Schumacher Electric Car Battery Jump Starter & Power Station, DSR165

THE SKINNY: This thing is an absolute beast of a jumper!! It’s HEFTY (23 lbs), it’s EASY to use (connect chargers, turn ignition), and it’s incredibly RELIABLE (successfully jumped a V8 sedan over a dozen times on single charge!). ADDITIONAL INFO: I used to write all sorts of reviews. But as I’ve gotten older (and time’s become more valuable), I generally only write a review when a product is either such garbage I feel duty-bound to warn others OR is so legit I feel can’t help but feel compelled to recommend it to others — especially when I had to go through several rejects before landing on the “good” one. THIS is that good one!! Can’t speak to others’ experiences, though I’m also routinely frustrated when perusing negative reviews only to discover they have NOTHING to do with the actual (working) product itself. I’ve now ORDERED (and used) TWO of these same Schumacher DSR 114s (as evidenced in my pics) and while I cannot yet speak to longevity, I can speak to the past 7 months of ownership and frequent use. You couldn’t ask for a better situation to test this DSR 114 jumper than my current situation. I drive a 5.5 liter, V8 Mercedes sedan where either my 2-year-old car battery is on the fritz OR there’s something slowly drawing current that shouldn’t be. Either way if left for more than a weekend my battery is too weak to turn over. And since I’m a high school teacher who lives just 2 walkable-miles from work, my car often does sit for 3 or 4 days at a time. In other words, my car is frequently (and frustratingly) needing a jump! I first purchased a “best selling” battery boosters rated at 1,000 amps. It was one of those power pack style jumpers about half the size of a laptop. Zero help. Even though my battery had enough for a couple of cluggs toward starting, this device did nothing. I left connected for 20 minutes, allegedly charging, zero difference. I returned that and stepped up to a 2,000 amp option, this time of the most popular brand sold. Keep in mind, the whole time I kept wondering what the name of those “old school” heavy-duty jumpers was, the kind you see AAA using, but every search kept returning these power pack style chargers. Tuesday after Memorial Day (3-day weekend) gave me a chance to use this new 2,000 amp, top-of-line device, but… crickets. Gave it another 5, nope. Another 20, nope (to be fair, after 20 min the car DID sound as if it was getting closer so the device did appear to be charging my battery). Decided to search popular car product websites to see if any brands or models of a more industrial charger came up, that’s when I found the Schumacher 114. When it arrived, the size, weight, and build quality made it clear THIS was the bad-ass jumper I was hoping for. I mean, at 23lbs it’s practically-a-car-battery itself! Literally the second I connect this thing, my car turns over. The longest I’ve had to wait: 12 seconds, and that was when my battery was so dead the keyfob wouldn’t even unlock the doors. I’ve used this thing to jump my car approximately 25 times since June and the internal battery currently reads: 73% That’s amazing! This thing is so easy and so reliable, I’ve become the go-to battery jumper every time I see someone in need of a jump. Plus I love that it doesn’t mess with my own electronics (FYI: jumping incorrectly, as in with both cars ON and subsequently both alternators on, can wreak havoc on the electronics of German cars). Didn’t charge the thing when it arrived, used between 25 times on various cars, and it STILL is rocking 3/4 of it’s full capacity, still turning my engine over as if I’ve got a new battery!! Within 3 weeks of realizing how legit this one was, I ordered a second on in July for my fiancé’s car. Ignore the low-rating reviews. This thing is legit and provides you with the sort of peace of mind those flimsy over packs simply cant.

I bought this because it’s the same one the AAA guy had when I needed a jump. Everything I’ve read it works like a champ but so weird that it doesn’t come with an ac charging cable. I have order one you need 18 gauge not expensive but a little annoying

Just get it and keep it on charge. The battery is replaceable. Usually takes about 5 years like any other battery, it's not meant to last forever but it will work whenever you need it.

Update: in less than a year, the jump box already stopped working, and I have not received a response from the manufacturer. If you are ok with replacing it every few months than go for it, but Schumacher quality is not what it used to be, and their support is literally unheard of! Original: This is a very nice jump box, having plenty of juice for everything from 4 to 8 cyl engines with plenty of power to spare! I docked two stars because the charger being external is one thing, but putting a connector that is a giant pain to unplug is just dumb. It's cool being on the side so that if the unit falls over it doesn't damage the connector but the thing is just so difficult to unplug. It's 3 prong using 12V AND 5V output, so I'm guessing a simple car charger is out the question. Overall the external charger is very poorly executed, and super annoying to deal with in the shop. The 12v socket is super handy for memory saver usage but I do wish they'd include said memory saver in the box. Great jump box with a poorly designed charging system.

i am replacing my matco psj2212 12/15 that died this was made by same people so i went with this

After trying a couple of battery boosters that were smaller, lighter and more convenient, I got this one because I needed something that is reliable and actually works. This device is relatively heavy but it qualifies. That makes it worth the extra weight. You can get something else that is lighter, more convenient and looks a lot better -- and maybe it will power your car radio while you wait for road service to show up and start your car. Probably with one of these.

This thing is a commercial quality jump starter. I've used it to jump my own vehicle that was having a battery draining issue a couple times,(which is why I bought it) and it has all the amperage you need to start any vehicle. My friend has a diesel pickup that had a dead battery, and I asked him to let me try it on that, and it fired right up with completely dead batteries. This is a high quality battery pack, that you get what you pay for.

Is service for a few months now at a used car lot working great would definitely buy again

first one worked great but two years and i lent it out and it came back and would not take a charge and one battery cell was empty, I wont lend my mew one out as there a excellent boost pack i use it on my 10000 pound wench, will load cars with flat tires and anything i have to wench on, a 10 out of 10 for me

Works perfect. Several boosts with single charge. Small and Big Engines, no problem.

This is a very large, heavy unit, probably overkill for most home users jumping a couple cars a year, especially if you mainly jump V6 or smaller engines. The main gripe I have with this updated unit, as others have rightly pointed out, is the way this unit recharges. It uses an external charger that connects with an oddball 3 prong connector which is finicky to plug/unplug (see photos). They should have used a standard 110V male plug like previous models, and simply included a 3 prong to 110V female end to connect. The fact we need an external charger is actually a major drawback, it's just more hassle and cords, and what if we forget or misplace the charger? You might think, like I did, that having a quality 2A Automatic Charger is a plus, seeing as it could be used to charge any battery. Problem is, they failed to include a battery clamp adaptor cord, forcing us to special order that separately. Even more disappointing is the fact they did not include a 12V cigarette adapter to recharge this in a vehicle, which I presume many will want, especially those using this for commercial purposes. The failure to include the necessary adapters is annoying, but the bigger issue is the finicky 3-prong connector on the jumper, its a major hassle and weak point that should be addressed in future models. The other minor gripe I have is the switches and buttons, they just feel cheap for a product at this price point. I just can't recommend this particular model for most people. The cheaper DSR 119 is actually an easier recommendation, with better usability. Needless to say, I will be returning mine. Edit: I wanted to let others know that since this contains "explosive material" amazon is unable to take any returns, so buyers beware, this is non-refundable. Nowhere does it say on the product page or in checkout process that this is non-refundable, which amazon should change. Had I known I would not have purchased it. Now I am forced to deal with Schumacher directly to try and return it, at my own expense.