Perry Mack
Weego 66
Words by Perry Mack
The Good
Sometime ago we reviewed the Weego 44. The feature list was plentiful but I lamented at the time that I felt its abilities were exaggerated. It is small and portable but more suited to small cars, ATV’s and motorcycles not the 7L gas and 3.5L diesel engines it claimed. I also found the cute tin box it came in a cheap marketing ploy that I was disappointed to have to pay for.
Enter the Weego 66, sans lunch box and with a lot more umph. The Weego are battery start assists, which makes them very useful. I kept the Weego 44 in my 2015 Jeep Wrangler JKU and used it twice to get started where BCAA would have been hard pressed to reach me. I had installed some extra electronics in the Wrangler, which unbeknownst to me, were draining the battery. In a self-reliant manner, the Weego got me started without undue stress - no need to call for help.
As a portable battery pack, Weego designers have built-in a great deal of functionality. If you (or someone using your vehicle) is unfamiliar with jump-starting an engine, there are simple on-board instructions and features to walk them safely through the process.
In a connected world like ours, you may feel the portable power options are even more important than the jump start features. It will power and charge phones, tablets and laptops - phones up to 7 times on a single Weego charge. Make sure you have your USB cable to do so. There is a 19V port for laptop charging but it is an adaptor that is sold separately. Most importantly (tongue in cheek), it will charge your portable Bluetooth speaker!
A 12V port provides up to 10 amps to run minor camping equipment gear and small portable air compressors and pumps for inflatables. It is also a great LED flashlight that can also be set to strobe or flash SOS in case of emergency - the folks on Gilligan’s Island could have been saved so much sooner…
Inside the box you get the battery clamps to start your vehicle, a wall and a car charger, a strap to hang the Weego to use as a camp or work light, and a bright orange bag to keep everything together.
Read Carefully
Weego claims 2500 peak amps and 600 cranking amps, able to start up to 10L gas engines and 5L diesel engines. While it may be true in some cases, it is misleading.
2500 peak amps looks impressive, but it only lasts for 20 milliseconds - nowhere near enough to start your vehicle. The 600 cranking amps is measured for three seconds - you better have a warm engine and electronic fuel injection.
Weego 66 Specs
If your battery is completely dead the Weego won’t start your engine. We tested this by connecting the Weego to several engine sizes without a battery, and using a battery we knew had passed from this world and into the next. Nothing. Nada y nunca. It might sound like I’m being hard on the Weego, but what I’m saying is true for every small portable battery pack (over)sold today.
Once you get past the hype and understand its limits, you can appreciate what it will do, and how useful it truly is. The little Weego 44 has saved me grief twice now in the Jeep, and will now be moved to my adventure/sport touring motorcycle, which like the Jeep, takes me solo off-road where cell service is spotty or none existent.
The Weego 66 is now the go-to, must-have item in the Jeep, something no self-reliant driver should be without.
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