Is It Worth Buying A Jumper Pack?
Car and truck batteries have been dying for decades. Extreme temperatures of cold or hot, leaving the headlights on, or severe aged battery have always been causes of a battery to be dead, not allowing you to start your car or truck. Battery jumper cables have been a top pick for drivers to have in their trunks just in case the unthinkable happens. However, you have to have another vehicle present to jump your dead battery, and finding someone can present a challenge. Battery jumper packs have changed that, because you now have an “on demand” jump if you need it. There are many different types of battery jumper packs, and some are better than others. We did some research for you to show you which type and brand we found to be the best tool to have in case of an emergency.
Different Types of Battery Jumper Packs
There are some battery jumper packs which are small enough to fit in your center console or glove box, and others bigger in size. Each can have added value to your emergency kit or garage as a standard tool. The two types we are talking about today or the portable jumper packs, and the standard battery booster jumper packs.
Portable Jumper Packs
We have found a couple of portable jumper packs that did very well with our testing. These are to be used in an emergency situation, that are usually rechargeable, however, depending on the size of the batter the jumper pack is “jumping” or adding power for a start, can determine how quickly the portable jumper packs charge is drained. Most portable battery functions are not to “charge” a battery, but crank the starter of the vehicle in question, which will allow the vehicles powerful alternator, to then run constant current to the battery that will allow it to charge slowly, while driving.
SDSPEED Lithium Portable Jumper Pack
The best portable jumper pack types are the ones made from lithium ion batteries, and the SDSPEED Jumper pack has 18000mAh and 600 amps of peak boost. It is a very handy item to have in your vehicle at all times, and has convenience to not only give your car battery a boost, but it is equipped with 4 USB ports that you can use to charge your cell phones, iPad, tablets, or anything requiring a charger. Tests have shown that this specific jumper pack can jump start RV’s, cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and much more. The possibilities are endless. It weighs just under 1.2 lbs. It also has copper clamps and has internal technology that will protect form over charging or power surges. You will also like to know it has LED flashlight that has a SOS function, strobes, and the normal “flashlight” and, a compass in case you are ever lost.
Test Results: I followed the manufacturers instructions, and used the included “clamp” style grips that are used on battery terminals, and connected the appropriate NEGATIVE and POSITIVE terminals to the battery itself, and with no issue, on a complete dead battery, the vehicle immediately started.
Genius Boost Pro 4000 amp 12v UltraSafe Lithium Jumper Pack
Very compact, and felt great when you grip it. It has a few various features which is why we decided to run a few tests on this jumper pack as well. It is a very safe portable jumper pack, that has built in mistake proof technology so if you were to put the terminal clamps on backwards, it will not fry the device itself. It is rated at above 4000 amps, and we got a total of 77 jump starts off of one single charge, which was very impressive for a device so small in size. The flashlight has 7 different modes, had USB ports to charge your other devices as well. This jumper pack is claimed to be able to jump diesel or gasoline powered vehicles. We tested this on a 2004 Dodge 1500 5.7l engine, and it had 0 issues when it came to trying to jump start it.
Test Results: I was able to get 77 cold start jumps off one charge, however, at room temperature I would expect that number to be at least double, beings the amount of power it took to crank a 7.3l diesel engine on a cold winter morning, I would say is very impressive for a device so small in size.
Battery Booster Jumper Packs
Never wait on a jump from someone ever again, and with some of these battery booster jumper packs, you can get them with a built in air compressor. Having two tools simultaneously, which can aid you in the event of a low tire, and the nearest gas station is 20 miles away.
DeWalt 1400 Peak/700 Amps Battery Booster With Air Compressor
When we tested this DeWalt battery booster jumper pack, we were amazed at how handy this tool had become, even when we were in the testing stages. It is rechargeable, and delivers up to 700 instant amps of starting power, which is great for bigger gasoline and diesel engines. In 23 degree weather, it was a matter of connecting the clamps to the proper battery terminals, and getting inside my truck, and instantly the engine cranked, and the engine was back to running in no time. It is equipped with a 120 psi air compressor, that has a sure fit nozzle, and an auto stop feature, so you don’t have to estimate how long it takes to pump a certain amount of air pressure into your tires or item being filled with air. It also has a cool screen LCD that will give you accurate reads. We also seen that it had (2) 3.1amp USB ports if you ever needed to charge your phone, camera or tablet device.
Test Results: This DeWalt 1400 peak jumper pack was able to jump start, in cold weather, my diesel truck a total of 194 times in one single charge. That number would obviously go up in numbers had the temperature been a lot warmer. On that same charge I was able to add air to a completely flat 255/60/20 tire, add air to all (4) truck tires, and inflate a kiddie pool I purchased for my kids. I mentioned this product because it was very handy to have, and I keep this in my truck or SUV anytime I am driving.
Clore Automotive Jump-N-Carry 1700 Peak Amp 12v Jumper Pack
This jumper pack had an amazing review and produced amazing power for a long period of time. We were able to get almost 200 jumps with this jumper pack before we had to put our extension cord on to it to start the recharge of the battery. It also had a cigarette lighter style DC 12v port you could plug into, and power any device you need. There is also a DC 12v input plug to charge the device. It has super thick wire from the clamps to the battery itself, heavy duty and was strong enough to be used in 12 degree Fahrenheit weather. This was one jumper pack I could personally tell you, that you would not have been disappointed in.
Test Results: A part of the 200 jumps this device was able to perform I did want to mention that its handle made it very easy to grip and take with me on the move. It cranked V8 and V10 gas and diesel engines with no problems, it was also able to crank and get my boat started because it had been sitting around all year.
Which Type of Battery Booster Jumper Pack should I buy?
We can all agree, that most battery jumper packs, portable or not, can and will start most vehicles at room temperature. The truly best booster packs (mentioned above) were the kinds that held up in both extreme heat, and extreme cold temperatures. Unless you live in a tropical environment year round, you need a battery booster/jumper pack that will work when you need it to work. Jump your car when you need it jumped. The market is completely flooded with different styles, and types of battery jumper packs, but only a few stood out as reputable to me. You can purchase the Clore Automotive 1700 Peak Amp jumper pack on Amazon.com for a great price, and in comparison, this is the only jumper pack model I would recommend for people to purchase.
Conclusion
It seems that as technology advances for the benefit of mankind, it makes things easier for us as well. We wrote an important article about emergency roadside tool kits, and we did add this item to the list of items you should have. If money is an issue, you could always at least invest into some jumper cables, but because of how well these items have done on the market, they are starting to become more and more inexpensive. The Genius 4000 portable jumper pack is on the more expensive side, however it seems to be the most compact, and my highest recommendation in this article, and can be purchased on Amazon.com as well. It is very important to do your own research as well and really determine what it is you are needing as a consumer. If you only need a back up in emergency situations, the portable jumper pack is for you. However, if you find yourself owning a fleet of trucks, motorcycles, or anything that requires a battery to start, it would be wise to have one of these battery booster jumper packs on hand at all times. During all of this research and since I have owned a couple of these devices for a while now, I have learned not only is it great having these tools give you a great opportunity to help other people in need. I was in line picking up prescriptions when the person in front of me, got out of his car saying it had just died, and his battery was weak. He asked for a jump, and I smiled and told him I had something better, and had his vehicle started up in the next couple minutes that followed. Happy Tooling!