Jackery Explorer 500 shutoff under load

[Hypereides22]

Been using my Jackery Explorer 500 for tools in the garage. It shuts off when I plug in my drill, even though it’s under the watt limit. Anyone else seen this? Can this be surge-related?

 

[blu3 li4m]

Been using my Jackery Explorer 500 for tools in the garage. It shuts off when I plug in my drill, even though it’s under the watt limit. Anyone else seen this? Can this be surge-related?

yep, the surge is a killer on those smaller power stations.
Your Jackery 500 has a 500W continuous output but a 1000W peak surge limit.
That drill motor, especially when it first spins up (or if it's hitting resistance), is likely spiking over 1000W for a millisecond, and the Jackery's protection system is immediately shutting the whole thing down.
Try a less demanding tool, or only use it for chargers

 

[Boss_Nimzo]

It’s probably surge-related, but also check the inverter specs. The Explorer 500’s pure sine inverter has a short surge window like maybe one second tops. If your drill motor lags or bogs, that’s enough to trigger protection. Try plugging into an extension cord with a bit of resistance; sometimes it smooths the spike just enough to stay on.

 

[King_Troad]

pretty common with smaller power stations. My impact driver worked fine, but a corded drill or grinder kills it instantly. You might need something with a higher surge capacity or go cordless for smaller jobs.

 

[Alan]

A sudden shutdown on the Explorer 500 can happen if the surge hits harder than the label suggests, even when the running watts look fine. Cooler November temps can make batteries a little touchier in a garage setting too. You might want to take a quick look at whether the unit does the same thing once it warms up indoors. Does it shut off only with that drill or with other tools as well?