Portable jump starter

Also, for anybody on the fence with these, I would totally get one. It's about $50-$80 for a decent 600A jumping unit. Yes, most of our auto insurers have inexpensive coverage for these sorts of things, but you never know when you'll need it and Murphy's law states that your car battery will die at the absolute worst possible time.

The last time I was caught off-guard and need a jump, it was about 5:40 AM. Within 4 minutes, I had my car engine going and was on my way. It's so quick to jump your car with these usb units.
 
jrandom said:
I have only had it since august. I charged it and threw it in the truck and literally forgot about it. My lent it to my coworker, I checked it, it read 100%, at the end of Nov, he used it with out issue.

I keep a sunwayman t20cs 650 lumen torch in my truck that has been in there since I bought it in 2013, I have recharged the 18650 li-ion cell once so far, it was a maintenance charge, it wasn't depleted.
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Cool man. I am pretty sure we got them at the same time, so that's good to know. Mine will be going in the trunk tonight.
 
Anyone use one successfully in the cold (both dead/weak battery in the cold + cold booster pack kept in the truck?)

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/jump-starters/buying-guide

They say that NONE of the ones they tested (including anti-gravity and Norco) were able to bring a weak battery to life if the booster pack was also cold.
• Most battery packs could start a car battery at room temperature. It was when the temps dropped below freezing that the differences appeared. Then the Pilot InstaBoost struggled, dropping below its competitors in the ratings.

• With both the car battery and the jump starter at zero degrees, none of the units were able to jump start even the weak car batteries, let alone a dead battery. When the battery packs were at room temperature, most were able to successfully jump start a frozen car battery.

• Price does not indicate performance.
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MSRP. said:
Anyone use one successfully in the cold (both dead/weak battery in the cold + cold booster pack kept in the truck?)

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/jump-starters/buying-guide

They say that NONE of the ones they tested (including anti-gravity and Norco) were able to bring a weak battery to life if the booster pack was also cold.
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I have done this several times. Booster pack lives in the truck.
more than half the times I've used it, it's been very cold. Like -20C cold. Vehicles always start without hesitation, and everyone is amazed.

edit: I have a noco GB40.

You're not going to boost a frozen battery, if that's what they're saying. If your battery is frozen solid, it needs to go inside until the liquid returns to liquid.. A very cold booster pack works just fine though. That's a main advantage of Li-ion.

Personally, I think these things are amazing. I have never been let down by mine.
 
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Personally....
I am considering an all-in-one type unit with air compressor and AC outlets.
The air compressor is nice in a pinch...
and I occasionally have the need for short-term portable power.
Anyone have a brand/model they would recommend?
I'd rather go without...instead of spending too much.
 
My NOCO GB40 experiences so far:

When I got new battery i intentionally ran my old battery flat to test my jump pack, and my NOCO GB40 was able to start my 4Runner.

I've also used it to jump a Silverado with a 5.3L V8. On the Silverado I had to leave it attached for a few minutes but it was abble to start the truck.

Both of these took about half the capacity, I wouldn't plan on being able to start more than 1-2 vehicles per charge.

My only complaints are that I wish the bag it came with was designed better, the unit and cables always slide out. USB charging is slow, its fine for how most people will probably use this but if it is something you expect to need on any regularity get one that charges faster.
 
I have the Anti-gravity XP-10, and I highly recommend it.
I keep it in the truck year round. It seems to hold a charge for well over 3 months.

I have started the 4runner with it with the battery disconnected as a test. On 3 occasions I have killed the battery with radios or air compressor and it performed fine each time. Using the pack is much easier than fooling with cables. You attach the clamps, then plug them into the pack, check the lights, and then crank the vehicle.

No low temperature test, but if I was stuck in extreme cold, the XP-10 is small enough to tuck inside a jacket and warm it up with body heat. (Sticking a 0F slab in your jacket would be no fun, but beats being stranded!)
 
Ive got a Suaoki G7:

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Compressor-Flashlight-Motorcycle-Automotive/dp/B0185CBW0Q

It works very well. Ive jumped everything from an old 4cyl VW to a power-stroke V8 with it and it hasn't let me down.

I will say that the smart circuit thing in the cables is a little finicky, it take a little wiggling for it to make a "good" connection. And in some cases if the battery is too low it won't want to jump it without some work.

I use this regularly to jump the 225hp V6 outboard on my boat because I don't use the boat as much as I should.

It says its good for 20+ jumps on a charge and I know Ive gone at least 15 jumps on a single charge.
 
Orbital Debris said:
I have the Anti-gravity XP-10, and I highly recommend it.
I keep it in the truck year round. It seems to hold a charge for well over 3 months.
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I bought one this past summer, and have been wondering how long it can be stored and still hold a good charge. Do you just recharge it every three months or so?
 
Ray Dunakin said:
I bought one this past summer, and have been wondering how long it can be stored and still hold a good charge. Do you just recharge it every three months or so?
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I check it about every 3 months, but only have had to charge it once - after using it 2 times when my OEM battery. It was down to 3 lights vs. the 5 for full charge.

The first time I tested it, it had sat in the car for 3 months, indicated full charge, and worked fine.

I think it would probably be ok for 6 months, but the manufacturer website says 3-4 months. If I'm going somewhere remote, I will usually top it off to be sure.
 
My wifes grma got me a Halo bolt for xmas. I don't know anything about it, but ill throw it in the back of whatever we are driving. Gets decent reviews from what Iv'e seen.
 
Reviving an old thread
I am trying to make a call between the GB40 and GB70. Does an upgraded Grp 31 battery require a bigger amperage jump starter?

I believe the Grp 31M are >1000CCA and hence the GB70 is a better option?
 
genesis712 said:
Reviving an old thread
I am trying to make a call between the GB40 and GB70. Does an upgraded Grp 31 battery require a bigger amperage jump starter?

I believe the Grp 31M are >1000CCA and hence the GB70 is a better option?
Click to expand...

I've got two GB40s, one for my 4Runner and one for the wife's Odyssey. I used mine yesterday to jump a co-worker's Mercedes sedan.

I can't answer your specific question about the requirements for a 31M battery, but I've used the GB40 to jump both Ford and GM V8s.
 
Titanpat57 said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaLCp_28MF8
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Yeah but the dude was using a GB30 on what looked like a full size chevy. It did turn over and maybe the dudes truck is in poor service conditionsto boot rocking the good ole everstart cheap ass battery in the middle of BF colder than deep freeze Saskatchewan. He shouldn’t have been so cheap and bought a 40 or better a 70 :D

I don’t live in Saskatchewan but I do have a GB40 I have let a bunch of people use and they all drove away.
 
Heads up. GB40 is only $80 right now on Amazon for Prime Day. The alert came through on my way home so ordered mine from the road. Not sure how many or left or how much time is left.
 
i have a noco charger that i hide under my front passenger seat and its always plugged into a cigarette lighter port. Always charged and always ready to go.
 
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