Booster packs, any recommendations?

[Cavcraft]

Car booster packs, the things that jump start cars:

 

I had an ace one which cost about £45 years back from machine Mart but it wore out after a few years. Got a cheap/nasty B&M one which was about £30 and is bloody awful.

Machine Mart offer a bewildering supply of them, some cheap, some not, but they appear to mostly have a starting boost of 400 amps and peak amps of 900, yet  some say will start 3.0 diesels, others 3.0 petrols. I'm thick (but you already knew that) so I can't get my head round them having the same amps but saying different engine sizes/types as the max starting ability.

 

I want something that will do up to (realistically) 2.5 or 3.0 diesels and cost up to about £80, any recommendations, please? TIA M8s

[twosmoke300]

As much as I hate sealey stuff I've got a little road start pack I got used for a tenner and it's been great . Looks like it wouldn't start your watch but will start forklifts and big diesels etc . Obviously not if they are dead flat .

Avoid ring and halfords - batteries are toss and don't work if car is really flat cos of the safety circuit .

Snap on are bloody good but seriously pricey

[skattrd]

I find a battery and jump leads to be a more reliable option, I've had 2 jump packs, both shit, now I use a spare battery and jump leads.

It can also be used as a battery if the one on the car is goosed.

 

That said BIL recently got one of those mini things that looks like a portable hard drive, it's ace and can change your mobile phone a billion times as well. No idea what they cost though.

 

Billy - something like: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anypro-15000mAh-Starter-Portable-Charger/dp/B0154NK95S/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1451035913&sr=8-14&keywords=car+jump+pack

[dollywobbler]

Avoid ring and halfords - batteries are toss and don't work if car is really flat cos of the safety circuit .

 

 

Seconded. They're utterly shit. Mine has still proved useful on many occasions, but it's a faff to use. The tyre inflater packed up after no time at all and you have to hold the jump lead connector in just the right place or it won't work at all. Which is tricky when you're trying to start the engine and hold the pack at the same time. 

[Six-cylinder]

I used to have a low cost starter pack and it worked fine for several years. When it finally lost its edge I replaced it with a DMS RF 650, it cost a fortune around £250 I think but its been worth every penny. It will take on a completely dead 3 LTR Turbo diesel Range Rover and win! If you frequently use a starter pack I recommend paying the extra.

[HH-R]

I reckon those things that look like portable hard drives are the thing to have now. There's a demo by Photonicinduction on Youtube with him starting various flat motors (the rest of his channel is interesting/funny too). The battery is lithium so it's OK if you don't use it for weeks at a time, unlike the old lead acid ones which bugger up if you don't trickle charge them.

[colnerov]

 Hi, another vote for a battery with a handle and leads, things like pumps and lights are gimmicks.

 

 Colin

[Six-cylinder]

My original starter had an air pump and I found it very useful to have a self powered airpump. Trouble like others I found the airpump soon packed up and even when I replaced it it still did not last long.

[Pillock]

I can't believe those little tiny boxes can put out enough power to start a VM Diesel or something, but the only other explanation is there's hundreds of people in on a joke because there's a lot of good reviews.

 

Also, can charge my phone 6 times, and power a laptop for three hours or something daft.

 

WITCHCRAFT.

[gordonbennet]

Clarke Jump Start 4000.

 

It aint cheap and its bloody heavy, its twice the depth and weight of all the others, but IMO for the price there's nothing to touch it, nothing mine has failed to start yet.

 

A jump pack that can't do the job when its needed is about as much use a chocolate teapot.

 

edit, bollocks, just see your budget is £80, sorry but you just won't get what you need for that, much of the problem is leads, the cheap ones have cheap leads which can't carry enough current for big 12v Diesels.

[cobblers]

Yeah, give one of these little lithium ion ones a go I reckon. I've got one, £35 off amazon. Never used it to start a car but it's charged my phone and stuff dozens of times.

There's a load of people reviewing them on youtube, one bloke uses one to just a batteryless 2.5v6 mazda thing for about 90 seconds straight without stopping to rest. Amazing really for something you can put in your pocket.

Inside them is a battery pack like what they use for remote control planes and stuff, they will easily deliver the current to start a car, but they are only really for starting a good car with a flat battery. If you've flattened your battery trying and failing to get a diesel pump bled uo then the lithium ones are probably not ideal.

 

 

If you want an unstoppable traditional lead acid jump pack then just put an an Odyssey PC680 (http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/batteries/odyssey-extreme-racing-25-battery-pc680) in a bucket and attach a pair of jump leads. It'll absolutely piss all over any off the shelf jump pack.

A pair of those batteries in series will start about a dozen Buses/HGVs on a cold winter morning - They're what's inside the 24v boost packs I repair at work.

A cheap £15 trickle charger hooked on it in the garage will keep it topped up.

[alf892]

I acquired a sealed rs1 road start thing when the company I worked for went pop suddenly........it was used there to start Transits and I had to use it for a while to start a 3 litre diesel. It must be about 7 years old now and still packs a good punch.

 

I like the idea of those little hard drive things but simply can't bring myself to believe in them! Maybe I'm just a Luddite but I just don't get how they can pack any power

[Six-cylinder]

I like the idea of those little hard drive things but simply can't bring myself to believe in them! Maybe I'm just a Luddite but I just don't get how they can pack any power

Me too!

[PiperCub]

I had one from Aldi for nearly three years - had lots of pointless bells and whistles on it for £30. It was OK for nearly three years when the battery just wouldn't charge but fair play to Aldi, it was guaranteed for three years and they refunded my money! 

 

Replaced it with a basic Clarke affair (the 9000??) from M/Mart, only one 12V socket and a useless light, nothing else, been really good, charge it every 2 months or so on my Optimate, no problems. Think it was under £50, you don't need all the silly lights, multiple sockets, compressors(have a compressor & a mini one too) etc., just a battery in a convenient box with leads, that's it. Can't recall exact spec but think it's good for 3.5l pez 2.5 or 3.0l dizzler - which is fine for my purposes. 

 

I fancy one of those LiOn mini batteries but I'm a little sceptical on their longevity. 

[Cavcraft]

Thanks.

 

The air compressor ones are good as the tyre is flat in my 306 and I've spent probably the cost of a decent part worn tyre on garage forecourt tyre pumps!

I (did) have spare battery and leads but they're awkward compared to a boost pack. I'll look into the small ones, any links to them, please? Thanks

[Station]

Me and my dad have had a load of those cheap starters, they're absolute rubbish. Two crap Chinese 6v motorbike batteries in series. I had one new and it didn't even work in nice charged. Straight in the bin.

 

I've got a big 240v starter/booster from the 80s which has actually ballooned batteries!

My friends dad has a snap on one which is faultless.

[seacow]

I had one from Aldi for nearly three years - had lots of pointless bells and whistles on it for £30. It was OK for nearly three years when the battery just wouldn't charge but fair play to Aldi, it was guaranteed for three years and they refunded my money! 

 

Replaced it with a basic Clarke affair (the 9000??) from M/Mart, only one 12V socket and a useless light, nothing else, been really good, charge it every 2 months or so on my Optimate, no problems. Think it was under £50, you don't need all the silly lights, multiple sockets, compressors(have a compressor & a mini one too) etc., just a battery in a convenient box with leads, that's it. Can't recall exact spec but think it's good for 3.5l pez 2.5 or 3.0l dizzler - which is fine for my purposes. 

 

I fancy one of those LiOn mini batteries but I'm a little sceptical on their longevity.

 

 

I've got the aldi one and agree more stuff than needed but it's never failed me yet and had it at least three years. I fancy one of those small ones that do your phone too. They get good reviews

[cobblers]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B013UBRZUS/ref=twister_B019NZWYNI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

The DBPOWER ones seem to have good feedback. I have a slightly bigger version of this. Had it in pieces etc, it seems well enough made tbh and it had no problems pulling 9.5v on the 300A battery drop tester at work, just the same as a decent car battery would.

[Pillock]

That phototonicinduction geezer on YouTube tested a Carpow one or something and it started a Merc V8 with the battery disconnected no bother. He seems pretty clued up and don't think he'd give a good review to something shite.

 

https://youtu.be/I_pzljtJapE

[Dead_E23]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B013UBRZUS/ref=twister_B019NZWYNI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

The DBPOWER ones seem to have good feedback. I have a slightly bigger version of this. Had it in pieces etc, it seems well enough made tbh and it had no problems pulling 9.5v on the 300A battery drop tester at work, just the same as a decent car battery would.

 

I recently bought this exact item as a prezzy for a friend who is plagued by flat batteries.  He'll be an excellent tester because he is too idle to track down the current drains in his various shitey cars.  

 

I'll report back after he's tried it on his decrepit fleet, no doubt early in the new year.

[fraser.innes.3]

I can't believe those little tiny boxes can put out enough power to start a VM Diesel or something, but the only other explanation is there's hundreds of people in on a joke because there's a lot of good reviews.

 

Also, can charge my phone 6 times, and power a laptop for three hours or something daft.

 

WITCHCRAFT.

I bought one in USA a few years ago before they were known here. $70 from wallmart. Only used for a car once, but gr9 for charging phones, tabs etc.

 

The one time it was used was to start an old roller that a chap had just taken out after its winter slumber. Taken it to the local petrol station, and it would not restart. They tried to jump it from the bosses Nissan, but no go. The magic box started it first time☺☺☺☺☺☺.

 

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

[Cavcraft]

cobblers, on 25 Dec 2015 - 11:51 AM, said:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B013UBRZUS/ref=twister_B019NZWYNI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

The DBPOWER ones seem to have good feedback. I have a slightly bigger version of this. Had it in pieces etc, it seems well enough made tbh and it had no problems pulling 9.5v on the 300A battery drop tester at work, just the same as a decent car battery would.

 

 

OMG WTF? That's absolute madness, I love it! It says 'charges up to 15 times' though, does that mean it's kippered afterwards or just that you have to recharge it again? 

 

*Thanks for the link.

[Station]

Think that's 15 goes per full charge.

[Station]

Just saw that DBPower thing - it's the size of a phone?? WTF?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Wow!!!!!! I have never heard of such a thing, looks well useful. How do you charge it up????

[cobblers]

They charge off a mains adaptor or ciggy lighter thing. Takes about 5 hours off the mains, probably twice that off the ciggy lighter thing.

Only thing is they are lithium batteries so there's always a risk of the thing just fuckin setting on fire, like them hoverboards supposedly are doing.

 

I wouldn't leave one on charge unattended personally, but thousands of people do.

[daveb47]

I find a battery and jump leads to be a more reliable option, I've had 2 jump packs, both shit, now I use a spare battery and jump leads.

It can also be used as a battery if the one on the car is goosed.

 

That said BIL recently got one of those mini things that looks like a portable hard drive, it's ace and can change your mobile phone a billion times as well. No idea what they cost though.

 

Billy - something like: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anypro-15000mAh-Starter-Portable-Charger/dp/B0154NK95S/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1451035913&sr=8-14&keywords=car+jump+pack

Just ordered one of those,supposedly here sunday.....

[Cavcraft]

I'm well having some of that, I feel like Joe from the Royle Family where he couldn't get over a 'computer in a bag' laptop. Will order one this week, thanks for the heads up.

[Richard]

Can someone explain how these little jump packs can possibly work?

[Station]

How the fuck can that possibly work???

I know laptop batteries hold a lot of oomph, maybe same technology.