Most Affordable Li-Ion Mini Jump Starter for the V8? (1 Viewer)

[OptimusPrime]

All,

I'm trying to gear up for a mini overlanding/Red Rocks pilgrimage trip to Denver in a week and a half and this is another purchase decision that has been giving me headaches. I want a mini-jump starter for piece of mind when I'm out in the middle of nowhere, and so far I'm seeing the Antigravity XP-1 as the best option since its got the power to start the V8 engine in the 100. But, at $160 (or $100 on Amazon if you're willing to risk buying a fake) the price is a little more than what I was hoping to spend.

Considering this, is the XP-1 still the way to go? Does anyone know of a 1) more affordable 2) and yet still reliable, option? I want the piece of mind, but I'm also trying not to go too overboard with gear since I'm still new at this, so any suggestions are appreciated.

Amazon link to the XP-1 for reference: https://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-...dp/B00I9HGMYO?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Chris

 

[bamabrock]

Crawl had a nice review of the noco in the last issue

Amazon.com: NOCO Genius Boost Plus GB40 1000 Amp 12V UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter: Automotive

 

[bluecruiser]

Stay with a NOCO or AntiGravity. I picked up a knock off (I am cheap) and it is pretty flaky. Works but hard to tell if its charging, etc.

 

[e9999]

just saw one at Costco but don't know if OK for the V8

 

[codertimt]

Can't speak for longevity, but as for capability...the following Amazon cheapy is working well for me...

Amazon.com: KMASHI 400A Peak 14.8V 8000mAh Compact Car Jump Starter Power Bank Battery Charger with LED Flashlight and Advanced Safety Protection: Cell Phones & Accessories

Charged it. Hooked it up on my XJ...known bad AGM battery with ~10 standing volts...Cranked right up...died when I unhooked it, so it was basically pulling fully from the jump starter.
Jumped the 100 a couple times after running the battery down experimenting with fridge before upgrading to Group 31...
Jumped small diesel tractor twice...

That was over a period of a month or so...it did need charged at that point...not sure how much is from use and how much is static discharge....

Overall, I'm pleased with it for the $40 spent. Obviously time will tell if I continue to be pleased or if it strands me somewhere eventually...

 

[re_guderian]

I have an antigravity XP-10 that I've used a ton. It's going back for warranty as the case is bulging. I also have two Suaoki G7 600A Peak 18000mAh Portable Car Jump Starters that were cheaper (90) but I haven't used as much.

 

[reznunt]

I've got the noco gb40 and it's awesome. My buddy made a li-ion battery pack for me from his helicopter batteries which also worked well. I carried one like that for emergencies for years but I decided to upgrade to something more purpose-built. I'd recommend the Noco.

 

[TriArcher]

just saw one at Costco but don't know if OK for the V8

I bought one there a few months back for $49ish and it started a dead dodge ram 1500 5.7 not sure how long it will hold the charge or if it will last as long, but I'm now carrying it with me on those kind of trips...

 

[TXLX100]

I have a pilot Instaboost. Works well but I noticed it loses charge over time, so I have to charge every few weeks.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I have an antigravity XP-10 that I've used a ton. It's going back for warranty as the case is bulging. I also have two Suaoki G7 600A Peak 18000mAh Portable Car Jump Starters that were cheaper (90) but I haven't used as much.

My XP-1 is starting to bulge also but after a couple years of moderate use it still rocks. I just used a couple weeks ago on my 470 after I left my fridge running all day at expo. Started with zero issue and I will by another Anti-Gravity when the time comes.

I would not go cheap out on this.

 

[e9999]

truly astonishing the difference with the jumper packs from a few years ago. I still have a lead acid one from HF dating 6 or 7 years ago. Potent but it's the size of a briefcase!

 

[brooa]

I've never really been that thrilled with the little lithium jumper packs, the numbers do not add up in the slightest. the build quality is generally terrible, but what isnt these days

be very wary as well, any bulgine/expansion in the battery pack is not good and could explode especially if fully charged. slowly discharge and discard as soon as possible.

a great teardown of a Noco GB40. language warning
[youtube]BtgHDgJMokI[/youtube]

 

[brooa]

sorry to few posts to edit

 

[duggy]

What is this guy rambling on about in the video?

 

[LEX]

I have this one and it's been great.

http://www.amazon.com/Brightech-Sma...ch scorpion&qid=1465482762&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

 

[costalcat]

I'm a big believer in the NOCO product line. I have the GB-40 and have used it for both my 100 and my wife's X5 Diesel. I have a NOCO charger for the 4 battery bank in my Syncro and I have a smaller G3500 for my boat. Never a problem with any of them .

 

[costalcat]

@OptimusPrime NOCO is having a sale with free shipping

NOCO Genius "Wicked Smart" battery chargers, cables and accessories

 

[re_guderian]

I've never really been that thrilled with the little lithium jumper packs, the numbers do not add up in the slightest. the build quality is generally terrible, but what isnt these days

be very wary as well, any bulgine/expansion in the battery pack is not good and could explode especially if fully charged. slowly discharge and discard as soon as possible.

a great teardown of a Noco GB40. language warning
[youtube]BtgHDgJMokI[/youtube]

Meh, not sure what you mean by the "numbers don't add up". If you're worried about the accuracy of the stated amperage rating, i give it the same legitimacy as the BS label on the battery that's under the hood. What matters is - will it start your rig? The stated 600 A unit starts a 4.7 several times before needing a recharge. They will not start a V8 diesel. 2 will. The big value of these is that they are small enough to always be with you so you don't require another rig to jump you. These are not high - end electronics quality, nor are ANY of them priced as such.

 

[codertimt]

What is this guy rambling on about in the video?

Basically being an electrical know it all and complaining the battery in the device can't provide the amperage claimed per it's specified rating. It's a 120C LIPO battery with a 2.1Ah rating....so you just multiply that and it technically should only be good for ~250 amps. But my days of RC cars has informed me that a burst rating for a LIPO is double the 'C' rating...so you can double that number and it should be good for ~500 amps for a 10-15 seconds... Their 1000 amps might just be marketing or it might be what they tested as a real world failure point...who knows? All I know is that these little jump boxes work, maybe it's really stressful for them and they will all fail after X number of uses...but they definitely work...

 

[TriArcher]

But my days of RC cars has informed me that a burst rating for a LIPO is double the 'C' rating...so you can double that number and it should be good for ~500 amps for a 10-15 seconds... Their 1000 amps might just be marketing or it might be what they tested as a real world failure point...who knows? All I know is that these little jump boxes work, maybe it's really stressful for them and they will all fail after X number of uses...but they definitely work...

That must be why it says not to leave connected for longer than 30 seconds...