# best battery boosters?



## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

car is well frozen up this am, won't start. I even had a hard time moving the stick into neutral!

plan to get a battery booster, wondering who's using what?


something like this

http://www.amazon.ca/Clore-Automoti...8&qid=1424096610&sr=8-1&keywords=jump+starter

thx!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

When I lived down east and had my diesel (VW) I used the inline heater. It slowly circulated and heated the glycol. They just didn't seem to last very long; about a year or so, but they worked great. You had heat coming out of the heater almost right away.


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## JCM50 (Oct 5, 2011)

I use the Motomaster 100a charger/starter. Works great and fast.On special @ 89.99, its hard to beat. 
http://www.canadiantire.ca/fr/pdp/m...and-manual-battery-charger-with-0111505p.html

It doesn't like to be left outdoors below -15. Keep it inside and bring it out when needed.


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## boyscout (Feb 14, 2009)

I buy these on sale (I do understand that waiting for a sale might not work for you now!) However if you search on Motomaster Eliminator you'll see other less-expensive models.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/eliminator-1000a-700w-power-box-0112028p.html#.VOIc-fma9eA

I buy them because they can be used for other things, inverter is included.

I also have a NOCO Genius charger, again very pleased. I haven't done it, but the literature says you can leave a battery charging on it for extended periods... put it on overnight when severe cold is anticipated. It has smart programs for rejuvenating older batteries to extend their life, and can cope with various types of batteries rather than just old-style lead-acid, if that's useful to you.

This one (not the one I have) has a LiIon battery in it to give you a quick boost:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/n...m-ion-jump-starter-0111909p.html#.VOIel_ma9eA

Other models don't have that LiIon booster, but offer excellent versatility and seem very good quality.

As JCM50 says, batteries prefer to be kept indoors.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I have one of these hooked up to my summer car to keep the battery minty fresh.

Battery Tender Plus
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/b...charger-maintainer-0111941p.html#.VOKHp2w5B7g


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Yep, I like this. BMW sell one with a BMW badge on it for the same price, LOL. I've seen the tender on Amazon for just over $40. I've got an old Motomaster charger that still works great and allows me to trickle charge if need be. If I didn't have it I'd be all over that tender. I actually had to use the trickle charger today as i was getting the "charge battery warning light", minus 30 when I got up this morning.



Milkman said:


> I have one of these hooked up to my summer car to keep the battery minty fresh.
> 
> Battery Tender Plus
> http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/b...charger-maintainer-0111941p.html#.VOKHp2w5B7g


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Constant companion 


JCM50 said:


> I use the Motomaster 100a charger/starter. Works great and fast.On special @ 89.99, its hard to beat.
> http://www.canadiantire.ca/fr/pdp/m...and-manual-battery-charger-with-0111505p.html
> 
> It doesn't like to be left outdoors below -15. Keep it inside and bring it out when needed.


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

.....or you could take your car battery into the house overnight . >a warm battery is a happy battery


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

We have 2.
Had this one for a couple years now: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/motomaster-nautilus-battery-pack-800-a-0111592p.html#.VONkylJ0yos
powerful and has multi purposes ie tire inflator. But it is bulky and heavy.

Bought the Noco GB 30 last month. LOVE the portability of it...barely bigger than a cell phone, reviews look great, but I haven't had to try it yet. It stays in my ATV storage box for now, due to its tiny size, and the fact that I don't want to be stranded out in the wilderness in the winter with a dead battery, lol. 

we had a cheaper no name $60 unit before, that my wife won in a contest at work, but it didn't last very long...the internal battery died about a year later and wasn't worth replacing. They use a battery similar to what youd find in a kids ride-on toy car, as with most offshore produced units, quality varies widely.

i think step 1 is making sure youre car battery isn't suspect however.

i really cant see my self pulling/re-installing my battery every day when its -20 out, honestly, even if it does make sense mechanically.


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## WannabeGood (Oct 24, 2007)

If you have clear space (about 1.5cm) around your battery then you could consider installing a battery blanket. My daughters Nissan Sentra (bought used) came with one and I was going to put one on our Caliber but the battery sits in a container thingie and there was no room. Draws something like 40-60 watts but keeps the battery warm. 
Also have a Motomaster booster that won't hold a charge anymore. Didn't last maybe two years.

Regards,


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

thx for all the info, much appreciated everyone!


I thought about taking the battery inside. kind of a pain in the ass. easier to hook up a booster once in a blue ( cold ) moon


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

I have one of these on my generator battery which stays on all winter and one on my tractor battery that I use in cold weather and take off to start the tractor. Their smart chargers and only charge when needed. However, I think your talking about the battery chargers that can also boost a dead battery. I've never seen one of those that worked well boosting a dead battery without running out of power itself. Then you have to charge your battery the conventional way. These chargers come on sale at CT periodically for $30 and are a good investment IMO.


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

New Battery ! Toronto only got down to -26 C and a gas car with decent plugs and a decent battery should start no problem. Mine did and my battery is about five years old.


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## boyscout (Feb 14, 2009)

Maybe someone at Canadian Tire reads GuitarsCanada. Two products I mentioned earlier in this thread are on sale this week at Canadian Tire.

Motomaster Eliminator 1000A booster/inverter on sale 35% off:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/eliminator-1000a-700w-power-box-0112028p.html#.VOdoJPma9eA

This is a beast with more than enough power to boost anything but even better (for my uses at least) is that it has a built-in inverter that will run a whole lot of 120-volt toys and tools for hours. I have two of these, love 'em.

NOCO Boost on sale 35% off.

NOCO makes very good battery products. I don't own this model, but I might soon!

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/n...m-ion-jump-starter-0111909p.html#.VOdmqPma9eA

(Also 500pc rotary tool set 70% off, nice power bar 65% off... check your flyer.)


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

anyone use a AGM (absorbed glass mat ) battery...
I just heard about these from my son and although they are expensive, was just wondering is they are worth the price.

G.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

I have trickle chargers on the bikes right now. And a spare, charged truck battery....925cca, 1050ca, 3 hr reserve cap.....in the shop with jumper cables. The one I have now is 3 years old, cost around $130. In the summer it's a 12v power source for things in the yard. Works quite well and if needed I can put it into one of the trucks. It's too big for the car.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

GTmaker said:


> anyone use a AGM (absorbed glass mat ) battery...
> I just heard about these from my son and although they are expensive, was just wondering is they are worth the price.
> 
> G.


Yup,I'm have one for my Jetski.
theyre great, at least in my application of a vehicle that doesn't get started very often and sits discharging for relatively long periods of time, but I dont know if a car would benefit from them.
I'd consider how long I planned to keep the vehicle. If it were less than 5 yrs, I'd prob get something ordinary from Costco.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

yep i bought a new battery it is working fine....and cost about the same as those boosters

I may still pick up a booster though


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

has anyone had to replace the battery in one of these booster box things?
the one in my Nautilus 800a battery pack seems to be DOA...totally flat and unable to take a charge. Its a few yrs old, so not likely under warranty.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Not mentioned so far is whether your car, and any booster, would have ready access to an AC outlet, or whether you need something that will work even when not plugged in at the time you need the boost (i.e., plug it in to charge it, but run it "cordless" when you take it out to the car).


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Diablo said:


> has anyone had to replace the battery in one of these booster box things?
> the one in my Nautilus 800a battery pack seems to be DOA...totally flat and unable to take a charge. Its a few yrs old, so not likely under warranty.


I am not familiar with all the technical aspects of rechargeable batteries but I have heard of situations where a battery has fallen below a certain voltage after being left on the shelf too long without any use and has completely discharged. This can lead to problems with it taking a charge at all. It almost needs a boost itself before being able to take a nice slow trickle charge and be brought back to life.
Maybe someone else here knows what I'm talking about and could shed some light on how to fix it.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

They normally have a sealed lead/acid type battery inside. Smaller than a car battery, but a common type that you would find in a motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, etc. 
Something like this example:

Deka ETX14 Motorcycle Battery Apex Battery


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Ideally, one combines a charger or booster with some type of engine block heater. The idea is that if the engine block is cold enough that the engine oil is too thick, a bigger bang is needed in the combustion chambers to get the pistons to move, and a bigger zap from the spark plug is needed to accomplish that. So, a less frozen engine block requires less of the spark plug and battery, and any booster needed to take it over the top.

Of course, when we lived in Edmonton, there were days when it didn't matter how long the block heater and battery warmer had been plugged in. If the front seat felt like it was made of 1" MDF when you sat down, that engine wasn't turning over for love or money.


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