The very small chargers like the MiniMax advertised on TV look “too good to be true.”
Anyone with experience with one? If they would actually jump start a car one would make a good Christmas for my Daughter and Son.
Thanks,
Jerry
They work well when the battery is just slightly under enough charge to start the car, like when you left the lights on for a long time. But do not expect it to revive a fully dead battery or one that has been stored discharged for months. The way they work is to supply a higher voltage than the lead acid battery and charging it at high current for a short time, this gives enough boost required to start the car. The real charge is done by the alternator.
I don’t know the one on TV but there are many cheap ones on amazon with good reviews like this one: Amazon.com
For years now auto batteries give no warning like they did MANY years ago. Just go out in the AM, and the battery is dead. I have a large jump starter, but it is heavy, and was hoping the small hand held ones would solve the problem. Maybe they won’t.
Thanks, Will.
Jerry
That no warning dead battery is often when enough Lead scaling shorts out the cell. They cost a little more but AGM’s can’t die this way and have a much greater life. All of my families cars have them.
I got one of THESE at WalMart a while back and it does a pretty good job for what it is.
They had a bad batch of these due to some faulty Li Ion batteries one time a couple of years ago and had a big recall on certain date codes.
But once they sorted out all that mess it is back to normal for them. Mine did not fall into the Date Code recall, in fact I got it right after the recall.
Just be aware of the limitations ‘will34’ mentioned above, but for around $50 this thing does good. :+1:
I have one of this type and used it last week. I had left a door open over night to my van and the next morning when I went to start it, all I got was “click click click”
I hooked it up to my battery, made sure everything was off and shut the doors. I went inside the house for 10 minutes and when I came out the truck started right up.
I have a DBPower DJS20 (12,000mAH - 400A) which I use on my riding mower and our 4 cyl cars, and it has worked at least 4 times so far.
I also have a Suaoki T3 Plus (18000mAh - 600A) with an air compressor attachment which I’ve used twice w/success on my 1995 Dodge Ram 5.9L V8.
I recommend these as better than begging a jump from strangers.
Many thanks, Guys. It seems as if it may be worth it since I have your input. 
Regards,
Jerry
costco has it on sale for $49
http://www.costco.com/Lithium-Jump-Starter-And-Portable-Power-Bank-.product.100312116.html
the nice thing about costco is you can easily return it. I’ve thought about picking it up as well…
I’m thinking these would be great when somebody ELSE has a dead battery and wants a jump start off of your car with the potential chance of mucking up something in your car’s charging system.
I bought one from Gearbest a year ago. The problem is that I bought it from Gearbest. It never showed up.
I use a RavPower unit with great success on a Hemi Ram, but THIS is very similar and the price is great right now.
Depending on the accuracy of the claimed capacity and the output of them (wire thickness) they should do fine as many of the car jump start packs use a 12v 12AH SLA battery.
Thanks, again. I won’t know for awhile or until he needs to start someone’s car. However from my research I think it will do as advertised.
If/when I learn after it is used I will give info here.
Jerry
Thanks for the link, thats the best price for 400 Amp Peak I can find atm
I put a similar jump started in my daughters car a couple of years ago. She has used it to start both a 2.2 Subaru and a 1.9 Jetta TDI. These little LiIon packs definitely get the job done, and they are sooo much smaller and lighter than the ones that have a motorcycle battery inside such as this 600 Amp Peak http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SS02/55001/N2157.oap?ck=Search_super+start_N2157*–1*–1&keyword=super+start&pt=N2157&ppt=C0005
the difference is the heavier units have higher cranking amps, but Im not sure that matters, as long as the car starts :-). In my experience, both types get the job done… The one I have that is based on a motorcycle battery, weighs about 10 pounds, the LiIon version weighs about 1 pound.
The lead acid units tend to have more cranking amps and ability to start MANY more times. The small ones will do the easy starts, but on the harder starts, big motors, diesels, best hope the battery in the vehicle is just too low and not totally dead.