On Jan 11, 12:25*am, Bruce L. Bergman
wrote:
On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:56:43 -0600, "RogerN"
wrote:

I'm looking for recommendations for a good jump start box. *I saw one at
Wal-Mart with a 22Ah battery and claims 600A, but I don't know if it's a
good one or if there are better quality ones available for reasonable money.

* I just want to buy a jump pack that is just a jump pack- Don't need
the work light, don't need the air compressor, don't need the
universal 3-6-9V adapter system...

* 22AH is a standard size, and if the cells are designed for high
current output for jump-starts the 600A claim could be legit.

The lower powered ones are of course cheaper but I may need to use this for
my Diesel Pickup truck. *Normal use is for mowers, tractor, backhoe, and
emergency use for automobiles... or perhaps I should buy a half dozen
battery tenders.

* Battery tenders would be the better idea, or solar trickle chargers.
Your batteries will live a lot longer if they are kept fully charged
at all times instead of slowly run to dead and left there, till you
try to use the item and put it on the overnight charger.

* For the pickup truck, see if there's a space you can clear out under
the hood for an auxiliary battery and a diode charge isolator. *You'll
have a lot better luck jumping the truck with a Group 24DC 90Ah Marine
Starting/ Deep Cycle battery mounted under the hood, than a 22Ah jump
pack. *And it's always there...

* And the DC battery is far better to run the winch and the television
for the tailgate party. *Starting duty batteries do NOT like to be
deep cycled, they die in under a dozen deep excursions.

-- Bruce --

Yeah, but those gel cells are dead in 4-5 years(or less), charged or
not, used or not. Most aren't rated for that service, either, refugees
from emergency lights or UPSes. I'd rather run a heavy 110 drop cord
out and use a starter/charger unit.

As far as the other poster with the Buick terminals, you verrry
carefully hook up the hot screw with the red lead and ground the black
to the engine block somewhere. Doesn't make for a lot of contact on
the jumper cable clamp, let it charge for 4-5 mins. before trying to
start. If you don't have room, you get to pull the battery, haul it
in, screw in a couple of bolts and charge it inside. The b-in-law's
Silverado is that way, everything crammed in around the terminals, No
Room. Takes an hour to get the sucker out. The starter also died
with no warning, locked up solid. I'm not a GM fan.

Stan