This emergency gadget saved the day after my car battery died in a snowstorm

I tried the Topdon JS3000 out of the box, but the real test came six months later when I had to dig it out again to get my car running.

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Real-world storage proved the jump starter still worked months later.
• The JS3000 delivered a strong start after long-term neglect.
• Reliable emergency gear matters more than short-term test results.

I always say that talk is cheap, and there's nothing like a solid test to sort the tech wheat from the chaff. And while a review of a few weeks is good, nothing beats real-world usage. This is the ultimate test for any product.

Also: This portable power station kept my essentials running during a snowstorm outage

I recently came back from Spain after having left my car parked up for over six weeks ...