Jump!

Modern cars are thirsty for electricity, even when they’re not running. The parasitic draw from a car’s electronic gizmos draw can drain a battery surprisingly quickly. An even bigger surprise is that some cars can’t be put into neutral unless they have electrical power, which means that you’re out of luck if you have to push the car to reposition it for a jump start. That’s a dead battery double-whammy.

I got hit with this double-whammy, so I took a look at the modern world of hand-held jump starters. Want to jump on a consumer trend? This seems like a good one to join.

A typical hand-held jump starter is about the size of a thick paperback book. This portability eliminates the hassle of having to do a conventional, vehicle-to-vehicle jump start. Every example I’m aware of is powered by a lithium battery. From what I’ve seen, these devices are running anywhere from $30 to $210.

Consumer Reports took a look at this realm in a July 2015 “Jump starter buying guide.” Their website has some information that’s available to non-subscribers. Their top pick was the Antigravity Batteries XP-10. I took a look at the manufacturer’s website and noted that this model lists for $209.99.

So, that’s the top end. If you’re more in the mood for contemplating the more affordable end of the spectrum, though, read on.

The recent holiday season was the first time I noticed hand-held jump starters on display in discount stores. The stores must have really stocked up on these things, because they were soon offering some steep discounts. That was good timing, since I was ready to try one out.

I decided to buy the EverStart Multi-Function Jump Starter. Now, as a stand-alone specification, this number doesn’t tell the whole technical story, but I’ll note that the model is rated at 12,000 mAh. It cost $30 on clearance sale.

The car at issue has a 3.0-liter engine, so I guess that’s a medium-sized engine by today’s standards, hence a moderate test of the EverStart’s ability. I attached the device’s clamps to the car’s battery terminals, and, to my eternal surprise, we got the car started right away. That’s due entirely to the EverStart’s muscle, since the battery in the car was not just weak, but was totally dead.

So it’s a reassuring result, especially if you’re thinking about a Saipan context where so many cars have small, 4-cylinder engines. By contrast, if you have to crank a large-displacement V-8 engine, I don’t know how you’ll fare, but I intend to run a test when the opportunity presents itself.

Just to put things in perspective, there are larger, heavier jump starters that professional garages and tow trucks often use. These have a lot more juice, and are essentially powered by smaller versions of car batteries, which are lead-acid as opposed to lithium. Unless you’ve got a truck or SUV, though, and a chunk of spare space, you’re probably not going to haul one of these things around when you’re out and about.

Anyway, back in the realm of the hand-held jump starters, the EverStart came packed with its accessories in a storage bag. I don’t know how they packed things in that efficiently, but I sure couldn’t get everything back into the bag. Nobody else could, either. I therefore procured a bigger storage bag from a Japanese discount store. Only the Japanese can match my penchant for hyper-organizing things.

As it typical of the breed, the EverStart has a little integrated flashlight. It also has a single USB port that can be used to charge stuff. That’s all well and good, but I just want the jump-starting capabilities, so nothing beyond that matter holds my attention.

Of course, batteries are batteries, so the battery in a jump starter will, just like a car battery, discharge over time. The EverStart manual says that the device should be charged every three months.

As useful as the thing is, it’s not a magic wand, so I’m not willing to let it replace jumper cables, and I’m probably not willing to let it simmer in a steaming-hot car for a long time, either.

Between the top-end pick of Consumer Reports, and the inexpensive model I bought, there is a swirling galaxy of brands and prices, with varying amounts of power, and with various features and accessories for charging iPhones and laptop computers and such.

Of course, there’s no use in sweating some theoretical ideal here. The best thing to buy is often a function of what’s easy to get your hands on; that’s why I bought what I bought, it was simply there when I needed it. Your procurement situation in Saipan will be different than if you are in Guam or New York. Still, this is a very useful type of tool, so I thought you’d like to know about it.