If you are forced to abandon your car on a motorway in freezing rain, having these on hand could be a real benefit for you and your family. Lithium ion batteries with very low charge cycle requiring only approx 9 hour monthly recharge if not used For more updates and to join in the conversation with Power Tools Direct follow us across our social media channels.

If you break down at any time of year, it may put you and other road users at risk. But the danger is even greater in the dark and gloomy winter months. Electric Pressure Washers Petrol & Diesel Driven Pressure Washers Hot Pressure Washers Pressure Washer Accessories Detergents, Chemicals and Algicides Pressure Washer Spares Hoses & Accessories It powered our discharged battery from just 3V to turning over rapidly for all five tests, and all five LEDs were still bright at the end. The LEDs on the Smart Cable were bright, too, although the leads were a touch short. If you need the extra Ah for a larger engine or diesel, or for powering many devices, this is the one for you.

A torch was fitted in the end of the jump start, pointing directly at the clamps, although there were no flashing modes as on the MSC. Of the five attempts, it managed to turn the engine over four times, although they were all much slower and half-hearted than the Overland, a reflection of the lower capacity of 6Ah. On the fifth attempt, it failed altogether and at the end, there was around 60 per cent charge left. Not a terrible result, but we get the feeling that if there were any other engine troubles, it would struggle to start it. This is made by Clarke International Ltd and is covered by their manufacturers guarantee for 12 months limited to the cost of the repairing or replacing the item. Beyond the basics, there are other accessories which we think will make life easier for you and your car this winter. Here are our eight essentials. Wiper blades

All perform well and our top four are particularly closely matched. The brand-new MSC just edges out the JSM300 Clarke, with Sealey’s recently launched RS600 chasing the leading pair hard. This amazingly small and lightweight portable lithium - ion power bank with inbuilt torch weights only 500g (without leads). It will jump start a flat car battery making it perfect for emergency situations. In addition it provides USB 5V device charging for mobile phones, cameras etc. plus 12V accessory and 19V laptop computer power outputs. An ideal device to keep in your vehicle. However, it was a huge surprise to find how well it performed on our test motor, easily turning it over five times and maxing out at a very healthy 130A. Its physical size makes it handy, but a case of some sort would have been good, not least for the leads. Selectable 12V/10A and 19V/3.5A dc outputs with 8 adaptor plugs for use with laptop computers and other devices/accessories This Clarke model has a monster Ah rating and was the heaviest of our trio, at 930g. The hard, zip-up case contained mains and car charging plugs, eight adapters for the DC 19V outputs and a four-way connector for most phones. It’s clearly designed with daily practicality in mind, not just for emergencies.Most drivers will have an ice scraper and can of de-icer already, but now is the time to dig them out from the shed so you’re not left using a credit card to clear the screen when caught out while away from home.

We tested Muc-Off’s HCB-1 and it did a good job of warding off corrosion for several weeks, or Ferrosol’s UB products will provide longer-term protection. With a whopping 18Ah on tap, the Plus version of MSC’s winner barely flinched at our starting tests, finishing with the battery state still at 100 per cent. Presented in a hard, zipped case, it’s dust/waterproof to the IP65 standard and comes with chargers for mains, USB and car. In addition, it has eight adaptors for charging a laptop; one worked well on our HP. It seems mean to have just one USB, but it has a multi-way cable to make life easier. Massively capable, if heavy, at 919g, this device can do almost everything.Starting boost output of 1000A at 12V and 500A at 24V and peak output of 2000A at 12V and 1000A at 24V Our favourite in recent tests was the Clarke JSM300, which performed well in the vehicle jump start assessments, but also included a variety of adaptors to power other accessories. You don’t want to find out your washer jets have frozen when you are doing 60mph either, so make sure your screenwash has been upgraded for the cold weather and that you have ‘primed’ the pipes with the new fluid.