Duracell DRPP300 Powerpack 300 Jump Starter and Emergency Power Source

The following review is similar to another review I posted regarding the Duracell Powerpack 450. I have edited some portions that are relevant to this 300 model.

I have had similar powerpacks in the past that were made by Xantrex before Duracell bought them out. I have a Xantrex 400 unit purchased in 2006 that is at 50-65% capacity, but that was my fault as I kept it in a climate controlled environment but did not perform the 3 month charging intervals, hence battery degradation.

I bought this one to replace an old Xantrex 300 unit that I found died on me as I was preparing for hurricane Sandy. I primarily buy these for back up power for light and powering electronic devices like cell/smartphones. I have used it to jump start a car (mostly 4 cylinders) and the air compressor comes in handy to top off the PSI on car tires, and at one time to inflate a half flat tire with a slow leak. I was able to inflate it enough to get it to a tire repair shop safely. Expect long run times when using CFL light bulbs, shorter run times with incandescent. Having done my own bench tests for run times on CFL and incandescent light bulbs, here are the results: 60 watt CFL bulb ran for almost 8 hours. 100 watt CFL bulb ran for almost 5 hours. 40 watt incandescent bulb ran for 2 hours, 15 minutes. As you can see, it runs more efficiently with the use of CFL bulbs over incandescent. If you experience frequent power outages for long periods of times, you may want to invest in some CFL bulbs to switch in your lamps for longer run times. The Powerpack 450 will give you an hour or more of longer run times, but to be honest, the weight and size of that unit doesn't make it worth it for the few extra dollars.

This model is much lighter and more portable than it's Powerpack 450 brother which is much heavier. The overall width, however, is wider than one would expect on the 300. The pictures provided are somewhat deceiving.

Regular maintenance is KEY, I stress KEY to longevity. These are not really workhorses. In my opinion they are for light duty occasional usage. If you follow the recharging intervals as indicated, you will get years of use out of them.

Now, if you are to visit the Duracell website, they list too many restrictions as far as performance for jumping a car battery. The units are sensitive to extreme heat or cold temperatures which affect its performance. After reading this, I would not keep mine in the trunk of my car full time UNLESS I am going on a road trip and want the added security of having it with me "just in case." If you are looking for a dedicated battery jump starter to keep full time in your trunk, I'd look elsewhere for one that is able to withstand extreme heat or cold while not affecting performance. This one simply will not cut it for you. I recommend the Jump-N-Carry JNC300XL 900 Peak Amp Ultraportable 12-Volt Jump Starter with Light but there are others out there for you to choose from.

I'm very pleased with my unit!

...but the timespan in which it remains operational is far too short.

I have had mine for less than a year before it developed problems in charging the battery.

I now discover that there is no support for replacing the battery in the unit; Duracell makes it far too difficult to remove and replace the battery to make it worth the hassle.

The one component in here that is likeliest to break is the battery, and rather than making it easy to service as an end user, they tell people to throw the entire unit out and buy another one.

Wasteful and ridiculous.

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I've owned ten of these devices, starting back when they were marketed and sold using the Xantrex brand name. It works fine, but because it contains a lead acid battery, you must charge it once a month. After 2-3 years, however, the battery will die. The manufacturer offers no instructions on how to replace the battery, and so you either need to figure out how to replace it on your own (not easy) or dispose of this and buy a new one.

I've now decided that it is simply better to buy separate components.

The Jump-N-Carry JNC300XL 900 Peak Amp Ultraportable 12-Volt Jump Starter with Light is a jump starter that also contains a lead acid battery. But, unlike with Duracell, this product's battery is user replaceable.

The Slime 40022 12-Volt Digital Tire Inflator will connect to your car's cigarette lighter (or the Jump-N-Carry cigarette lighter output) and inflate your tires. You can even set your desired pressure and it will stop when it reaches that pressure.

And there are a plethora of inverters available that will plug into either to give you 120 Volts.

The nice thing about buying separate components is that they are each lighter and less bulky than this product as well.

Don't get me wrongit is nice to have everything in a single package. And if Duracell allowed the user to replace batteries, I would have given this a very high rating. But, making a product like this disposable is unnecessary and wasteful.

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I have used this powerpack numerous times since purchasing. It has been a life saver when I need to air my tractor tires or jump start one of the pieces of equipment that have been sitting for a while.

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This is the second I purchase. The first one I used for several years on everything from a car boost to a jetski boost to camping. The unit by Duracell is the BEST!!!!! Denitely recommend it.

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