LiFePO4 - Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Jump Starter

[Kodiak]

Many years ago I saw one company use this LiFePO battery technology for one of the portable jump starters. LFP batteries have many significant benefits over regular Lithium Poly or Lithium Ion for this type of device. I thought this would be great and many more would come to market but I was wrong. These were discontinued and no replacements could be found except for very large ones. I always regretted not getting one of them when I had the chance.

LFP batteries have significant more Charge-Discharge cycles for their lives. They also are one of the safest you can get. They are not that susceptible to heat or damage and will not combust. Perfect for leaving in a car or truck in the sun. They are usually heavier and larger but a lot safer and will last longer.

Recently I came across a small one made by Michelin and while it was small, it was lacking in amps for jump starting. That got me searching again and I came across a company that now has a line of these devices with the LFP technology. Not a tiny unit but safe to leave in your vehicle.

LOKITHOR LiFePO4 Jump Starter (lokithorshop.com)

I got one on Amazon (J3250) with a nice case that holds everything in it. My Powerboost may need this in the future.

Sponsored

 

[Sojourner]

Nice write-up. Thank you. Will check them out.

As an aside, I continue to use the NOCO GB series jump starters. Have had great luck with them.

Had one that I forgot about that had been sitting in the truck for about 18 months. Essentially zero discharge.

 

[SomebodyInGNV]

With respect to LFP batteries, I travel for months in travel trailer in which I have 2 12V 100Ah LFP batteries. Sometimes we're in remote locations. If I'm out in the sticks and the truck battery dies, is it harmful to the LFP to jump-start the truck with it? (I might have to, even if it is.)

 

[WalterMitty]

Many years ago I saw one company use this LiFePO battery technology for one of the portable jump starters. LFP batteries have many significant benefits over regular Lithium Poly or Lithium Ion for this type of device. I thought this would be great and many more would come to market but I was wrong. These were discontinued and no replacements could be found except for very large ones. I always regretted not getting one of them when I had the chance.

LFP batteries have significant more Charge-Discharge cycles for their lives. They also are one of the safest you can get. They are not that susceptible to heat or damage and will not combust. Perfect for leaving in a car or truck in the sun. They are usually heavier and larger but a lot safer and will last longer.

Recently I came across a small one made by Michelin and while it was small, it was lacking in amps for jump starting. That got me searching again and I came across a company that now has a line of these devices with the LFP technology. Not a tiny unit but safe to leave in your vehicle.

LOKITHOR LiFePO4 Jump Starter (lokithorshop.com)

I got one on Amazon (J3250) with a nice case that holds everything in it. My Powerboost may need this in the future.

I love the below unit. Comes in a nice fairly compact case, and simple to use.

https://www.amazon.com/GOOLOO-Super...bc1-b37b-926be5e9689a&pd_rd_i=B084YQSVZ6&th=1

 

[KTM753]

I am a big fan of the Microstart models made by Antigravity batteries

https://themicrostart.com/

 

[Kodiak]

With respect to LFP batteries, I travel for months in travel trailer in which I have 2 12V 100Ah LFP batteries. Sometimes we're in remote locations. If I'm out in the sticks and the truck battery dies, is it harmful to the LFP to jump-start the truck with it? (I might have to, even if it is.)

There are a lot of camping people here and they will probably have much better information about this than I do. However, if I was in the situation you are describing the first thing I would do is pull one of those 12v, lug it over to the truck and connect the jumpers to it for a jump start. I can't imagine it would have any adverse effect on the LFP but again, I do not camp and I am basically pulling this opinion out of a very dark place.

 

[SomebodyInGNV]

There are a lot of camping people here and they will probably have much better information about this than I do. However, if I was in the situation you are describing the first thing I would do is pull one of those 12v, lug it over to the truck and connect the jumpers to it for a jump start. I can't imagine it would have any adverse effect on the LFP but again, I do not camp and I am basically pulling this opinion out of a very dark place.

Perhaps if I leave it connected long enough the LA battery would charge enough, then disconnect the LFP before starting the truck.

That idea just came from a different dark place.

 

[Kodiak]

Perhaps if I leave it connected long enough the LA battery would charge enough, then disconnect the LFP before starting the truck.

That idea just came from a different dark place.

That might be too dark.

I think there will be some pass through charge from the LFP but maybe not enough to start it. It really does not have any charging circuitry to use as a charger. It probably needs the power connected to give the battery enough amps to start.

 

[Kodiak]

I am a big fan of the Microstart models made by Antigravity batteries

https://themicrostart.com/

They are nice and Lithium Ion and Lithium Poly can be smaller and pack a punch. However the Lithium Iron Phosphate technology is a safer technology especially in more adverse conditions. It probably will not matter to most but I was looking at the safety aspect. I have seen too many cell phone batteries have issues and that is when you look at them almost every day. This charger may be stored in a place that you do not eye ball it all the time so that fire safety is important to me.

 

[UGADawg96]

With respect to LFP batteries, I travel for months in travel trailer in which I have 2 12V 100Ah LFP batteries. Sometimes we're in remote locations. If I'm out in the sticks and the truck battery dies, is it harmful to the LFP to jump-start the truck with it? (I might have to, even if it is.)

There are a lot of camping people here and they will probably have much better information about this than I do. However, if I was in the situation you are describing the first thing I would do is pull one of those 12v, lug it over to the truck and connect the jumpers to it for a jump start. I can't imagine it would have any adverse effect on the LFP but again, I do not camp and I am basically pulling this opinion out of a very dark place.

Perhaps if I leave it connected long enough the LA battery would charge enough, then disconnect the LFP before starting the truck.

That idea just came from a different dark place.

That might be too dark.

I think there will be some pass through charge from the LFP but maybe not enough to start it. It really does not have any charging circuitry to use as a charger. It probably needs the power connected to give the battery enough amps to start.

paging @HammaMan our resident battery/solar/LFP guru

 

[KTM753]

They are nice and Lithium Ion and Lithium Poly can be smaller and pack a punch. However the Lithium Iron Phosphate technology is a safer technology especially in more adverse conditions. It probably will not matter to most but I was looking at the safety aspect. I have seen too many cell phone batteries have issues and that is when you look at them almost every day. This charger may be stored in a place that you do not eye ball it all the time so that fire safety is important to me.

If you buy a high quality lithium ion battery product, the Battery Management System (BMS) will monitor temperature and other parameters to prevent thermal runaway. It's why millions of cell phones don't start on fire. Same with any jump starter. Or e-bike... On down the line.

Cheap Chinese sourced products on the other hand... Fire risk reputation well earned.

I appreciate your post bringing LFP jump starters to mine and others attention. I just think the existing Lithium Ion products fire danger fear is unwarranted if you buy a high quality item like the Microstart I posted. YMMV.

 

[HammaMan]

With respect to LFP batteries, I travel for months in travel trailer in which I have 2 12V 100Ah LFP batteries. Sometimes we're in remote locations. If I'm out in the sticks and the truck battery dies, is it harmful to the LFP to jump-start the truck with it? (I might have to, even if it is.)

It's highly unlikely you'll have the gauge of cable to even begin to stress those batteries. If the truck is completely dead with no voltage on its 12v you'd want to give it 2 minutes or so. For a boost just connect and start. The LFP cells aren't the weak point, tripping the BMS's OCP is more likely. You didn't state how exactly you'd connect the trailer's batts to the truck.

 

[SomebodyInGNV]

It's highly unlikely you'll have the gauge of cable to even begin to stress those batteries. If the truck is completely dead with no voltage on its 12v you'd want to give it 2 minutes or so. For a boost just connect and start. The LFP cells aren't the weak point, tripping the BMS's OCP is more likely. You didn't state how exactly you'd connect the trailer's batts to the truck.

I have decent quality jumper cables. I'd temporarily remove one of my parallel-connected batteries from my trailer and move it to the truck (since the truck can't move to the trailer.)

This is an unlikely event but the knowledge it could work and not damage anything is helpful.

I can't find the LFP battery doco right now (bad connection) but I can run a 2 KW inverter off 2 in parallel, so I think it will be okay.

 

[Kodiak]

Just to add some information to this thread in case of future searches.

I have this Lokithor LFP jump starter sitting in the bed with an ARE topper covering it. It can get hot in there in the summer. I have not used this device or even looked at it since first getting it and charging it to full.

This weekend I was checking on some of the Ecoflow units I have and thought I should probably check this to see what kind of discharge it naturally has. When I took it out and powered it up it still had the full 4 bars green. This is after sitting for over 6 months in heat and cold (mind you VA cold and not Iowa or Wyoming cold, but still a few nights in the 20's).

Very good IMO for something like this that can be stuffed in a trunk and forgotten about until needed.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Project Farm recently uploaded a new video on this very subject. Very informative as always.

Sponsored