Jumpstarter?

This is the best brand.
Are they worth keeping one in the truck?
I heard a scary story once where it got hot and swelled up. I don't know it if caused a fire or not.
Supposedly the type of battery inside is the type that can do that.
That's the only drawback I can think of. But it does not seem widespread and I've certainly never seen or dealt with that issue in real life.

Now, this would probably not be for me. But for friends or random people who need a jump. A jumpbox seems like a faster easier way of doing it. Especially if you just let the friend borrow it for a day until they fully solve the problem of a dead battery; by replacing it.

Me personally, I run high quality dealer batteries for $100-200, the same price as a worse quality Autozone or WalMart one. It cranks hard every time, and lasts a while. When I start to feel it get weak years down the road, I'll simply replace it that week; no jumping needed.

If yes, which one?
I'd lean towards the GB70 for multiple jumps, and ability to start larger engines.
Not a small one that might struggle to start a small engine once.

Or maybe jumper cables AND jumpstarter.
I don't know if it works on motorcycles. I know bikes run on 14v, not 12v, so if you jump a bike from a car with jumper cables, you'll fry the stator.
It probably wouldn't work on bikes given it says 12v on the label.

I'm not sure if temperature matters. Like one in an insulated garage for professional use, versus a vehicle that changes temperature. Though heat can be reduced by cracking windows with AVS/Weathertech visors, ceramic tint, sunshade, light paint, sound deadening, etc. and interior storage compartments may be a bit cooler than the cabin

 

This is the model I bought also, the GB40 last year.
Works well and added bonus is after each use simply plug in to your usb charger in the truck or at home and its topped off again.
If camping will power other devices with a usb port. Good on a boat if you kill the batteries also to get the motor going offshore.
You can buy as big as you want based on price and size. Much easier and lighter than a second full sized battery.

 

NOCO is good to go, they make some of the better jump packs. I carry jumper cables and a NOCO pack just to be safe. Haven’t used the cables (for others never myself) since I got the jump pack but old habits die hard.

Also unsure about your motorcycle statement. I jumped my old street bike from my car many times with no issues. You just have to do it with the motor off. Many bikes have 12v electrical systems, it just depends on the bike.

 

Good brand, but I wouldn't leave it in the truck. At least not in the summer in AZ.

 

Does anyone know if NOCO ever has sales?
I think Amazon had them discounted once randomly, as a part of their promoted products thing which probably changes every month

I don't know what happened to my jumper cables. I have to see if they're in a box somewhere, or hiding underneath all my other recovery equipment in the truck storage compartments.
But I think they somehow magically disappeared.
Haven't looked into which is a reliable good brand of jumper cables to buy; hopefully cheap and $20ish.

I'm hesitant to walk into Harbor Freight and grab the first pair I see on the shelf; they're probably cheap, thin, flimsy, etc.
Thin wires and lots of electricity don't mix. Causes heat, melting, etc. (been there done that)
Not to knock HFT. The few things I have from there (chosen carefully) work great.

Maybe I'm wrong and they are 12V. Maybe the bike I'm remembering dying didn't fry the stator from a jump; but perhaps the stator died on it's own, needed a jump because of that (failure to charge) and needed it replaced after.

I wonder if it's worth making a dedicated storage compartment for it. Like a foam box. Just like the Home Depot foam you use to insulate a house.
Or something cheap that already exists to insulate instead of making it.
Like a lunchbox.
Jumpstarter in a lunchbox, inside seat storage. Even has a convenient carry handle because lunchbox.

Carhartt has good insulating jackets. Hydroflask has good insulating water bottles. I bet they make a lunchbox. But pricier than something from the kids section at Target with a Paw Patrol logo on it.
I imagine insulation (Hydroflask uses air) simply slows the rate of temperature coming in by a day or two.
Cold water will stay cold for a day, but not a week.
Sometimes AZ cools down at night, sometimes not so much.
I'm not sure if the "24 hours of insulation" would help keep the jumpstarter cool. To survive hot daytime

 

I would never, ever, buy a popular lithium battery based product on Amazon. Their counterfeit control is abysmal and highly rated lithium battery packs are one of the most common counterfeit products. Because Amazon mixes all their inventory it is impossible to avoid a counterfeit. Even if you carefully select the seller to be Amazon or even NOCO the reality is that Amazon will ship you whatever inventory they have closest to you with the same UPC. So you pick “Ships from Amazon” but what you may actually get is inventory from “Super Lucky Best Buy Battery” because that inventory lives in the distribution center closest to your house.

Unfortunately big lithium batteries are not an item to go looking for a good deal on. Suck it up and purchase directly from the NOCO site or you run the risk of getting a counterfeit product that could be a ticking time bomb.

As to the NOCO I have the GB40 and have used it a handful of times on various vehicles. Works great! I’ve even had to use it on a very dead battery and it had no problems (you do have to turn off its reverse polarity protection when jumping a very dead battery). I store my truck on the other side of the country in a hot desert and bring the GB40 in my carry on (you can not put lithium batteries in checked luggage) in case I arrive to a dead battery.

 

I ordered the GB70 on black friday last year for $120ish. I think regular price was 199, so if you can wait a few months, it may go on sale again............or it may not lol. Who knows.

Looks like it's on sale right now for 175.

$200 NOCO Boost GB70: 2000A UltraSafe Jump Starter – 12V Lithium Battery Booster Pack, Portable Jump Box, Power Bank & Jumper Cables - for 8.0L Gas and 6.0L Diesel Engines

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016UG6PWE?ie=UTF8

 

NOCO does run sales, just like most companies do. They were just on sale over memorial day.

Mine live in the cars because they won't do anygood sitting at home in a climate controlled environment.

 

There's battery less jump starters that use a capacitor. I got one and the gb70, if I'm grabbing just 1 it's the noco. Sometimes I'll use both at the same time.

 

I've kept the GB40 in the truck for over a year, it lives behind the rear seat fully immersed in those Texas summer temperatures. Last time I used it was to jump a fellow camper at altitude, on a 20-ish degree morning. Did its job perfectly.

 

I've had the

$300 GB150 : 3000A UltraSafe Jump Starter – 12V Lithium Battery Booster Pack, Portable Jump Box, Power Bank & Jumper Cables - for 9.0L Gas and 7.0L Diesel Engines

GB150 for around 4 years and it hasn't failed yet, my only gripe with it is the super short leads make it difficult to use when the battery isn't right there.

 

Noco GB40 performed poorly in Project Farm testing compared to other brands.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JN8A2nIMUWA

 

I have the GB 40 and went on a 2 week vacation this Christams. My family must have left the dome light on as nothing would work. So out in the middle of the parking lot I grab the pack, hook it up. Show battery has a fault ( means dead dead) so I switched to manual and in 20 degree weather the truck fired right up. I have jump friends and people at the gas station without problems. I will always have one in the truck. Even ran a 12 USB cord so it charges when the truck is on.

 

Also have the GB40 and it’s been great. Used several times on other peoples cars.

Also, they make an attachment you can leave connected to your battery and plug the jump starter directly into it, if you find yourself jumping your truck/wife’s car/sons car often.

 

Just remembered. I got my GB40 on Amazon prime day for a substantial discount. IIRC prime day is in July so you can save some bucks if you wait a few more weeks.

 

I got the same one. Bailed/helped many people including my riding lawn mower. Lol
But great quality

 

YMMV, checked Amazon and no Audew still. Funny he found that one was best.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/audew-2000a-jump-boost-pack.692353/

 

Maybe here.
https://m.audew.com/Car-Jump-Starte...MIxMXLgtug-AIVajytBh2K9A_sEAAYASAAEgLpcPD_BwE
I bought a Foxpeed G29 on sale at Amazon and have been pleased with it.

 

I got a

$175 GBX55 : 1750A UltraSafe Jump Starter – 12V Lithium Battery Booster Pack, Portable Jump Box, Power Bank & Jumper Cables - for 7.5L Gas and 5.0L Diesel Engines

GBX55. I leave mine in the truck because I don't need it when I'm at home and I have assloads of excellent insurance coverage. Got mine on Amazon Warehouse for cheap.

When I use it to start my FJ80, the truck sounds like it's doing 10,000 RPMs. I love my Noco.

 

I now have 2 GB's, one I have had a few years, now in our old Subaroo our son drives, and the new bigger on in my vehicle. We had a friend that was having some issue and her battery died daily, so I lent it to her while she saved up a couple weeks for the repair bill. After he issue was fixed, she bought her own a few weeks later.

We also use them camping to charge phones and charge the GB using a cheap solar panel.