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Noco Jump Boxes

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2manytools

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username2 said:
Exactly right. I think people buy way too many modern battery-powered things with problematical lineage. Some might be fine, some might be made of the scariest Chinesium. I figure that most e-bikes are sketchy as all get-out. Really big 'solar generators' are just bigger and badder opportunities for mayhem.

You know, I wonder if Makita could make a jump pack that uses something like their 18v batteries. I assume that those might be somewhat trustable. edit: Hang on, I think that changing DC voltage is non trivial.
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why would Makita be more trusting than other brands? It isn't like they are using there own cells, most likely Samsung. I think it has more to do with how the cells are handled. Are they balanced well, are there enough cells to handle the demand of the task, and of course good quality cells to being with?
 
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Sumboodie

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BombShelter said:
I think I have the GB70, it's in the car so I can't look at it but I bought larger just in case and it's been foolproof. I have a Halo Bolt that was gifted to me and it looks brand new, maybe used three times but it's dead, it charges but won't turn on. I used to have a Prestone from Home Depot, another big turd that lasted a few weeks but it also died.

The problem is they die in the summer when you don't need them and then the warranty is gone.

We get pretty cold here in the winter, usually under 15 degrees F, never had a cold weather issue but I keep them in the warm car or house before heading out.

These are great for BMW's which like to get right below 50% battery capacity (and not turn over), they just need a little nudge to start and you can push out getting a new battery for a few months.
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When I say cold, I'm talking at least -20. It gets down to -50* here more winters
 
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Sweetcorn

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I had a Noco GBX55 that I bought when they first came out with that model. Used it for years without any issue on a variety of vehicles and tractors.

I decided one day to use it to run my clay thrower to just see how it would do. I hit the override button and threw clays for a looooong time. It worked great. Unfortunately, I did it a little too long and killed it. I took it beyond what it could go and still allow you to recharge it.

So I chalked that one up to me making a dumb move and was going to order another, when I decided to call Noco and ask if there was a way to bypass that safety and get it to charge. They asked what happened and I told them it was 100% my fault, and it was out of the warranty coverage anyways so I wasn't looking for anything but a work-around. I never asked them to do anything for me or look at it; I was just looking for advice.

They told me they would replace it and had me ship them my unit and they shipped me a new one, completely free of charge. I was shocked. I made no excuses for what I did to it and just told them how I ruined it, and they still were standing behind their product like that.

That meant a lot to me, especially considering how good it had been before I misused it. I've since bought a few to give out as gifts. A couple more this year for Christmas presents as well.

I'm usually not that lucky with companies and I don't get too many situations where they go above and beyond, but they certainly did here and I'm happy to give them good feedback.
 
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Jeepster04

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Sweetcorn said:
I had a Noco GBX55 that I bought when they first came out with that model. Used it for years without any issue on a variety of vehicles and tractors.

I decided one day to use it to run my clay thrower to just see how it would do. I hit the override button and threw clays for a looooong time. It worked great. Unfortunately, I did it a little too long and killed it. I took it beyond what it could go and still allow you to recharge it.

So I chalked that one up to me making a dumb move and was going to order another, when I decided to call Noco and ask if there was a way to bypass that safety and get it to charge. They asked what happened and I told them it was 100% my fault, and it was out of the warranty coverage anyways so I wasn't looking for anything but a work-around. I never asked them to do anything for me or look at it; I was just looking for advice.

They told me they would replace it and had me ship them my unit and they shipped me a new one, completely free of charge. I was shocked. I made no excuses for what I did to it and just told them how I ruined it, and they still were standing behind their product like that.

That meant a lot to me, especially considering how good it had been before I misused it. I've since bought a few to give out as gifts. A couple more this year for Christmas presents as well.

I'm usually not that lucky with companies and I don't get too many situations where they go above and beyond, but they certainly did here and I'm happy to give them good feedback.
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When companies do stuff like this, it truly sets them apart from the rest. Stuff happens and thats 'ok,' but how a company handles situations like that really makes the difference.

Eley (the hose reel company) is another company that comes to mind. They have AMAZING customer service. Pretty much same story as you. Had some issues way out of warranty, they just shipped me new stuff, no questions asked.
 
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Sleeper

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Motown said:
The Noco was one of the higher rated boxes., with the caveat, higher price compared to others.
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That’s funny because in the 2019 PF jump starter comparison the Noco GB40 came in last or almost last. I think it was 6th out of 7 only beating out the Harbor Freight unit and wasn’t even able to turn over his V6 Ranger. He specifically called it out for it’s lack of power, high price and lack of safety considerations.
Maybe something changed since then, but after my Noco “Genius” crapped out after only a few weeks on my motorcycle battery I can’t say I’m impressed with my anything of theirs except their hype.
 
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Rolleiflex

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I've had my GBX75 for almost 4 years ago and it's never failed to start my 454 Chevy, in addition to my wife's Subaru and a neighbors jeep several times. This thread was a good reminder to take a look at its charge level. It hadn't been charged in a least 6 months and was only down one bar. I've been very impressed with it.

I bought a GBX45 and a couple Genius chargers for presents, so I hope that they hold up as well as mine has.
 
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cruzer75

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The wife is getting one for Christmas. She has needed one several times now. I was debating if the HF one was worth it but now I know it is NOT!
 
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Sumboodie

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Sweetcorn said:
I had a Noco GBX55 that I bought when they first came out with that model. Used it for years without any issue on a variety of vehicles and tractors.

I decided one day to use it to run my clay thrower to just see how it would do. I hit the override button and threw clays for a looooong time. It worked great. Unfortunately, I did it a little too long and killed it. I took it beyond what it could go and still allow you to recharge it.

So I chalked that one up to me making a dumb move and was going to order another, when I decided to call Noco and ask if there was a way to bypass that safety and get it to charge. They asked what happened and I told them it was 100% my fault, and it was out of the warranty coverage anyways so I wasn't looking for anything but a work-around. I never asked them to do anything for me or look at it; I was just looking for advice.

They told me they would replace it and had me ship them my unit and they shipped me a new one, completely free of charge. I was shocked. I made no excuses for what I did to it and just told them how I ruined it, and they still were standing behind their product like that.

That meant a lot to me, especially considering how good it had been before I misused it. I've since bought a few to give out as gifts. A couple more this year for Christmas presents as well.

I'm usually not that lucky with companies and I don't get too many situations where they go above and beyond, but they certainly did here and I'm happy to give them good feedback.
Click to expand...
Interesting.

They pretty much told me "ohhhh darnnnnnn"

When their charger didn't charge and ruined almost $500 of batteries when they froze.

Truck has a small mystery draw, so I put the trickle charger (5 amp) before leaving for work. Come back home a month later and truck is stone dead.

Later found out their charger has a "safety" and shuts off charging if it's under -4* or over a certain temp 110* maybe.

But still shows it's charging. And I guess doesn't start charging if it warms up, cause it wasn't below zero the whole time.

Fine, do a "safety" but make it blink lights or something! Plus -4* isn't even cold.
 
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Steve_P

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I have a GB40 Noco. It's enough to start my 2.7L Tacoma with the battery disconnected and the vehicle and charger being at 30F all nite. I paid $70 for mine, on sale, in 2020
 
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IndyGarage

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I have a GB40 and a GBX155, which I think are their smallest and their largest jump boxes.

The GB40 works excellent. I've jumped dozens of vehicles with it, and not had many problems. I keep it plugged in in the back seat of my SUV and push it under the drivers seat.

The GBX155 is a powerhouse. I've started many diesel trucks with it, including a Caterpillar C7. That said, I do not like it as well as the GB40. Why? It has a bunch of safety circuitry that renders it useless a fair percentage of the time - much more often than the GB40. There is an override button that solves problems sometimes, but not all. I thought it would replace my Jump n Carry - but it didn't.

Just today I was trying to start a V8 Lexus that had a depleted battery - neither of the NOCOS would do it. As soon as the car started, it shut back down. I brought out the JNC and bang, instant start.

Neither of the NOCO's has much "staying power". One or two jumps is all you are going to get out of them. As opposed to the JNC, which I've used 5 times before it needed a recharge.

Now I will say the NOCO's are much more convenient to carry and store than the JNC 770's I have. But as far as usefulness, the JNC is hard to beat. If you just need an occasional boost, I would recommend the GB40.
 
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Steve_P

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IndyGarage said:
I have a GB40 and a GBX155, which I think are their smallest and their largest jump boxes.

The GB40 works excellent. I've jumped dozens of vehicles with it, and not had many problems. I keep it plugged in in the back seat of my SUV and push it under the drivers seat.

The GBX155 is a powerhouse. I've started many diesel trucks with it, including a Caterpillar C7. That said, I do not like it as well as the GB40. Why? It has a bunch of safety circuitry that renders it useless a fair percentage of the time - much more often than the GB40. There is an override button that solves problems sometimes, but not all. I thought it would replace my Jump n Carry - but it didn't.

Just today I was trying to start a V8 Lexus that had a depleted battery - neither of the NOCOS would do it. As soon as the car started, it shut back down. I brought out the JNC and bang, instant start.

Neither of the NOCO's has much "staying power". One or two jumps is all you are going to get out of them. As opposed to the JNC, which I've used 5 times before it needed a recharge.

Now I will say the NOCO's are much more convenient to carry and store than the JNC 770's I have. But as far as usefulness, the JNC is hard to beat. If you just need an occasional boost, I would recommend the GB40.
Click to expand...


When I did my 30F test that I posted about above, I did three starts, back-to-back, with no issue. I only ran the engine a few seconds each time, then took a few seconds break between tests. I will say that it was slow cranking, not like a healthy battery would do, but it was enough to start it in a few revolutions. And at this point the truck had over 100K miles on it, so not a new engine; but also, not a worn-out POS that burned a quart of oil every 600 miles.

When I took it inside to charge it, it only took like 20 minutes to top it off with the USB cord- that shocked me. Obviously if you're trying to start a worn-out diesel engine, you need much more than this.
 
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IndyGarage

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Steve_P said:
When I did my 30F test that I posted about above, I did three starts, back-to-back, with no issue. I only ran the engine a few seconds each time, then took a few seconds break between tests. I will say that it was slow cranking, not like a healthy battery would do, but it was enough to start it in a few revolutions. And at this point the truck had over 100K miles on it, so not a new engine; but also, not a worn-out POS that burned a quart of oil every 600 miles.

When I took it inside to charge it, it only took like 20 minutes to top it off with the USB cord- that shocked me. Obviously if you're trying to start a worn-out diesel engine, you need much more than this.
Click to expand...
As I said, GB40 works great most of the time. As far as getting three starts, those must have been almost instant firing. My only problem with it is that it has very little reserve. If the engine doesn't start the first time, it's probably not going to.

I would say the GB40 probably puts out as nearly as much power as my JNC 770 - but for a much shorter period of time. I haven't had many vehicles it won't start.

The GBX 155 is much more powerful for maybe 20 seconds or so. It can jump a heavy diesel truck. But for some reason it just shuts down a good percentage of the time - it has way more safety controls than the GB40. And my JNC has almost none - which is why I like it.

The other major difference between NOCO's and my JNC is the length of the cables. The GB40 cables aren't more than 10 inches long. Just enough to get across a battery. The GBX cables are longer - maybe 18 inches. The JNC 770 cables are probably close to six feet long. They are much easier to get to a battery. They also are a pain to wrap back up afterward, but they are stored very nicely on the device.

Like anything they are different tools for different users. GB40 - good all around jump box for occasional use on cars, boats, atv's. GBX155 similar usage for larger trucks and heavier equipment. JNC 770 for very frequent use on a wide variety of machines. Can use it to run a vehicle with no battery, which the nocos do not do.
 
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BroncoAZ

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IndyGarage said:
As I said, GB40 works great most of the time. As far as getting three starts, those must have been almost instant firing. My only problem with it is that it has very little reserve. If the engine doesn't start the first time, it's probably not going to.

I would say the GB40 probably puts out as nearly as much power as my JNC 770 - but for a much shorter period of time. I haven't had many vehicles it won't start. The GBX 155 is much more powerful for maybe 20 seconds or so. It can jump a heavy diesel truck. But for some reason it just shuts down a good percentage of the time - it has way more safety controls than the GB40. And my JNC has almost none - which is why I like it.
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I've used a GBX55 (one step up in size from the GB40) to run the cylinder up on a loaded dump trailer with a completely dead battery. I was surprised it did it, but I wasn't complaining. We did all kinds of horrible things to the GB150 we had in the shop, running electric motors on snow plows, running machinery without a battery installed, trying to jump start diesel machines that had sat for months, etc. I was there for four years and it kept on working.
 
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zktk01

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I have a Noco GB 150 two Gooloo 4000 that I keep in vehicles. I had been impressed with the Gooloo it has started many vehicles at work that left strobe lights on overnight, however on my work truck the other day battery was dead, I would hit the boost button it would apply 15v, but only for 4 secs not enough time for me to get into vehicle and turn the key very frustrating. I tried a second Gooloo same thing. I grabbed the Noco I did not know about the over ride button it wouldn't do anything with out some voltage, so I had to hook up both jump packs to get vehicle started. I just ordered a JNC660 today. I will give the Noco a try with override button next time.
 
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Sweetcorn

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zktk01 said:
I have a Noco GB 150 two Gooloo 4000 that I keep in vehicles. I had been impressed with the Gooloo it has started many vehicles at work that left strobe lights on overnight, however on my work truck the other day battery was dead, I would hit the boost button it would apply 15v, but only for 4 secs not enough time for me to get into vehicle and turn the key very frustrating. I tried a second Gooloo same thing. I grabbed the Noco I did not know about the over ride button it wouldn't do anything with out some voltage, so I had to hook up both jump packs to get vehicle started. I just ordered a JNC660 today. I will give the Noco a try with override button next time.
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The manual override on the NOCO will stay on until the NOCO is completely dead and won't recharge. Or, obviously, until you turn it off. Just a word of warning...
 
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BroncoAZ

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Sweetcorn said:
The manual override on the NOCO will stay on until the NOCO is completely dead and won't recharge. Or, obviously, until you turn it off. Just a word of warning...
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And that can permanently kill the GBX units.
 
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username2

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2manytools said:
why would Makita be more trusting than other brands? It isn't like they are using there own cells, most likely Samsung. I think it has more to do with how the cells are handled. Are they balanced well, are there enough cells to handle the demand of the task, and of course good quality cells to being with?
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My thinking goes like so (comparing Makita (or other major power tool company) to somebody selling a 'solar' power generator or jump pack on Amazon)

. That the circuitry, casework, etc. is built to a spec that handles shock and fairly hard use along with multiple recharges compared to a power pack.
. Name brand company. Has more to lose with a bunch of house/car fires. There are a ton of power pack companies that are probably just a rebadging exercise on a mystery factory in Asia somewhere.
. (most important) they make a lot of them. The process for manufacture is nailed down. It's a thing you can see in electronics manufacture, that high volume is more reliable than low. When you work on boutique products with small quantities, a fair amount of burn-in is a good idea.

The power tool companies do build battery -> mains gizmos for their batteries, but they're darned expensive and I doubt it's due to the BOM. I haven't seen any ganged-together 12v jump packs though. I'd be happier to buy an M12 car starter than a 'Noco'
 
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bigboost

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I've had nothing but issues with all of my NOCO chargers lol. I thought maybe the first one was a fluke, so I bought another one, only for it to do the exact same thing a month later.

They have an IP65 rating, but somehow just having them outside charging overnight the condensation is enough to ingress and short out the charger.

The thing seems solidly sealed but when something as basic as condensation is able to ruin it, I'll just buy a knockoff.
 
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pbon

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My Noco GB150 jump box and my G3500 trickle chargers all suffer from finicky contacts. Sometimes the button to change settings does not work and sometimes it does and sometimes you have to try 20 times and it may or may not change. There are posts here or elsewhere on the internet about this, including one where someone opened the box and replaced a contact.

I just bought another box and chose a Gooloo GT4000 instead of another Noco. Costs less, same or greater capabilities and it seems unlikely to me it will be less reliable.
 
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username2

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Thinking out loud about lithium battery safety (and temperature sensitivity), has anyone here used one of those capacitor-based jump boxes?

(like so)

Schumacher DSR108 DSR ProSeries Batteryless Jump Starter - 12V, 450A for Gas and Diesel Engines​



Those always struck me as elegant, although it wouldn't serve as an emergency power source for your phone.
 
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Radio Flyer

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username2 said:
Thinking out loud about lithium battery safety (and temperature sensitivity), has anyone here used one of those capacitor-based jump boxes?

(like so)

Schumacher DSR108 DSR ProSeries Batteryless Jump Starter - 12V, 450A for Gas and Diesel Engines​



Those always struck me as elegant, although it wouldn't serve as an emergency power source for your phone.
Click to expand...
Yes! We had one at work as a “test sample”. We used the heck out of it. Soooo much lighter than the standard lead acid battery types. Used it on all kind of trucks. Then one day we got a call. Stop using it! Send it back now! Not sure what the deal was, but we liked it.
 
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username2

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Radio Flyer said:
Yes! We had one at work as a “test sample”. We used the heck out of it. Soooo much lighter than the standard lead acid battery types. Used it on all kind of trucks. Then one day we got a call. Stop using it! Send it back now! Not sure what the deal was, but we liked it.
Click to expand...
Huh. Maybe they needed it back to see how it fared as a beta unit, or they made some safety change in the design.

I do like the idea though. Reading between the lines, it'll start a lot bigger engine than the Noco box. I wonder if grabbing the last power from the battery is super hard on it, although in most cases you're looking to replace it anyway.
 
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junkyardwarrior

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we each have GB40's at work. I do powersports repair and often equipment shows up with dead batteries, for multiple reasons (regulators, wiring, just dead, etc).

Downside to these jump starters is if the battery is totally dead, they will not recognize a load and will NOT jump start the engine, period.

Some of our new inventory comes off the transporter with no battery at all. These are partially assembled, drive-off units. We had to buy a traditional lead-acid jump pack in order to drive them since the GB40's won't do it. Kind of a waste of money, IMO, for our our application. Once in a while a unit will show up with a LOW battery (still works but not enough to crank the engine) and those will jump just fine with the NOCO's. But if it's dead, nope.

I consider the NOCO's as "booster" packs, but not "jump" packs.
 
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pbon

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GB40 is not the right jump pack for that job. Noco has others that will work with no battery, as do other companies. Lead acid is not the only option, but is a good option if this is a common problem.
 
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Squankum

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I have three NOCO GB70's. Some of them from Griot's Garage. For a few dollars more, buying from Griot's gets you a lifetime warranty. (But not for the batteries.)

I've had good luck with them so far. Started a Dodge Magnum 5.9L motor once.

One thing that irks me is the price. For the money you spend, they give you a little cloth sack to carry it and its gizmos in. I found the NOCO in the rear footwell of Ms. Squankum's car a few months ago, lit up. Something had fallen onto it or knocked against it and it was not off. That sent me looking for something better than a cloth sack.

Turns out, NOCO is happy to charge you too much for a case, too! (I have two of these so far.)


IMG_8895.jpg



IMG_8896.jpg


1723582863217.png




ADDENDUM:
A Mr. Wiz02 found a cheaper option for a storage box:

Caseling Hard Case Compatible with GB70 2000 Amp 12V Lithium Jump Starter Battery Pack with Mesh Pocket for Accessories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VM23HQ?tag=atomicindus08-20
 
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Aileron

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I received my GB 70 and also bought the hard case a week later. The only kicker is now the whole GB70 assembly stored is about 1/2 the size of a automotive battery. My older GB50 in the hard case was easier to slip in a motorcycle saddle bag. Granted one shouldn't need a gb70 for a motorcyle but if you only have one jump box , it may be a factor. I guess I could take it out of the hard case and just use the bag for the bike but not sure if the buttons wiould get bumped in the saddle bags and turn itself on.
 
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richfinn

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I use both styles of jump pack, a modern Topdon JS3000 and an older Powervamp with a small AGM battery inside.

The Topdon is great for quickly jumping flat batteries but has very little reserve capacity during extended cranking (like when bleeding Diesel fuel systems or Clearing flooded gasoline engines)

The modern style packs don't always recognize a totally dead battery for some reason

They also put out a very "alternator like" 14.5-15 volts when you hit the boost button which can mislead you into thinking the actual alternator on the car is good when it is in fact the cause of the dead battery in the first place (don't ask me how I learned that lesson 🤐)

The leads can also be annoyingly short sometimes

Sometimes I hook both styles up together on stubborn breakdowns and that usually gives me enough juice to come to a conclusion.

If somebody ever designs one that incorporates both into a fairly lightweight package let me know, it would be a best seller in the breakdown industry.

Pros and Cons, I wouldn't be without either type, just be aware of the limitations if you buy one (just get both) 👍
 
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DemoFly

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I have a Gooloo GT1500A. I bought it 3 years ago and I've used it at least 50 times. I also use it to power things during power outages and car camping. I've jump started 9 liter diesels with it. It was $60 and I purchased it after the first project-farm video for jump starters.

When I first bought it I thought it was junk, but then I read the directions. You know how that goes.
 
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vforge

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I have GB70. I’ve only had one issue with it but I blame the funky electronics of the car I was jumping. I’ve used it on a wide variety of different vehicles. It’s jumped a 7.3 idi, Oliver 77, Ford 2110, a Cummins NHC250 (in a M939). The M939 is 24V and uses 2 sets of batteries in series. One battery was dead and the rest were low. I just hooked it up to the dead battery leads. It didn’t seem to struggle too bad.
 
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DaveAndStuff

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I am considering the GBX45 or the GBX55. Anyone with a long-term update on these models?

I have a Toyota SUV with a 2.8L 1GD-FTV diesel.

It never gets cold here (when it gets down to 65F the girls in office are wearing leg-warmers), but it is hot all year and I go through a battery about every 2-3 years.
 
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