Battery Jumper cable recommendations?

[Ducky's Dad]

The lithium jump packs are small enough that you can shove them into your pocket to warm them up. I just used one this morning to start a completely dead GM 5.7. Took maybe three minutes to transfer enough charge to the starting battery to start the truck, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't crank over right away when cold.

 

[Happy Joe]

I'm sorry pal, I was just having some fun at your expense because you come off as a know-it-all. Perhaps I went overboard. But well (my apologies) you do.

... far from knowing or experincing it all... still trying though...
No prob...

Enjoy

 

[brian0128]

I got these last year and they have worked great for under $25.00. 4Guage and 20ft long.

 

[WSS]

Built mine from 4ga welding cable, small enough to carry but put through some serious current. I run a dual battery system with anderson connectors to plug in my cables, they have clamps at both ends just one end is only about a foot long. My outer battery comes out easy and can connect to anderson plug for remote jumping or even camp use. I have a anderson pug on the front next to winch to plug in as well. The two batteries can be unplugged and connected to a yoke to make 24vdc for my readywelder too.

 

[ducktapeguy]

I have a couple of those lithium jump packs, but I'm not fully convinced of their reliability. Sometimes they seem to work great, and sometimes they don't. So far in my experience, when they work they're great, but they're not as reliable as the old style jump boxes I've used for many years. The few times I've used they lithium jump packs, the first time it worked fine, the second time it wouldn't turn over a weak battery (pack was fully charged). I've switched between the two I have and seems like sometimes one of them would work, then the other, but it was never as simple as just hooking it up and go. Oftentimes the pack would shutoff during the jumpstarting attempt and need to be reset by plugging it into a wall charger (it was not discharged, but won't turn on)

Just last weekend I tried using it to jumpstart a jeep that's been sitting for a few months. It was working great and I was able to try cranking it about 10-12 times, but the problem was the set of mini jumper cables that come with them have some sort of "protection" circuit that melted after multiple attempts. I have a feeling that circuit is the cause of the issues I'm seeing so I'm thinking of just bypassing it completely with some heavy gauge wire.

I still carry a cheap set of jumper cables in my car because they're pretty much fool proof, nothing to break, nothing to discharge. I have a few sets of extra heavy duty jumper cables that sit in my garage, because of the fact that they're so heavy. The cheap ones may take a little longer to jumpstart a car but in a pinch they work fine.

 

[freedomrider]

I'm sorry pal, I was just having some fun at your expense because you come off as a know-it-all. Perhaps I went overboard. But well (my apologies) you do.

Pot.... kettle.... black.

 

[Axel999]

I just got the 16' from McMaster in today
but I also have the cheapest route, I use a set of Warn Winch https://mechanicguides.com/best-jumper-cables/ with my jumper cables. One quick connector mounted to the front bumper of my truck, one end on a 25' set of 2ga jumper cables, and one end on a 2' jumper cable pigtail (for use with the quick connect jumper cables as standard jumper cables).

 

[lonewolf55337]

A few years back I built a set of extremely heavy duty jumper cables. The reason behind this set was we worked in a remote area, 60 miles to the nearest town, rarely would you have cell service. And jump starting a big international truck with bare #6 copper is not a fun thing to do.

Even with standard cables it would take time and you would have to get close for the short lengths to work.

So... I had a spare truck ground cable from an utility bucket truck. 50 feet of 3/0 cable with a heavy yellow rubber jacket.

I cut the cable in half and took a set of 800 amp parrot clamps and made a 25 foot jumper cable set.

Now, at the new company, I laugh and shake my head when they pull out the small cables, and say wait here let me grab mine.

And they jump start the big trucks in a fraction of the time as smaller gauge cables.

 

[67cj5]

You are better off making your own jumper cables out of Welding cables and clamps, A set of cables from a large arc welder make awesome jumper cables because they have a huge amount of copper inside them,

 

[tatanka48]

after committing GROSS STUPIDITY in a previous life i learned another key element to GOOD JUMPER CABLES

they need to be LONGER THAN YOUR LONGEST VEHICLE

enough longer that someone can pull up to your vehicle from the rear when front(nose to nose) access is not possible

also figure the helper vehicle may have it's battery on the fire wall

btw, i killed the battery in a charter bus w/ it backed into a spot too tight for a like kind helper vehicle to get into

the kind soul who showed up in another bus had a set of cables that reached the length of my bus around to the opposite side of his bus where he had aircraft style plugs mounted

vehicle + in length

serious HD cable(build your own out of welding cables or store boughten)

plugs mounted for easy access

HD clamps for versatility

my current 30' set(bought @ a truck stop) reaches behind and will (has) easily start my 7.3 F-350 super crew w/ 8' bed(23' long incl grill guard & hitches front n rear)

another btw, i finally got a jumper box about the size of 1/2 a cigarette carton which will start a 7.3(did for a friend) after about 5 minutes of charging the dead battery(warm weather)

T

 

[67cj5]

If you make your own or buy some from a Store, Get some small cable Ties and put them around the cables every 12 to 18 inches apart If your Truck uses those huge batteries place the first cable Tie about 18 inches from the end/Clamps, Doing this will stop them getting Tangled and save you loosing your rag when things don't go your way,

Hope that helps.

 

[Superduty]

after committing GROSS STUPIDITY in a previous life i learned another key element to GOOD JUMPER CABLES

they need to be LONGER THAN YOUR LONGEST VEHICLE

enough longer that someone can pull up to your vehicle from the rear when front(nose to nose) access is not possible

also figure the helper vehicle may have it's battery on the fire wall

btw, i killed the battery in a charter bus w/ it backed into a spot too tight for a like kind helper vehicle to get into

the kind soul who showed up in another bus had a set of cables that reached the length of my bus around to the opposite side of his bus where he had aircraft style plugs mounted

vehicle + in length

serious HD cable(build your own out of welding cables or store boughten)

plugs mounted for easy access

HD clamps for versatility

my current 30' set(bought @ a truck stop) reaches behind and will (has) easily start my 7.3 F-350 super crew w/ 8' bed(23' long incl grill guard & hitches front n rear)

another btw, i finally got a jumper box about the size of 1/2 a cigarette carton which will start a 7.3(did for a friend) after about 5 minutes of charging the dead battery(warm weather)

T

Which jumper box did you get that works for the 7.3?

 

[tatanka48]

Which jumper box did you get that works for the 7.3?

sorry it took so long to reply

the bridal unit did some holiday organizing and some of my stuff got re-stored(stored in different places... )

here it is opened up w/ all the toys shown



and folded for carry



please understand the 7.3 i used it on was in good running condition and it was a warm day when the battery had been run down to click click status by leaving the door open and the radio playing

i have not tried it in cold weather and my engine is still in good running condition so...

poor engine condition and colder weather tests have not been tried yet

i have since bought different systems for the kids that read to be more powerfull

mine cost $100 and the newer ones were about 1/2 again more

T

 

[neil d]

First, I can’t believe I just read three pages about jumper cables. My loss.

But $100+ for jumper cables with non-commercial application? Overland fever there. Just got back from DV, way back in the cuts, where I jumped my pal’s battery with $15 HF cables. Took a few minutes to charge, but ****** do I care, I’m in the desert looking up at a full moon. YMMV.

 

[FJOE]

First, I can’t believe I just read three pages about jumper cables. My loss.

But $100+ for jumper cables with non-commercial application? Overland fever there. Just got back from DV, way back in the cuts, where I jumped my pal’s battery with $15 HF cables. Took a few minutes to charge, but ****** do I care, I’m in the desert looking up at a full moon. YMMV.

It's not overland fever unless your cables have their own roof rack/360 awning.