I'm looking for recommendations on a portable car battery charger that is multifunctional, durable, and reliable.
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I'm looking for recommendations on a portable car battery charger that is multifunctional, durable, and reliable.
I have one of these and it works great.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Comes with accessories and carry case. Will do jump starts. Has USB ports to charge devices and flashlight.
Recently had a battery die in my truck, thankfully in my garage and not why I was out and about.
That got me to thinking of my lacking in this area and need a battery jumper. In the little research that I've done thus far Antigravity keeps coming up. They are rated number one on Consumer Reports for lithium-ion mini jump-starters.
https://shop.antigravitybatteries.co.../micro-starts/
They have multiple models and are all available on Amazon, etc.
Also, can anyone recommend a reputable battery tester? I'm not much of a gear head but would like to hear from those who have experience with these.
For something that will spend most of its life in a drawer you can go with a simple load tester. Attach the leads, hold the momentary switch until the coil is glowing and observe the drop.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moose-Knuckle
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Battery-T...Tool/130672264
A little more exact testing is done with a conductance tester. A person can find a less (and a far more) expensive model than what I linked. Generally any place that sells batteries will have one and will run a test for free.
https://m.interstatebatteries.com/su...989-4266707333
I keep this one from Harbor Freight in my car:
http://m.harborfreight.com/automotiv...sor-62453.html
Very reasonably priced when you take advantage of one of their sales. You need to be patient though when charging the battery, as it takes a little time, and you also need to periodically recharge the device, especially before a long road trip. My brother has the same one and used it to fill a flat tire on the road. It may not be the best out there, but it's affordable if you want to equip several household cars.
Dave
Thank you for the recommendations!
Picked up this one at Wal-Mart for $39 left over from their Black-Friday deals.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Red-Fuel-...d-Red/54459184
Haven't used it yet, hopefully never will.
I use one of the "briefcase" type at work on a weekly basis. It works pretty good but it's big and kind of heavy. We both have Corolla's so trunk space is at a premium. When I finally got us a jump pack for me and my wife I got these:
https://www.costco.com/Lithium-Jump-...100312116.html
MUCH smaller and it'll charge your phone too (my wife's phone is pretty much perpetually out of battery).
Used it one on her car and several times on her phone. Worked great!
Snapon! I love mine, it stays charged, will crank over just about anything and has converter to charge laptops, phones and any other portable devices.
Anyone have experience with a Weego?
I've been reading good things about their products.
https://myweego.com/
Isn't the Weego the Yugo branded station wagon? You know, the one that comes with a rear window defroster so you don't freeze your hands when pushing it in the winter. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Moose-Knuckle
Haha, never thought of that but I think you're right.Quote:
Originally Posted by john armond
I've read some really good reviews of the Weego power packs and jump starters.
These things are really divided into two groups, lead acid and lithium. The lead acid variety are generally large, heavy, mostly bulletproof, and can usually withstand hundreds of uses. They are generally cheaper and it has been my experience that the very cheap ones are junk, anything above about $40 or so are all mostly the same, with a few cranking amps difference. As with most lead acid batteries they are best kept charged and will discharge naturally over the course of months, so plugging them in, say, once a month overnight, and again after they're used is generally sufficient. Eventually the internal lead acid battery will need replaced and they can generally be sourced for $30-40 depending on size. I have no experience with the lithium variety as i don't believe the cost/weight ratio worth it.
Most models in each variety these days will have a USB port for charging your various gadgets and some have an air compressor that can come in handy.
It has been my experience that when helping people with a jump about 1/3 of them say in response to my jumper pack, "Hey, I've got one of those things... at home."
I have also found that after a vehicle battery is a few years old a battery tender, plugged in nightly or at least every few days, can add several extra years to its life, especially if the vehicle is driven sporadically or on shorter trips.
Does anyone have any experience with the novo genius boost? I was thinking about purchasing them
Thanks For the post buddy. I Need this kind of post to find the best possible battery tester for my car.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moose-Knuckle
I've had a couple of the SLA type jump starters but have since been using the Power Bank type as of late (this past winter). Works better than the SLAs in my experience. There are many to be had and tried.
This fellow doesn't hold back on his testing and reviews (opinions) on jump starters.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkP...ry=Jumpstarter
Thanks for the link! :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by CLHC
Well... it’s time for another PCS move, and I discovered that this Harbor Freight jump starter is dead. It’s been plugged in to charge for over twelve hours and shows no signs of life. No charging lights and no functions when I attempt to turn it on. It probably hasn’t been charged for a year, so I guess the battery is shot.Quote:
Originally Posted by 3ACR_Scout
Bah. Throw those overgrown cell phone batteries away, and buy or make a set of honest-to-God jumper cables.
These are what I would consider minimum:
https://www.batterymart.com/p-deka-4...er-cables.html
Deka 20 footers, USA made, copper (NOT aluminum) conductors. I have these in the wife's car. Should fire up any passenger car or light truck.
These are even better:
https://store.polarwire.com/jumper-c...25-heavy-duty/
Polar Wire 25 foot, 2 gauge copper, copper clamps, made in USA.
For my car, I built a set. 25 feet, 1 AWG welding cable, 800 amp copper clamps. They cost about the same as the Polar Wire ones to build, because I had to buy the $20 hammer crimping tool. It looks silly because my car is so small, but I could jump start a Powerstroke Diesel if I needed to.
All the ones they sell at hardware or auto parts stores are junk. Made in China, steel clamps, aluminum conductors. Don't waste your money on junk.
I've been curious about these new ultracapacitor jump starters, the ones without any battery. Jump-starter batteries die too fast in AZ heat but ultracapacitors aren't bothered by heat. Apparently you can quickly charge it from your dying low voltage battery, then jumpstart your own car.
Something like a Rezervo-RZ-300
One related nice to have item is a cigarette lighter voltage gauge. So you can see your battery dying before it leaves you stranded. I look at voltage each morning before I start up.
It seems like a lot of those devices use off the shelf batteries. I had an air compressor that would not charge. Since I was about to toss it anyway, I opened it up. A day later after an Amazon order, and the air compressor is back up and running.Quote:
Originally Posted by 3ACR_Scout
We bought a couple from Costco when they were on sale. Never had problems with them, but we routinely check the charge on them and don’t travel far.
Type S Lithium Jump Starter Portable Power Bank with LED Flashlight https://www.costco.com/Type-S-Lithiu...100425276.html
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
If this is the one you're talking aboutQuote:
Originally Posted by Keoki_m
https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GB40-Ult...-1-spons&psc=1
I have it and recently used it without issue, started up my Nissan Titan with no issue. I just set a bi-monthly reminder on my phone to bring it in the house and recharge it.