Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jimbob]

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/offers_week3thursday09.htm?WT.z_src=main

The old jumpstart pack etc makes a return, £31

I know someone wanted one, but can't remember who.

[Danny]

I did, but i'm sure they can be found at £20 in some places

[tunnie]

if they put their compressors back on, someone let me know asap  

[Kevin Wood]

Jump starts on special in Maplins recently. £20.

Kevin

[Jimbob]

Deffo gone up from last time, still a well featured one with a 3 year guarantee though - 3 fag lighters and a compressor built in.

[belldarr]

I bought one of these some time ago (the booster pack) and when i went to use it to jump start a car i was unimpressed - it died after 10 seconds of use - I use it for the compressor but my advise would be not to rely on it to get you out of trouble, it's not great and you can get better

Regards

Darren

[Pete Elite]

I think the old adage applies "You get what you pay for" .

[belldarr]

I think the old adage applies "You get what you pay for" .

Lol, you sure do  

[Kevin Wood]

Frequently the batteries in these devices are rubbish but I think that does for all of the unbranded ones whether cheap or less cheap. Often ones offered cheap have been sitting around for too long as well, which kills the batteries.

However, they are still handy and you can always come across better quality batteries (hang around a UPS when the guy comes to service it).

Kevin

[Ian_D]

Frequently the batteries in these devices are rubbish but I think that does for all of the unbranded ones whether cheap or less cheap. Often ones offered cheap have been sitting around for too long as well, which kills the batteries.

However, they are still handy and you can always come across better quality batteries (hang around a UPS when the guy comes to service it).

Kevin

I got one from maplin for £20, was the biggest pile of crap ive ever used! It started the car ONCE when the battery had run down due to me having the radio on for a few hours.

The built in air compressor makes all the right noises, but no air comes out of it!

Tried using it a few weeks later to start my Vectra, and it was dead, wouldn't even make the starter motor click.

I then tried using it to start my Honda Genny (its only a single cylinder engine like fitted to lawn mowers, and it wouldnt even crank that over!)

I know now not to buy a cheap one and expect it to work!
 

Kevin, do you, or anyone else for that matter work with UPS's? Im after the batteries from them, and if anyone knows where I can get some from let me know!  

[Jimbob]

I've been quite happy with it,
I think the trick is to Please read the manual and keep em charged up
Successfully started an omega twice with it,
provided campsite power, even runs a small fridge for a while, or dvd players etc, and a 3 YEAR GUARANTEE if it does give up.

[Kevin Wood]

Lead acid gel cells, especially of dubious quality, do need to be kept fully charged or they will deteriorate rapidly.

TBH, though, the crude chargers these devices are sold with don't help because they float at too high a voltage to keep on the battery 24/7. My advice is to buy a cheap timeswitch and have the charger coming on 1 day a week or 1 hour a day, etc. Keep it charged but don't overcharge it.

Don't have any UPS connections myself I'm afraid. I occasionally come across some discarded batteries at a junk sale. You win some, you lose some. If they've been swapped out as a matter of course after a couple of years they have plenty of life left. If they've been swapped out because they died, or taken out and left flat for months....

Kevin

[TheBoy]

For jumpstarting, remember these units have a battery around 1/3 - 1/2 size of car battery.  They tend to be OK for jumping a car that has a low batt due to something left on.  If your battery is flat because you've flattened it on the starter, these aint much cop.

other option is to buy a big diesel battery, and use that for jumping...

[Kevin Wood]

For jumpstarting, remember these units have a battery around 1/3 - 1/2 size of car battery.  They tend to be OK for jumping a car that has a low batt due to something left on.  If your battery is flat because you've flattened it on the starter, these aint much cop.

other option is to buy a big diesel battery, and use that for jumping...

Problem is a battery that's sitting around with occasional use will die the day before you need it. IME most effective jump start device is either another car or 15 minutes on a mains charger.

They're handy for camping though.

The Westfield battery died in the summer and I borrowed a very small jump starter from a garage round the corner to the petrol station where it decided to let me down. Thing looked tiny and guy wasn't sure it was even charged but it span an 11:1 compression engine over faster than a brand new car battery.

Kevin