Portable jump starter

[SafetyGuy]

I'll do a +1 for NOCO, I bought the full size one for semi-trucks, (Edit: the 4250A) and it overspun the starter on a Buick LeSabre with the Series II V6.

A tip to make your jump boxes last longer: if they have USB ports, use them. Run them down, and charge them at least once a week. Lithium batteries don't like to sit.

Good day

I completely agree with you in that these Li batteries need to be used (cycled) regularly.

My only quibble would be about the cycle discharge/charge every week.

I would suggest that a more appropriate discharge/charge cycle would be every 3 months.

I already have it on my calendar for my Ecoflow backup Li power boxes as that is their recommendation for optimal battery life. So when it comes time to do the Ecoflows I also bring in my 2 Li booster packs. I hook up some high draw items via the USB port and it draws them down quite quickly...the recharge takes quite a bit longer!

Then I put the booster packs back in our camper van (it has Li batteries as well-they get drained down to 50% when I am putting it away for the winter as per their guide) and our truck.

One other quick benefit of having a good sized booster pack is that in many emergency or power outage situations (either the truck or the grid), my packs have led lights in them and due to the USB port they can be used to charge a phone etc...as long as you have the right charge cords already situated with them...and I do, just in case.

My oldest booster pack is over 7 years old and still seems to be going strong!

Have a good one,

Andy

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[Glen Baker LLC]

To date, I've jumped at least 4 different vehicles with the NOCO 40 portable jumper that I bought with my Ford points. Two of those vehicles were parked in such a fashion that it would have been nearly impossible to reach with my truck and traditional jumper cables. The NOCO is really a nice piece of kit to have. Three of four vehicles that I jumped went on to buy the NOCO. The one that didn't is a cheap neighbor.

Peter,
Your post reminds me of my first portable jump pack. I bought probably six or seven years ago a Red Fuel by Schumacher a Brand name brand. It wasn't cheap at the time $70. I kept it out of the sun in my Toyota Yaris underneath the floor next to the spare tire.
After 2 years it expanded and popped the case. I contacted Schumacher they paid to have it sent back and they sent me a new one.
Again after 2 years it also expanded and popped the case.

I have since upgraded.

 

[Neils Bohr]

Well I got the astro AI booster/ tire pump combo and just to note the alligator clip leads are indeed long enough to reach the appropriate jump posts on the maverick hybrid so great news.

 

[Ryom]

Also check with Amazon, you can get a 3000A jump box for around $30, that's equal to a NOCO which costs over $100.

Not so much...

 

[Neils Bohr]

Not so much...

Yeah they certainly aren't all made equal.

 

[Alfetta159]

This guy seems to outline it pretty well. Actually, gets interesting at 1:15. Mine has gone into deep sleep numerous times because I hardly drive it lately, but I've never had to jump start it, but when someone mentioned that you can do it from under the hood, I thought I would look it up:

 

[HeyBales]

This guy seems to outline it pretty well. Actually, gets interesting at 1:15. Mine has gone into deep sleep numerous times because I hardly drive it lately, but I've never had to jump start it, but when someone mentioned that you can do it from under the hood, I thought I would look it up:

Interesting total lack of understanding on the system.
Jump start correct.
Other info wrong.

 

[riparian]

Interesting total lack of understanding on the system.
Jump start correct.
Other info wrong.

"Alien technology". Too bad the alternator belt is so hard to get to—probably just needs re-tensioning, or maybe some belt dressing.

 

[Cherokee]

I'll do a +1 for NOCO, I bought the full size one for semi-trucks, (Edit: the 4250A) and it overspun the starter on a Buick LeSabre with the Series II V6.

A tip to make your jump boxes last longer: if they have USB ports, use them. Run them down, and charge them at least once a week. Lithium batteries don't like to sit.

Lithium sits just fine if held at a 50% charge level.
I charge to 50% and check it monthly. About three months in it drops to 40% and I bring it back up.

I use my tadpole trike in the summer only.
It sits about seven months each year and gets used once a week in the summer for a twenty five mile ride.
It’s Bosch drive battery is five years old and shows no loss of performance at all.

They don’t like to be held at 100%

My IPhone 16 is set to only charge to 80%
Its battery is now 15 months old and still at 100% capacity.
My IOS fully charges it on the first of each month.

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