Sunday, November 26, 2017

THE BEST JUM STARTERS



The new PowerAll XL1 is the next generation of the Deluxe model, our runner-up. Externally, the pack is identical to its predecessor, though a company representative told us that the cells and internal components were updated. The XL1 uses a clamp design, similar to that of the Deluxe, that makes solid contact with battery terminals and avoids flexing and bending. But the XL1’s clamps are much larger than the Deluxe’s and have much stiffer springs—they require stronger, larger hands to open comfortably. In our tests, the XL1’s starting output was comparable to that of the previous version, so it should have no problem starting large, V8 engines. The carrying case is also drastically improved from the one that comes with the Deluxe. But these improvements come with a higher price tag and limited availability. For a little less, you can get the Deluxe with clamps that are easier to use, or for a little more you can get our upgrade pick and its multiple extra benefits.

SUAOKI T10 jump starter is one of the best selling gadget, it very portable and usefull, for everyone.


The Brightech Scorpion SCP02 was our original jump-starter pick, in the initial versions of “The Best Gear for Your Road Trip” and “The Best Gear for a Roadside Emergency” back in 2015. In our tests for those guides, conducted on a Nissan Juke crossover, it provided the second most powerful jumping current and had better overall construction than the most powerful model. It also provided almost as much starting power in our first round of tests for this guide as our picks did. But it uses the cheaper, generic clamps that we now consider a major drawback since better clamps are available. It also comes with an annoying zippered case that secures everything with awkward elastic loops. Compared with our new top picks, this Brightech model is not worth the savings of 10 or so dollars.

The Antigravity Batteries Micro-Start XP-10 is built by one of the most respected brands in portable jump starters, and it earned the highest rating in Consumer Reports’s tests of jump starters (subscription required). But those tests weren’t conducted recently, and one of the things Consumer Reports likes most is the XP-10’s reserve capacity, saying its extra storage “will allow for longer run times of cell phones, laptops, its built-in LED light and other electronics.” As we’ve previously noted, we don’t prioritize that capacity when evaluating jump starters (as we do for USB battery packs), focusing more on starting power, safety, and build quality. In our output tests, the XP-10 tied with our upgrade pick, the Weego 44, when we measured the current it provided to our dead pickup truck. Unfortunately, the included clamps are the same generic ones found on many other jump starters. In addition, at the time of this writing the XP-10 retails for roughly twice the price of our top pick and a bit more than our upgrade pick, yet it comes with only a clumsy zippered case with elastic loops to store everything. Though Antigravity’s three-year warranty is the best of any jump-starter company we’ve found—our picks come with 12- and 18-month warranties—we don’t think that alone is worth the extra cost for most people.

The Anker Compact Car Jump Starter and Portable Charger provides only an error light when its battery connections are reversed, unlike our picks, which also have an audible tone that immediately tells you something is wrong. And although this model started our SUV as easily as our picks did, it failed to start the larger V8 engine in our pickup truck, likely due to the starter battery having a voltage below this Anker model’s safety threshold. (Each jump starter automatically checks the voltage on your car battery, and if it determines that the battery is too far gone, the jump starter will refuse the connection instead of risking damage. This threshold varies from model to model, and the Anker’s was likely set higher than the ones in our picks.)

The Bolt Power D28A lacks any protection against reversed connections. When we connected the negative clamp to the positive post and attached the positive clamp to the negative post, the final connection sparked and the metal fused together, chewing up our battery post when we removed it.

The Cobra Electronics JumPack XL CPP 12000 wasn’t the strongest performer in our SUV-engine test, but it did turn the engine over. As it’s one of the few models that claim to start V8 engines, we gave it a shot on our V8 Ram 1500, but it failed to start the 5.7-liter engine, a disappointment considering that this Cobra model retails for a similar price as our upgrade pick. We suspect this happened because the truck battery was below the Cobra jump starter’s safety threshold, as with the Anker model. On top of that, the JumPack XL lacks an audible alarm to notify you of a reversed connection, which is something we like about our picks from Weego and PowerAll.

The PowerAll Supreme PBJS16000-RS is almost identical to the company’s Deluxe model, but it claims a slightly higher CCA rating for more starting power, has 30 percent more capacity (16,000 mAh versus 12,000 mAh), and costs about $20 more. Since the less expensive Deluxe was able to start our large pickup-truck engine and offers plenty of capacity to do the job a few times, we don’t see any reason for most people to spring for this model instead.

The Schumacher Red Fuel SL161 was the least expensive jump starter we tested, and the second cheapest on our initial 40-model list. This one just barely managed to start our SUV, though, and the engine sounded as if it wouldn’t make it. The SL161 would probably have an easier time with a smaller car, but that limits its flexibility. In addition, the only sign of an error when we connected the pack backward was a single flash of a small LED. As evidenced by the price and the chintzy storage sack, this model isn’t meant to be a top-of-the-line choice, but our top pick doesn’t cost that much more money, and we think it will be the more reliable jump starter over the long run.

The Beüler Solar Battery Power Pack is an outlier that piqued our curiosity enough for us to include it in our tests. In addition to charging conventionally, this foldable unit has two solar panels for charging up anywhere off the grid, a unique feature among jump starters. That said, its solar cells are mainly for replenishing enough power to charge small personal electronics; recharging the pack enough to start a car would take a very long time. Moreover, the Beüler model currently retails for more than three times the price of our top pick, and more than a couple of new car batteries.

THE BEST JUM STARTERS

The new PowerAll XL1 is the next generation of the Deluxe model, our runner-up. Externally, the pack is identical to its predecessor, thou...