Smaller type jump packs

[Jsf721]

I own a JNC and a rescue traditional type jump pack and they are reliable as anything. Neither has failed me yet!



I wanted to get an opinion as to what the reliability is of the smaller style jump packs in terms of performance and safety. If I find a good solution, I'd buy 4-5 units and leave in the cars. The JNC is just bigger than I care to haul daily.

In doing my research I see there are 2 primary battery types Lithium ion and Lithium Polymer. Are these different or the same? Advantages or disadvantages of each?

How long can I store these in a vehicle in the NY bitter winter and the Summer heat and expect them to work when called on? Is this a monthly re charge? every 6 months?

I would like to get one that has a fail safe if hooked up incorrectly. My wife or kids could be the likely operators.

Anyone own one of these for 2 years, used it a few times and have a good ownership experience? if so please share the brand and links.

Thanks

 

[Jsf721]

I guess nobly owns one they like?????????????

Looks like I doomed to having these bulky units (that work) taking up space in my trunk.

 

[softailtom]

I work in a drive train shop and we use this one no.co/gb40. I own the Noco
gb70 and it worked the 3 times I've used it.

 

[Jsf721]

Thanks for the reply. Look like a well reviewed unit. Best price I can find is 187 bucks delivered. Any suggestions on getting it at a better cost?

I work in a drive train shop and we use this one no.co/gb40. I own the Noco
gb70 and it worked the 3 times I've used it.

 

[Rookie2]

I just received a Halo 57720 Bolt, www.BESTHALO.com 57720 mwh. Very impressive ! First test out of the box was a dodge service van and the second was my cub cadet. I have two other old style jump box (like your JNC) that use those 12v lead acid rechargeable batteries and I doubt I'll ever use them again.

 

[rlitman]

I've had mine for almost a year now. My wife has used it several times with great success. From what I've seen, they all seem to come with cables that prevent reverse connection.

Last year I had starter issues, and the guy from AAA tried to jump my car with one of his (without success, but only because the battery was not at fault). I asked for his opinion, and he was raving about how great it was, and how his would start his diesel truck (he had one at least twice the size of the pocket sized one in my wife's car). My parents just bought one for each of their cars when one popped up on woot.

Unlike the traditional lead-acid battery jump packs, these can sit for as long as a year without needing the charge topped off. I suggest leaving it under the seat.

 

[lewis26]

I guess nobly owns one they like?????????????

It helps if you wait longer than 5 hours to come to that conclusion

 

[LB-1911]

I guess nobly owns one they like?????????????

Looks like I doomed to having these bulky units (that work) taking up space in my trunk.

12-02-2014

I just bought the NOCO GB30. Cost a bit more, but it feels very quality compared to the other plastic junk out there. It may not have a bunch of adapters that you'll almost never use, but it does work very well. There is a video floating around somewhere of this thing cranking a 6.0L with the battery removed.

I bought it for myself and family for its safety features. Sometimes battery terminals aren't marked clearly so it's nice that it doesn't wreck havoc if your loved ones get the polarity wrong.


I looked at the Powerall and the Antigravity before the NOCO. While they do work fine, I just didn't like the feel of the product. They don't feel as rugged where as this one will survive drops. The clamps feel quite heavy duty. It's hard plastic on the outside, but the backbone is all metal so it's not going to break like some of the cheaper stuff. Plus I already have one of NOCO's charger so I knew this was going to be a good one.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M1OUBES/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Mini Jump Starter
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248634


Mini Jump Starter
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=281490

 

[Jsf721]

Thanks for coming in to post this. It was very helpful.

It helps if you wait longer than 5 hours to come to that conclusion

 

[kblee27]

At least get the Noco GB40.
It's a little more expensive, but it has great features like reverse polarity protection and the clamp is really super heavy duty.
Worth the extra dollar paid.

 

[48548]

I was looking at the anti-gravity ones, but waiting for the new noco gb150 to come out for my duramax.

 

[pedrodagr8]

AvE did a teardown on the Noco GB40 and the to be honest, build quality is complete **** inside. Broken parts, shoddy assembly, VERY sloppy soldering, the interior relay is not rated properly (only rated to 70A). He tested the maximum discharge rate under ideal conditions and could only get 240A, not the rated 1000A max. He also tore down the Noco G3500 and it's build quality is pretty similar. For how expensive they are, the internal quality was outright disappointing. Parts that weren't fully soldered, cold solder joints, parts from non-name companies, single sided board, etc. While I will admit AvE can have a pretty abrasive style his criticisms are valid. I would be quite angry if I spent my hard earned money and saw this build quality inside.

Video for the GB40:

In doing my research I see there are 2 primary battery types Lithium ion and Lithium Polymer. Are these different or the same? Advantages or disadvantages of each?

Li-polymer and li-ion can be used interchangeably but they refer more to the battery structure. Lithium polymer tend to be flat and wide, much more efficient at using space. They also tend ot have a much higher current rating (very useful for this purpose).

 

[amalik]

The noco are just gorgeous

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

[theoldwizard1]

AvE did a teardown on the Noco GB40 and the to be honest, build quality is complete **** inside.

That is my biggest concern ! The market is being flooded by cheap versions, some with reputable labels. There is a lot of power in these little packages so SAFETY is a top priority !

Let's not forget all of the "hover boards" that were catching fire at Christmas time let alone the Boeing 787 fiasco !

 

[atikovi]

I looked into these a few years ago when my 7 year old ES5000 BoosterPac was getting tired. Got another ES5000 instead. Main reason was, it said you had to wait 3 to 5 minutes between cranking periods for the thing to cool down between starting attempts. If you have just a late model car with a dead battery and it starts right up the first time, then it's OK, but sometimes a car needs multiple tries and this wouldn't have cut it. Plus I use it with a a 12V tire inflator as well.

 

[bry@n]

AvE did a teardown on the Noco GB40 and the to be honest, build quality is complete **** inside. Broken parts, shoddy assembly, VERY sloppy soldering, the interior relay is not rated properly (only rated to 70A). He tested the maximum discharge rate under ideal conditions and could only get 240A, not the rated 1000A max. He also tore down the Noco G3500 and it's build quality is pretty similar. For how expensive they are, the internal quality was outright disappointing. Parts that weren't fully soldered, cold solder joints, parts from non-name companies, single sided board, etc. While I will admit AvE can have a pretty abrasive style his criticisms are valid. I would be quite angry if I spent my hard earned money and saw this build quality inside.

Video for the GB40:

Li-polymer and li-ion can be used interchangeably but they refer more to the battery structure. Lithium polymer tend to be flat and wide, much more efficient at using space. They also tend ot have a much higher current rating (very useful for this purpose).

That guy is funny as hell. Enjoyed the video.

keep your D!ck in a vise? lol

 

[48548]

Also note the antigravity xp10 I was looking at has a lot of knock offs.... The company told me they would not stand behind any of them sold on amazon because of that. I was hoping the noco would be better.... Especially for the gb150 which is probably going to be close to 300$ it better be made well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015TKUPIC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[pedrodagr8]

That is my biggest concern ! The market is being flooded by cheap versions, some with reputable labels. There is a lot of power in these little packages so SAFETY is a top priority !

Let's not forget all of the "hover boards" that were catching fire at Christmas time let alone the Boeing 787 fiasco !

That is a huge and necessary worry. Just take a look at this e-cig that exploded. The cells in an e-cig are way lower capacity and less than 1/4 the discharge power that the cells in this Noco contain. So these battery backups are easily 20-30x more powerful than this.
http://i.imgur.com/PoGEsss.gifv

Clearly the manufacturers don't care. Most of the labels and products are marketing fluff without the quality to match. You can tell by the Noco, because the outside looks really nice and high quality. Open it up and it is Pittsburg Electric (from Harbor Freight) level quality for the electronics. I would NOT keep these devices in my car. They are a car fire waiting to happen.

That guy is funny as hell. Enjoyed the video.

keep your D!ck in a vise? lol

AvE has a very much a love it or hate it kind of presentation style. I personally enjoy it but can see why others hate it.

He always ends it with some form of that. Usually it is 'keep your **** in a vise', other times he changes it up to something like 'keep your wieners on ice' or 'keep your tick in a lice', etc.

I gave that warning though to say, even if you don't like HOW he says it, EVERY complaint he had about these devices is valid. They are built like complete rubbish.

Also note the antigravity xp10 I was looking at has a lot of knock offs.... The company told me they would not stand behind any of them sold on amazon because of that. I was hoping the noco would be better.... Especially for the gb150 which is probably going to be close to 300$ it better be made well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015TKUPIC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

There are a lot of knock-offs because they are easy to make. The fact is, apparently the main manufacturers aren't really making anything with much better quality than the knock-offs which is what makes it even worse. They give you a one-year warranty knowing you will use it less than half a dozen times and even then if it fails a time or two that is ok. You will think it is due to the car not the charger. This is very clear in how shoddily assembled these devices are.

 

[guy48065]

Also note the antigravity xp10 I was looking at has a lot of knock offs.... The company told me they would not stand behind any of them sold on amazon because of that. I was hoping the noco would be better.... Especially for the gb150 which is probably going to be close to 300$ it better be made well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015TKUPIC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have 2 of the $60 Walmart packs, one in my ATV and one in my Ford Explorer that had a battery issue that caused at least a dozen no-starts last winter. I don't know the ratings and wouldn't believe them if I did bother to look them up--all I know is they plain WORK, can deliver several jumps on a single charge, and even starts the V8 with the vehicle battery removed.

I'd pay a little more for NOCO's better build and batter clamps (and to give my money to anyone else but Walmart...), but the performance has been all I can ask for.

 

[pedrodagr8]

I have 2 of the $60 Walmart packs, one in my ATV and one in my Ford Explorer that had a battery issue that caused at least a dozen no-starts last winter. I don't know the ratings and wouldn't believe them if I did bother to look them up--all I know is they plain WORK, can deliver several jumps on a single charge, and even starts the V8 with the vehicle battery removed.

I'd pay a little more for NOCO's better build and batter clamps (and to give my money to anyone else but Walmart...), but the performance has been all I can ask for.

The performance might be good enough to start a car but I certainly wouldn't keep one in my car based on the build quality.

 

[Citation]

That is my biggest concern ! The market is being flooded by cheap versions, some with reputable labels. There is a lot of power in these little packages so SAFETY is a top priority !

Let's not forget all of the "hover boards" that were catching fire at Christmas time let alone the Boeing 787 fiasco !

Your concern regarding battery safety and build quality is totally legit but I'm going to stick up for the people I know who were involved with the Boeing battery. It has nothing to do with the sort of failures you are talking about here. Might as well also mention that Alkaline batteries leak.

Anyway, for the OP, I wouldn't trust that you could leave one of these in your car as a backup battery, "just in case" 6+ months later. I recently gave one to my father.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014ITIV4A/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Thus far he's only used it for the lawn mower but it did the job. It would probably work for jump starting most cars if the battery isn't too flat or the car starts fairly easily. Note that it works by recharging the battery a bit rather than by putting the full starting current through the charge leads.

 

[valentine]

Never had a jump box that was worth anything except JNC. First one of those I ever purchased is still going after 10 years of use. Never had a JNC that disappointed me.mwell, did have one with a built in air compressor and the compressor didn't pump up truck tires too well. But then I didn't really buy it to pump up tires, did I ? JNC all the way! I haven't experienced any other jump box which can compare favorably to it.

-Valentine

 

[guy48065]

It would probably work for jump starting most cars if the battery isn't too flat or the car starts fairly easily. Note that it works by recharging the battery a bit rather than by putting the full starting current through the charge leads.

"Probably"? Have you ever used one one these Li-Po packs?
I removed the battery from my truck and one of these $60 packs easily started the (cold) 4.6L engine.