How cheap can they get?

[Hawkmoon]

O(*^&R%^4$

On Friday, my car battery reached end-of-service, with no advance warning. I was the last person to leave work on Friday evening, the car wouldn't start, so I had to wait an hour and a half for AAA to show up and jump start it.

Saturday was a lousy, rainy day and I didn't feel like replacing a battery in the wet, so I dug out my old jumper pack and left it to charge for 24 hours, then on Sunday I went to O'Reilly's and bought a battery. My old jumper pack is quite old, probably undersized anyway, and I don't know how long it will last, so while I was there I also bought a new jumper pack.

When I got home from work this evening I brought the new jumper pack in so I could charge it up. Nope -- not gonna happen.

It includes a 12-volt changing cord with a cigar lighter plug, so when my car battery is dead I can charge the jumper pack off the cigar lighter, but the A/C connection is two male prongs sticking out of the back of the case. The extension cord is NOT INCLUDED. And, naturally, the recess for the A/C charging cord isn't large enough to fit the connector of a standard 3-conductor, grounded extension cord. So before I can charge the new jumper pack I have to go out and buy a 2-conductor extension cord.

I am not happy. This is not a bleepin' toy -- the one I got costs $89, and the next more powerful one (which costs over $100) also doesn't come with the A/C power cord (according to the instruction manual). That's pretty damned cheap.

[Ben]

This is the way to go for jump starters:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015TKUPIC

I have a calendar note to charge mine twice a year, and they are always nearly fully charged when I check them. Simple USB charging and they work great. I'm sure there are other good brands, but I have had nothing but good luck with NOCO for both jump starters and battery chargers.

[K Frame]

That would go back in a heart beat. Cheap out and you don't get my money.

[WLJ]

It includes a 12-volt changing cord with a cigar lighter plug, so when my car battery is dead I can charge the jumper pack off the cigar lighter, but the A/C connection is two male prongs sticking out of the back of the case. The extension cord is NOT INCLUDED. And, naturally, the recess for the A/C charging cord isn't large enough to fit the connector of a standard 3-conductor, grounded extension cord. So before I can charge the new jumper pack I have to go out and buy a 2-conductor extension cord.

Is it similar to the figure 8 cord seen on many laptop AC-adapters?
Picture below. Note: some are flat on one side.

[Brad Johnson]

Project Farm jump pack test & comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRFwEUr_Vjc

Brad

[230RN]

I had a mental problem with my battery.  I would start to get out of the car to go in  the house, do a checklist to make sure dome lights were out and windows closed, turn the key back on to close a window left open, do so, then leave the car with the key in the ignition and "ON."

Come back a couple of days later to find the battery dead..  The usual rigamarole for a restart, ask neighbor, jump it, and curse my fool stupid self.

Found a battery store on 44th in Wheat Ridge, reconditioned battery there was $45, guaranteed for X months, left it in the car.  Pulled the same dumb stunt, used the reconditioned battery for a start. Patted myself on the back for being smart again.

Same rule as for backup guns:  "One is none, two is one."

[MechAg94]

This is the way to go for jump starters:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015TKUPIC

I have a calendar note to charge mine twice a year, and they are always nearly fully charged when I check them. Simple USB charging and they work great. I'm sure there are other good brands, but I have had nothing but good luck with NOCO for both jump starters and battery chargers.

Thanks.  Mine battery starter is very old and probably doesn't work anymore.  Looks like that one is a lot smaller also.

[Ben]

Thanks.  Mine battery starter is very old and probably doesn't work anymore.  Looks like that one is a lot smaller also.

Brad's link also had good info. Before I bought my second NOCO, I had some ~$100 funky named Chinese one. While it would do the job when fully charged, that thing statically drained really fast - like in a month or two. I guess that's okay if you just have one to keep in your garage for home use, but I keep the NOCOs in each vehicle, and expect to use them when I'm in the boonies with no cell service, so their ability to hold a charge long term was a big selling point for me.

[AZRedhawk44]

This is the way to go for jump starters:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015TKUPIC

I have a calendar note to charge mine twice a year, and they are always nearly fully charged when I check them. Simple USB charging and they work great. I'm sure there are other good brands, but I have had nothing but good luck with NOCO for both jump starters and battery chargers.

Meh, I'd say to stay away from Lithium for this purpose and stick with a lead acid based solution.  Lithium doesn't store well in passive solar heated cars.  Especially when charged to near or max capacity, and a little jump-starter needs to be at that threshold.

NOCO even says on their website and their manual to not store the device in a hot car.  Max temp of 104 F, which is downright cool when it comes to summer vehicle temps.  A vehicle in Arizona can hit 150+ in the summer, and 120+ is easy in most of the country on a sunny summer day.

[Ben]

I keep both my NOCOs in the flexible "lunchbox" coolers, and the vehicles are both garaged. Plus Idaho ain't Arizona. 

For myself, I just see no need for those big ass jumpers anymore. The NOCOs and a portable tire inflator are a much more compact option. If someone were really worried about heat, they could just keep the jumper out of their vehicle except for road trips. If you're just driving around town, a AAA card, cell phone, and credit card will hook you up with whatever you need.

[Hawkmoon]

Is it similar to the figure 8 cord seen on many laptop AC-adapters?
Picture below. Note: some are flat on one side.

No. The male terminals on the jump pack are the same as the male terminals on that cord. I have several of those cords, but to use one I would have to cut off the end that goes to the power brick and install a conventional 2-pring receptacle.

[MechAg94]

Most vehicles have timers on all the lights these days.  Would it be cheaper to just buy a new battery every 3 years than spend an extra $100 on a battery starter and not get much more life than that?

[JTHunter]

Earlier this year, I had to replace the battery in my '08 Ford Ranger.  I still had the paperwork as the battery was only ~ 1 year old.  Took it back to WalFart and they had me sitting around for over 90 minutes while they "tested" it to verify the fault.  Got the replacement and installed it.
Three weeks later, THAT one had to go back as yet another defective battery.  This time, they didn't make me wait. 

[HeroHog]

My Jump Pack uses the same cable that you need and it is literally a 2 wire extension cord. Mine came with the cord, from Hazard Fraught.

[230RN]

Earlier this year, I had to replace the battery in my '08 Ford Ranger.  I still had the paperwork as the battery was only ~ 1 year old.  Took it back to WalFart and they had me sitting around for over 90 minutes while they "tested" it to verify the fault.  Got the replacement and installed it.
Three weeks later, THAT one had to go back as yet another defective battery.  This time, they didn't make me wait. 

Sounds like they tested it, recharged it, cleaned it up, and gave  you back the same battery. <not laughing>

My Jump Pack uses the same cable that you need and it is literally a 2 wire extension cord. Mine came with the cord, from Hazard Fraught.

I got one of theirs, all bells and whistles included, successfully used it once, left it plugged in and charging in the apartment without much thought. About a year later I remembered it, checked it out, and it was dead.  Have not autopsied it yet.  I may do the autopsy this weeik since things have calmed down on this side of your screen.

I bought a reconditioned battery for $45 and left it in the car as I mentioned above. 

[HeroHog]

I got one of theirs, all bells and whistles included, successfully used it once, left it plugged in and charging in the apartment without much thought. About a year later I remembered it, checked it out, and it was dead.  Have not autopsied it yet.  I may do the autopsy this weeik since things have calmed down on this side of your screen.

I bought a reconditioned battery for $45 and left it in the car as I mentioned above. 

Use mine many times. Charge till it say's "Enough" and throw it in the corner. Still worked great.