Schumacher PS-400-3A Instant Power Jump Starter

• Convenient built-in charger for automatic charging of internal battery
• Audible low-battery alarm sounds when battery is at less than 50% charge
• Heavy-duty copper jaw and metal clamps for solid connections to top and side post batteries
• 18 amp-hour battery delivers 850 peak amps and 250 crank assist amps
• Polyethylene case resists fuels and solvents

The jump starter arrived very quickly and in good condition. I got this system for my wife after she spent 90 min trying to get someone to jump start her car recently. However, there are two issues folks need to know about before they buy this unit. First, You will need an extension cord (with only one female connector) to charge this unit. It does not come with a plug as part of the unit and the male prongs are inset in the unit preventing you from using a strip extension cord. Second, I would recommend also getting the 12V DC male-to-male connector. This will allow you to charge the unit in the car, while it is running of course, and it will allow you to jump start the car using the 12V plug. You can either make your own or I found one from Schumacher (SAC-109 part number). By the way, it does come with a plug-in light that can fit into the 12V adapter.

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This product was exactly what I expected. It was lightweight, durable, and compact. The included lamp is handy, but I mostly bought this to use car accessories when I didn't have a car handy. The 12V outlet is great for exactly that. Charging can be a bit slow (up to a full day from dead) but the unit is a great piece of equipment. The only this that's annoying is that it doesn't come with a car charger you have to buy the cigarette-lighter adapter seporately. I just built one for about $4, so it isn't the end of the world. Just cut the ends off of two cheap car chargers (non-voltage changing ones) and wire them together. Plug one end into the car and the other into the unit.

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I've learned from my mistakes. I've purchased two of the cheaper jump starters (one Coleman, one Vector, probably made by the same folks) and both stank. They don't give enough power to do than more than a couple of cranks in warm weather, and are worse in the cold. Worst of all, the cheap plastic clamps broke. It was difficult to open them wide enough.

This charger, on the other hand, works very well, and it's a great value. Lots more power, charges up efficiently, and has solid all metal clamps. You do need an extension cord with a small enough female end to charge it, but that's easily found.

BTW, aside from the obvious uses of this product, it's nice to have the male-to-male cigarette lighter extension cord. This allows you to provide power to your vehicle when you are swapping out that dead battery that was giving your problems, which means that all the electronic settings in your vehicle are preserved during the swap.

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This jump starter has the capacity to jump start diesel engines and everything else I've used it on; I only wished it came with the cigarette outlet cable that is an option...if it also had that I would have rated it with 5 stars.

I bought this for 'just in case' scenario. It happened about three weeks after purchase. Dead battery on my pickup. Previously, I had followed the mfg's recommendation/instructions for a newly purchased unit and unit was fully charged.

This thing is great, I had to jump start pickup 3 times before finding out I had a defective battery and needed to replace. It kept me from being stranded. It is simple and foolproof to operate. It has worked form me and sits in my garage fully charged again. It is cheap insurance and saves having to call a friend or a tow truck for a jump start. I wished I had purchased earlier. GOOD BYE JUMPER CABLES