Black & Decker "Start-it" battery jumper

[NutmegCT]

Black & Decker "Start-it" battery jumper

Has anyone bought and used a Black & Decker "Start-it" system?

There are several amp ranges. It's like a portable battery you charge at the wall (120v), then carry it to where you need a jump.

A new battery costs me around $60. the 300 amp Start-it is around $50; the 450 amp is around $85. Both are much more portable than carrying another battery around. The 450 amp unit also has a tire inflator. Seems pretty useful, especially if you keep a car out in the cold and there's no power supply close to the car for a trickle charger.

Reviews I've read seem positive on the unit, but some owners have found the clamps cheaply built. If the unit does what it says, I can replace the clamps easily if that's a problem.

Any experience with the B&D units?

Thanks.
Tom

 

[jsfbond]

Re: Black & Decker "Start-it" battery jumper

I do not know the Black & Decker units, They are now married to DeWalt, and that is a very good line. My interest in thier products comes from the woodworking world, and not the automotive line. The brand of jump packs I sell is Schumacher, the "Pro" series. They stand up to everyday use by all sorts of people, some are real under the hood types, and some should not even be told where the hood release is located. so, a good test field. The unit for in store use, plugged in and waiting for when somebody leaves a light on and kills thier battery is at least 4 yrs old.

 

[PC]

Re: Black & Decker "Start-it" battery jumper

I do not know the Black & Decker units, They are now married to DeWalt, and that is a very good line. ....

Sorry to go ot, but I couldn't resist the irony in that statement.

Dewalt as we know them today, how most people know them at all, is a Black & Decker fabrication. The yellow drills, sanders, circular saws, etc didn't even exist before the B&D marketing department got involved.

Well, a couple tools did. Their rotary sander/polisher did. Except it was black and said Black & Decker on the side.

After going hog-wild in the consumer market, B&D's street cred with professionals hit rock bottom, along with their market share in pro tools.

The execs were trying to figure a way out of that hole and came up with a plan. They had picked up a little company called Dewalt in an acquisition some time back. Dewalt just made radial arm saws but they had a good rep for making quality tools.

So they changed the resin in the molds from black to yellow and all current and subsequent B&D professional tools would carry the Dewalt brand.

It worked. They've been very successful.

Oh, and they dumped what had been Dewalt. Division execs bought it out. Now it's called The Original Saw Company.


pc.

 

[Bruce Bowker]

Re: Black & Decker "Start-it" battery jumper

I have a rather old B&W drill that is great with enough torque to flip a car. I have new DeWalt tools that have broken frequently. Seems to me the plastic is cheap. I also have a few Porter Cable sanders that I am not happy with at all. The pad that holds the disks keep deteriorating much too fast.

 

[Banjo]

Re: Black & Decker "Start-it" battery jumper

At 450 Cranking Amps that should be sufficient to start about any 6 cylinder or smaller vehicle, assuming the vehicles battery isen't stone dead. (It may even start one occasionally that way) But don't expect it to start any larger V8s Trucks, Vans and such (Unless they just need a little help). We had a 500 amp jobber at work. Great on cars, woulden't start trucks for beans. We got a 1200 amp monster now! I think you may be able to fire up the space shuttle with that thing! Ok, it still ain't all that , but it does what we need it to do.
I bet for home use, that 450 Amp would be VERY handy. I doubt you'd be dissapointed.