Jumper cables vs. portable battery pack

Don't let one guys video give you doubt

The Noco is a well regarded jumper and used by many here. I'll check the model number of the one I bought shortly, but I'm sure we will all be fine

 

Just bought the 2,000A Audew on Amazon for $103 with tax. They have a smaller amp version for $70 but the price difference makes it an easy decision.

 

Appreciate the reassurance and did find many positive comments here before purchasing. You are right, one video shouldn’t sway my confidence based on the comments here.

 

I had one of these portable battery packs in my Tundra that is parked in the garage and it started to swell up but thankfully had not stated leaking. I called the company and they agreed to replace it. I sent them the sales receipt and it was out of warranty. They offered another one at a discounted rate. I declined and will stick to jumper cables and AAA roadside assistance.

 

Another NOCO user here. I have the GB70 and the Genius 5 charger, which I hook up to my Northstar once a month. I still carry jumper cables though...

 

Just to add to the selection, here's the one I have. I don't recall why I selected this one over others though.
http://www.gooloo.com/products-detail.php?ProId=61

 

I have the GB50 and don't recall it ever dropping even a bar last winter. I park outside at home but indoor parkade m-f days.

 

While I know it is just one video, it still is encouraging! I bought a pair of the Audews during Amazon Prime days and they are in our vehicles, fully charged, right now.

 

I have one of these had it going on ten years now it’s hands down the best full size jump pack I’ve used however not practical for the wife’s car I wouldn’t expect her to try and lug this heavy thing around and doubt she would be able to squeeze clamps plus no built in safety’s

 

No, the NOCO is still a solid unit and at a discount, it has good value. But if it was still regular price, the Audew has 1000A for $60 or 2000A for $100 making the value of the NOCO not there. My GB40 was around $65 when I bought it and have no regrets. If I had paid $100 for the NOCO, maybe I'll shoot myself in the foot.

 

Another thing you can do is condition/trickle charge your battery prior to any out of town dirt excursion

 

I have found the 1000 amp ones won't do shit if your battery takes a dump. The great thing about the big battery pack type is you can leave it hooked up and drive a short distance to get a battery.

 

Why is everyone saying jumper cables are bad? I bought 1 of the Audew from prime day and will be carrying that instead of jumper cables. I also have AAA roadside so if it's not string enough I can call them.

 

Because you can easily fry your electronic system, hook them up reverse, touch something and get zapped

They work excellent if everyone knows what they are doing with them, but that is always the case if you are helping someone out roadside.

Booster backs don't require a second battery to boost and have built in safety measures making them almost impossible to screw up and some even walk you through how to boost with written instructions on them or audible feedback

 

I guess you're right about hooking them up reverse, I know some cars don't have a positive/negative label or the red rubber cover on their battery.

 

I've had jumper cables in every vehicle since 1978.
Bought them for the kids vehicles when they started driving.

I never thought about buying a booster until I read this thread.
I need to pick one out and have the kids get me one for Xmas...

I'll always offer to give someone a jump if it looks like they need it.

 

This is why I have always insisted on attaching both ends of jumper cables when I am involved. I present it in a way that makes me just look like I am jumping in and being helpful, but the truth is, I will not allow someone else to "help" because I just don't trust them.

 

So to be sure on how to properly use jumper cable?
1 - red to dead
2 - red to good
3 - black to good
4 - black to metal frame of dead car

And I have never used a portable jumper before, does that matter what you connect 1st? And if you connect the regular jumper cable wrong does it fry the electronics of the car that has a dead battery or the good car?

 

Yes that’s what I do. as far as the jump pack I do it the same way. Mine (purchased at Costco) has built in circuitry to prevent bad things happening.
As far as regular jumpers cables, I haven’t had it happen but my understanding is of things are setup incorrectly you have the possibility of jacking up the good car electronics.

 

Connecting the positive of the good vehicle to the negative of the vehicle being jumped does no harm if you stop here. But if you then connect the negative of the good vehicle to the positive of the vehicle being jumped you can send current through devices on their nonfused negative side. This can blow diodes and other electronic components, resulting in a fried device. The reason for this is that higher voltages are usually filtered out by voltage regulators on the positive side of sensitive electronics, but when polarity is reversed and current flows into the negative side, there are no voltage regulators to protect the device.

All that said, it is not guaranteed that you will fry things if you hook things up wrong, but the risk is high and can result in very expensive repair costs.

 

Carry both and used both last week. The battery pack had been in the truck for a few months and was enough to get my wife Highlander to work but not enough charge left in it to get her home. Had to jump it off with cables.

 

My noco has lasted 2 upper ny winters and hasn’t needed to be recharged. I just had to use it to jump my lawnmower, whose battery is dead after the same 2 winters.

 

They go on sale around Black Friday. I got mine for almost half off.

 

I carry both but more often than not the cables are the only sure thing for me too.

I have several small Battery Tender brand packs that I got cheap at the same time and they have been really handy as a portable power source when used but will not budge a dead truck most of the time.

I also use several of the larger packs with the 18ah Lead Acid Batteries and they work every time as long as they are charged!

I have just found the small packs to be really hit or miss for me.

 

I bought a Gooloo from Amazon a iittle while back. I forget which model but I've used it several times now on my LS430 because I keep forgetting to get a battery tender and it keeps dying on me since I don't drive it much. I also jumped my old GMC truck with a 350 in it once when it died after sitting too long. I've charged it when I bought it and have jumped my car 4-5 times I guess and the truck once and it still has plenty of charge. Long term we will see how it works out. I need to buy another one to keep in my wifes car.