When you hop into your ride to take off to work or whatever you’re going that day, you never expect something to go wrong.
Even if you have a newer vehicle, sometimes… things just break, and especially with older cars. Furthermore, in the colder months, depending on where you live, having your car not start when you need it to start is a legitimate concern, so it’s a good idea to have the best jumper cables for the job, even if you’re not expecting anything to go wrong…
Because that’s exactly when things are most likely to go wrong.
Always carry jumper cables to Boost your vehicle when your Battery Dies
Now, when you need a boost, it takes two. There’s your car, of course, and the car of the good Samaritan who stops to help you. If you own a pair of jumper cables, all you need is basically any nice person to stop and offer some help, and if you’re in a public place you can even approach people for help.
The thing is, a good chunk of people actually don’t carry around their own cables, so even if they’re willing to help you out – they won’t be able to, because neither of you will have cables!
Considering that jumper cables only cost around $20-$40, and will literally pay for themselves the very first time you use them, it’s kind of insane to not keep a pair in your trunk.
On top of that, what if YOU see someone in need of a boost? Who among us wouldn’t pay $20 to help a stranger who is stranded and in need? Very few of us, that’s for sure, but if you don’t own and carry around a set of cables, your good intentions aren’t too helpful after all.
How to choose the best jumper cables?
Look, let’s be real, at the end of the day – jumper cables are just wires with clamps on the end, okay? There’s all more or less the same. Some are higher gauge, some are higher quality, but in pinch they’ll all get the job done. All you need to do is transport electricity from one battery to the other.
Any old set of cables is much better than not having any, but having a quality pair is even better, especially when you consider that you’ll be able to use them for years, if not decades. It’s rubber, wire, and a clamp… not a lot to go wrong there, really. Buy a used pair at a garage sale if you have to, just get some as soon as you can. We recommended ordering some online because it’s generally the cheapest way, and then it’s just done. You don’t have to make a trip to the store, you don’t have to remember to get them during your busy day, but don’t wait a moment longer – get some ASAP.
It’s like preventative medicine for your car, you’re planning ahead, because things do go wrong, and they WILL go wrong eventually, and not only can you save your own butt in a bad situation by having these cables, you can also make someone else’s day.
During the life of the jumper cables for your car, truck or SUV, you’ll likely use them more than once, especially if you have an older vehicle and live in a colder climate, but even so if you have a brand new behicle and live in a desert – you should still carry them around.
Remmeber, they’ll pay for themselves after the very first use – but you’ll end up using them more than once, and there’s nothing better than getting stranded and having someone stop to help, then they inform you that they don’t have any cables on them, and you can say “No worries, I have a pair.”
Furthermore, you’ll also want to make sure you know how to actually use them correctly. Your car’s owner’s manual will tell you exactly how to boost a battery, but it’s a pretty universal thing, the only thing that may vary is where the battery and the posts on the battery are located, but a little common sense goes a long way, and don’t be shy to look in your manual either.
Here’s a helpful video that’ll teach you the basics…
Now you’re armed with knowledge, and all that’s left is to buy jumper cables for your car and remember to put them in your trunk. Then, you can totally forget about them until you actually need them. It might be a year from now, it might be next month, it might even be three or four years if you’re lucky – but the day will come, and they’ll be waiting there for you when you need them.
