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Q: How did the tool/equipment function as far as saving you time?

A: I don’t know about everyone else, but I have diagnostic equipment, such as oscilloscopes and scan tools, that are PC-based, and just like everything else in the shop that is battery-powered, they are dead or close to dead when I want to use them. It is also not uncommon for these tools to be used on test drives where, eventually, the battery dies. The FJC 400W Power Inverter makes this phenomenon far, far less annoying. By using it in vehicles for test drives, I need not worry about battery level or charging batteries before I go on a test drive. 

Q: What kind of setup was involved before using the product?

A: Oh, you know, the usual. Opening the box with a very, very dull knife.  Not a butter knife, a real knife…it’s just…you know…dull. Tossing the instruction manual aside to be used later, attaching a couple of color-coded leads to the main unit, and then plugging the power outlet adapter into a vehicle power outlet, or cigarette lighter…depending on the age of the vehicle or the person using the FJC 400W Power Inverter.  I, clearly, am in the former group. 

Q: How easy was it to use?

A: So easy. Like a flip of a switch easy. I’m actually quite serious. You literally flip a switch, and it inverts, per the name, 12V DC electricity into 120V AC electricity. You then have an excruciating choice between two different outlets on the FJC 400W Power Inverter.  After exhaustive testing, I can find zero advantage of one over the other. 

Q: How was its packaging? Did it come with any accessories?

A: It came in a box. There was a Ziploc bag with choices of cable adapters.  One with clamps to be used on the posts of a battery, the other to be used with a power outlet or cigarette lighter, depending on the age of the vehicle or user of the FJC 400W Power Inverter. It also included a couple of backup ATC fuses. I don’t know why, though; I can’t imagine anyone in this profession ever overloading anything.  Ever. 

Q: Was there a manual included? If so, did you use the manual, and was the manual easy to understand?

A: Yes, there’s an instruction manual in the box. But, as per regulation, I didn’t use it … at least initially … I used it later to make sure I was doing everything correctly. 

Q: What features did you like?

A: I like the simplicity and, along with the 120V outlets, the USB-A outlet, because sometimes my phone battery gets low while I’m streaming movies on test drives.   

Q: What types of jobs/repairs did you use this tool for?

A: Diagnostic services involving test drives. I could power up my laptop(s) for scan tools and/or oscilloscopes, even exhaust gas analyzers. This is really convenient, and any shop should have a few for their mechanical and technical specialists to use for those purposes.   

Q: How does this tool compare to other tools you've used like it? 

A: I have other inverters. They’re older, so lower wattage and larger footprints.  

Q: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool overall? Why?

A: A 10. Like most of my reviews, it may seem odd to assign a rating of 10 to something like a 400W Power Inverter, but the reality is that it fills a need, does exactly what it says it does, does it well, doesn’t over complicate matters, and I’ve used it daily for a few weeks and have had zero issues with heat, noise, or electrical stability.  So, how can I not give it a 10? If it were wireless, I’d give it an 11.