so long in his case, but it did convince me to keep it in the car (again, when I can find it..).

That might have been a different type of device, I've seen some that aren't a battery but rather a large capacitor, and the capacitor slowly charges from the dying car battery, then have enough of a charge stored to start the car.

Here's one
[www.amazon.com]

Project Farm did a review of jump starters last year.
[www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2020 04:09PM by GGD.

We have one in every car -- 3 now. Ive used it several times, has worked everytime.

In the past, even tho I carried cables, the notion of stopping to give someone a jump was kinda of a 50/50 chance based on where I was, where the car was in the lot, time of day, etc, etc.

Now whenever I see someone with their hood up, I always ask if they need a jump. Takes all of 2 mintues to get it setup... attached and go. Ive even considered a few times giving it to the party I jumped when it looked like they really needed it.

I bought mine on sale for $30... but looks like its been discontinued. This is the same maker, but triple the A @ 1500A vs the 500A in mine.

[www.amazon.com]

---

Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

Used a similar one to jump-start a 8-cylinder, 6L engine today after finding it dead...not even a light when the door was opened.

I used one to drive a car about half a mile with a dead battery and alternator to get it off a major road and into a parking lot. Unbelievably, it didn't destroy the battery pack.

I have one of these for my Prius. Lifesaver

My mechanic has one of these and started up my car right away with it when my alternator died. That is a good enough endorsement for me...

Quote
fauch
My mechanic has one of these and started up my car right away with it when my alternator died. That is a good enough endorsement for me...

That was the same for me, one time when picking up my car, I saw him use it on another car in the shop and asked him if they really work. He said that he could start a diesel truck with his.

I was always suspicious that they were just a gimmick, the wire gauge of the cables seems too small for the amount of current they should need to pull. But I've used them several time myself and they do work, and after starting the pack's battery level doesn't seem to dip much, seems like you can get quite a few jumps out of a single charge, unless there's a lot of cranking involved to get it to start.

Love mine, wish I had purchased one years ago.

This is the same maker, but triple the A @ 1500A vs the 500A in mine.


I have the same one.

Probably bought it at the same time for the same price from the same link.

It will supposedly start my car, but if that 1500A ever goes on sale, I'll snatch it up.

Brand really shouldn't matter, but unless there's some very good reason to get a different brand/version, I'll stick with this brand.

I have seen very similar models with different branding.

There's probably three factories in CN churning these things out with very minor differences.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Quote
RAMd®d
This is the same maker, but triple the A @ 1500A vs the 500A in mine.


I have the same one.

Probably bought it at the same time for the same price from the same link.

Me too. I still haven't even opened the box yet. Debating giving it to one of my adult kids as a Christmas present. Although there are tines I think I ought to just open it up, charge it and have it ready to go.

I bought the 1000 amp version of the NOCO the OP listed last year for $70 on a lightning deal and it has been great! It has worked on my V8 Tundra a few times when needed and as JDC pointed out, is so convenient for helping other people out. Much easier to pull it out than having to maneuver a second car into an awkward position in a parking lot and deal with long cables. I’ve helped many motorists with it.

Mine seems to stay charged for many months without use but I do top it up every now and then. The USB ports are just a huge bonus. We used it for charging our devices in our multi day rolling power outages last year. Very handy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2020 08:49AM by Bo.

Quote
Bo
Mine seems to stay charged for many months without use but I do top it up every now and then. The USB ports are just a huge bonus. We used it for charging our devices in our multi day rolling power outages last year. Very handy.

It also strikes me that you can use the same vehicle that you started using the battery to then recharge it while you drive, so no need to ever really remove it.

Quote
mikebw

Quote
Bo
Mine seems to stay charged for many months without use but I do top it up every now and then. The USB ports are just a huge bonus. We used it for charging our devices in our multi day rolling power outages last year. Very handy.

It also strikes me that you can use the same vehicle that you started using the battery to then recharge it while you drive, so no need to ever really remove it.

Yep...good point! I have done just that on a camping/road trip and it worked great.

Quote
mikebw
It also strikes me that you can use the same vehicle that you started using the battery to then recharge it while you drive, so no need to ever really remove it.

Third that. Last time I used mine I was only 20 mintues from the house, but just dropped it on the seat, plugged it in, and charged it for the ride home.

Went back into its case, then back into the spare tire cubby. I keep the charger, a few tie down straps, gloves, small socket set, multi-headed screwdriver, window breaker/seatbelt tool and a couple of space blankets. Easier to fit now that I stopped carrying jumper cables/

---

Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2020 01:55PM by jdc.

so no need to ever really remove it.


I just got through reading an article about jump starters, looking for anything about them using a capacitor.

The author of the particular article said, for some unknown reason, not to store it in the car, "especially in cold weather".

Now, I understand why the cold weather might be an issue, but the general recommendation of not storing in the car baffles me.

That's ok for those times when the car is in your garage and it won't start.

That's the very least of my dead battery worries.

Worst case, that once meant dragging out and hooking up my bulky, heavy booster/starter/charger.

Walking out of the supermarket, Apple Store, or strip club and hearing the starter ::click click:: and having to go back in and hope to get a jump while my portable starter is sitting safe on a shelf at home, somewhat defeats its purpose.

And to that end, I caved and ordered the



[www.amazon.com]

It was $60, double my first one, triple the capacity, and more than I need.

But it's now $80, so I saved some money, but it will probably be $40 on BF.

My battery is five years old or more, so I don't want to kill it to test the jump starter.

Once it's in the car, I'll probably never have a dead battery again.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Mine lives in the car except when recharging.

Any recommendation otherwise is a CYA note from lawyers.

I've had two, in different cars fail. Battery pack bulged.