DennisThornton 4,769 #1 Posted December 23, 2020 Recommendations? Ones to avoid? Love my big heavy lead acid portable jumper power supply but did I mention that it was big and heavy? I've read a lot, viewed several YouTubes and would like to pull the trigger on a little light weight lithium jump pack. Lots out there and some not so good. Your thoughts? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldlineman 1,481 #3 Posted December 23, 2020 I don't have one either will be watching for good information on a good value. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 27,622 #4 Posted December 23, 2020 I keep one of these in my truck. I choose it because Schumacher has been charging batteries for a long time & the price was not too bad. I've had mine for about 5 yrs and so far it has worked when I needed it. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schumacher-800-Amp-Li-Ion-Jump-Starter-with-USB-Ports-and-LCD-Display/522657381?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&&adid=22222222227111879389&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=233118880683&wl4=aud-430887228898:pla-383823398042&wl5=9019452&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=522657381&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-9DexNvk7QIVx0XVCh21AgkhEAQYBSABEgJG2fD_BwE 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darb1964 1,044 #5 Posted December 23, 2020 I have several,one has an air compressor with it., Halo is the brand name,my wife purchased them from QVC. There around one hundred dollars and worth every penny. I have jumped trucks with big v8s and my wheel horse tractors. The battery lasts a long time between recharging,the one with the air compressor is very nice but limited, to vehicle tires and slow but nice to have when needed.It also has a flash light and you can charge your phone and computers with it. I would not be without them,they are light and the size of a shoe box,one with compressor,with out half the size. I have given them as presents,and any time I use it to jump someone's vehicle they want one 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #6 Posted December 23, 2020 17 minutes ago, Darb1964 said: I have several,one has an air compressor with it., Halo is the brand name,my wife purchased them from QVC. There around one hundred dollars and worth every penny. I have jumped trucks with big v8s and my wheel horse tractors. The battery lasts a long time between recharging,the one with the air compressor is very nice but limited, to vehicle tires and slow but nice to have when needed.It also has a flash light and you can charge your phone and computers with it. I would not be without them,they are light and the size of a shoe box,one with compressor,with out half the size. I have given them as presents,and any time I use it to jump someone's vehicle they want one Like this? https://www.amazon.com/HALO-Bolt-Compact-Portable-Starter/dp/B088W5748B/ref=pd_lpo_107_t_1/135-2565052-9656257?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B088W5748B&pd_rd_r=c1ee7fd6-e0b0-4b3d-b983-bffc97c24b81&pd_rd_w=Smueh&pd_rd_wg=5S5DI&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=F9P4T5ZRKQ0GJM3XHZM1&psc=1&refRID=F9P4T5ZRKQ0GJM3XHZM1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shallowwatersailor 3,213 #7 Posted December 23, 2020 I bought a Subaru outback almost two years ago to replace my '01 GMC pickup. On the online Outback forum owners were complaining about parasitic draw while parked for a long time. Examples included airports while on extended vacations. They were purchasing battery packs - just in case. Parked mine in the garage sometime early-on during the pandemic and left it for three weeks. The battery didn't go flat but it did struggle to start. Since then I have wired in a battery tender in case it gets left for an extended period of time again. Curious to hear what others have to suggest as I never did buy a battery pack but still intend to. One suggestion for other forum members that may have similar equipped vehicles though, I have an electric tailgate on the Outback. My emergency equipment gets carried below the floor in back. If my battery would go dead and I had stored the battery pack in back - I couldn't access it due to the tailgate not operating!!! It will need to go in the glove box or console to always be accessible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #8 Posted December 23, 2020 4 minutes ago, shallowwatersailor said: I bought a Subaru outback almost two years ago to replace my '01 GMC pickup. On the online Outback forum owners were complaining about parasitic draw while parked for a long time. Examples included airports while on extended vacations. They were purchasing battery packs - just in case. Parked mine in the garage sometime early-on during the pandemic and left it for three weeks. The battery didn't go flat but it did struggle to start. Since then I have wired in a battery tender in case it gets left for an extended period of time again. Curious to hear what others have to suggest as I never did buy a battery pack but still intend to. One suggestion for other forum members that may have similar equipped vehicles though, I have an electric tailgate on the Outback. My emergency equipment gets carried below the floor in back. If my battery would go dead and I had stored the battery pack in back - I couldn't access it due to the tailgate not operating!!! It will need to go in the glove box or console to always be accessible. Remember the good old days when we could hot-wire and break into anything. No power windows or door locks and we could out think anything the stupid vehicle through at us? 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,874 #9 Posted December 23, 2020 I have the Schumacher 1200, nothing super light weight one but works great as a jump pack. I have cranked the snot out of some tractors that I've went to buy. Plus a couple cars with dead batteries. One nice thing is when you hook up the jump leads it shows the battery voltage and after the start you can see the if the machine is putting out the correct charging voltage on the digital readout. I have used it during power outages to run my CPAP all night and I figure it could do at least 2-3 more nights total. The built in air compressor is lackluster.... generally anemic. 3 years old now and hanging in there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darb1964 1,044 #10 Posted December 23, 2020 Dennis, that is it,that is the one without the compressor. That will jump a vehicle ten or more times without recharging. I have never had a problem recharging them. Like I mentioned the one with the compressor is twice the size, and is limited and slow but I have used it to inflate my vehicle tires many times.nice for topping them off and don't need to start big compressor. I have never had one fail me and the original one is four or five years old, I put it through my tiller a few years back and had to repair the leads, they are plastic. The c-125-8 I use to till with needs a battery so I had it on the seat with me and didn't see it had fell off until I made the pass back and seen it sticking out of the soil. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #11 Posted December 23, 2020 16 minutes ago, Darb1964 said: Dennis, that is it,that is the one without the compressor. That will jump a vehicle ten or more times without recharging. I have never had a problem recharging them. Like I mentioned the one with the compressor is twice the size, and is limited and slow but I have used it to inflate my vehicle tires many times.nice for topping them off and don't need to start big compressor. I have never had one fail me and the original one is four or five years old, I put it through my tiller a few years back and had to repair the leads, they are plastic. The c-125-8 I use to till with needs a battery so I had it on the seat with me and didn't see it had fell off until I made the pass back and seen it sticking out of the soil. Darn! And you didn't catch that on video! What a commercial! Thanks for sharing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #12 Posted December 23, 2020 23 minutes ago, JoeM said: I have the Schumacher 1200, nothing super light weight one but works great as a jump pack. I have cranked the snot out of some tractors that I've went to buy. Plus a couple cars with dead batteries. One nice thing is when you hook up the jump leads it shows the battery voltage and after the start you can see the if the machine is putting out the correct charging voltage on the digital readout. I have used it during power outages to run my CPAP all night and I figure it could do at least 2-3 more nights total. The built in air compressor is lackluster.... generally anemic. 3 years old now and hanging in there. I have that one and I recommend it but it's not a lithium and it is big and heavy. I'm looking for a pocket model. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,874 #13 Posted December 23, 2020 16 minutes ago, DennisThornton said: I'm looking for a pocket model Yeah. figured the small lithium one was the one you wanted but threw this up there for someone wanting the big model. I always was a jumper cable guy before I tried one of these. I don't even know where those cables are right off hand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #14 Posted December 23, 2020 1 minute ago, JoeM said: Yeah. figured the small lithium one was the one you wanted but threw this up there for someone wanting the big model. I always was a jumper cable guy before I tried one of these. I don't even know where those cables are right off hand. Great unit! Saved my but many a time and I'm not looking to abandon it! But I want to carry a lighter smaller jumper in my truck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 7,022 #15 Posted December 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Darb1964 said: Dennis, that is it,that is the one without the compressor. That will jump a vehicle ten or more times without recharging. I have never had a problem recharging them. Like I mentioned the one with the compressor is twice the size, and is limited and slow but I have used it to inflate my vehicle tires many times.nice for topping them off and don't need to start big compressor. I have never had one fail me and the original one is four or five years old, I put it through my tiller a few years back and had to repair the leads, they are plastic. The c-125-8 I use to till with needs a battery so I had it on the seat with me and didn't see it had fell off until I made the pass back and seen it sticking out of the soil. Remember the forum guidelines - we like pictures. Of course in this case, you can claim no pictures, so it never happened. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,874 #16 Posted December 24, 2020 1 hour ago, DennisThornton said: Great unit! Oh yeah, I have even used it to run a tractor without the battery. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maxwell-8 4,277 #17 Posted December 24, 2020 I have a small ebay Lithium jumper box, can start a V6 perfectly, But a 10 hp Diesel with decomp seemed to much for the cables The diodes in the red box blew, letting no current thru. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #18 Posted December 24, 2020 4 hours ago, Maxwell-8 said: I have a small ebay Lithium jumper box, can start a V6 perfectly, But a 10 hp Diesel with decomp seemed to much for the cables The diodes in the red box blew, letting no current thru. Which brand/.model? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #19 Posted December 24, 2020 (edited) I follow this gent: This unit did very well AND it's on special for the next few hours at under $120 shipped. https://www.amazon.com/GOOLOO-SuperSafe-Starter-Battery-Portable/dp/B07QDXL1PW?th=1 I ordered but the sale is over now... Edited December 26, 2020 by DennisThornton I ordered but the sale is over now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RandyLittrell 3,884 #20 Posted December 26, 2020 I have a couple of the small schumacher and another I really like but it's sold anymore. My experience is if the jump box is in the house and the battery is low, not clear dead you can jump it. But if it's colder than snot out and the jump box is cold too, no bueno! I keep mine in my shop for starting dead garden tractors and it works good for that. Randy 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maxwell-8 4,277 #21 Posted December 26, 2020 On 12/24/2020 at 8:32 PM, DennisThornton said: Which brand/.model? A no brand, but all those cables are the same. Apart from that, they work decent, still prefer a good old lead acid 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #22 Posted December 26, 2020 6 hours ago, RandyLittrell said: I have a couple of the small schumacher and another I really like but it's sold anymore. My experience is if the jump box is in the house and the battery is low, not clear dead you can jump it. But if it's colder than snot out and the jump box is cold too, no bueno! I keep mine in my shop for starting dead garden tractors and it works good for that. Randy That has been a concern. Most batteries like cold about as much as I do and of course brutal cold is more likely to create no starts or even no cranks. However! While I'm not putting a lead acid battery in my pants I might if necessary share some heat with a small lithium pack for a bit. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #23 Posted January 10, 2021 (edited) On 12/24/2020 at 6:02 PM, DennisThornton said: I follow this gent: This unit did very well AND it's on special for the next few hours at under $120 shipped. https://www.amazon.com/GOOLOO-SuperSafe-Starter-Battery-Portable/dp/B07QDXL1PW?th=1 I ordered but the sale is over now... just got mine ... arrived today same model - GOOLOO GP4000 Edited January 10, 2021 by tom2p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #24 Posted January 10, 2021 48 minutes ago, tom2p said: just got mine ... arrived today same model - GOOLOO GP4000 And I'm still waiting for mine? Monday Amazon says... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #25 Posted January 10, 2021 10 hours ago, DennisThornton said: And I'm still waiting for mine? Monday Amazon says... I believe the original delivery date for our order was early Feb - but it arrived yesterday ... go figure price is now back to $170 - but they often run sales during the year (including this model) ( we paid $100 shipped - but some have gotten them for less ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites