awg

So I just ordered one for $90

Its main function will be to act as a Jump Starter if I get a flat. I recently left my headlights on (buzzer not working)

Claims 1000A max, rated 600 cranking amps, stated strong enough for up to 8.0L petrol & 4.0L diesel

over 1000 recharges, very low discharge rate, +60000maH, 5, 12, 19V output (laptop)

can be recharged via cig lighter, or 240-15V, has a torch, AND a 120psi compressor (separately)

It all sounds almost too good to be true, but at that price, I have little to lose.

I note these units are made in China, and the price has fallen dramatically recently. The "big name" manafacturers have theirs made in China too, but still charge the higher price!

Anyone had experience with these?

It does not negate entirely the need/wish for a dual battery setup, but if they perform as claimed, its a bit of a game changer, especially if used in conjunction with a good dual battery setup

the size of the battery packs itself is not much bigger than a cigarette packet, so very convenient. Mine comes with a small plastic case to contain the associated stuff, like air compressor, chargers, etc

easy to move from vehicle to vehicle, if you have a few, like me

all comments welcome

downs

I've got one that's multifunction I'd never leave home without it ive used it to jump start a diesel Mercedes and a 350 Chevy V8 among lots of other smaller things

it's also got various output ports that you can charge laptops usb and 12v accessories from I use it when camping to power led rope lights for camp lighting. Works great

jumper cables are ok and I still keep a set in the Jeep but IMO this is much more useful and quicker to use

jordan96xj

Never leave home without mine. I have used it many many times to help myself and friends, and strangers in the parking lot.

steelybill

I have friends that have those. My experience with the larger Harbor Freight jump starters was not good, and their batteries didn't last long....just junk
in my opinion...

dzywicki

I always have one around. Saved me last week when I left my headlights on (95 YJ with no headlight buzzer).

dave1123

About 15 years ago, my wife bought 4 of those NiCad jump packs. They were about 3x3x12 inches long and only held a charge for a couple of weeks. By the time they were a year old none of them worked at all. The one time I actually needed one it was dead!

jordan96xj

The lipo ones are a quite a bit more stable and hold their charges really well over long periods of hot and cold. I've probably used mine about 50 times all together, and that spans about 3 or more years. I charge it every once in a while, but even after using 1-2 back to back, it is only down to about 3/5 capacity, and could likely jump 3-4 more times before recharging. I had an old Honda that sat in the driveway doing nothing, so every few weeks I would go out to start it and drive it around, and every time the battery would be dead, and I used the lipo jump pack every time. It never failed to easily start that 6cyl. Its a little more sluggish on the 4.0L but still starts it easily. One of the tricks is that if when you first turn the key, it is too sluggish, you let go, give it a couple seconds then hit it again. The second start will typically be much stronger than the first, because the jump packs have a smart switches that only allow the power to flow when it senses a draw, so on the first start you have the full load of the starter on it...but on the second, some of that power has made its way for a few seconds to the vehicles battery, and the two working together do much better.

Finding one with good reviews can take a little patience though, on Amazon you can definitely tell that some truly suck, and others are well regarded.

dave1123

Those NiCads were designed to be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket and wait 1 full minute before cranking it. That was to let some of the charge transfer to the car's battery. They worked well when they were new, but were junk after a short while. I'm pretty sure the Lithium would be much better. About the weirdest jumper setup I think I've ever seen was a long cable with cigarette lighter plugs on either end. You plug them both in and wait with your engine running, charging the other guy's battery for a couple of minutes, then unplug one end. If you cranked the engine with both ends plugged in, you blew one of the fuses in the jumper set.

Ralph77

A few years ago I purchased this one:

http://www.antecmobileproducts.com/c...-eps16500.html

Picked it up for about $70 after a rebate at Newegg.
At the time it was one of the more powerful ones I could find. Most of the others were 200A start current and 500A peak current if I remember correctly. Now they seem to have even more powerful ones. I liked the idea of the case and the little air compressor.
I have not tried the air compressor and have not used it to jump my Jeep but have jumped other peoples vehicles with it.
Very happy with it.
Also seems to hold a charge very well. I check it twice a year, April and October, when I am doing maintenance. Even after sitting in the Jeep all winter when I go to charge it in April 3 out of the 4 bars are fully lit and the 4th still has a faint glow.
My logic was all it had to do was get me out of a jam one time and it paid for itself.

dave1123

Looks good. Maybe I'll buy one after the holidays.

tinytrax78

I have a red fuel one that has super impressed me and I was very skeptical of them at first but will not leave home without it now !

Ralph77

What got me going on these was the Blue Fuel ones that Napa sells. Saw them when they came in the store. And of course my first thought was I want one. LOL. Starting poking around about them when I came across the Antec one I bought at the link above. Having used there power supplies for computers I decided to give it a try. Assuming that it was just rebranded with the Antec name. But ain't failed me yet.

PatHenry

I first saw one of those things years ago when I had a 4.0L wrangler as my daily driver and the battery died in a parking lot. A guy had one of those things and hooked it up and despite a fair amount of familiarity with automotive things, I was blown. away. It still is crazy to me that a tiny thing like that was able to start the Jeep without a bit of trouble.
I haven't owned one, but if the prices are down to a reasonable level, maybe it's time to buy one for myself.