Anyone got a jump starter?

[MarkFoster 0]

With the onset of winter proper this morning, I was admiring the layer of frost on the car and it occurred to me that the battery may well struggle if left for a couple of weeks (not unusual for me). Has anyone got one of those jump starter things you can get from machine mart or the like? Any recommendations?

 

I've checked the machine mart website and they range in price from £60 to £130. I can understand the difference between the various models (power, basically) but not sure which would be most appropriate for a VR6; do I need 1500 amps or would 900 do...?

 

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/range/details/jump-starts/path/clarke-jump-starts

 

Thanks in advance

Mark

[Critical_Mass 10]

Interested in this answer too as i realised this morning i probably could do with one also.

[Dox 23]

If you take one of these apart there construction is cheap and nasty (light weight gives the game away), its better to renew the car battery early and have your car reliable and flog your old battery for scrap (£400 per tonne for lead - I got £40 for 6 batteries recently) or ebay it

[MarkFoster 0]

My battery's virtually brand new but that doesn't mean it won't go flat if I leave the car kerb side for more than a couple of weeks. The fact it's parked on the road also means I can't really hook it up to a trickle charger. (This is my runaround A6 by the way not the Rado, obviously...). Another thing that interested me about these starters is that some of them can charge your battery, if you're just looking to top it up, by plugging into the ciggy lighter - sounds very handy and better than trying to run cables out my lounge window and across the pavement, lol!

 

The ones I've seen in machine mart don't seem particularly light weight. They weigh about as much as a battery, which I guess is more or less what they are.

 

Anyone with any first hand experience?

 

Mark

[Butterfly 0]

We have a black & decker one. yes it weighs a tonne but it is basically a battery with add ons (jump leads attached and BIG light).

It has saved my life a few times (when I forget the switch the mains on for the trickle charger... done it about 5 times now!!). It was put to use last week when a neighbour asked if we had any jump leads to start a van that had sat stationary a while and it is a dam sight easier than moving cars into position and getting jump leads out.

And it is currently living in my 8v as that is very intermittently playing up (though I don't actually think it is the battery at fault)

 

Only down side is having to remember to charge it up as if it lives in the understairs cupboard or garage not plugged in then when you do need it it's no use if flat!!

 

I would recommend for the piece of mind of having something quick and easy to hand for any winter battery issues.

[bristolbaron 10]

I bought THIS ONE from halfords. Absolute junk. I had to replace the cables as they didnt fit properly, however the connection is still bad. Since then it no longer keeps chrage so needs the internal battery replacing.

I cant even get an exchange as its 13 months old. DONT BUY ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jim 2]

I bought THIS ONE from halfords. Absolute junk. I had to replace the cables as they didnt fit properly, however the connection is still bad. Since then it no longer keeps chrage so needs the internal battery replacing.

I cant even get an exchange as its 13 months old. DONT BUY ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ditto. The halfords one is complete ****. Avoid it like the plague.

[bristolbaron 10]

i dont suppose you still have a receipt if you had the same onen jim? :lol:

[Jim 2]

I misplaced the receipt straight after buying it, and it pretty much died the second time I used it. I just relegated it to the back of the garage in disgust.

[bristolbaron 10]

ha! yeah mines in the same situation.. :lol:

[joebloggsVR69 0]

Wow, I bought a Halfrauds one years ago, and it still works fine for me

[tony_ack 0]

Ditto. The halfords one is complete ****. Avoid it like the plague.

 

I'll third this... compressor broke before it was even used, cables don't fit properly and last time I used it I just couldn't get it to connect.

 

Workshop light is okay though so it makes a very expensive and heavy torch now.

[MarkFoster 0]

Rightie-Oh, avoid the Halfords ones then - gottcha!

 

M.

[goozie 0]

i brought this little gem from ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Portable-12V-Heavy-Duty-Car-Van-Battery-Booster-Jump-Starter-Air-Compressor-400A-/120891312571?pt=UK_Air_Tools_and_Compressors&hash=item1c25af09bb was really happy with my purchase, i charged it for the recommend time a friend of mine asked to use it to jump his motor bike and guess what it wouldn't even turn it over, not totally pee'd off i took it apart to find the battery was dry! so using my wisdom yes i here you say that must of been hard i took the measurements of the battery and the power size which is 17ah and with a bit of internet searching found a gel battery with the same body size but the output is more to the size of 22ah, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lucas-LSLC-22Ah-12V-AGM-GEL-GOLF-TROLLEY-BATTERY-18-Holes-MOCAD-FRASER-/190623631473?pt=UK_Golf_Trolleys&hash=item2c620dc871 now the jump pack has the punch and the durability i required total cost £77.42 inc postage