Jumper cables? Nah....there is a newer better solution.

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Kern Dog

Kern Dog

Build your car to handle.
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I read on Mopar Action awhile back about these new battery jumper boxes:

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These are interesting. I like the idea of having something lightweight and compact to bring with any vehicle I'm taking on road trips. No need for getting help from someone else for a jump start if you accidently leave the lights on or some other mistake. Some of these come with built in lights or air compressors. Some will allow recharging of a phone, camera or other low demand accessories.
If you have one, do you have a recommendation for a brand or model that you liked?

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I have good electrical and charging systems in my old stuff but having something like this may be a smart thing to consider.
 
I’ve had two of these helpstarters, works like a champ. The first one I had (which ended up in the water while it was laying on the floor of the wifes convertible) was a 700 amp and I was able to start my Dakota 5.2 6 times without recharge when the battery failed. I did buy this Noco 1000 amp, works just as great.
 
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I work on a lot of cars at various dealerships. I always have a jump box similar to the second one in with my tools. Charges with a regular extension cord and an outlet. The small ones are handy also and fit in your glovebox.
 
Not many folks willing to help strangers anymore so I certainly see the advantage of this over traditional cables.
 
I helped a kid out in front of the sandwich shop the other day. A guy my age was trying to jump it with cables and couldn't get it done. Grabbed the jumper box and he was on his way to O'reilly's to get his battery checked. He looked at me like I was Batman.
 
one morning i went to go fishing and my battery was dead my father handed me a small boost box not much bigger than a deck of cards and i laughed at him , he said try it , it started my 6-71 Detroit with ease . now i carry one onboard .
 
Kern Dog said:
I read on Mopar Action awhile back about these new battery jumper boxes:

View attachment 1716212796

View attachment 1716212797





These are interesting. I like the idea of having something lightweight and compact to bring with any vehicle I'm taking on road trips. No need for getting help from someone else for a jump start if you accidently leave the lights on or some other mistake. Some of these come with built in lights or air compressors. Some will allow recharging of a phone, camera or other low demand accessories.
If you have one, do you have a recommendation for a brand or model that you liked?

View attachment 1716212798

I have good electrical and charging systems in my old stuff but having something like this may be a smart thing to consider.
Click to expand...
The top and bottom ones look like they are dry cell (Like Lith-ion, etc) with the pros and cons that come with them.
They certainly can work. I think their longevity and safety depend heavily on the quality of the electronics.

The middle one looks like a traditional boost box with a lead acid cell. You can get 'em with inverters built in, and in theory the battery can be replaced. I have an inverter one on the shelf with a battery replacement in my 'roundtoit' file for 10 years.
 
I bought a GOOLOO jump-box about 10 years ago. It's started everything, and has always amazed me.



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I just bought a KeenPower SC6000 Super Capacitor jump starter. This thing will even jump my 6.7 Cummins. It does not have a battery which I like a lot after seeing a Lithium battery catch fire recently.
 
Kern Dog said:
I read on Mopar Action awhile back about these new battery jumper boxes:

View attachment 1716212796

View attachment 1716212797





These are interesting. I like the idea of having something lightweight and compact to bring with any vehicle I'm taking on road trips. No need for getting help from someone else for a jump start if you accidently leave the lights on or some other mistake. Some of these come with built in lights or air compressors. Some will allow recharging of a phone, camera or other low demand accessories.
If you have one, do you have a recommendation for a brand or model that you liked?

View attachment 1716212798

I have good electrical and charging systems in my old stuff but having something like this may be a smart thing to consider.
Click to expand...
I have a GB70 that I carry with me, the thing flat rocks. Thinking about getting a couple more so I don't have to move it from car to car.
 
I have a Noco GB70 in my Duster, have had it for a few years now. Works like a champ, holds a charge extremely well too. It was a lifesaver when my factory wiring harness was on its way out and I was having starting issues.

It is a lithium ion battery, so, make sure you apply standard lithium ion battery charging precautions- only charge them with the charging device they came with (or the same brand), and don't leave them charging overnight or unattended. And in general, don't use cheap, off brand gas station chargers for anything.

It can be harder with some of these brands, but Noco is a large and well recognized manufacturer. With lithium ion batteries, stay away from the imitation stuff.
 
I had tried a couple similar to the JNC style and returned both as after charging wouldn't start my K5.
I'll have to try one of the candidates above. Needless to say I throw my 30 year old heavy duty cables in whatever I'm driving on trips.
 
Are they really "new"?

They've been around for a while, but USB charging is new.

In fact, I found one in my dumpster last year.

Opened it up and it had a somewhat common 12v battery like you find in a computer UPS or an emergency lighting fixture.
I'm pretty sure that's the only thing wrong with it, and I have access to those type of batteries, but...

...the one that's in there has threaded posts that accept nuts, where as what I have has either the "flag" or "stak-on" connectors or a hollow square that takes a sliding post.
 
doogievlg said:
Not many folks willing to help strangers anymore so I certainly see the advantage of this over traditional cables.
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I do. It is who I have always been. It used to worry my mom that I'd stop to help people but the wife knows it is who I am.
 
The only problem is remembering to keep them charged.
 
I have a Noco one, I've only needed it to jump my lawnmower, but it has worked each time I've used it. I leave it in the truck, just in case I need it. Which reminds me, I should probably charge it so it's ready when I do need it.
 
In regards to helping people with a jump start, my Dad had a problem, and needed a jump. My Dad's car had an electrical issue, and it burned up my wiring. After that, I prefer not to use jumper cables.
Now, I sure that I will get some flak, but, I bought a Harbor freight jump box, and it has worked great for several years.
 
RustyRatRod said:
The only problem is remembering to keep them charged.
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I've had really good luck with them holding a charge. As long as you recharge them after you use them, they don't need a ton of recharging.

I just pulled the NOCO GB70 out of the trunk of my Duster today to fire off my '71 F100 with an FE 390 because I let it sit too long because I've got the snow plow and chains on it for winter. I don't think I've had the GB70 on the charger since LAST winter. It wasn't fully charged of course, but it still had no issues firing off that 390.
 
72bluNblu said:
I've had really good luck with them holding a charge. As long as you recharge them after you use them, they don't need a ton of recharging.

I just pulled the NOCO GB70 out of the trunk of my Duster today to fire off my '71 F100 with an FE 390 because I let it sit too long because I've got the snow plow and chains on it for winter. I don't think I've had the GB70 on the charger since LAST winter. It wasn't fully charged of course, but it still had no issues firing off that 390.
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Yeah, I must admit, even with the fiasco the EV car movement has turned out to be, battery technology has come a long way.
 
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