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Gear Review

GOOLOO A3 Review

A GOOLOO A3 jump starter and air compressor review: what a 12V jump pack really starts, why a Class 8 diesel is a different job, and where the tool genuinely earns its place.

Updated August 21, 2026

The verdict: The A3 is a well-specified 12V jump pack with a built-in air compressor and a work light, and GOOLOO rates it for engines up to 9.0 litres petrol and 6.5 litres diesel. Buy it for your pickup, for a light or medium duty truck, or as a yard tool. Do not buy it expecting to crank a cold 15 litre Class 8 diesel, because that is a job for cables and another truck, and the honest value of this unit in a semi is the inflator and the light.

Three thousand amps in a bag, and an honest answer about what it will and will not crank.

Best jump pack and inflator combo

GOOLOO A3 12V 3000A Portable Jump Starter with Air Compressor

~$70

A 12V jump starter rated at 3000 peak amps with a built-in tire inflator, power bank, work light and a battery management system with ten protections.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Peak current 3000A
Rated engine size Up to 9.0L petrol, up to 6.5L diesel
Voltage 12V
Inflator modes Five preset modes with five nozzles, LED screen and auto shut-off
Extra functions Power bank charging, LED work light
Protections Ten protections including short circuit, via a battery management system
Included Smart jumper cables, USB-A to USB-C cable, carrying bag
Warranty 18 months
Storage note Manufacturer advises recharging at least once every 3 months

Specifications above come from GOOLOO's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

  • The combination genuinely useful: a jump pack you would carry anyway, with an inflator and a work light built in.
  • Preset inflation modes with auto shut-off take the guesswork out of topping up a car or light truck tire.
  • Smart jumper cables with a documented protection set reduce the risk of an expensive mistake in the dark.
  • It doubles as a power bank, which is a real feature on a long stop.
  • 18 month warranty and a carrying bag, which puts it above the unbranded end of this market.

Where it falls short

  • A Class 8 diesel is not what this is for. GOOLOO rates it to 6.5 litres of diesel, and a big-bore engine with two or four batteries and a cold sump is a different order of demand.
  • Peak amps is a marketing figure measured in an instant. Sustained cranking current is what actually starts an engine, and it is rarely published.
  • The inflator is sized for car and light truck pressures. Filling a commercial tire to over 100 psi from a pocket compressor is slow at best and often beyond it.
  • Lithium jump packs lose charge in storage and dislike temperature extremes, which is exactly what a truck side box delivers.
  • GOOLOO advises recharging at least quarterly, and a jump pack you forgot to charge is a paperweight in an emergency.

What owners report

What owners consistently report about this class of jump pack is that it works well within its rating and disappoints outside it. Petrol cars, pickups and light duty diesels start readily. Reports of heavy diesel starts are mixed and depend enormously on how flat the batteries were and how cold it is. That matches the physics: cranking a large diesel needs sustained current for several seconds, not a headline peak figure for an instant.

For an owner-operator this is worth being blunt about. If your plan for a dead Class 8 is a pocket jump pack, that plan will fail on the coldest morning of the year. Heavy jumper cables and a second vehicle, or a road service call, are the realistic answers, and our jump starter versus jumper cables comparison works through when each one is right. Where the A3 earns its keep in a semi is everything else it does: inflating the tires on your personal vehicle, topping up a trailer tire on a light unit, and providing light and power at a breakdown.

On inflation specifically, do not expect a small 12V compressor to fill a commercial tire to placard pressure quickly. Our jump starter compressor versus truck tire inflator comparison covers the gap, and if commercial tires are what you need to service, a heavy duty inflator is the tool. Checking pressure is a separate job again, covered in tire gauge versus inflator, and pressure is worth checking often because it drives both tire life and fuel burn, which our fuel economy guide covers and our cost per mile calculator quantifies.

The maintenance point is the one people forget. Lithium packs self-discharge, and heat and cold in a side box accelerate the decline. GOOLOO says recharge quarterly. Put it in your preventive maintenance schedule alongside everything else, because the failure mode of a jump pack is being flat when you need it.

Who it suits

  • Owner-operators who want a compact emergency tool for a personal vehicle and light duty use.
  • Anyone who wants a jump pack, an inflator, a power bank and a work light without carrying four things.
  • Drivers who understand its rating and are buying it for what it does rather than what they hope it does.

Who should skip it

  • Anyone whose plan is to jump-start a heavy Class 8 diesel with it. That is a cables-and-another-truck job.
  • Drivers who need to inflate commercial tires to over 100 psi regularly, who need a proper heavy duty inflator.
  • Anyone who will not keep it charged, since a flat jump pack is worse than useless because you counted on it.

Alternatives worth considering

What Actually Starts a Semi

ABN Jumper Cables, 25ft, 2-Gauge, 600 AMP

~$38

Long, heavy cables and another vehicle remain the realistic way to start a large diesel. Cheaper than the jump pack and not dependent on being charged.

Check price on Amazon
Real Inflator

GSPSCN 12V Heavy Duty Tire Inflator Metal Portable Air Compressor

~$56

A dedicated heavy duty compressor built for higher pressures, which is what commercial tires need. Buy this if inflation rather than jumping is the actual job.

Check price on Amazon
Check First

LUMITECO 12 inch Dual Head Tire Pressure Gauge, 10-150 psi

~$10

Ten dollars of gauge tells you whether you need the compressor at all, and correct pressure is worth more in tire life and fuel than any of the tools above.

Check price on Amazon

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Frequently asked

Will a portable jump starter start a semi truck?
Generally not, and you should plan on the assumption that it will not. GOOLOO rates the A3 for up to 6.5 litres of diesel, while a Class 8 truck typically runs 12 to 15 litres with multiple batteries and a starter that draws heavily for several seconds. Cold makes it worse. For a heavy truck, use proper cables and another vehicle, or call road service.
What does 3000 peak amps actually mean?
It is the momentary current the pack can deliver under favourable conditions, and it is a marketing figure as much as an engineering one. What starts an engine is sustained cranking current over several seconds, which manufacturers rarely publish. Use the rated engine displacement as your guide instead, because it is the more honest number on the box.
Can the built-in compressor inflate truck tires?
Not well. These integrated inflators are sized for car and light truck pressures, and commercial tires at over 100 psi are a different job that will take a very long time if it works at all. For commercial tires, buy a heavy duty 12V compressor built for the pressure. Our comparison of the two covers what to expect.
How often should I charge a jump starter?
GOOLOO advises at least once every three months, and that advice applies to lithium jump packs generally. Storage in a truck side box means heat in summer and cold in winter, both of which accelerate self-discharge and shorten pack life. Put it on your preventive maintenance schedule so it is charged when you need it.
Jump starter or jumper cables?
A jump pack is self-sufficient, which is its whole advantage: no second vehicle, no waiting. Cables need help but work regardless of charge state, cost less and handle far larger engines. For a heavy truck, cables win. For a car or light truck, the pack is more convenient. Many drivers carry both, which is not unreasonable given what each costs.

TruckingCalc provides free educational information and estimates, not tax, legal, accounting, or safety advice. Rules and rates change; verify anything that affects your taxes, compliance, or safety with a qualified professional and the official source. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.