[Shop-talk] Battery Starter/Charger

[David Scheidt]

On Fri, Sep 7, 2018 at 4:43 AM Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I used to do work for one of the largest AAA clubs in the country and periodically rode along with their service vehicles to spend time with their drivers and better understand both the drivers’ and the customers’ needs.  The drivers all seemed to carry this Clore charger in their trucks: https://www.cloreautomotive.com/sku.php?id=262. That is the one I bought (as I recall, they were an Amazon Cyber Monday special) and it has served me well for the past 5 years or so.  I keep that one in my truck.  I also have a Li-ion charger (another Cyber Monday special) that I keep in my Alpine.  I am sure it isn’t near up to the quality of the Close Li-ion chargers, but it will do the trick for that car when needed, although just barely.  I don’t think it would make a dent in an F-150 with a totally dead battery, or even a one with a weak battery.  It also isn’t instant, even in the Alpine.  You have to attach it to the battery and then wait until an LED indicates sufficient charge.  Maybe a better one would be different (and Clore's 700 amp charger does say it will handle a V8 https://www.cloreautomotive.com/sku.php?id=558), but for heavy duty use, I strongly recommend the big Clore.
>
> Now, that said, during the same AAA ride-alongs I was also shocked to discover that this was the jack they carried in the trucks: https://www.harborfreight.com/15-ton-aluminum-racing-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-62160.html. So, take my testimonial with a grain of salt.  :)
>
I used to drive a tow truck.  We had a jump pack, probably a clore,
but maybe not that good.  (This was a long time ago.)  It would start
90% of the stuff was going to start.  It was much much faster than
using jumper cables, even the kind that plugged into the truck, and
allowing for the "wait a minute" part of using one.  and not having to
get the truck close helps a bunch. The only time we'd break out the
jumper cables was for really cold weather, or big engines with really
dead batteries.  Another advantage of the ump box is that it's
basically impossible to damage the electrical system of the vehicle
you're jumping with it, because it's only a battery, and not an
alternator.  Another thing to keep in mind is that if the truck can't
start your car, they're going to tow it.  (And AAA pays for two calls,
bonus.).

Those aluminum jacks are great.  Think about how many times the
service truck drive picks it up a day, and how much a steel jack
weighs.  They're low profile enough to get under most cars, even with
a flat, and lift it high enough to change the wheel.  1.5 tons is
enough even for a fullsized truck, you're only lifting a corner,
remember.  If they only last a year or two, so what, you got your
money out of it.