PEAK jumpstarters are junk

[veryHeavy]

Pep Boys sells Peak-brand jumpstarters. I've gone through 4 of these things in the last year. Here is the typical mode of failure:

- the collapsible 120 volt plug wears-out & no longer charges the battery (3 units)
- the pump wears-out after filling just a few tires... it still spins but blows no air (1 unit)

I can tell that unit 5 will fail soon too. The pump is making weird noises when I apply air to my tires, and the collapsible plug is "wobbly" which indicates it will soon lose internal connection. Grrrr... I hate companies that make poorly-designed products.

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
Pep Boys sells Peak-brand jumpstarters. I've gone through 4 of these things in the last year. Here is the typical mode of failure:

- the collapsible 120 volt plug wears-out & no longer charges the battery (3 units)
- the pump wears-out after filling just a few tires... it still spins but blows no air (1 unit)

I can tell that unit 5 will fail soon too. The pump is making weird noises when I apply air to my tires, and the collapsible plug is "wobbly" which indicates it will soon lose internal connection. Grrrr... I hate companies that make poorly-designed products.



You've actually bought 5 of these or returned for warranty replacement ?

 

[shanneba]

Might be why 57% of the reviews on Amazon rate the 900 amp model at 1 star.

 

[rustypigeon]

Get the JNC660. It is showing $127 on Amazon right now, but if you watch it you will see it go down to $105 occasionally.

I researched a lot of jumpers and settled on the JNC660 based on positive reviews. It is simple and therefore durable. It is a battery in a box, with a plug for charging. Not much to fail on it.

 

[Donald]

I would not buy a air compressor and jump starter combo.

I have a JNC (jump and carry) brand that is 1700 amps.

In this case you want a heavy one for max power.

 

[Donald]

But with any jump-starter with a SLA battery it will not work well if it's in your trunk during super cold weather, just when you might need one.

 

[veryHeavy]

I need the portable Air pump more than the jumper cables (which just happen to be included).

 

[EdwardC]

I bought a "600" amp peak model from Pep Boys 2-3 years ago after Thanksgiving and its worked for me. For the most part, I've only started partially discharged vehicles or motorcycles. I plug it in overnight every few months to top it off and the little SLA battery is still holding out. I don't think I would trust it to do much more than that. I do keep it inside the house though, that might help the longevity. It is not a air compressor combo. I probably spent $30 on it.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
I need the portable Air pump more than the jumper cables (which just happen to be included).


This is what I have. $39 at Home Depot. It fits all the One+ Lithium batteries. One battery can fill 3 tires from 21 to 36 psi (good sized tires too). Extremely accurate and stops where you set it to.

You'll have to buy a battery, but I bought their drill and impact set with 2 batteries for $99 and use those batteries.

 

[Gasbuggy]

My dad gave me his peak after buying this CAT brand one. It has serious juice, will start a stone dead full size diesel backhoe no problem. https://www.amazon.com/CJ3000-2000-Peak-Jump-Starter/dp/B00IJB51WY

Peak clamps don't work with the GM style screw in battery hookups.

 

[Warstud]

The only thing with the "Peak" name I would buy is there Coolant.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
I need the portable Air pump more than the jumper cables (which just happen to be included).
If you have a decent jump starter, like the Clore JNC-660, you can pick up a cheap 12 VDC air compressor & run it off the jump starter. I have one that I picked up from Big Lots for under $20-it gets hot, but I haven't killed it yet, & if it dies I'll just buy another cheap one.

 

[bioburner]

I have a stand alone tire pump. Has 15 or so feet of cord to plug into vehicle or the jump pack. It can do serious pumping. Can't expect the all in ones jump packs to do all well. If one goes to off road vehicle sites they usually have a number of good pumps listed. My pump is over 20 now.

 

[Tdbo]

Yeha, they aren't great. I have 2, but the most that I ever paid for one is $9.00.
They have come in handy for jump starting my tractor a couple of times. and I have run a small inflator off of one. I'd hate to try jump starting a car off of one of these, however.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
The only thing with the "Peak" name I would buy is there Coolant.


The only thing associated with the Peak name I'd want is Danica Patrick

 

[andyd]

Heh heh, my jump pack started out with a compressor, a light and a starter. It had a massive failure of everything but the jump pack. the kit is down to the battery, cables and the 1/2 amp charger. The battery is a lead/acid battery like what is used in Fire alarm systems. I'm guessing 19 AH. The batteries in the 528e and the Rat are old and the cars sit a lot. It sees a lot of use as do my plug in chargers. I don't remember the make, it was a present. Last time I used it to jump was last week.

 

[Ducked]

I have a "semi-retired" car battery, a smart charger, a two wheeled cargo trolley, and some jump leads.

For a high-mobility jump starter, I have a motorcycle.

A purpose-built booster pack doesn't seem to offer much advantage.

 

[kb27]

I had a jumpstarter. The 18AH SLA battery died after 8 jumps.
I didn't think they were built for jumping car engine.
So I removed the cables and wired to a quick connect terminal.
I'll carry around a proper car battery (35AH) and use it as a jumpstarter with the cables.

 

[Rand]

If you need to air up tires often get a viair.

https://www.amazon.com/Viair-00077-77P-P...;keywords=viair

85p, 88p, 77p whatever you want.

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: Donald
But with any jump-starter with a SLA battery it will not work well if it's in your trunk during super cold weather, just when you might need one.


The same is true of the lithium ion starters.
A SLA battery is safer to store in a hot or cold vehicle than a lithium ion.

from Consumer Reports:

Quote:
…...When it came to jump-starting vehicles, performance between the units was nearly identical……...With both the car battery and the jump starter at zero degrees, none of the units were able to jump start even the weak car batteries, let alone a dead battery…….When the battery packs were at room temperature, most were able to successfully jump start a frozen car battery…………...we awarded Recommended status to five: The Antigravity Batteries XP-10, Spirit A8 Car Jump Starter, Bolt Power D28, New Brights Compact 12000mAH Mini Portable Car Jump Starter, and PowerAll PBJS12000R….The takeaway: Read the instructions carefully and check the fine print. During the hot summer months, consider storing the unit in a cool location and only taking it with you on long trips. If you are storing the unit in the car, choose a location out of direct sunlight, such as the glovebox or the trunk.


http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/jump-starters/buying-guide.htm