Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Jump starter for an ATV?

Has anyone of you tried one of these things? Our Polaris Sportsman 400 gets a dependable one year out of a new battery and a questionable second year. My two year old battery wouldn't start the ATV last weekend after running it for only a couple of miles when I stopped to visit with a neighbor for only about half an hour. That ATV is on a trickle charger when ever it isn't out on the trails, so the battery is always at full charge in the garage. The battery is way deep between the frame on that model and is a major hassle to change. The rig runs fine once it is started, but I don't trust it. For less than the cost of a new battery I can buy one of those 8" long rechargeable lithium jump starters. The remote terminals are easy to get to, the battery isn't. Since these boosters are small enough to fit in a glove compartment, I'm thinking that it is cheap insurance from getting stranded. A Noco GB20 or GB40 is on my short list. Opinions welcome.

They work great. I've used one any number of times. Some will also charge cell phones or other devices. Some Antigravity jump starters also have a voltage booster that can be used to charge a laptop.
Go oversized. Sometimes an engine can be hard to start and you need extra power for another crank or 3, especially in cold weather.

That said, I'm guessing you're either using the cheapest batteries made or you have a power drain somewhere. Pull off 1 of the battery cables and put a multimeter or test light between the cable and the battery to see if it's registering voltage when everything is turned off. A battery in my Polaris RZR lasts 4 to 5 years.

RC, reading the reviews on that GB20, they said the same thing about spending $20.00 more to get the GB40 which is virtually the same length only thicker, but twice the cranking amp rating. The Polaris and Kawasaki ATV came with the 2nd wife, but the Polaris really wants to be a new Yamaha 450 Kodiak EFI EPS, but try to find one. Hard to believe that ATV batteries are this short lived.

ATV batteries aren't that short lived which is why you possibly either have a voltage leak or you bought a junk battery. You could also have a bad alternator that isn't charging as you drive.
It's a plus when you marry into good toys. Mine came with a good meat grinder that we're still using 14 years later.

I've got a GB40 and have used it on lawnmowers, 4 wheeler, and my gas burning cars and trucks. It has worked extremely well on all of them over the years.

For my diesel truck I bought a bigger amp rated unit labeled Avapow and it too has worked.

These things are as handy as a pocket on a shirt. I always carry one in the boats when we are out on the water, haven't needed it, but just in case.

Buying one more so can keep one in every vehicle we have.

I'm wondering if your charger isn't overcharging. Take it off and let the battery sit a few hours and check the voltage. If it's above about 12.8v, it's overcharging. When you 1st take the charger off, it could read as high as 14v so you need to let it sit before checking it. It should settle down to 12.6 to 12.8.

You might google "sulfated batteries" and look for crownbattery.com

They had a nice explanation of sulfated batteries which may be your issue.

I have a Weego 22 that I have used to jump a couple of UTV’s, and a bigger Weego unit kept in my truck for autos. They have worked perfectly each time. I run a Battery Tender JR. in the winter on my boat trolling motor batteries, and one on my CanAm Defender. They also seem to work great, no issues.

Doc_Holidude

I got one of those little "jump boxes" in all the vehicles. I've used em on the sxs and our little Massey diesel tractor. Worth their weight

One use most is the micro-start xp-3

I was having a similar problem on a 20 year old Honda Rancher. I put a battery disconnect switch on the negative side and disconnect it any time it's going to sit more than a day or two. That solved the problem.

Great suggestions guys, thank you. My voltage meter is going with me next trip up north to check things out. I've suspected that it has had an issue when the last battery went bad in about the same time frame. I'd best get that Noco on order because my local Batteries Plus store has them, but at $44.00 more than on line. Last weekend that neighbor having jumper cables got me going, but that isn't going to be the case back in the hinterland.

NOCOs
30-45% off on Amazon for prime day depending on model.

Picked up another to have one in each vehicle. Usually throw one in boat just in case.

Not on the GB 40 that I ordered from them this morning. We had it in the cart and waited until today to order the Noco and hard case and it came through as list price. Did I do something wrong to have saved few bucks?

Double checked and the first time this morning it was list price of $99.** and then they amended it to $68.**. Got it on the way. Looking forward to being able to start that Polaris when I want to instead of a long walk back to get the Kawasaki and a tow rope. Thanks

Being in a Bass tournament once and couldn't get the big motor to turn over I now have one in truck, boat and SxS.

This. And go to the dealer and buy a Polaris battery.

I tried the box store stuff 1 time. A buds dad told me to go back to Polaris. I honestly do not know why they were/are better but he never had any issues and neither did other pards that did the same.

I keep a spare battery in mine and in my boat.

https://www.amazon.com/Imazing-Port...89d8-f45797b05b27&pd_rd_i=B07T49JQBR

I've got one of these in each of my trucks. Kinda nice that after vehicle starts, it reads voltage from the jumped vehicle to let you know if it's charging or bad battery. Kinda big for a sxs but bigger is better

Up date from the weekend. The 12v 800ma Battery Tender Junior (Walmart ~$30.00 recommended) had the Polaris battery at 13.1 volts sitting in the garage. The ATV started as usual when it was on the tender and I went half a mile to the mail box. Back in the garage I shut off the ATV and less than a minute later, it wouldn’t even turn over. I got out the new Noco GB40 and it started right up. What a great thing to have in reserve.
I did check with the dealer who put in the battery and come to find out it wasn’t the top of the line that I requested, but a $40.00 Interstate YTX14AHBS, but that it went in July of 2019 and three years is about maximum life for these.
I did some reading and it looks like a Deka (made in the USA) AGM ETX-15 should be what I’m using for a longer battery life expectancy given that the 400’s battery location is really deep into the ATV and changing out the battery is a real chore.

Engineers should be required to work on their inventions before they're put on the market. They need to see how much they're costing the consumer with their stupid inventions.
OTOH, my Polaris RZR has the battery under the driver's seat. Not counting the time it takes to detach the cables, I can have it out in about 30 sec.

I keep a small jump starter Micro start xp10. Works good for both atv and car. I have a 2007 Polaris 800. I pull my battery at the end of hunting season and put it on a tender at home. The atv stays in Central Alabama and I live in Southwest Florida. Get about 3 years out of a battery.