Lithium Jumper Cable Kits Solve The Dead Battery Problem
Don't Let a Dead Battery Steal Your Friday Freedom Face!
We were in the process of testing and writing a 3 part series identifying the differences between the various lithium jumper cable kits when I came across a 2012 blog draft from an employee that for one reason or another was overlooked and forgotten about until now. Reviewing her account of events, I was very much entertained and realized there are some definite technology improvements & takeaways we can ascertain from her experience. Continue reading to learn more…
Jacquelyn’s Press for Weekend Fun & Jumper Cable Kit Story
4:00PM and out the door, woo-woo free at last…Psych! I go to start my car and nothing. I check out all my knobs and clickable things…yep, there’s the culprit. Like a dork, I left my lights on! First, I contemplate calling my boyfriend, having him wake up from sleeping (since he works the night shift), and come save the day…which may have been accompanied with some eye rolling from him. But no, I Am Woman, hear me roar, woman power unite and what not…so I decide to deal with this myself (and save myself from the patronizing eye rolling).
This should be easy. I grab my handy dandy, all-in-one, push a button; make everything better ‘jumper cable kit’, ready for victory to occur…and… nothing. Now I am perturbed! So, my woman power ideals, having quickly passed, are replaced by a need for freedom as the press of weekend fun to come is pulling me down into a 1950’s way of thinking. Yes, I just want a man to do it! Next, I will be baking a turkey dinner, and vacuuming in pearls.
I call out to my boss, who is always at work and wouldn’t feel the weekend freedom pull if it dragged him off a cliff (i.e. workaholic), and ask him ever so sweetly for HELP! He examines the situation, and says “Did you try keeping the kit charged?” Oh…hmm, I was under the impression that all-in-one, make everything better kits, didn’t require something as menial as charging. Foiled again! So, him being the battery pro that he is, brings out his Energizer-All-in-One, really make everything better-jumper cable kit that is, of course, fully charged and with baited breath I wait for victory again to come!
Not so fast! My boss would like to teach a person to fish, so they can feed themselves; instead of buying them a nice fish dinner…or something to that effect. I wasn’t fully listening, as the weekend freedom pull was getting stronger. He must not have got my memo that I was past roaring like a lion, and back to ‘Leave it to Beaver’ on my women’ lib! So he proceeded to make me open the hood, attach the jumper cables, press the magic button, start my car, and… vroooom! The sweet sound of my ripped muffler filling the air with excess noise and air pollution…music to my ears! I was really getting tired of the whole…‘and nothing’ theme. Just as I was picturing myself melodiously racing through town enjoying the weekend, he rips me back to reality and made me package the kit back up correctly, take it inside and lower my hood. I have to admit he was right, though tell him that and you’ll get it Buddy, he doesn’t need any more self-confidence. It did feel really great to do it myself, and I actually felt like I came away from the situation a bit wiser and eager for a fish fry or saving dolphins—dang it! It was something to do with eating fish…
Moral of the story – Be prepared with an awesome jumper cable kit, and keep it charged and ready to go. Oh, and it’s good to try things yourself, and not immediately assume you always need someone to save you… also, on a side note, don’t leave your lights on, Dork!
After Reading Her Post, Two Things ‘Jumped Started’ My Thinking
I think we can all agree that jump starters are convenient and necessary emergency tools. However, as Jacquelyn so wonderfully pointed out, they get left in the trunk and forgotten about—out of sight, out of mind—and become a useless tool. But for all the Jacquelyns in the world, know this: You should never again have to experience the ‘Leave-It-To-beaver-baking-a-turkey dinner-and-vacuuming-in-pearls’-helpless-damsel-in-distress feeling again! The advent of the lithium battery jumper cable kit (i.e. The Weego JS12 Battery+) solves this problem. Not only do they hold charge many months longer than traditional lead acid packs, they can be used on a daily basis. These compact and super lightweight jump starters can fit in your bag, purse, pocket or glove box, instead of the trunk. They also double as a charging station for your smartphone, laptop, or any other USB powered device, making it nearly impossible to forget about and providing tremendous value and benefit.
The second aspect that I came away with was the cost comparison between traditional jumper cables, lead acid all-in-one jumper cable kits, and the lithium jump starter power packs. A good set of cables will cost as much as $200 and spend their life riding around in the trunk, probably never used. Plus, should your battery be found dead, you still need to find a willing motorist to stop and hook your vehicle to. An all-in-one lead acid based kit will have USB and 12V DC ports, but since they are so bulky, they seldom get pulled from trunk storage unless you have a flat tire and require the use of the built in air compressor. At around $150, these devices, if kept charged, have potential to perform many tasks and are life savers considering the reality of flat tires. But still, the value of a good quality lithium battery jumper cable kit takes the cake! Ranging in price from $100-$200, the Weego JS6, JS12, and JS18, for example, provide a much better return on investment. There is no need to store the battery pack in the trunk and forget about it. When no emergency exists use the jump pack to charge your portable devices, including your kid’s game players that are a must have for long trips. The emphasis here should be on ‘good quality’ lithium packs, as our three part series investigating the differences between the brands will reveal.
