Jump Pack Jump Starters.....Recommendation Please

[Guesseral]

I also have a Harbor Freight unit, it doesn't have the compressor on it because I didn't want one. The unit works just fine for starting up tractors, trucks, cars etc. If it was me I would just get a jump starter to start the vehicle when needed and a 12V air compressor to use after the unit was running, as long as the charging system works the 12V unit should work much better and faster.

 

[jenkinsph]

Sounds like the air compressor portion is a waste of upcharge dollars. For my use it seems limited to places my Landini might get to(vineyard rows) that I can't get another vehicle close to it for jump starting. .....Gary

Why not put the money into a good battery for the tractor instead? Fix the real problem and the tractor should be dependable.

 

[crazyal]

I don't own one but my sister and BIL have them in each vehicle. His thought is that it's much better than having jumper cables and not too much more money. Around them people are willing to help but leery of connecting jumper cables to their car in fear of doing damage to the car's electronics. So each weekend he makes sure they are fully charged.

 

[caferacermike]

Just my thoughts but I have found it easier to have good batteries in all my equipment and have used the portable air tank with good results and longevity. I have bought a half dozen of the little air compressor/ lights and two jump starters none lasted very long and I gave up on them.


I should add the best thing I have to jump start with is a set of 20 ft jumper cables made with 3/0 welding cable, very heavy but combined with a good batteries in my trucks it is foolproof. Mine are about 25+ years old now and still in good shape so worth the extra expense imo.

Holy cow Batman, your batteries have lasted 25 years?:laughing: What kind are they?

While I see a few of you are going on about buying good batteries, that does not take into account the occasional, oops I left the key on. My little Satoh is easy to leave the key in the on position. You kill the engine by pushing the throttle lever all the way forward. A quick visit from a friend or neighbor can lead to a distraction of when you just kill the engine and forget about the key. You think it will be a quick chat and then low and behold you get off and walk into the garage for a cold drink and before you know it, your battery is dead. I cannot think of any single brand of battery, no matter how good the build quality or warranty, is going to help out should you leave the key on, or use the lights at night without the engine running, etc.....

 

[jenkinsph]

Holy cow Batman, your batteries have lasted 25 years?:laughing: What kind are they?

While I see a few of you are going on about buying good batteries, that does not take into account the occasional, oops I left the key on. My little Satoh is easy to leave the key in the on position. You kill the engine by pushing the throttle lever all the way forward. A quick visit from a friend or neighbor can lead to a distraction of when you just kill the engine and forget about the key. You think it will be a quick chat and then low and behold you get off and walk into the garage for a cold drink and before you know it, your battery is dead. I cannot think of any single brand of battery, no matter how good the build quality or warranty, is going to help out should you leave the key on, or use the lights at night without the engine running, etc.....

Jumper cables are 25 years old. When I have a brain fart and leave the lights on or similar as you describe I jump with these cables. If I can put a charger on and have the time to wait I prefer that method. I don't bother with trickle chargers either, with over 30 batteries to keep up with it is too much trouble imo.

 

[PRF]

We've had one of these in the shop for a few years and it works like a charm..

Amazon.com: Clore ES5000 'Booster PAC' 12V Portable Battery Booster: Automotive

 

[KubotainNH]

While I see a few of you are going on about buying good batteries, that does not take into account the occasional, oops I left the key on.

Keys on, door left ajar or dome light left on. That's when I typically need it, rarely is it a bad battery. Sometimes not easy to get a car up close enough to use jumper cables. I prefer the battery pack. I can see why someone would not want to jump start another person with all the electronics in today's cars. I certainly wouldn't want my wife to let someone get a jump off her van, she doesn't have the knowledge to make sure it's cabled correctly.

 

[94BULLITT]

I have 2 jump and carrys. The one is pretty old and it will start a car. The other is maybe 5 years old. It is a JNC 660. They have a 12v power port/ cigarette lighter on them. You could run a little compressor off of that. A small compressor is only good for a car tire or a small tractor tire. You could also get a 10gal or larger air tank. The longer the leads are on the jumper the better they are. The jump and carrys also come with a coupon to replace the battery in them.