Lettuce discuss jump boxes in this thread

[palmetto zuk]

Got to pick up a couple jump boxes for work. One will be for our police department to use so i want one thats is kinda bulky and heavy so people will not want to steal it. The other 2 will be for use here in the shop for use on cars and pick ups. We have a shop truck with a start all for the large trucks and equipment so i dont want anything too big. What are yall using out there and what do yall like?

 

[kaiser715]

For the big one, this is what I have:

Shop Schumacher Electric 1,200-Amp Car Battery Jump Starter at Lowes.com

Had it about 3 years now, use every month or two, no issues. (Other than like most of them, the cables are about a foot too short sometimes....)

 

[RatLabGuy]

I have one of these lithium ion deals
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0734GLPLW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and have been pretty impressed with it. Probably used it a good 10 times before having to recharge the first time. Not sure if it is enough for a really big truck but it's done my cars and Toyota trucks just fine.
This is probably more of something to keep in your trunk that regular use in a shop though.
There are tons of similar things available now.

 

[jeepinmatt]

I have a Harbor Freight one, and like all things Harbor Freight, it was fine until it stopped working after a year or two. Now I have a heavy plastic box with a flashing light and a half set of jumper cables attached to it.

 

[LBarr2002]

I have a Harbor Freight one, and like all things Harbor Freight, it was fine until it stopped working after a year or two. Now I have a heavy plastic box with a flashing light and a half set of jumper cables attached to it.

I had one of the harbor freight ones with air compressor and all in it for years. Its internal charger quit working after a couple years, but I'd hook my battery charger to its leads and charge it that way. Eventually it got too weak to jump, then it disappeared.

Now I have one of the little lipo packs. I've used it a couple times and it works fine, but dont know how it would do with a stone dead battery.

 

[jankoid]

https://www.amazon.com/CAT-CJ3000-P...SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=car+jump+box

I use this Cat jump box. It'll jump anything with a single battery. Won't jump a dual battery diesel truck if it's completely dead, but I don't expect it to for that price. It'll jump it if the batteries are just weak, though. Had it for a year and a half, still going strong. It's stronger than the JNC660 I had before (don't get that one, the battery crapped out within a year). It's pretty bulky and heavy, but not so much that it won't walk away on its own.

 

[RHSCTJ]

@palmetto zuk are you worried the police are going to steal it? Because that is hillarious. Nothing useful to add

 

[RatLabGuy]

Now I have one of the little lipo packs. I've used it a couple times and it works fine, but dont know how it would do with a stone dead battery.

I have used mine to start a car, and my 4runner, without any battery at all, worked no problem. But who knows if it would be enough just for a big V8. I think its rated as something like 600 CCAs.
But that's a very different situation than having the resistance of a dead battery. There are times when I've had better luck unbolting the negative battery cable, jumping right off the jump pack, then attaching the ground back to the dead one so the alternator can start charging it.

 

[junkxj]

This is what I have now. Much better than the cheaper ones I have had in the past. Will hold a full charge for 6 months and will jump a fully dead battery on a big block gas motor truck.

https://www.amazon.com/Clore-Automo...pID=51sJMMtZkrL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

[1-tonmudder]

I don't have one at the moment but when I worked at the junk yard we used em everyday.Owner would always get the cheap ones so we went thru 3/4 a year.Spend the money and get a good quality brand.

 

[palmetto zuk]

@palmetto zuk are you worried the police are going to steal it? Because that is hillarious. Nothing useful to add

That’s exactly what I said. You can’t make this shit up.

 

[LBarr2002]

I have used mine to start a car, and my 4runner, without any battery at all, worked no problem. But who knows if it would be enough just for a big V8. I think its rated as something like 600 CCAs.
But that's a very different situation than having the resistance of a dead battery. There are times when I've had better luck unbolting the negative battery cable, jumping right off the jump pack, then attaching the ground back to the dead one so the alternator can start charging it.

I had batteries fail in my jeep (4.0) and wife's yukon xl (5.3) pretty much back to back. I used the pack to start them both a couple times before I could get new batteries. Both engines were slow to turn over with the pack, but it worked.

 

[chromerunner]

Local shop uses this one for its AAA trucks. It gets used and beat on daily...Keeps going.
Bought one for myself last year, like it a lot.

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