Clore CS1000 CarStart Ultra-Portable 900 Peak Amp Jump Starter with 12-Volt Power and Flashlight

It's small, portable, and well built. However, there are limitations and downsides.

Typically, a good rule to follow is that you need about 1 crank amp per cubic inch of motor. So, 225 would be enough for 3.7 liter motors, in theory. Realistically, it's enough for about 3.3 liter motors at a maximum. I tested this jump box on 3 different vehicles. 2 of them with 3.5 liter V6 engines, and 1 with a 3.0 V6. Both had totally dead batteries. It could not start either of the 3.5 motors, but did have enough power for the 3.0, though it struggled. I bought this to replace a jump box I've had for 5 years that had 300 Crank amps and was strong enough to start partially dead V8 motors of 5.6 liter and 5.3 liter sizes, but after time and use, they die out. It's gotten to the point where it can't start my totally dead 3.5, which is why I purchased this one. Bottom line, if you have a 4 cylinder car, this jump box will work fine. If you have a small V6, it will also work fine. If what you typically encounter when you turn the ignition is the sound of the starter bumping, but not turning the engine, your battery isn't totally dead (your radio and other things like windows may still work, if a bit slow) and this jump box should provide the boost required to start your vehicle. If you have a big motor, don't even bother with this item. I give it 3.5 stars, since it's practical, but limited. For the price, it is a great item to own.

I have a large motor home with a number of batteries, all of which I foolishly allowed to die in my driveway since I didn't use it for many months. Since I couldn't get my car near the RV to jump it, I thought I might try this charger. Although the charger didn't have enough power to start this large vehicle, I was able to plug it in and trickle charge the batteries for a few hours. I don't know if this is recommended procedure, but it turned out to be a good solution to my problem and got me going with no apparent damage to the charger.

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...guys and gals, the trick to using this gem of a tool is to use it as a trickle charger for the "dead" battery. Clamp this little guy on, and allow 10-15 minutes for it to do its duty (the wait time is trivial-how long would you wait for AAA?). REMOVE the clamps and clear the Clore unit safely from the vehicle, and turn the key in the dead vehicle. This way is safest to recover a disabled vehicle (no sparks, no explosions or fire, no melted or shorted wires or cables, no injuries...), be it a car or a 1-ton pickup-with ANY size battery.

JUST keep it charged; that's all it asks of its owner...

The 12V outlet is nifty (its cover, disguised as a utility light, is a clever idea-use it for small-space illumination); I use it to power my netbook and my tire inflator...

I look forward to sharing many years with this clever tool...

Read Best Reviews of Clore CS1000 CarStart Ultra-Portable 900 Peak Amp Jump Starter with 12-Volt Power and Flashlight Here

I've had mine for at between 5 and 10 years. I know that I've used it maybe 10 times in all. It has worked perfectly 9 out of 10 times. The only time it didn't work we had discharged the battery of our Ford Escape V6 until it was totally dead. Then and only then it didn't work. I have a really heavy Jump & Start portable jumper and that wouldn't jump start the Escape either. So, I have 90% success and the one time it didn't work, I don't think anything else would have worked either. I am not an expert, but I've have nothing but good experiences which has left me very confident in this unit. Yes, it's small. I think that's a good thing.

On several occasions when I've helped people who's batteries are dead, they are amazed at how well it works, particularly because it's so small. I have jumped SUV's, small cars and larger cars. It has been my experience that this unit is just as reliable as my larger, presumably more powerful unit. I charge it up about once a year and that's all i've done for years to maintain it. After reading many of these luke warm reviews I don't know if I would buy this, but the fact is, it's so easy to use and it almost always works! I prefer it over the two other units I have that weigh at least 3 to 4 times as much and are much larger as well. I guess if you have an 18 wheeler then you probably shouldn't rely on this, but if you don't have an 18 wheeler why would you want something that big to jump your normal sized car or SUV? I give this an enthusiastic 5 stars.

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I have a larger all-purpose jump starter (with inverter and air pump), which I keep at home or tote with when I use one of the trucks or cargo van. But, for my passenger vehicle, I wanted something small, inexpensive, and just powerful enough to start my 4 cylinder Hyundai Sonata. I don't need a ton of crank amps to turn this engine over, so there's no point in paying a lot for big heavy SLA I don't need especially considering how reliable my car has been with its new Optima battery. For my purposes, this is perfect. It's value priced, has enough muscle to start my car up without difficulty (I've done a few tests), recharges quickly, and is a fairly sturdy & compact design. At such a low price, I won't feel guilty if it's lost, stolen, or only survives a few seasons in the trunk. It also makes a modest power source to recharge portable electronics, via the 12V DC socket. I'm quite pleased with this purchase, but I recommend folks evaluate their needs before buying it it's not really suited for bigger engines.

2013 Update: Despite being two years old, this still works well. I was able to successfully start two cars today, in brutal cold weather. One was a I4 Toyota Camry, and it started right up as I expected. I had my doubts it could turn over my clients' V6 Cadillac SLS, though. The Caddy's battery was weak, but not dead, so I figured I'd give it a shot before I went to pull my car up and jump car-to-car. To my surprise, I we got it started on the first shot. Nice! I'd still rather have my bigger jump starter, if I had to jump bigger vehicles, but at least I'm assured this is a quality unit.

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