Schumacher IPD-1800 Instant Power Jump-Starter with Docking Station

• Portable, 12-volt instant power charger
• Built-in halogen light for emergency or work zone lighting
• 18 amp-hour maintenance-free lead acid battery
• Integrated docking station provides power to start the car or truck
• LED display indicates battery charge

The reasons that I bought this charger is because it has a docking stations which can be used to charge and store the unit when not in use. After the charging is completed, the docking station will enter a "floating charge" mode to prevent overcharging. Some other charger need to be monitored carefully since overcharging can damage the battery. With this unit, I can just leave it and forget it... Also, this unit is small enough that my wife can use it to jumpstart her minivan. Some other multifunction charger are so heavy, you'd have to be a weightlifter to carry the thing.

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** UPDATE ** I originally wrote the glowing review below. This was a great product, while it lasted. Unfortunately, about 1 week after the 1-year warranty period ran out, the unit stopped accepting a charge. That is, I could not charge it either using the cradle or directly from the wall adapter. I called Schumacher and they could not offer me any help. A shame, but I can no longer recommend this device and I will be looking for a replacement.

UPDATE: I paid $88 for this when I purchased it in February, 2008. I see the price has increased, so I just wanted to note this difference so you take my comment about 'heck of a deal for the price' and 'comparison shopping' in the appropriate context. I am still very pleased with the unit but wanted to make clear that I am no longer completely certain that it's the best deal on the market. I have not recently done any comparison shopping to figure out if other units prices have changed.

Original review: Let me begin by saying that this is a sturdy, well-built piece of machinery. It also clearly can get the job done, period. My V6 Toyota Land Cruiser had a _completely_ flat battery, with a totally crudded-over positive terminal. I hooked this puppy up, and my engine ROARED back to life within 10 seconds of the connection being made. I haven't ever heard my engine start like that before, even when jumped from other jumper packs. Now, to comment on some other aspects of this equipment: It comes with a charging cradle, but you don't need to use it, because the AC adapter that plugs in to the cradle can also be plugged directly in to the jumper pack itself. So you can just stash the AC adapter in the car with the jumper pack, for mobile use. Also, this _can_ be used to power small appliances, but you'll need a cigarette-lighter adapter, because this doesn't have a regular outlet, only a cigarette-lighter outlet. Anyway, this is a heck of a deal for the price. I did a lot of comparison shopping to get the best value, and I'm very, very pleased.

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I purchased this unit based on all the positive reviews, but unfortunately, I cannot say the same. I guess I must have received a defective unit. The main battery would not charge through the dock and the LED's on the dock were not in synch, as it showed full charge whether the main unit was attached or not, even before charging. The battery charged fine on its own and I concluded that either the dock itself or the battery contacts must be faulty. I could have done without the dock, but the idea of unprotected contacts being bare makes no sense. What made me decide to return it however was the unpleasant experience with Schumacher. After 3 days of calling, each time I was given the run around and they had no records of my issue (Like I was calling for the first time). Finally they decided I had to ship the entire unit (at my cost) so they can "test it". So much for customer service and warranty on a brand new unit out of the box. I decided to return it to Amazon and they paid for the return shipping. The 3 stars is a balance of 1-2 stars for the product, 0star for Schumacher, and 5+ stars for Amazon.

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I use this as an alternate 12V power source to power a 12V

air compressor and it is a great product! It can power a

Spot Light(15 watts/12V) for 12 hours. So it doesn't have a problem at all when I blow up tires, floats etc.

Save 23% Off

I am very impressed with this product as far as it's dependability and ease of use. I had a problem with a battery drain on my vehicle in which the battery would be dead every morning when I would go to start it. I used this product every day for a few weeks to jump off the car until we could find the source of the drain. It worked flawlessly every time I needed it. I had always been scared to jump start a battery, but with this product, it is so easy I didn't have any worries. I could even throw it in the trunk and take it with me when I thought I might need it.

I have had it about 6 months now and I love it! The peace of mind is well worth it!