Customer Reviews

Black & Decker START IT VEC012CBD 450 Amp Jump Starter/Inflator

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I ended up getting a total of 6 of these units for all the trucks at my work. Overall they work fairly well. No problems jumping our work trucks. Chevy 1500 work trucks and a couple ford F150's. The light comes in handy. The air compressor does take a while to fill up a tire, and the hose is kinda short,but it does work. Other than that, it works great and has a built in battery tester which is nice to see. I have no problem getting multiple jumps in between charges. It recommends charging them once a month even if you don't use them. 4/5 Stars

This is esentially the B&D VEC026BD without the 400 watt inverter and also $30 cheaper. This VEC012CBD has a gauge like the VEC026BD (on the back of the unit out of sight in the amazon photos) even though the description omits this feature. It only has one 12 volt plug in and no AC plug ins, but it is smaller than the VEC026BD and and I don't have any use for a 400 watt inverter anyway. Our family rides on the local bike trails almost every day in the summer, I needed a compressor that would let me top off bike tires on an almost daily basis without the hassle of having to plug it in. I was also looking for a 12 volt power source. I don't care as much about the battery jumping potential but it isn't cumbersome. This model has everything I need and nothing I don't. It even says it can't be overcharged by the AC charger so it can be left plugged in and ready to go. Good product...

I am a single female who owns a vehicle with a "mystery" electrical problem, which tends to drain the battery. I purchased this product as a temporary "fix" until I can have the electrical problem fixed. My son purchased a different product which only inflates your vehicle's tires. When he brought it home he suggested I should purchase one for my tires. I just chuckled and said, "Wait here one moment." (I couldn't resist "trumping" him with my new purchase.) His eyes widened and he proceeded to head outside with my new starter/inflator to put air in his truck's tires. Needless to say, his purchase was returned and he'll be purchasing a Black & Decker starter/inflator. He said it worked great. We live in an extremely rural area and both features of the product are indispensable to us. Even when you're out, it's not always easy to find someone willing to "jump" your vehicle. While working as a waitress (working the night shift) I had left my headlights on. Of course, after my shift my car's battery was dead. My "regulars", five elderly gentlemen, were still having their coffee and I asked if anyone could help me. Within minutes they were all standing outside with similar products in hand. I was so impressed I promised myself that someday I would own one too and now I do. It's also nice to know I no longer have to search for a place with an air hose that actually works. I'm a die-hard Black & Decker fan and own several cordless tools which I use frequently. I felt this product was not only easy to use; but, very reasonably priced for the convenience and peace of mind it provides. I no longer have to worry about being "stranded" late at night or waiting on a family member or friend to come "rescue" me. I would highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a starter/inflator.

I purchased this exact model and both clamps are METAL.

Maybe it was an issue and they have changed the material.

Seems very well designed and built.

Much better quality than the no-name brands I saw elsewhere.

I went on the web, did about 20 minutes of research,read some reviews, and ordered this B & D unit. Most all of these rechargable battery type jumper packs are rated at between 300 and 550 CCA(cold-crank amps). Some reviews were very mixed but literally EVERY one for this B&D 450 CCA unit was ALL thumbs -up!!! I TOTALLY agree. A friend of mine recently explained to me that the problem with using "jumper cables" on the newer vehicles is that almost everything that looks like steel or real metal under the hood is really plastic, or metal but painted with certain type of rust and corrosion inhibitors which are very NON-conductive. Great for defeating rust but TERRIBLE for making a good ground. Bottom line, if you are trying to "jump start" one fairly new vehicle(2000 model >)with regular jumper cables and another relatively new vehicle, you have roughly a 1 in 4 chance of a POOR power connection or even worse, a POOR GROUND connection. Using this type of charger pack you know immediately that you've just reduced your chances of a poor connection by 50% ps. Low maintenance, only requires a "top-off " charge once every 4 months for about an hour or less THX, B & D, I've already ordered another one of these for my wife!

I received this as a Christmas present. Last week we had the stereotype Minnesota cold, it was 15 below with a wind chill that brought it to 40 below. My car battery thought it was way too cold to work. I pulled the START IT out and within minutes got my car jumped and working. Very easy to work and the START IT held its charge from a month before when I had originally charged it up.

I saw this item on the web here and then went up to my local Wal-mart store. I bought it there in the automotive section. Alot cheaper in the store than on the web here. $65.00 plus tax.

What an awesome product. Great for the College or Highschool student who needs a quick jump start of the battery or air in their car's tires. My son keeps his in his trunk and has used it twice since he received it. It is like having AAA service without waiting 45 minutes for them to show up.

Not had to use to jump start my car yet. Bought it mainly for the inflator which works very nicely. This works really well for sports balls and bike tires - which was the main purpose of buying the thing. The pressure gauge is a great touch. Would like to have seen some storage for the adapters and the unit is very noisy. Really notice the noise when inflating car tires and the unit is running for a couple of minutes.

I have an old RV (440 dodge engine) that I store in Mexico and always needs a jump to start. This wouldn't even turn the engine, even though I can jump the RV with my Suzuki Aerio with a 2L engine. So basically not enough power for big engines. At least I could inflate my tires, for what that's worth.