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(More customer reviews)I just wanted to clear up some common misconceptions regarding these jump-start/inverter/inflator products. I personally own 3 different types from 400 watts to 1500 watts and have done tons of research on them. I guess you could call it an unusual hobby I have. I blame the manufacturers for over hyping these units or just choosing not to inform consumers of their limitations.
THESE UNITS ARE NOT AS POWERFUL AS YOU THINK! Most people seem to be very disappointed by the amount of "juice" these put out.
--FRESHLY CHARGED this item will probably run a small TV/DVD combo continuously for around 2.5 hours. That's it. Also, you can't run a coffee maker, hair drier, microwave, refrigerator or heavy duty power tool off this. It's just not designed for that kind of use. Buy this to run a small TV, fan or laptop for a few hours, or to charge your cell phone. That's all it's designed for.
--You probably won't be able to jump start an 8 cylinder engine with this especially if it's an older car or has a totally dead battery. These units are mostly for 4 and 6 cylinder engines. They just don't have large enough batteries in them to turn over a big V-8.
--The air compressor is little more than a toy. All of these units have tiny, noisy compressors in them that will take 20 to 30 minutes to inflate a single full size 16" tire that is totally flat. And you will completely kill the battery just doing one tire like that. Plus you may damage the compressor by running it that long continuously because they heat up so much during use. You're better off taking your tire to a gas station!
THE UNIT WILL SELF-DISCHARGE JUST BY SITTING IN YOUR CAR! It will lose about 10 - 20% of it's charge PER MONTH. The hotter it is outside the faster it will self-discharge. PLUS YOU WILL EVENTUALLY DESTROY THE INTERNAL BATTERY BY LEAVING IT IN A PROLONGED DISCHARGED STATE! You can easily kill this device permanently by a process known as sulfation, in as little as one year, if you don't keep it charged. (This is what happened to my first unit, a Xantrex Power-Plus 400. It cost me about 1/2 the original cost of the unit to replace the battery!)
- To prevent this you need to either bring it in the house and recharge it about once a month (who's going to remember to do this?), or keep it plugged into the cigarette lighter at all times. Some people claim this can overcharge the battery, but I disagree. Your cars built-in voltage regulator should keep the unit topped off without doing any damage to it. Plus you know you always have a freshly 100% charged unit ready to go.
-You should immediately recharge it after each use. If you use it for a jumpstart or even to recharge your cellphone you should recharge the unit within a day or two. This practice will prevent harmful sulfation and prolong the life of the unit.
-These don't last forever. Just like your car battery eventually needs to be replaced so will the battery in this device. Expect about 100 full charge/discharge uses or 5 - 7 years, whichever comes first, before the battery in this will need to be replaced. Some of these jump-starters/inverters don't have user replaceable batteries so you may have to replace the whole unit anyway. You can usually find a reasonably priced replacement battery on e-Bay if you're handy enough to disassemble the unit and find out what size battery is inside. Based on the weight and size I would say the VEC026BD has a 20 Amp Hr battery inside it, but that is only a guess on my part and should be verified by disassembly.
For the money I'm not super-impressed with this unit. I just bought the Xantrex PowerPack 600 on sale from Amazon for $100 delivered. The 600 has a more powerful battery and can run larger appliances longer than the B&D. It usually goes for $130 but even at that price it's worth the premium over the B&D.
I hope this guide has been helpful to you to maximize the usefulness and life of your jump-start inverter, and to give you an idea of what to expect when you purchase one.
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Black and Decker VEC026BD Electromate 400 Jump-Starter with Built-In Air CompressorProduct Description: The Black & Decker Electromate 400 Portable Power Station/Jump-Starter/Compressor has 450 instant amps to start your car in the unlikely event that your battery goes dead. You can never count on finding someone to jump-start your car, even if you have a set of jumper cables. The Power Station/Jump-Starter/Compressor will alleviate this problem by giving you the power you need to do it yourself.
Black & Decker's Electromate 400 is a powerful and compact tool to restart your vehicle. View larger. The Electromate 400 comes equipped with an air compressor. Power small appliances with the 120V AC and 12V DC outlets. Ideal for Roadside Emergencies When your car loses power, the Electromate 400 has enough power to both jump-start your vehicle and run emergency appliances such as portable lights, radios, cell phones, and small tools. The Electromate 400 is also ideal for non-emergency situations like tailgating parties, camping, power outages, and any other situation where no wall outlet is available. It comes equipped with one 120V AC power outlet and one 12V DC outlet, allowing you to charge and operate more than one appliance at once.
Inflates Tires, Sports Equipment, and More There's also a built-in air compressor that allows you to inflate bicycle tires, sports equipment, and pool toys, but this compressor is also powerful enough to pump up the tires on your vehicle.
Other Features The Electromate 400 also comes equipped with a built-in, ultra-bright LED work light for emergency roadside assistance and an exclusive, built-in 120-volt AC charger that plugs into any household outlet. Other features include a keyless on/off power safety switch, reverse hook-up warning alarm in case the jump-start cables are attached to the wrong terminals, vehicle alternator voltage check, and LED battery status indicator.
Rechargeable This unit recharges easily from any household AC outlet or DC automobile cigarette-plug style outlet, so that it will be ready the next time you need it.
Warranty Black & Decker offers a full 2-year warranty.
What's in the box The Electromate 400 unit, a 12 volt charger, heavy-duty cables and clamps, and an adapter nozzle set.
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