Key Buying Tips: Jump Starter

You’ve probably heard of a jump starter or battery jump starter before. I consider it to be a great emergency device that is a must-have if you are at risk of your car’s battery going dead, or you own two or more cars. If used properly, it is also one of the more reliable devices to bring back a dead battery that I know of.

It could happen to you! You wake up in the morning, get ready for work, and head for your car. You go to start it and you get that awful sinking feeling because the car doesn’t turn over. Your battery is dead or at least doesn’t have enough power to start your car. What do you do? Wake up your neighbor to help you jump your car? Do you even have jumper cables?

If you had the time you could hook up a battery charger and wait for the battery to recharge. You don’t have the time because you’re late for work.

Here are some things to remember when purchasing a battery booster pack or a batteryjump starter:

Some Basic Jump Starter Advice

Battery jump starters come in a variety of sizes, styles, and with different features and technology. Be aware of the features, power, and any accessories it comes with. As you know, the best price is not always the right choice. A cheap version might now give you the features, capability, and reliability you need. On the other hand, getting all the bells and whistles may cause you to spend more than you should. Remember that your focus is the jump starter itself and not the additional options. Look first to the capability of the jump starter and second to the options and additional features. We highly recommend that you take a look at our article Jump Starter Battery Key Functionality You Need To Know before buying one.

It’s More Than Just A Battery

Although at the heart of a jump starter is a battery powerful enough to start a car, a battery jump starter has additional features built-in that make it ideally suited to the task. For example, it will usually have a built-in charger so that you can make sure the jump starter is always available when you need it. It also has plenty of power. If you’re ever in an emergency situation where you’ve have absolutely drained your battery, such as leaving your lights on at the airport while you’re on vacation, you will appreciate the capability of a more powerful jump starter. Check the specifications carefully and make sure your choice has the extra capability to revive dead batteries. With greater power comes extra weight which reduces portability. Lugging around a very heavy jump starter that has more capability than you need doesn’t just hit you in the wallet it can hit you in the back as well.

It’s Easy To Use

A battery jump starter is much safer and easier to use than a typical extra battery.

You just hook up the cables properly and start your car. The battery booster has positive and negative cables typically with alligator clamps that match up with the positive and negative terminals on your battery. It’s as easy as connecting positive to positive, negative to negative, and turning on the device. Then try to start your car. The peak power of the jump starter will usually start your car. If it won’t start right away, depending on how dead your battery is, you may need to give the booster a few minutes to boost your battery sufficiently to start the car.