Robust. Reliable. Commercial-Grade Jumper.
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. Read more
