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Jump Starters?

timtlu

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Anybody have a favorite or cautionary tale? I dropped $3.90 on this guy today, after a $10 Amazon coupon and $50 credit for using Discover cash back to pay a portion of it.

 

leeghoti

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I hate to be that guy, but all the positive reviews on that look fake. The top review says it couldn't jump start a Chevy Cruze, so I don't think it's gonna do much on your Ram.
My cautionary tale is that Amazon is full of Chinese crap bolstered by fake reviews. Go to AutoZone or even Walmart. Their Chinese crap at least has to be reviewed by a purchasing department.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
R

Rob5589

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I have a Noco GB40 and was skeptical that it would actually jump a car. But it did indeed jump my Jeep. The one thing to know is those types of jump starters don't work well, or at all, when the battery is below a certain threshold. For the one I have that is 2 volts iirc.
 

Willwork4truck

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Stanley “1000” though almost all these starting amp claims are well overstated. Its the big bulky lead acid 17 ah battery style however it has two advantages over the pocket lithium ones, first it isnt bothered by a lot of heat and second it can be kept plugged in through a 12v male to male connector from a power point. Many people forget about them and they aren’t charged up for use.
 

Chippy

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My small Anti Gravity has started a lot of completely dead batteries on trucks etc. I think you get what you pay for in these things.
 

Lize

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I’ve a Noco GB70 which I bought 12/18, used it quite a few times and not had to charge it back up yet. Biggest I’ve started is high compression 3.8 V6 petrol from completely flat but it suggests it’ll do bigger.
 

timtlu

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I hate to be that guy, but all the positive reviews on that look fake. The top review says it couldn't jump start a Chevy Cruze, so I don't think it's gonna do much on your Ram.
My cautionary tale is that Amazon is full of Chinese crap bolstered by fake reviews. Go to AutoZone or even Walmart. Their Chinese crap at least has to be reviewed by a purchasing department.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Im always a touch skeptical, but not too worried. Reviews from same manufacturer/seller on older larger product where much more widespread positive. My ultimate hope is to never have to use the thing. I can justify $50 for a portable charger/ emergency light.

If I ever do have to use it, I will update the post.




Assuming I don't blow myself up in the process :)
 

TireSlayer

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I bought the Brightech Viper a few years ago. I jumped my 2004 Ram many times with no issue. It can do 4-6 jump starts before needing to be recharged.
 

Tom488

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My small Anti Gravity has started a lot of completely dead batteries on trucks etc. I think you get what you pay for in these things.
I have an Antigravity XP10, that has jumped my 2009 5.7L Hemi multiple times (was chasing a battery drain issue for a while), and countless other vehicles, ranging from completely dead tractors, several V8 engines, and even cranked over my Cummins 5.9L a couple of times. And, of course, in a testament to the sheer power in that battery, it's also charged my phone, and powered my laptop on many occasions :D

I love the boost feature of the unit - my buddy and I started his V6 Impala with NO battery - just the XP-10. Put it in boost mode, and you've got 30 seconds of maximum discharge - somewhere around 300-400A (they claim 600A - but that's a peak measurement).
 

Chippy

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I have an Antigravity XP10, that has jumped my 2009 5.7L Hemi multiple times (was chasing a battery drain issue for a while), and countless other vehicles, ranging from completely dead tractors, several V8 engines, and even cranked over my Cummins 5.9L a couple of times. And, of course, in a testament to the sheer power in that battery, it's also charged my phone, and powered my laptop on many occasions :D

I love the boost feature of the unit - my buddy and I started his V6 Impala with NO battery - just the XP-10. Put it in boost mode, and you've got 30 seconds of maximum discharge - somewhere around 300-400A (they claim 600A - but that's a peak measurement).
Yes that’s the one I have it’s awesome
 

timtlu

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Well, I got to thinking....if I blow up, that means my Ram is probably going to blow up too. And that would really be a shame.

Returned the original to China, spent $40 extra bucks and switched to this. Just so happened to be an all day prime deal today.

 

Willwork4truck

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Update to my forlorn fla jump starter recommendation - there’s an EE on You Tube, Knurlgar or something like that, who tests various consumer electronics. He tested the Bestek 600 Lithium Ion starter, took it apart, checked the draw etc. You guys may want to watch the short review. Anyway, he stated that all of these pocket LI jump chargers have fake “Instataneous” or shorted out amp claims, after all, the supplied 10 guage cables would fry passing 600+ amps through them. He tested the Bestek and while well built, it came out to about 100=120 amps. So anything you are buying is dubious as far as claimed amp ratings.

What counts more is the temps it’s stored at and the charge amount. Curiously, he said the typical LI pack does worse if fully charged and tossed in the glovebox as opposed to say 75%. He claimed that fully charging them and then storing the unit cuts the life in about half, down to perhaps 3 years. Just FYI.
 

timtlu

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For what it's worth, here's a teardown of one of the NOCO GB150.


And a demonstration of the same starting a 7.3 L diesel engine with the battery completely disconnected.


I agree that the battery provided calculated cold cranking amps is definitely not up to snuff of what these booster packs are advertising. The peak voltage numbers are likely estimated/calculated based on capacitors within the unit amplifying residual voltage back to the battery. From a technical sense: misleading. From a practical sense: they are able to provide the estimated voltage. Here's a good video explaining how you can "create" additional charge with supercapacitors, and how they would relate to these types of jump starters.


Aside: I absolutely love Scotty Kilmer, crazy old fart.
 
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Goatmann

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i have a JNC660 i keep on my boat. occasional use to inflate water toys, and at home to jump start my dad's riding mower.
 

ramButz

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hey guys i had to use my new "GooLoo4000".didnt do nothing. lucky for me it died in my driveway(thankYouJesus) cause i had eveything thing i needed.so i got my "TrickleCharger"it is also a "JumpStarter"as well(over 20yrs old)and still works great.i👌 use it mostly for my riding mower bat when its been sitting during the winter.but anyway.the Gooloo must have been only 3bars loaded instead of the full complete 4.i used the charger that came in the kit.its a piece of 🤬.usedmy wall mount one instead and now its doing whats its suppose to.so is the "Gooloo"bad?...i will give it one more try.but this time charged correctly.But a word of caution guys.do not leave this in your truck bed.if the battery is dead.the tailgate will not open😲.again lucky i was at home with my charger👍

 

LaxDfns15

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Just wanted to bump this thread up in favor of the Noco GB40. It would go on sale for $75 one weekend a month earlier this year so I scooped two up for my wife's car and my truck as my jumper cables were old and corroded. The whole thing is smaller than my set of jumper cables and easily fits in the ram bins under the floor with all of my ratchet straps and bungees.

I charged it after I got it and put it in the truck March 1st. Every 3 months I turned it on to see charge level, and it was always green. Well, I had to use it yesterday after 6 months of sitting in my truck over the summer where temps outside got up over 105 F. My wife had left my bed lights on for a couple days, so the truck wouldn't even unlock using the proximity entry. Connected the GB40 up, turned it on, waited 30 seconds like the manual says, and the truck started right up.
 

jimk hunt

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I have a gooloo 4000 and have used it 3 times. On my sons equinox, started first try. Also jump started a 1974 Ford 3000 tractor. No idea how bad the battery was but it wouldn't start until I hooked up the gooloo. I have also heard the NOCO are good jump starters.
 

LaxDfns15

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I have a gooloo 4000 and have used it 3 times. On my sons equinox, started first try. Also jump started a 1974 Ford 3000 tractor. No idea how bad the battery was but it wouldn't start until I hooked up the gooloo. I have also heard the NOCO are good jump starters.
Yeah I have a reminder in my phone to check the charge, but for $75 that's the best peace of mind I've spent for my wife's car. I was actually thankful to her for providing the opportunity to test it on my truck while it sat in the driveway. 😁
 

grimreefer

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Bought the GB40 NOCO Boost Plus for peace of mind and keep it in it's hard case in the truck. Haven't had to use it on the Ram, but we've used it a few times for other people who needed a jump and it has always worked flawlessly. Got both my son and brother-in-law their own units last Christmas too.
 

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