Best Jump Starter?

I have never worried about carrying one. I have never had too much trouble with car batteries and find a set of jumper cables more reliable to get me home or to the parts store. The problem with jump starters is that they can be less reliable than your car battery.

 

I have pretty much decided on the Energizer 400 84022 12V 350 Ca Jump-Start System. It is fairly compact, easy to use with good safe design for the cables. It also has an optional dock on the back for a 200 watt inverter. After seeing the other "all in ones", I prefer to keep the tire inflator separate. This unit is smaller and lighter than the Energizer All-in-One, seems more reliable and holds a charge well. This unit charges from the wall outlet. I have read it's not a good idea or efficient to charge these types of units from your car, so that's OK. I am keeping a Portable Tire Inflator, the Slime Digital 12V Tire Inflator in the car (8"x6"). It worked good enough for occasional use. Pumped up all Prius tires on 2 cars.
Energizer 12-Volt 400 CA Emergency Jump Start Back Up System-84022 at The Home Depot#

 

I disagree with the contention that portable jump starters are unreliable. Basically at the heart of all configurations of the tool they are basically just portable batteries. As long as they have been charged and are charged...they are going to work.

Since this tool is presented in a lot of "Swiss Army Knife" type of configurations, my advice would be get the one that most fits your needs and desires. Then keep it charged and ready for those times you might need it. The only way a quality one, that is charged fails you, is if you have failed to keep it charged.

Personally I like owning one....not only for the peace of mind owning one for any potential problems with MY vehicle that might arise, but even more for any problems with family, friends and co-workers vehicles that might arise.

I own a Honda Fit, which basically has a motorcycle battery in it. So the idea of using it to provide someone else with a Jump Start? Does NOT appeal to me. Neither really does the idea of getting a jump start from anybody else if I needed one in the future.

Owning one of those jump start "portable" power stations? Takes the awkwardness out of saying "No" when somebody asks me if I will give them a jump start. I can be helpful and a good Samaritan, without putting my vehicle and it's electrical system at risk. That alone makes owning one worth it to me.

I personally own a pretty spartan jump start and inverter version. I separately own a compressor for inflating tires. I'm not necessarily adverse to any of the "neat" more versatile configurations that now exist. But it all depends on what you really want.

When I bought mine? What I wanted was one potentially for jump starts for myself and others. At the time I purchased I was driving a 1990's Honda Accord....in which battery failure was a greater concern. I've never had to use it to jump start my own vehicle (knock on wood) but I have used it as temporary power during a power outage, and I have loaned it out on numerous occasions to others who's vehicles batteries needed help.

 

I keep mine under the driver's seat, because remember if you're battery us dead, you won't be able to open the trunk to get it.

 

Recently I used motorcycle battery 14Ah - fair enough. All bikers may save your wallets

 

The Prius is almost unique in that it doesn't use the 12V battery to provide lots of amps to a starter motor to turn over the ICE. I was able to jump start a Gen II Prius that had been idle for months just by taking the 12V 7AH gel cell from a computer UPS and connecting it to the jump posts with ordinary hookup wire.

If you have a UPS for your computer, confirm it uses a 12V battery. (Some of the smaller ones use 6V.) Get a spare, keep it in your Prius, and swap the two from time to time to make sure the spare remains charged.

Richard

 

shortly... we'll have the ideas how to bring Prius back to life with ... handheld flashlight or something

 

I've got one of these:
Clore Automotive JNC660 Jump-N-Carry 1, 700 Peak Amp 12-Volt Jump Starter : Amazon.com : Automotive
Used on various vehicles. Be careful when re-wrapping the cables: they can get chewed up by the clamp handles.

 

This is what I use at home and work. It's tough! It's also very bulky so a slimmer unit would fit into the cargo tray better.

Portable Power Pack - 12V, 5-in-1 Portable Power Pack

 

I thought I read where somebody used a DeWalt 12v battery pack.
As stated previously...you're not starting the car. You're booting it up.
I have a theory that 9-"D-Cells" in a holder will boot the car, but I haven't field tested one yet.

What I'm getting at is that you don't need a large battery pack to "jump start" a G3....IMHO.

I like the UPS battery idea too.

Good Luck!

 

This is good to know as I was still considering the Clore. All in all, I like the Energizer 400 Jump Start system, and the safe and easy way it has for the cables to be wrapped. It can also be left in the wall charger, shutting off when charge is not needed.

 

As Kzooman noticed the trunk lock has an electric actuator and requires active current to open? If you store the jumper in the trunk under the mat in the box... good luck trying to get to it.
(yes, you can open the drivers door with the emergency key and open the hood to get a jump start from someone.)

I got a small / slim one and put it just behind the rear passenger seat and bungee tied it to the side. I keep it charged with an extra long double sided cigaret lighter plug when I take long trips and test it regularly.

Booster PAC ES5000 12V Portable Battery Booster Pack : Amazon.com : Automotive

Or you can try this: Stanley Simple Start Battery Booster : Amazon.com : Automotive

 

Done in three minutes

 

Aye. It can be done easily but if you are not fit or are very large then it may be more difficult.

 

I'm long with long range arms ,
but shorter guy can easier crawl into the trunk.

 

I would say that accessing Prius trunk is pretty easy from inside. Especially that you can easly fold rear seats and get in.
But isn't it better to just have a healthy AUX battery instead of carrying additional jump starter set?

 

I'm an old guy. My days of crawling around in back seats involved jump starts but in a different manner.

 

it is - definitely - I think we are not talking about permanent solutions only Mc Gyvering in case of temporary troubles