Why bother with a Jump Starter
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
Given that jumper cables are so cheap to buy and keep in your car i was wondering why bother with a portable jump starter.
The safety and convenience of not having to rely on the kindness of other road users would be the number one reason for owning your own portable jump starter, but you also eliminate the possibility of damage to your car through Jumper cables being connected incorrectly.
We have all been there. We try to avoid it, but it happens no matter how careful we are. Leaving the interior light or the radio on in your vehicle can be enough to completely drain the battery – leaving you stranded. Whether you are at home, work, or the supermarket car park, a dead battery means the same – you're going nowhere. Anyone who has had this experience is more likely to make some preparation for it occurring again.
Whether that is a set of jumper cables or a jump starter that they carry in their car at all times. Given that cables can be purchased for less than $20 and jump starters can cost anything up to a couple of hundred dollars why would anyone buy a jump starter?
Table of contents
Why not just use jumper cables
Jumper Cables are basically a set of two wires, each with crocodile clips at either end. They allow you to connect your battery to another battery. Hopefully, you will be able to draw enough power from the other battery to get your vehicle started. On the upside, the cables option is inexpensive and simple to implement. The possible downside is, in order to start your vehicle with cables you require a second battery – whether a stand alone battery or the battery in someone else's car – and even then you cannot guarantee that the other battery is compatible with yours or sufficient to kick start your car.
Why should you use a Jump Starter
A Jump Starter works on essentially the same principle as the jumper cables. Only instead of a second battery providing the power it is provided by the battery enclosed in the jump starter. This is generally a lighter weight battery than the standard car battery and ideally it is kept charged at all times so as to be ready to call upon at any time.
Unlike the cables a fully charged dedicated jump starter will guarantee that you get your motor running in an emergency. Obviously, you will need to spend more than you would on a set of cables, but as they say, you get what you pay for. Before purchasing, make sure your choice of jump starter is capable of turning your size of engine and consider the range of added functionality a lot of modern starters come with.
The benefits of using a Jump starter
There are many additional benefits that you get when you are the owner of a jump starter. Below i will outline some of the major benefits that a jump starter affords you.
You don’t need to ask for assistance from anyone else
The last thing you want to be doing when you find yourself with a dead battery is trying to find someone to loan their car to be used as a host vehicle, which is required when using booster cables.
This benefit does not just reduce the hassle of finding someone willing to help you, there is also a safety consideration.
If you own a jump starter, you can pull it out, connect it to your dead battery and get your vehicle started immediately. The ability to get yourself going again is a great feeling especially when stranded at night or in an unfamiliar area.
Jump Starters can be used anywhere.
One of the things you need to consider if you are going to use jumper cables is whether there is enough space fo the host vehicle to be able to get close enough so that your booster cables will be able to reach your disabled vehicle’s battery.
Not having to worry about the position in which your disabled vehicle is parked when using a jump starter is definitely a major benefit. If you are relying on jumper cables you may find that you will not be able to use them without trying to push you vehicle into a better position.
More chances for problems.
When you a using jumper cables to start your car you need to make two sets of connections, making sure that you connect the jumper cable clamps to the correct connection opens you up to twice the chance for issues.
Accidentally reversing jumper connections are very dangerous to the operator and the vehicles involved. If you get the connections wrong you could create sparks, which could result in an explosion if battery gases are present.
There is also the potential for reversed connections to cause damage to the electronic components in both of the connected vehicles, leading to expensive repairs.
When you use a jump starter, there is just one set of connections to make, simplifying what can be a confusing process. Most modern jump starters also have reverse polarity protection which will alert you to incorrectly connected jumper clamps and prevent accidental electronic component damage.
Possible damage to host vehicle.
The last thing that you would want is for the jumping process to damage the host vehicle, but even when the jumper cables have been connected properly the process of jumping your vehicle can put stress on the electrical system of the host vehicle.
The additional power requirements placed upon the host vehicle’s electrical system could damage components that are marginal or suspect, or in a worst case scenario damage the host vehicle's battery.
Using your own jump starter eliminates this possibility.
Save money on roadside assistance services
Roadside assistance services are great for giving motorist the peace of mind that someone is there to help in an emergency, but they can be very slow to respond and often come with a pricey annual membership, some of which can cost up to $250 per year for basic coverage.
Roadside assistance services also often will only cover your within a defined coverage zone, if you find yourself outside of this coverage zone these services won't even assist you, leaving you out to dry.
Interesting roadside services are now using portable jump starter themselves to help customers. When compared to jumper cables, using a portable battery jump starter to jump-start a dead battery is much faster and safer.
With a portable jump starter in your car, you'll no longer need to rely solely on a road side assistance service which may not even assist. A portable jump starter pack will cost you less than one year's membership and last you for decades.
Charge your electronics on the go
The last thing that we want to face in an emergency is having dead electrical devices. Having the ability to charge your cellphone, ipad or other devices could be a life saver, getting stuck with dead electronics while stuck on the road side is never fun and in case of emergency situations not very prudent.
Jump starters are essentially portable batteries and most models come with USB or 12v accessory ports to make sure you can keep your electronics fully charged while on the go.
Even though most drivers have a cell phone chargers in there car, if your car battery is dead you will not be able to charge your device. having a jump starter gives you a plan B in case of emergencies or if you need portable power when you exit your car.
Help other drivers in need
Last but not least, owning a portable jump starter allows you to help those in need. Getting stranded because of a dead car battery no longer needs to be frustrating and inconvenient event, so get that portable jump starter out and help a fellow driver in need.
The risks of jump starting a modern car
Given the amount of electrical components in modern cars, attempting to jump start you car with jumper cables comes with some risks and should only be done using quality jumper leads with spike protection.
In today's modern cars engine control units (ECUs) constantly monitor the engine operation, on board trip computers handle everything from fuel efficiency to servicing requirements, plus airbags, cruise control, Bluetooth and other standard features all rely on computers to function.
While the most common cause of damage to these systems would be from reversed connections, even correctly connected jumper cables could introduce electrical spikes that could result in damage. Better to use a jump starter, it could save you hundreds in repair bills.
Jump starter differences.
Jump Starters range dramatically in price depending on how much power or added features you require. You can get a basic model from as little as $50. Even the lower price range jump starters may include a few extra features, and for less than $80 you can get your hands on a convenient mini jump starter that also incorporates a flashlight (handy if you’re stranded at night) and will boost a 12 volt battery.
If you are willing to investing a little more you can get a host of extended functions. For around $150 you can get yourself a 12V jump starter with a very user friendly interface, an air compressor to enable you maintain the proper pressure in your tires (prolonging their life expectancy and increasing your fuel economy,) a light to illuminate what you’re doing, and 12V DC sockets that can be used to power any small electrical appliance, say for example, a laptop, radio, or cell phone.
More advanced models such as the (Jump-N-Carry JNC1224)[/jump-n-carry-jnc1224-34001700-peak-amp-1224v-jump-starter] offer the flexibility of providing a 12V or 24V charge. A starter with this sort of power will start almost any engine. Of course, this sort of power comes with at a price.
Lithium Ion jump starter.
When it comes to what your best option would be for an emergency jump starter we would recommend a lithium Ion jumper pack, there are several reasons as to why this is a great choice for the everyday motorist.
- The most obvious reason would be the weight, larger lead acid battery jump starters can be heavy to lug around, Lithium Ion jump starters weigh not much more that a cell phone, making them easy to carry around.
- The size is also much smaller with the lithium Ion jump starter making them easier to store in your car, most are so small you can easily store them in your glove box.
- Price is another appealing factor as they are much cheaper to buy than larger lead acid jump starter.
- Fast charging, most lithium ion jump starters are easy to charge just like your cell phone, you can easily charge them on the go in your car so that they are ready to go when you need it.
- Lithium ion battery jump starters will also hold it's charge longer that your standard lead acid battery jump starter, allowing for longer periods between recharges, although we recommend recharging which ever jump starter you buy after every use.