We do a lot of product reviews for our readers here at NICOclub, and usually, it’s for a product that people are considering, but it’s a big purchase – You’d like to know if it’s good, before you drop a lot of money, right?
Well, this isn’t one of those reviews. This is actually a pretty mundane product review – for something EVERY vehicle should be equipped with.
As you guys know, we have several classic Datsuns in the fleet, and a few daily drivers… plus the NICOclub Tow Vehicle (because Datsuns break down), and three teens with cars of their own. As such, we needed to have a set of jumper cables in EVERY car.
Of course, they always seem to go missing – someone borrows them, or you leave them in the garage, or they wind up in someone else’s trunk… and then you – a car guy or gal – are unprepared. NOT cool.
In an example of PERFECT timing, I had a company reach out to us last week, asking if we’d do a review of the Swift Start Jumper Cables, so I figured you guys would like to check it out as well.
Initial inspection: The cables came packaged neatly in a heavy vinyl carrying case – and unlike the cheap cables you get at Wal-Mart, these actually will go BACK into the case when you’re done! Very nice. They’re 16 feet long, which means you can jump-start a car that’s parked behind you (or, you can pull in behind the car you’re jump-starting). Also very nice.
Packaged in the carrying case was a free flashlight – Now, this isn’t a 6-cell LED Maglite, but it’s a good compact light that’ll come in handy if you need to hook up a jump-start in the dark – and the batteries were included! Very thoughtful touch.
Unlike the cheap store-bought cables, these are a full 6-gauge cable, which means they’re heavy-duty and will carry plenty of current without getting hot. I’ve had other heavy-duty cables that were hard to coil up, and were harder to straighten out – these are super-flexible. The insulated clamps are beefy and the spring tension is just right – not too hard, not too loose. They’re set up to work on side-post battery terminals, too.
I actually got a unintended chance to use them this morning. In moving a non-running project car to our new shop, the battery that powers the winch on my trailer died – with the car half-way up the ramps. NOT a good place to be.
I remembered I had the cables in the truck… Now was as good a time as any to give them a test! Unzipped the package, uncoiled the cables, hooked them up to the dead battery, connected to the truck battery, and we were in business!
Since this is a great example of a company that supports NICOclub, think about the vehicles you have that DON’T have a set of cables in the trunk… and follow the link below. For less than $25, you’ll have a set delivered to your door, and you’ll be supporting a company that supports the enthusiast community. That’s a win-win.
Order your Swift Start Jumper Cables!
Thanks for reading, and don’t be the person standing around in a parking lot hoping someone ELSE has a set of cables!
