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Give Dad a portable jump-starter and mobile charger for $29.99

Father's Day is approaching! Here's a practical gift for Dad -- or anyone who owns a car. Plus: Two other Dad-friendly gift options.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
4 min read
suaoki-t10-car-jump-starter

This colorful jump starter doubles as a mobile power bank.

Suaoki

A dead battery can ruin your whole day. No, not your phone battery -- though that's true as well -- I'm talking about your car battery, without which you're going nowhere fast.

Thankfully, portable jump starters are inexpensive and plentiful. Amazon is lousy with them. Prices vary depending on peak current and other features, but start at around $40.

If you're thinking your dad might like one of these for Father's Day, I agree. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Suaoki (via Amazon) has the T10 400A portable jump-starter and power-bank for $29.99 with promo code IO3KEMQX. Update: Sorry to say this appears to be sold out!

I'm not a car guy, meaning my knowledge of engines doesn't extend much beyond "gas goes in here," but I do know that most dead batteries can be revived by connecting another battery.

I also know that jumper cables are a hassle, because you need a second car (not always available) parked very close to your car (not always possible), and you have to attach them just so or both cars will explode, killing everyone in a three-block radius.

I may be a little off on that last point, but that's what my brain tells me. And that's why I greatly prefer a little jump starter like this, because you just connect the red cable to the red terminal and the black to the black, then start the car. Much easier.

Best Father's Day gifts under $100

See all photos

This particular jumper offers 400A peak current; some similar products offer 500A, 600A or even higher. Do you need that much "A"? (Kidding, I know it stands for "amps.") If Dad has a big truck or van, perhaps. According to Suaoki, the T10 can handle gas engines up to 5L and diesel engines up to 2L (that's engine size expressed in liters, as per usual).

The T10 doubles as a 12,000-mAh power bank, complete with two USB ports for charging phones and other mobile devices. It triples as a flashlight, with three lighting modes including SOS. On a less practical note: It just plain looks cool, with its racecar-style red and black design.

Nearly 600 buyers collectively rated it 4.5 stars out of 5, and those reviews passed with flying colors according to both Fakespot and ReviewMeta.

Assuming your Dad doesn't already own something similar, I think this would be a big hit on Father's Day. It's also a pretty smart buy for anyone who owns a vehicle, because calling a tow truck to jump a dead battery, just once, would probably cost at least $50.

Your thoughts?

5-piece-damaged-screw-extractor-set

Give Dad a break from stripped-screw stress.

Goldpar

Bonus deal: Speaking as a Dad myself, I can tell you that few situations produce more cursing than stripped screws. Which is why I'm hoping someone in my family is reading this.

Because, ahem, Toolspaly (via Amazon) is offering this 5-piece damaged-screw extractor kit for $5.99 with promo code W75MYGJE. That is, of course, for a limited time and while supplies last. It normally sells for $11 and many similar kits on Amazon cost about the same. Update: Toolspaly appears to be sold out; when you click the link now, Amazon takes you to a different seller's page, where the code won't work. Update #2: Try this link and make sure Toolspaly is the seller.

I've honestly never owned (or used) one of these before, but I've stared down the barrel of many a stripped screw and wished for an easy solution. I'd call this a must-have for every toolbox.

jxd-532

This light-up drone is easy to fly and priced at just $22.

Tomtop

Bonus deal No. 2: You're never too old for a cool toy, and while Dad may have his eye on a DJI Mavic Air , I'll bet he'd have more fun with a flier like this: The JXD 532 mini LED drone for $21.99 shipped

This little quad ticks all the boxes I consider important. It's got auto-hover, headless mode, three flight speeds and a handheld remote. Plus, each built-in blade guard is ringed with LEDs, so you can fly this guy at night! It can do flips, too.

I spent some time flying this over the weekend. It's super easy and super fun. As you might expect from a small drone with a small battery, flight times are short at about 5-6 minutes. Thankfully, the battery here is not built in as the product description says, and spares are dirt cheap.

My big complaint is the non-stop beeping that occurs when you switch to headless mode. I see this in a lot of similar drones  and I just don't understand the reasoning. But for $22 out the door, this is still a terrific little toy.


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