Russell Folkes-Last updated: Jul 3, 2022
All About Portable Jump Starters
Every driver at least once in his life faced the problem of a discharged battery. Agree, this situation is often infuriating. For this, the lithium jump starter was invented – the best driver’s assistant that can always come in handy.
Starters come in many varieties, but they are quite impressive, which help with heavy machines or construction equipment. Some are very compact, often equipped with a bunch of useful features and will help you in an awkward situation. This will save you a lot of time. In addition, the car battery starter often comes with additional features such as flashlights or USB ports. Moreover, many versions of the starter have many degrees of protection for your own safety.
What type of jump starter do I need: lithium-ion or lead-acid?
Previously, lead-acid batteries have always been used in rechargeable batteries, but now starters are switching to lithium-ion batteries as they are capable of providing the same amount of energy in much smaller and lighter products. In fact, there are two types of jump starters on the market: lead-acid and lithium-ion. I propose to take a closer look at their pros and cons to understand what will suit you best.
First, it is worth highlighting the obvious advantage of lithium-ion starters, because they provide four times more energy than lead-acid. In addition, they weigh much less but provide an order of magnitude more energy.
In addition, nobody canceled the stand-by regime. At this point, the lithium-ion car battery booster is again superior to the lead-acid variant. They are discharged when idle at about 5% per month, which is quite small. The same indicator for lead-acid sometimes reaches as much as 15%!
It is worth considering the overall life expectancy of such a device. When using a jump starter, their lifespan is different depending on the parts and manufacturer. Lithium-ion starters have nearly double the lifespan of lead-acid ones.
Engine size and fuel type matter
If you really care what size battery jump starter you need and how much power you’ll need for your engine size, now we will take a closer look at this aspect. It would be absolutely logical to summarize and say that the larger the car, the more amp the starter should have. A large 8-cylinder motor, for example, takes longer to turn over than a smaller 4-cylinder.
In addition to taking into account the size of the engine, it is worth considering the type of fuel you are either using or planning to use. It is important to understand that the jump starter for diesel must produce a lot more energy. In turn, motors that run on gasoline require less.
To summarize, keep in mind that the type of motor can be found either directly in the owner’s manual or using a good old search on the net. It is not difficult to calculate this, the easiest way is to find an example of a car that is similar to yours in characteristics and choose the best starter. If you have more than one car, start by choosing the most powerful device.
Battery size and voltage matter
When choosing, be sure to consider the special needs of your vehicle. The point is that different types of vehicles have different battery sizes and voltages.
Standard starters typically run on conventional batteries that provide 6 to 12 volts. In turn, 24 volt batteries are designed for construction equipment and just large machines.
Therefore, the choice of starter size and power rating must be approached wisely. Cars, pickups and sedans usually run on 12 volt batteries. Golf carts and motorcycles are equipped with only 6-volt batteries. If you use a starter that is much more powerful than necessary, be careful, because you can easily damage both the battery and the internal parts of the car.
What to look for when picked jump starter?
Power of jump starters
Cranking power
By cranking amps, you should always understand the amount of current that the battery discharges and maintains. This action takes place for 30 seconds at 0 degrees Celsius. This is the amount of power required to start the vehicle at average ambient temperatures, excluding extreme heat or cold.
In turn, due to climatic problems, there are cold-cranking amps. This is a portable jump starter used to start a car engine in cold weather. Cold-cranking refers to the amount of current that the battery needs to discharge and maintain for 30 seconds at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below, without dropping below 7.2 V for a 12V battery. Power to start because the battery uses less power.
Peak power
Peak power is measured in amperes. In fact, it represents the maximum power that the starter motor can produce when first started.
Note that peak amps are only needed for cranking and therefore the starter can only generate these peak values for a few seconds. Cranking amps, on the other hand, produce a steady, stable current for at least 30 seconds.
When choosing a starter, don’t focus on peak amps. More important details are cranking amps and cold cranking amps. It is important to make sure that the starter can actually start your car.
Capacity of jump starters
When choosing, it is important to know that the total capacity is measured in ampere-hours or milliampere-hours. Taking into account this characteristic plays a big role because you need to know 100% exactly whether the starter will start your car. In this situation, the larger the number, the more capacity the energy storage device supports. The most popular portable battery options are typically rated for between five and over 20 ampere-hours.
Additional features
USB ports and charging outlets
The presence of USB is a controversial thing. It is usually added to portable starters. However, despite the inconvenience, even the external jump start battery still supports a built-in USB port. In any case, a device with this feature will cost more, so think carefully if this is really that important to you. A starter is not the thing that you will use every day, so there is no strong daily need for it. But nevertheless, some users, for example, really like the ability to charge their devices, cameras, laptops, and more.
Large batteries that feature 12 volts, traditionally have several built-in sockets. Often they are familiar to everyone with electrical outlets and 12-volt charger plugs.
It would be correct to note that the presence of sockets and USB on the starter is, first of all, convenient and universal. They open up new possibilities, such as the ability to charge electronics or use them as batteries when camping or traveling.
Air compressor
When the TPMS indicator lights up, expect trouble. If you have nowhere to pump up the wheels of your car in the middle of the road, you can stand on the sidelines for an eternity waiting for help. In such a situation, a jump starter with an air compressor will be great luck.
This is a very common feature for large portable starters. Its presence does not greatly overstate the cost of the device, but it is directly vital if you often travel outside the city and do not have access to a huge number of gas stations along the way. In addition, during active rest, this thing is still needed. And inflate a ball, and possibly an inflatable boat for fishing, and a huge variety of other things.
Built-in inverter
I cannot imagine a person who would consider it useless to have a built-in inverter. This is an incredibly useful feature that will help you out in a lot of situations imaginable. Can forget about discharged devices, telephones, laptops, and so on. Moreover, the inverter will help a lot if you are going to go outdoors or on a trip and you need to power this or that device. In general, the presence of a built-in inverter is a solid plus and nothing more.
Flashlight and radio
Flashlight is often an underrated feature. Imagine how great it will help you at dawn or in the middle of the night when your car stalls. Never underestimate its benefits and it will definitely help you out, I guarantee. It is thanks to him that the starter is easy to use both during the day and at night.
The same can be said for the built-in radio. Just imagine the moments when minutes last for hours while you wait for the battery to charge or the tow truck arrives. In such situations, it is best to conserve battery power and use the built-in radio. During a complete discharge, you should not allow a mistake and turn on the radio, you will only make it worse.
Safety features
Now let’s talk about the most important aspect of using a starter – safety. Please note that quality starters will be shipped with reverse polarity, overcharge and short circuit protection, spark protection, and reverse current protection.
It is very important to study whether these features are available on a particular device that you choose. Some manufacturers neglect this and substitute their customers. It is from these considerations that you choose a start-up device with a smart patch cable module. It is this module that will ensure the availability of all these functions and keep you safe.
Better to avoid working with starters without essential safety components. This often presents a great risk of fire or electric shock.
Overload protection
The direct objective of this aspect is to keep the jump pack while charging from receiving significantly more current than indicated by the manufacturer.
Over-voltage protection
Over voltage protection is primarily aimed at preventing power surges. When charging, the current flow may be unstable, so this module regulates the amount of incoming current.
Overcharge protection
This element prevents over saturation of the battery with energy. For example, when you fully charge the starter battery, the supplied energy can damage the components of the device. This element is aimed to neutralize damage to the internal components of the starter.
Over-current protection
Helps prevent damage to the trigger. The main task of this component is to block incoming current that exceeds the peak limit.
Short circuit protection
Protects your starter motor in case high current flows from positive to negative terminals in case of accidental contact.
Quality of jumper cables matter
Choosing a starter, the quality of the connecting cables must also be taken into account. It can be determined by paying attention to the security features, its length and the quality of the material from which the cable is made. Moreover, it is very important to correctly assess the quality and material from which the clamps are made, because they are the most important in this matter. It is best to focus on choosing a copper-plated pair. A dense base metal coating will also only be an advantage.
The most practical advice for choosing is to look for a cable that has an intelligent module in the kit. It provides a whole range of security features that will never be redundant.
Then, make sure that the length of the cables you choose is optimal, that is, sufficient for your machine and not too short or too long. It is best to first measure the approximate distance between the positive and negative terminals, because they can be located differently on different car models.
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