On 26/11/2012 14:32, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
mark wrote:
I am looking for one of those all in one: charger, starter, tyre pump
thingies. I don't know the proper name.


Recommendations please.

I've not seen one that is a charger too - the one supplied with the pack
is usually just a wall wart for charging its internal battery.

I have one bought from Lidl many years ago. It long since ceased being any
use to actually start a car - it can't deliver high current any more - but
still works just fine as a tyre compressor, and holds the battery charge
well. And I suspect pretty all of them will be the same - only a limited
number of starts before the battery is knackered.

That was my experience when I bought one many years ago. These days my
device of choice is a beefy mains charger from Machine Mart which gives
20 amps or so on "high", and has a "boost" setting where it will deliver
lots of amps for a few seconds. This will start my 2.8 diesel. I tend to
give it five minutes or so on "high" first. I've never needed it away
from mains but I expect a small petrol generator would run it OK (at
least for the high charge).