I remember the exact moment I realized jumper cables were obsolete. My car battery had finally given in to Florida’s relentless heat; I needed to get to the auto parts store for a replacement. Fortunately, I had a good friend ready and willing to help.
I pulled out my jumper cables and prepared to push the car halfway down the driveway so we would have enough space to connect the two vehicles. When my friend arrived, he stepped out of the car holding what appeared to be a large flashlight. He said to me, “We don’t need those jumper cables,” as he proudly held up his device. He was holding a portable jump starter.
With a wry smile and a bit of a chuckle, he connected the unit and told me to give it a try. One crank and the car started right up. It was the easiest jump start I had ever experienced. I have had my fair share of jump-starts, having originally lived in western New York where cold weather and battery failures are common.
That Was Anticlimactic
My previous experiences with jump starting involved carefully connecting jumper cables and then cranking a few times. Jumper cables worked well enough, but they have always had some inherent weaknesses:
- They require a running vehicle as a source of electricity.
- They require that the rescue vehicle be fairly close.
- They need to be connected in a certain way to avoid damage.
- They don’t work well when the stranded car is parked in a tight space.
I was expecting the normal amount of work to get my car started. But with the portable jump starter, it was almost anticlimactic. There was zero drama. We didn’t even have to push the car down the driveway. It was a quick start with absolutely no fuss.
Now I’m Self-Reliant
I am grateful to my friend for helping me out on that occasion. More importantly, I am grateful for him coming to my rescue and helping me understand that jumper cables are no longer necessary. They are not even the best option anymore.
Jumper cables represent a technology that requires assistance. You need to have access to a running vehicle, which usually means enlisting the help of another driver. That’s fine if your car battery goes dead in a shopping center parking lot during the middle of the day. But if you are stranded downtown in the wee hours of the morning, do you really want to be flagging down a complete stranger?
That used to be my gig. Now I am self-reliant. I have my own portable jump starter, guaranteed to get me going whenever my battery dies. The only real concern for me is making sure that I keep it charged. So every now and again I plug it in and top it off.
Brands for Every Need
When I decided to buy my own jump starter, my friend recommended the Booster PAC brand from Clore Automotive. Clore products are designed for professional use. Had I still lived in western New York, where winters are brutal, I probably would have gone with Booster PAC. But living in central Florida now, I really don’t need the raw power of a Booster PAC unit for one or two starts per year.
Instead, I invested in a lithium pack that I found at the local auto parts store. It works well enough for my purposes. As for my kids still living up north, I have recommended they look at Booster PAC or another similar brand. Investing in a jump starter will make them self-reliant too.
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