Jumper cables? Nah....there is a newer, better way to go.

[Hollis P. Wood]

That is just one video I saw on YouTube.

I've read about some units available at Harbor Freight....

View attachment 1618931


This guy I know buys condoms at Harbor Freight and is shocked each time his wife announces a new kid is on the way.
Their other products......they are not all bad. Some of their stuff works well but for something more complicated like this, I'd skip their products. Cheap wrenches. cutoff discs, paint guns, bungee cords. zip ties.....sure. I'd never trust a HF torque wrench on my engines.

Spend the extra $

 

[Sinitro]

Thanks. I saw this scale posted online about a year ago and was shocked....

View attachment 1616333

Until I saw this, I was under the false belief that a battery's state of charge was directly linear with the voltage. In other words, a 12 volt battery at 6 volts is at 50%. The scale really disproves that. It surprised me to see that just falling to 12 volts flat puts you under 50%.

Nice interesting chart but..
The crucial factor is not voltage but available current battery reserve..
A battery can test @ higher voltage but when the starter current draw is applied the voltage can/will decrease big-time...

Just my $0.02...

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

I just bought the hulk and it was delivered. I wish it came with a carrying pouch/case with a handle instead of just fancy the cardboard box.

 

[turbine68rt]

I just bought the hulk and it was delivered. I wish it came with a carrying pouch/case with a handle instead of just fancy the cardboard box.

Bought this for mine and glad I did.
HULKMAN Alpha Bag Protection Case for Alpha 85/Alpha 85S https://a.co/d/hDQ1m9J

 

[GetX'd]

I just bought the hulk and it was delivered. I wish it came with a carrying pouch/case with a handle instead of just fancy the cardboard box.

You don’t have to buy the hulk brand case for $35 - I bought an off brand for $20. Just as good - just doesn’t have the name on it. Who cares ….

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I keep mine in my glove box... That case looks to be twice as big as the unit. Not gonna fit in the glove box..

 

[vsj100]

These are very good and they say "30 jumps on a charge". They do better jumping newer FI engines.

 

[GetX'd]

Verdict is in: Ok so I received both units and carry cases. Scoped them both out carefully. Both have their advantages especially for my expected light duty use. The NOCO is smaller and more compact but the off brand case is actually larger than necessary, and of course all in less expensive by $30. The Hulkman A little larger unit but still quite compact. More powerful and has lights. The off brand carry case is more compact, fits everything nicely and ends up all in being smaller than the NOCO package. But the biggest thing - w/The Hulkman you’re not doubting in any way the quality of the product for the extra $$. Big bonus - and deal maker - The Hulkman comes w/an extended 2 yr warranty to 3yrs total.

Done deal! Hulkman in the glovebox!

BTW: Did I say lights? I should have said a shitload of variable setting lights including red, flashing etc …

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

I just ordered the Hulkman hard case, but I read some reviews and it sounds like although the 85 case fits ok, with the cables and such, the Alpha 85 fits much easier in the larger Alpha 100 case, so I bought that one. I guess these are also offered with the case, but I didn't realize that when I ordered mine.

 

[turbine68rt]

I mainly keep mine in the case to protect it around the tools and parts while yarding.

 

[Budnicks]

seem this group agrees

These Editor-Approved Portable Jump Starters Are a Lifesaver on the Road in Any Season

The most reliable options to help get you to your destination safely.

www.popularmechanics.com

 

[64Orange]

Great thread!
I have some shopping to do.

 

[Kern Dog]

Nice interesting chart but..
The crucial factor is not voltage but available current battery reserve..
A battery can test @ higher voltage but when the starter current draw is applied the voltage can/will decrease big-time...

Just my $0.02...

Excellent point.

These are very good and they say "30 jumps on a charge". They do better jumping newer FI engines.

A few weeks back, I was dealing with a no spark issue and my battery voltage was low. I hooked up the Hulkman to assist.
It cranked over really fast for a few attempts…. Then sort of dropped off. It still spun over the engine but not that fast.
Today I went out to a car out back. The battery is at….

The car hasn’t been started in months so I figured I’d need some assistance. After maybe 10 sessions of 10 second cranking, the Hulkman dropped to this:

This is with a 8 to 1 360 that has not ran in months. This isn’t Alaska so it isn’t like the oil is frozen. Why the rapid drop off?
Maybe this unit is good for quickie boosts for a car that normally runs fine. Time will tell if it is good for the other usage I had planned for it.

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

Excellent point.



A few weeks back, I was dealing with a no spark issue and my battery voltage was low. I hooked up the Hulkman to assist.
It cranked over really fast for a few attempts…. Then sort of dropped off. It still spun over the engine but not that fast.
Today I went out to a car out back. The battery is at….

View attachment 1646599

The car hasn’t been started in months so I figured I’d need some assistance. After maybe 10 sessions of 10 second cranking, the Hulkman dropped to this:

View attachment 1646600

This is with a 8 to 1 360 that has not ran in months. This isn’t Alaska so it isn’t like the oil is frozen. Why the rapid drop off?
Maybe this unit is good for quickie boosts for a car that normally runs fine. Time will tell if it is good for the other usage I had planned for it.

I know this thread is on battery starters, but KD - if the car that hadn't been started in months had an at-rest battery voltage of 12.34V, that seems healthy enough for me if you can get the fuel primed and atomized into the carb. A healthy car battery voltage when off is 12.4-12.9V (seems close enough to the minimum). Why did it take ten 10 second cranks? It was obviously something else, because if it was spark only, the Hulkman should have done the job the 1st or 2nd attempt.

 

[Kern Dog]

The fuel bowl was dry, the fuel pump was pulsating, the fuel squirted into the bowl and shot up the vent and out the boosters. The carb has some issues from sitting. I spritzed starting fluid/ether down the throat, closed the choke, did a few things and it acted like it had no spark.
I've found that the no spark condition results in fast and even cranking where it seems to have no resistance.
Cars that have a functioning ignition system spin over but it is like WAaaaAAAaaaaAAAA, then it starts.
Oddly, I had sparks coming from the coil wire from the end that goes into the distributor cap so the distributor was getting spark. I pulled the cap. It was clean and dry inside. I put it back on, then pulled a plug wire off to see if I was getting spark to the end of the wire. It fired right up.
I'm still fuzzy on what was wrong. It had fuel, it sounded as if it had no spark, it then had spark and started.
Maybe....it might have been flooded with ether and raw, stanky gas? The gas is at least 6-7 months old after all.

 

[GetX'd]

Clicking on the link in budnicks post I see the Hulkman has dropped another $25 from when a purchased about a month ago. Beyond that their #3 Avapow is peanut at about $75 less than Hulkman. No matter they all seem like good plays.