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

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 144 x 72 x 12 inches ; 6 pounds
Shipping Weight: 8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
ASIN: B000F59VNC
Item model number: CS1000

By : Clore Automotive
List Price : ~~$62.96~~
Price : $39.95
You Save : $23.01 (37%)

Product Description

The CarStart CS1000 is an ultra-portable jump starter. Weighing in at just eight pounds, this unit packs the punch of 900 peak amps of starting power, making it the ultimate combination of power and portability. The CS1000 is the perfect go-anywhere, store-anywhere jump starter. It provides 900 peak amps of jump starting power to start virtually any passenger vehicle, including cars, SUVs, light trucks, personal watercraft, motorcycles, ATVs and more. Plus, with its compact size, the CS1000 stores easily and frees up trunk space. It comes equipped with a high intensity work light and a 27" cable span for easy operation in any shop, garage or roadside environment. Full size clamps, 6 AWG cables and Clore's convenient Grip-Lock clamp storage system ensure that jump starting with the CS1000 is convenient, safe and effective.

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

Product Features

Provides 900 peak amps and 225 cranking amps of jump starting power to start virtually any passenger vehicle, including cars, SUVs, light trucks, personal watercraft, motorcycles, ATVs and more
27-inch cable reach, with 6 AWG cables and full size clamps
Built-in LED high intensity flashlight
DC outlet to power 12-volt accessories
Includes wall charger

Costumer Reviews

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.

Okay, let's get the obvious out of the way. The little flashlight head is nothing more than a dust cap to the 12V port. You won't be able to see anything with that thing. At best, you may be able to read a comic book under the covers when the lights go out at camp. Get a real flashlight.
What you get is a well built, self contained, rechargeable 12V power source with only one outlet. 900 amps is plenty for running a cell phone, IPod, laptop computer, and most other small devices. A little over 2 feet of cable should be enough if you plan balancing this unit on your fender. The 6 gauge wires are thick enough to handle the capacity and length. Full size clamps are easier to handle than those flimsy little nipple clamps that come on other units.
A good battery, such as an Optima Batteries D27M BlueTop Group 27 Marine Battery , could have 1,000 cranking amps and 800 cold cranking amps. Can you jump that with 225 cranking amps? Maybe. Maybe not. It could be okay if your battery is not fully drained. If your car was left in cold weather and the battery is low, and this jump starter just came fully charged out of a warm house, this might work. But if this unit was sitting in the trunk of your car, then it is just as cold as the battery under the hood.
For $35, you get what you pay for. It's a great portable, light weight, power supply. Will this actually jump start a car? It might. But there is a reason why tow truck drivers aren't using these. You don't use a floating lantern battery to jump start car batteries. It's small, does not take much space, and even your teenage daughter could handle this with ease.
It would work great as a back-up device for peace of mind, on your teenage daughter's little sub-compact economy car if she left the radio, vanity mirror light, or interior cabin light on overnight. I could count on it to jump start a motor scooter that hasn't been ridden all winter. But I would have reservations about using this to power up the dead battery of The Pork Chop Express on a dark ; stormy night.
Keep in mind that today's modern vehicles are usually equipped with technology to turn off the headlight and radio when the key is turned off or out of the ignition. Even American cars which are engineered for the headlights to operate independent of the ignition switch feature some sort of warning chime. The chances of returning to a drained battery are slim. A simple way to prevent this from happening is to install a PriorityStart! 12 Volt ProMax or a Battery Protector (T4).
Units such as Jump-N-Carry JNC1224 3400/1700 Peak Amp 12/24V Jump Starter offer up to 3400 peak amps, with 850 cranking amps. Coleman Cable 08862 25-Foot Ultra-Heavy-Duty Truck and Auto Battery Booster Cables, 2-Gauge are 2 gauge. You can go really overboard and set up a WARN 32966 24' Quick Connect Power Cable with a WARN 26769 Quick Connect Booster Cable Kit . Or just buy one of these, and subscribe to an auto club membership. No shame in calling a tow truck, and letting the professionals do it.