Really, a flashlight jump starter?

[andyvh1959]

Its a flashlight, charge your phone or laptop, its a siren, and its even a jump starter for your vehicle! Yeah, really.

Some weeks back the battery in my Dakota pickup just failed, after I had driven to the local Fleet Farm. Back out to my Dakota and nothing, dead. ****! Back into Fleet Farm, bought a Stanley jump starter/battery backup, claimed to produce up to 600 CCA (umm, prove it to me). Back out to my Dakota, hooked it up, keeping in mind it should be fully charge before using it. I let it get some juice. And, it cranked slow but fired up. Got home charged up the jump starter properly. Later in the week bought a new battery for the Dakota. I'll keep the jump starter for garage duty.

When I see the flashlight style jump starters on TV, claiming maybe 400 CCA, and able to jump start any car, SUV or pickup, I am very doubtful. Sure it may do ok on a small car with a 1.5L engine, IF it is properly fully charged and kept at full charge until needed. But how many people other than most of us here would actually make sure its always fully charged. Anyone have experience to prove or squash my doubts?

 

[Zeus36]

I bought a jumpbox the size of a VHS video cassette for my VMAX Gen 1 when I was having starting issues. Got it from the motorcycle shop for $80 back in 2016. Did not have a siren, but had a flashlight, USB charger, 12VDC plug in charging, bunch of phone adapters. All in a zippered case I kept in a backpack. Started the bike a few times, helped out a neighbor jump start his car. Converted the VMAX battery to one from a Goldwing and that was the last time I had VMAX battery issues. The jumpbox went into my car trunk. Six months later I pulled it out for a recharge and the battery had swollen to the point it burst the case. The NOCO Boost units seems pretty popular, but more expensive than a tow truck.

 

[andyvh1959]

Like any battery, they require some regular charging and use to make them effective. I bet most of these do-all charger/starters aren't even a flashlight in just one year.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I just got a 1200 amp jump box for $57 that has a flashlight.

So far the power went out and I ran the flashlight + my 700 lumen Neebo for an hour, and still had 93% charge.

 

[Radio Flyer]

I bought a jumpbox the size of a VHS video cassette for my VMAX Gen 1 when I was having starting issues. Got it from the motorcycle shop for $80 back in 2016. Did not have a siren, but had a flashlight, USB charger, 12VDC plug in charging, bunch of phone adapters. All in a zippered case I kept in a backpack. Started the bike a few times, helped out a neighbor jump start his car. Converted the VMAX battery to one from a Goldwing and that was the last time I had VMAX battery issues. The jumpbox went into my car trunk. Six months later I pulled it out for a recharge and the battery had swollen to the point it burst the case. The NOCO Boost units seems pretty popular, but more expensive than a tow truck.

Same here, mine was Rockford from the tool truck. Used it around the shop some. Charged it to put in the car for vacation. It was summertime, so the car interior got hot when parked. I went to use it, and it was all swollen and dead. I never replaced it.

 

[pcmeiners]

"Its a flashlight, charge your phone or laptop, its a siren, and its even a jump starter for your vehicle!"

Surprised it does not jump start medical pacemakers.

 

[tez929rr]

Its a flashlight, charge your phone or laptop, its a siren, and its even a jump starter for your vehicle! Yeah, really.

Some weeks back the battery in my Dakota pickup just failed, after I had driven to the local Fleet Farm. Back out to my Dakota and nothing, dead. ****! Back into Fleet Farm, bought a Stanley jump starter/battery backup, claimed to produce up to 600 CCA (umm, prove it to me). Back out to my Dakota, hooked it up, keeping in mind it should be fully charge before using it. I let it get some juice. And, it cranked slow but fired up. Got home charged up the jump starter properly. Later in the week bought a new battery for the Dakota. I'll keep the jump starter for garage duty.

When I see the flashlight style jump starters on TV, claiming maybe 400 CCA, and able to jump start any car, SUV or pickup, I am very doubtful. Sure it may do ok on a small car with a 1.5L engine, IF it is properly fully charged and kept at full charge until needed. But how many people other than most of us here would actually make sure its always fully charged. Anyone have experience to prove or squash my doubts?

I’ve jumped the V10 in my F250 more than once with one of the lithium batteries. We once jumped a Duramax that belonged to someone else in a parking lot with one of the smaller lithium batteries. I own a half dozen I carry in cars and on motorcycles and yes, once per quarter I check them. Usually only two or three need a charge. One time when I jumped the F250 the lithium battery showed it only had a 19% charge but still cranked the V10. I don’t know why people are so suspicious about this technology. BTW, two of them are
Costco no name brands that went for under $50 and have been fine. You can carry one when traveling to recharge phones and tablets.

 

[zendriver]

First order of business is to get the Terminology straight

The Stanley advertises “600 peak amps” which probably even a Flashlight sized one can usually do.

Maybe some of them do, but in my five minutes of research, I couldn’t find any make/model that advertises cold cranking amps, or even cranking amps which would mean that they would have to crank the vehicle for 30 seconds something probably none of these can do unless you use the largest one on the smallest engine.

I have a game boy size model from Harbor freight, which advertises it will put out some level of juice for up to 10 seconds. Started my 5.3 Chevy engine no problem but then it starts right up.

Would a flashlight size jumper start a smaller vehicle that someone left the lights on on a warm summer night? Maybe.

Would a jump 500 horse diesel truck engine in the dead of winter? Probably not.

 

[MarvinBerry]

"Its a flashlight, charge your phone or laptop, its a siren, and its even a jump starter for your vehicle!"

Surprised it does not jump start medical pacemakers.

Well I guess we could clamp it to your **** and see what happens... might work?

You know who buys those things? Wives & moms.

I have a pair of jump boxes that came from a home shopping network... don't get me gping...

 

[Paul_The_Builder]

Don't underestimate those little lithium packs, they can put out a lot of amps (for 10 seconds). A few years ago I bought a "600A" jump starter off Ali Express for $34. I charged it up and tested it, and it was able to crank and start my 6.0L V8 13 times in a single charge, with no battery connected.

I switched to a Shorai lithium battery for my motorcycle 6 years ago. The thing weighs literally less than 3 pounds, is half the size of the stock battery, and cranks a 1900CC V-Twin like its nothing. Can sit for 6 months without a battery tender and crank the engine first try with no issues.

 

[upgrading]

Mine has a boost button which cuts down the time needed to get a car started
Things are great.

My first one did swell up.

2 more going great.

 

[madison069]

I got one of the little lithium batteries jump pack and have used it several times jumping cars off. I also purchased one for my daughter to keep in her car. They do have plugs to allow charging in the cigarette port of the car or it can be charged with a wall wart. I have no complaint with mine and recommend them. I checked the power level and since it's last charge 3 months ago, it's reading 100% still. Lithium versions don't act like the old wet cell jump boxes, so they are smaller and hold their charges longer than the old technology.

 

[nadogail]

They are rated in Amp Seconds, not Amp Hours.

 

[engineer2]

I just ordered a NOCO Boost Plus GB40 for my daughter. I'll let you know how it works out. The Clore JnC Air is too big for the ladies to handle easily.

 

[tez929rr]

Like any battery, they require some regular charging and use to make them effective. I bet most of these do-all charger/starters aren't even a flashlight in just one year.

Unlike a conventional jump pack? The truth is, a small lithium jump pack is much more likely to be close to full charge after that long. My experience has been they stay at full charge for 4-6 months.

 

[whateg01]

 

[PoorUB]

I was wondering if someone was going to post the Project Farm video!

I contacted PF about the video and asked if he would redo it, using a carbon pile battery load tester and rate them all at 10 volts and see what the amp draw was. Some he tested seemed to me were about 4 or 5 volts in his testing which means nothing to jump a car as the car most likely will not start if the battery voltage was under 10 volts.

 

[zendriver]

I believe the Viking HF model says it will hold a charge for like two years, but it is supposed to be recharged once per month.

Doing nothing but leaving it under the seat, probably not a good plan.

 

[andyvh1959]

Yeah, gotta look at the amp load ratings, as many are rated in amp-seconds, not amp hours. If the rating is 600 amp-seconds, you may only be able to crank under load for a lot less time. Also, do they work in -10F temps when the oil is a good bit thicker,

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

You can ***** about sometimes, but any time I don't have to open 2 hoods and untangle cables or put them away soaking wet is a win for me.

 

[zendriver]

If they start the vehicle, great, if they don’t, you’re no worse off.

 

[seber]

One thing they don't tell you is that you must overcome the draw of the dead battery along with the current needed at the starter. That said, I have one of the cassette sized units that has been good enough to start a Mercedes diesel with a dead battery. You just have to hook it up and let it charge for a minute before you hit the starter.

 

[tez929rr]

One thing they don't tell you is that you must overcome the draw of the dead battery along with the current needed at the starter. That said, I have one of the cassette sized units that has been good enough to start a Mercedes diesel with a dead battery. You just have to hook it up and let it charge for a minute before you hit the starter.

Lithium batteries do have some strange properties. On a cold morning on a motorcycle you have to turn the ignition on and wait a while before you hit the starter button.

 

[tez929rr]

I should note that I purchased my first one of these based on a Garage Journal thread almost ten years ago when they were a new thing (Antigravity brand). I’ve been a believer ever since then.

 

[Under_Pressure]

I've got a NOCO that I've used a few times. Can't remember what size it is, but I think not the biggest/not the smallest. Supposed to start car/truck gas engines and small diesels. I have a skid steer that the battery isn't holding enough charge to start it sometimes. It's a relatively small 50ish hp diesel engine, but still it takes a bit to crank (and properly heat the glow plugs). I've found that, at least on that machine, it works if you use it more like a battery charger vs just a jump starter. That is, if the battery is low and I connect the jump pack and try to start it right away it won't do much. But if I leave it connected for a while and go do something else, it transfers enough juice to the battery that it fires right up. Compared to jumper cables (or an old school heavy duty jump pack) the cables/clamps from the pack to the battery are tiny- it's just the nature of the beast when the whole point is to make them as small and light as possible. So from a logical standpoint, one would expect that even if a ton of energy is contained in the unit for its size, there is a limitation on how much can be dumped at once for cranking purposes.

 

[landrover bodger]

i have the Audew one not sure of the size. has a light charge points for phones. started plenty of diesel land rovers with it.

 

[superspec]

I have a pocket sized literally Schumacher brand jump pack. I bought it to charge my phone while in the field. It also came with clamps. On more than a few occasions I used that little battery to jump a JLG skytrak off while at work and no help coming for hours. It surprised the hell out of me.

This is what I use for my car/stereo battery these days.

 

[will335i]

I have 2 of the NOCOs the GBX45 and the GBX75 and from my experience they just plain work. I got them both on Amazon prime day sales so that help with the expensive part but knowing I can rely on them when needed makes them worth the extra cost in my mind. I have used the 45 of my zeroturn and my 5.0 Mercruiser and it fires both up without a sweat. I have used the 75 to jump my 335i and my buddies cummings.

IMO if you have a boat or recreational vehicle these jump packs are must have items on board. The size they have gotten down to makes it a no brainer too.

 

[pcmeiners]

Superspec, now that is a REAL jump pack, how much did it cost?

 

[superspec]

Superspec, now that is a REAL jump pack, how much did it cost?

I wanna say I paid about $40 on woot.com. It worked great until I broke an internal connection by sitting on it with a cable plugged in.