~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link): amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first): 12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes: -Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp -Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator: us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7 -AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around: amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out: shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p -Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 10% off code: diysolar -Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA: watts247.com/?wpam_id=3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information: I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers: Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :) DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
You called it junk, then tested it and it did exactly what it is advertised to do. I think for half price, that is well worth it. Even if they were 95ah, that would be well worth it. I just ordered some. thanks
Apparently there are welding marks on the terminals. See comments too. They might be used cells. But just like you, it might be a good start for a project. I just wonder if in the long-term they are still cheaper than an a grade investment.
I agree. But those swollen cells means something bad happened to them. Being LiPo4 makes me think they will just fizzle out if they are no good. Rather than become a Towering Inferno!
I got these cells a few months ago as my first dive into Lithium ion phosphate batteries (complete newbie) they were flat and not swollen but were very low on charge when recieved but all balanced. Top balanced them but don't know how to capacity test. They run some things like 500w drill a 1000w coffee pod machine but not others like a.750w angle grinder. Made my own copper bus bars cause the ones supplied got hot. Great video I started this journey cause of your videos and I am learning heaps. Sometimes by my own mistakes!! Cheers.
Thanks Will for all your videos. With your help and some others I have completed my solar install for my new camper. I have 4 Battle Born 100 amp batteries an inverter, progressive charger, transfer switch and 4 100 watt Rich Solar panels. I hooked it up today and my Batteries were at 90% charge and were full in less than an hour. Everything works! I am so pleased and had very few problems that were not covered in your videos. Thanks again you are just Super!
it's not that often that you hear somebody say "thank you Harbor Freight!" usually when you buy one of those kits from them it would be missing the one part that you actually need
I bought these same LiitoKala 100Ah cells w/ a similar BMS, back in January as my first ever 12v lifepo4 battery pack. Bought them to run my 30' trolling motor on my personal pontoon and I have to say I that I couldn't be more satisfied or happy with these "poor man's" cells. They constantly pull 98Ah and that's just fine with me when comparing price and weight to it's much heavier and slightly less expensive counterpart (Lead-Acid 12v deep cycle battery). I'm so happy with them, that I've got another set of 100Ah LiitoKola cells on their way to run my 2nd pontoon. I also plan on running both 12v lifepo4 packs in parallel for my travel trailer.
I have these cells, when they arrived one cell had a blown valve, and the electrolyte was all over the cell, I complained and they told me to send them back, shipping was to expensive so I ended up taking a loss, bought a replacement from the company you got yours from , they shipped it airmail I got it in 2 weeks and the cell was ok. The battery pulls 80 amps with absolutely no problem at all.
Thanks Will for the video. Mine pulled only 94AH and as swollen as yours! Oh and if you look at he terminals carefully, you can see signs that it was laser welded before to a bus bar and it was striped off and the screw hole was drilled later manually. The screw holes are not even at the center for most of the terminals.
I am new to all this, and i would like to try to build a cheap 48 volt trial system for my boat...i think these cheap cells woud be perfect for me for experimenting and training. Am I wrong?
Keep up the good work Will, you will go far but stay as humble as you are. I like listening to your detailed clear and simplified explainations. On top of that, you know the stuff you talk about and congrat for that. I am a fan. Cheers Paul
As we transition to more and more battery powered vehicles the "trash" problem gets unfunny. Recyclers are going to have giant mountains of battery waste to process or else. Robotics and technology will have to be developed and deployed asap
@@leftofone It's a problem with this specific battery technology (and most of the others). Some technologies are less problematic. Still Lithium is so expensive they might find out a way to recycle it later on.
@@leftofone and burning tenths of thousands liters of diesel or petrol over the life span of a EV is good for the environment? Ending up with a recycable battery is not a problem what so ever.
Mate, love your video’s! Genuine as with your reviews. Anyone who asks me about solar, I send them to your channel. Saves me explaining things. Keep up the awesome work.
I don’t understand anything that you are talking about, but I am able to comprehend at least enough to get started. I am going to build a 1996 Chevy Astro Van to live in full time, unless I win the lottery, and can get something better. Enjoy your Channel, I will save what I can until I am ready to do the solar panels. Thank you for taking the time to at least explain some of what you are doing for those of us that don’t know Jack.
EVE and CATL recommends to compress the cells together to prevent bulge. At least with their bigger(272-280Ah) cells. I think it's quite normal for prismatic cells to expand at some level.
I've been using Liitokala on Li-Ion for some years now. No issues so far. Also, I bought exactly this for my RV and same, no issues so far. Pulling what it has to. So, for the price, is far better than an acid/whatever one.
@@5ofbroats Did you not watch the video? The cells performed just as promised and they are the cheapest ones. Your statement is the opposite of everything we just witnessed. I think I am going to order some for an ebike tomorrow. The swelling is a bit concerning because you can imagine where they are situated on an ebike in relation to your body.
I just got these same cells a couple of days ago, after ordering in early February! Just finished a not-too-formal capacity test and I'm quite pleased with the results. As expected, they're giving me about 95-97Ah. I didn't have the swelling issue with mine.
@@lindafoxwood78 well the data sheets suggest that compressing them stops excessive gas production which can happen with these soft cases and makes the cells last over 1000 cycles longer!
@@bontragershadow9070 Check Wills forum site and search for "compression". There is lots of discussions relating to this. You'll want to be careful with using anything metal and sharp since that blue skin is very thin and you don't want to puncture/cut it. Some have simply used thick plywood and thin threaded rod to sandwich the cells and keep them compressed. Others go a bit above that and use springs on the end of the threaded rod putting pressure on the plywood but still allowing the cells to expand slightly since they do expand some when charged. If you have it compressed too tight when fully charging the cells then it can actually damage the cells.
@@bontragershadow9070 What David B. Says, I am using sheets of barley paper between the cells and plywood panels at each end with threaded rod/nuts torqued to provide the right level of compression. Will's forum is a great source of info.
@@WillProwse the seller said they were EVE cells, but that wasn't true. The terminal screws of EVE cells are tiny but these ones were not. Don't really know the brand. Bought from Alibaba
Really enjoying your videos. They've really inspired me to further my study and deepen my solar/ battery/off-grid knowledge. Thanks for doing what you do
If you don´t want those swollen batteries just ship them to me Will. I´d be more than happy to receive them. Going to need them badly in my off grid hutch.
Damn, yours are swollen pretty bad. I bought these same cells (Jan 30) and mine are not perfectly flat but they're nothing like yours. Mine weren't missing hardware either... I was planning to do a small build video with them but haven't had the time, guess you beat me to it. lol
No way!! That is strange that yours are not as swollen. Nearly every single one in this pack was. Ahh dang you were lucky to get the terminal hardware. Very cool
My cheap 80ah cells are also not swollen and pull the 80ah as rated, I guess I got lucky! haha Been working for 8 months very well too! I think with the cheap cells the KEY is to just use small loads on them, anything under 20amps for charge and discharge and they don't have issues. Active cell balancing works well too. Running a 12v fridge, some LED lights, and a fan...charging cellphones and flashlights. Very useful but not a huge stress on the battery cells.
Just recently ordered 280ah cells from Soonbuy using one of your links in your website. I bought two leisure 75 Ah SLA batteries about 2 years ago for about 200€ and now they can't hold more charge than about 200-300 Wh at 10A discharge rating before it dips below 12.0V after just some cycle use. It's quite surprising that the lead acid batteries degraded so quickly, idk if they are car batteries mislabeled as leisure batteries, but i hope that this upgrade is worth it. I have a 1000W inverter which i use currently with two 100W panels. I use these to charge my electric bike during the summer season and for use in a shed, and during the autumn i pack it all up inside the house for overwintering. I also bought a 200A Daly BMS that can monitor the SoC to lengthen the life of the cells and for later on upgrading the inverter to a 2000W one, so all of these together would be a DIY Bluetti/Inergy Kodiak solar generator for a much cheaper price.
Thanks for doing all of these tests, I've watch many of your vids. As a new guy into the RV seen and a boondocker focused kind of crew I feel lost with all the choices when it comes to buying enough but not too much. I know can't have too much but I'm only running lights and the furnace when cold. Fridge runs on propane. $2k for a system to run my lights for a few days seems like over kill so I'm looking at a couple deep cycle batts and a portable solar panel with a Renogy 20a charger from the alternator in the tow vehicle. All thanks to your work and I appreciate you for sharing your knowledge with me
Can you remember 2 years ago when those very batteries was $1000 total .... BUT definitely B-grade and the #23 was probably from a discounted BATCH cell purchase-- so really -- bottom of the line at best -- BUT - they work fine ...as you said probably left in a warehouse 5-7 years ... which is fine ... would I use them on critical equipment -- NO -- would I use them to keep my ice cooler cold -- Hell Yes ... /// I will order 4 of them myself and see if I get the same results
Yeah, I am a year late but, when someone store these cells externally and with proper copper wires to common bus bar, it can works for few years without trouble, especially when the system voltage would be 48V (14S) and therefore currents four times lower. OR am I wrong Will? :-)
Thanks Will you rock, I learned something new. I want to buy lithium batteries but my financial status limits me to lead acid for now , but with your inspiration I know I can overcome my problems. Thanks again.
Yeah, I always wondered how a Chinese battery manufacturer can be called that. Would love to know the story behind that one as I don't believe in super weird coincidences.
I really appreciate you blazing the trail ahead of us. I had considered that supplier but I'm now glad I didn't pull the trigger. What do you think about Shenzhen Basen? BUT DON'T DO A VIDEO ON BASEN BEFORE I GET MINE!!!
In the end they‘re all the same. You‘ve got the big three manufacturers Lishen, EVE and CATL and their cells are almost identical. I‘ve got 4 pieces of Lishen (Shenzen Basen) and 12 pieces of CATL (someone else 🤗) and you couldn‘t spot the difference. Go with the cheapest offer on Alibaba that has some recent sales. 💪
@@spaRTan3246 The suppliers are all not the same however. Some have really crappy packaging causing damage in transit, some have poorly threaded terminals, some are known to have really good customer service and don't blow you off if there is an issue.
Or the batteries were removed from commercial service after a couple years . Those look alot like refurbished used batteries to me you got screwed if those were sold as new
I'm pretty sure these are ETC cells (not CATL). Also, based on the 32x 280Ah LittoKalla/Vericore branded cells I bought having similar defects, I'm convinced that these aren't swollen due to electrolyte breakdown/internal gases, but rather, an oversize jelly roll inside a hodge podge of QC rejects - each cell has slightly different physical, electrical and mechanical properties and tolerances that violated one or more limits without being an outright dud that would preclude its sale. Corporate buyers making forklifts and EVs don't want them, but individual buyers dealing in quantities of 4 to < 100 can still use them and are guided by bargain basement prices. My guess is that the jelly roll is made by automated equipment that terminates the roll based on a fixed linear distance, but both the anode and cathode films are not a perfectly consistent thickness over many meters of material, so lots of cells end up oversized and with excess mass or uneven total thickness at the top of the jelly roll versus the bottom. This suggests, but doesn't gurantee more battery capacity since the extra mass can be due to only one electrode, where ultimate capacity is still limited by the amount of active material at the opposing electrode. Other QC rejects I have seem to be due to superficial dents, terrible bubbles and trapped debris under the blue plastic insulation tape or cuts/holes exposing a bit of the underlying aluminum can. One had a missing plastic protector over the overpressure blow out vent. You get what you pay for, but there is no reason to throw these out or not use them based on their geometric abnormalities. Just don't expect to build a 400V series pack without serious time invested characterizing every cell individually and removing or pairing underperforming cells with small helper cells to get some semblance of consistent coulombic capacity and ESR for each series component.
That makes good sense. Truly hope that’s the case. My main concern has been “are these AliExpress cells USED” and then rebranded which will obviously impact/reduce remaining cycle life. I ordered a Vericore set of 280ah last year and they’re working great & pulls full capacity. Two cells were bloated but their under compression now so not an issue. Pulling full capacity doesn’t tell me if these cells are used though. Wouldn’t be surprised if these cells were originally 320ah but used and rebranded as 280ah. I won’t be using this battery much as it’s in a camper so the cells suite my purpose regardless of cycle life.
6:53-7:02. They look like the onliest temporary batteries. The kind you'd by at a dollar store. I don't blame you at all, for not daring to recommend them.
Aw man, I also just ordered 16 pc's 310Ah Liit0Kala! I hope they're not bulged..... Will, thanks you for all your very informative videos! I want to build my EES, using Victron Multiplus II as charger/inverter.
Ater 4 months waiting I opened a dispute. Within two days I received my money back! (1600 euro). Incredible! But now the search for good cells starts again..... Will, Thanks for all youe amazing videos!
I ordered these cells before I saw this video. When they finally arrived, they were in perfect condition. No bulges, scatches, etc. and the codes were intact. They look brand new. I ordered a Daly BMS, too. I expected the batteries to have problems but the BMS is defective. Can't win.
Two weeks ago I bought four 280ah batteries for $228 with no tax and free shipping and...they have shipped. Who knows how good they are but that is crazy cheap! I upgraded my 12v lead acid system to 24v lifepo4 after watching Will's video last year and have equipment from that system laying around. I have a separate 24v 280ah system and the new batteries wont be used in that.
Hey Will. The other day I was joking about that I couldn’t share something with you because it would go out of stock in 24 hrs after it’s on your channel. Well I bought all the stock I need so..... here goes. I had a problem when charging some 280ah batteries with a 50 amp or higher rate. I top balanced to start with and a Overkill 120 BMS was used. I started to see unbalanced cells and it got worse each cycle. I desperation I found an active balancer and didn’t expect much. I hooked it up in parallel with the BMS and low and behold, only a peak 65mv difference just before the cross over cc/cv event and continuing to lower to 2mv Delta at end of a 30 minute absorption. Gobsmacked! I now can get full capacity without a high cell tripping the BMS. Please do video on the Heltec 3S 4S 5A Active Equalizer ($29 Amazon) Do inspect them, one out of four had a capacitor turn around wrong (red mark 180* out). Grade A cells? It’s still only luck of the draw and time is the judge. A 50ma balancing circuit in a common BMS’s and high charge rates in a high ah battery may be too much to ask of it too.
My sister is working on it haha she is the artist in the family. I won't offer merch unless it is super awesome stuff. High quality shirts and things that you will actually like using. Hopefully my sister finishes up soon! lol
@@WillProwse Cool! I understand....yeah, definitely order in some samples before going live to check the product and the quality of the print/embroidery. There will be less logistics involved with sites like Redbubble/Teespring/etc....but you will have much more control over the final end product if you chose to use printify/printful/etc etc. With half a milly subscribers....there is quite the potential there...good luck!
... shirts are ok I guess, but I think maybe tools or DIY kits might suit your audience better, especially since you're building a brand around being truthful. patiently awaiting my Will Prowse branded Tool set for solar system assembly & testing
Great video. Those cells might be rejects feom the factory. I once worked at the TV manufacturing factory in Finland. I made couple TVs out of reject parts. Just had to buy a remote and degaussing coil👍Gave them to my brothers.
I was told these types if cells require pressure to hold them together. If cells bulge, they are no longer good? But the caps didn't blow. I'm confused.
LiitoKala is a good brand, so good in fact that they have knock offs made using their name. No question the cells have issues, im just not sure they are genuine?
witch one should i buy for Sonar ( fishing ) I need minimum 28AH LifePO4 Battery ( 12v to 18v working voltage sonar ) i need the smallest possible setup because i have a portable sonar. The sonar use 1ah of energy.
Hi DIY Solar Power, i know this is an old video but i just started my own solar-project in the middle of Sweden :). I saw your video for this brand after i bought my batteries :). I just bought 16pieces of 3,2 volts 310Ah LiFepo4 from this manufacturer branded as new Grade A batteries.... And the price is, inc vat and shipping from Italy, 2188,64 SEK, 1SEK is currently approx 0.11USD ... Lets see what i get :)
Give them away! :-) I'd love to see you do a video using the Battery Hookup LiFePo4 cells. I just bought a 4-pack for a 12V battery milk crate I'm building based on your $702 design. For $302 shipped from the US for 4 x 3.2V 100Ah batteries, it might be a great option. Add a BMS and you're golden.
You talking about the 4-pack kit with (20) 32650 cells in each pack for $300, right? I've been look at those myself. Did you finish your build? How was the quality?
@@ehondo88 I'm waiting on the batteries to arrive. I planned it all out on Tuesday! I'm headed to the local electrical supply tomorrow -- I'm not sure which Walmart Will shops at, but my Walmart isn't listing coils of beautiful and cheap 10 AWG stranded copper wire in red and black online, and who has time to drive there to check?!? :-) Hopefully my local supply will be less expensive.
Hi Will. A quick question. Is there a reason to put batteries in series then parallel or can I parallel batteries then connect those into series? For instance, if I'm doing 4s6p, can I put 6 cells together in parallel the connect each of those packs to others in series?
Will~ Speaking of Harbor Freight @3:40. Have you any info on the new 100watt solar panels they're now selling $99.99 ea.? I'm wondering if the convenience of local pickup is worth buying them?
LiitoKala does have proper 18650 cells and those 12v 18650 cell battery packs. Rest, i would just buy a known brand like you are saying. Perfect video, was planning to try them out becouse of the good 18650 cells.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com
Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com
Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link):
amzn.to/2Aj4dX4
If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):
12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html
Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html
Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html
Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html
DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes:
-Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp
-Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels:
www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator:
us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7
-AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around:
amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out:
richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out:
shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p
-Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals
bit.ly/2mIxSqt
10% off code: diysolar
-Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA:
watts247.com/?wpam_id=3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information:
I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com
Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar
FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Do you sell any batteries you make? I'm looking for two 50ah lithiums for my mobility scooter, but can't afford the $350 for them.
You called it junk, then tested it and it did exactly what it is advertised to do. I think for half price, that is well worth it. Even if they were 95ah, that would be well worth it. I just ordered some. thanks
Just ordered a second one.
Apparently there are welding marks on the terminals. See comments too. They might be used cells. But just like you, it might be a good start for a project. I just wonder if in the long-term they are still cheaper than an a grade investment.
I agree. But those swollen cells means something bad happened to them. Being LiPo4 makes me think they will just fizzle out if they are no good. Rather than become a Towering Inferno!
I got these cells a few months ago as my first dive into Lithium ion phosphate batteries (complete newbie) they were flat and not swollen but were very low on charge when recieved but all balanced. Top balanced them but don't know how to capacity test. They run some things like 500w drill a 1000w coffee pod machine but not others like a.750w angle grinder. Made my own copper bus bars cause the ones supplied got hot. Great video I started this journey cause of your videos and I am learning heaps. Sometimes by my own mistakes!!
Cheers.
Thanks Will for all your videos. With your help and some others I have completed my solar install for my new camper. I have 4 Battle Born 100 amp batteries an inverter, progressive charger, transfer switch and 4 100 watt Rich Solar panels. I hooked it up today and my Batteries were at 90% charge and were full in less than an hour. Everything works! I am so pleased and had very few problems that were not covered in your videos. Thanks again you are just Super!
Your videos are so much fun to watch!
it's not that often that you hear somebody say "thank you Harbor Freight!" usually when you buy one of those kits from them it would be missing the one part that you actually need
Hey, at least they make up for it by giving you 5 of the part you only need 3 of!
Low cost lithium is getting more and more available.
Time to put these through a few months of cycles.
Post up he results!
Run them in a steel box on concrete. Those bulgy cells are scary.
6 months later, how about an update? I am thinking of buying them tomorrow for 11.11 sale.
I bought these same LiitoKala 100Ah cells w/ a similar BMS, back in January as my first ever 12v lifepo4 battery pack. Bought them to run my 30' trolling motor on my personal pontoon and I have to say I that I couldn't be more satisfied or happy with these "poor man's" cells. They constantly pull 98Ah and that's just fine with me when comparing price and weight to it's much heavier and slightly less expensive counterpart (Lead-Acid 12v deep cycle battery).
I'm so happy with them, that I've got another set of 100Ah LiitoKola cells on their way to run my 2nd pontoon. I also plan on running both 12v lifepo4 packs in parallel for my travel trailer.
How much were the cells or your cost?
@@dougb.9449 $180 for my first set in Jan 2021 and $172 for my second set Aug 2021
Sometimes RUclips is the best thing on the planet...this is one of those times. Thank you for what you do!
I have these cells, when they arrived one cell had a blown valve, and the electrolyte was all over the cell, I complained and they told me to send them back, shipping was to expensive so I ended up taking a loss, bought a replacement from the company you got yours from , they shipped it airmail I got it in 2 weeks and the cell was ok. The battery pulls 80 amps with absolutely no problem at all.
Thanks Will for the video. Mine pulled only 94AH and as swollen as yours! Oh and if you look at he terminals carefully, you can see signs that it was laser welded before to a bus bar and it was striped off and the screw hole was drilled later manually. The screw holes are not even at the center for most of the terminals.
Amazing attention to detail. Great comment sir.
I am new to all this, and i would like to try to build a cheap 48 volt trial system for my boat...i think these cheap cells woud be perfect for me for experimenting and training. Am I wrong?
@@lucaschueli984 yeah if they provide enough power for your boat you'd be fine
ok
I guess I am quite randomly asking but does anybody know of a good place to watch new tv shows online ?
Keep up the good work Will, you will go far but stay as humble as you are. I like listening to your detailed clear and simplified explainations. On top of that, you know the stuff you talk about and congrat for that.
I am a fan.
Cheers
Paul
'If your cells look like this, you want to put them in the trash' LOL that was awesome...
As we transition to more and more battery powered vehicles the "trash" problem gets unfunny. Recyclers are going to have giant mountains of battery waste to process or else. Robotics and technology will have to be developed and deployed asap
@@leftofone China has a few landfills for all this... they just had to kick out a few thousand farmers for the GLORY of the CCP!
@@leftofone It's a problem with this specific battery technology (and most of the others). Some technologies are less problematic. Still Lithium is so expensive they might find out a way to recycle it later on.
@@leftofone and burning tenths of thousands liters of diesel or petrol over the life span of a EV is good for the environment? Ending up with a recycable battery is not a problem what so ever.
@@raymondk2202 diesel and petrol is recycable, trees absorb back again the CO and bring it back to carbon.
Wills last words "we're going to start with 75 amps & see if it blows up" I think we all puckered at the same time
And it was next to his head. Will needs to get a helmet. 👨🚒
I cringed too as it’s the only time I’ve seen him hesitant to connect a battery up 😂
Mate, love your video’s! Genuine as with your reviews. Anyone who asks me about solar, I send them to your channel. Saves me explaining things. Keep up the awesome work.
I don’t understand anything that you are talking about, but I am able to comprehend at least enough to get started. I am going to build a 1996 Chevy Astro Van to live in full time, unless I win the lottery, and can get something better. Enjoy your Channel, I will save what I can until I am ready to do the solar panels. Thank you for taking the time to at least explain some of what you are doing for those of us that don’t know Jack.
The craftsman bucket you showed. I made the mold for it. I have like 20 of them kicking around. Lol
Ayy injection molder gang.
Will, Thanks for another awesome video!
That's what I like about Will he tells it like it is and gives us the truth keep up the good work young man
EVE and CATL recommends to compress the cells together to prevent bulge. At least with their bigger(272-280Ah) cells. I think it's quite normal for prismatic cells to expand at some level.
I've been using Liitokala on Li-Ion for some years now. No issues so far.
Also, I bought exactly this for my RV and same, no issues so far. Pulling what it has to.
So, for the price, is far better than an acid/whatever one.
I was so hoping to hear, WOW these are the best cheap cells ever.
You get what you pay for rings especially true in batteries
@@5ofbroats Did you not watch the video? The cells performed just as promised and they are the cheapest ones. Your statement is the opposite of everything we just witnessed. I think I am going to order some for an ebike tomorrow. The swelling is a bit concerning because you can imagine where they are situated on an ebike in relation to your body.
I just got these same cells a couple of days ago, after ordering in early February! Just finished a not-too-formal capacity test and I'm quite pleased with the results. As expected, they're giving me about 95-97Ah. I didn't have the swelling issue with mine.
I got a similar one like these but "Orange" as a manufacturer and were just 65$ for the same. Around 98Ah and work great
@@MaxC_1 @Rex KE6MT
I clicked on the link for the batteries found in the video and its a totally different thing..
Those Ally case thin wall cells should be run compressed as they do swell, same with the Eve and Lishen cells.
I liked your comment. I was thinking about my new Li-04 batteries, how do I keep them from swelling?
@@lindafoxwood78 well the data sheets suggest that compressing them stops excessive gas production which can happen with these soft cases and makes the cells last over 1000 cycles longer!
@@TheGalifrey so get some metal bars and long screws and squeeze them tight? Like u bolts or sim but square?
@@bontragershadow9070 Check Wills forum site and search for "compression". There is lots of discussions relating to this. You'll want to be careful with using anything metal and sharp since that blue skin is very thin and you don't want to puncture/cut it. Some have simply used thick plywood and thin threaded rod to sandwich the cells and keep them compressed. Others go a bit above that and use springs on the end of the threaded rod putting pressure on the plywood but still allowing the cells to expand slightly since they do expand some when charged. If you have it compressed too tight when fully charging the cells then it can actually damage the cells.
@@bontragershadow9070 What David B. Says, I am using sheets of barley paper between the cells and plywood panels at each end with threaded rod/nuts torqued to provide the right level of compression. Will's forum is a great source of info.
Just one more awesome piece of education from Will! Great job Will!!
I bought the one that you recommend, and they're all swollen as well. Received them with 2.805-2.827. Ordered in February
Same here
Always think positive when connecting leads. Positive first always
Better believe it. I have some of these swollen cells and they've working well since.
They arrived swollen? What type exactly?
@@WillProwse the seller said they were EVE cells, but that wasn't true. The terminal screws of EVE cells are tiny but these ones were not. Don't really know the brand. Bought from Alibaba
I’m so happy for you man. Your channel has exploded
Nice job Will! Have been watching your videos for a while now. Very informative.
This is the review was waiting for.. thanks Will
Some manufacturers are talking about compressing LiFePO4 cells to increase lifetime, what do you think about that ?
Really enjoying your videos. They've really inspired me to further my study and deepen my solar/ battery/off-grid knowledge. Thanks for doing what you do
Could you do some stress testing on those cells?
I am very curious how they will hold up and if they could actually become dangerous!
Entertaining and informative as always. Will is the BEST...
Part of me was expecting that to end like Electroboom with sparks flying 🤣
If that happened, we would never see the video. We would learn of "RUclipsr killed in battery explosion" on CNN.
Another informative and entertaining video.
Thanks Will, your honesty, sincerity and warmth always shine through. Stay well during this time.
If you don´t want those swollen batteries just ship them to me Will. I´d be more than happy to receive them. Going to need them badly in my off grid hutch.
Every manufacturer when they see Will Prowse -- "Ming, send the best cells for video"
Rest of us, "hmmmm, something is off".
Good mechanisms for some rocking horses, Will!
I wish we could get Decent shipping rates to Canada Shipping cost more than the batteries Which sucks The big 1
Damn, yours are swollen pretty bad. I bought these same cells (Jan 30) and mine are not perfectly flat but they're nothing like yours. Mine weren't missing hardware either... I was planning to do a small build video with them but haven't had the time, guess you beat me to it. lol
No way!! That is strange that yours are not as swollen. Nearly every single one in this pack was.
Ahh dang you were lucky to get the terminal hardware. Very cool
We'd enjoy seeing your experience with these cells as well.
My cheap 80ah cells are also not swollen and pull the 80ah as rated, I guess I got lucky! haha Been working for 8 months very well too! I think with the cheap cells the KEY is to just use small loads on them, anything under 20amps for charge and discharge and they don't have issues. Active cell balancing works well too. Running a 12v fridge, some LED lights, and a fan...charging cellphones and flashlights. Very useful but not a huge stress on the battery cells.
I like how he adds “it’s not a bomb” at 5:07-5:06 but we all know it very well could be 😜😂😂🤣
Lifepo4 doesn't actually explode. Even if you drive a nail through them. They will catch fire though.....but come on it's a dead short🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for helping us avoid worthless junk !
Just recently ordered 280ah cells from Soonbuy using one of your links in your website. I bought two leisure 75 Ah SLA batteries about 2 years ago for about 200€ and now they can't hold more charge than about 200-300 Wh at 10A discharge rating before it dips below 12.0V after just some cycle use. It's quite surprising that the lead acid batteries degraded so quickly, idk if they are car batteries mislabeled as leisure batteries, but i hope that this upgrade is worth it. I have a 1000W inverter which i use currently with two 100W panels. I use these to charge my electric bike during the summer season and for use in a shed, and during the autumn i pack it all up inside the house for overwintering. I also bought a 200A Daly BMS that can monitor the SoC to lengthen the life of the cells and for later on upgrading the inverter to a 2000W one, so all of these together would be a DIY Bluetti/Inergy Kodiak solar generator for a much cheaper price.
Love your sense of swagger in this video! Would love to see a video of you shooting all your old crappy batteries!!
You're saving me money with every video. Thank you
Thanks for doing all of these tests, I've watch many of your vids. As a new guy into the RV seen and a boondocker focused kind of crew I feel lost with all the choices when it comes to buying enough but not too much. I know can't have too much but I'm only running lights and the furnace when cold. Fridge runs on propane. $2k for a system to run my lights for a few days seems like over kill so I'm looking at a couple deep cycle batts and a portable solar panel with a Renogy 20a charger from the alternator in the tow vehicle. All thanks to your work and I appreciate you for sharing your knowledge with me
Can you remember 2 years ago when those very batteries was $1000 total .... BUT definitely B-grade and the #23 was probably from a discounted BATCH cell purchase-- so really -- bottom of the line at best -- BUT - they work fine ...as you said probably left in a warehouse 5-7 years ... which is fine ... would I use them on critical equipment -- NO -- would I use them to keep my ice cooler cold -- Hell Yes ... /// I will order 4 of them myself and see if I get the same results
Yeah, I am a year late but, when someone store these cells externally and with proper copper wires to common bus bar, it can works for few years without trouble, especially when the system voltage would be 48V (14S) and therefore currents four times lower. OR am I wrong Will? :-)
Thanks Will you rock, I learned something new. I want to buy lithium batteries but my financial status limits me to lead acid for now , but with your inspiration I know I can overcome my problems. Thanks again.
He looks so happy even when he buys crap!!
That's because You, Me, & Everyone else paid for them & his estate ;-)
It’s cuz he’s rich asf
FINALLY!!! A price drop now that the new tech is in! I'm ordering 4 of them - that is cheaper than I can build them myself!
I just got my 280ah cells from LiitoKala. They took 4 months to arrive. So far they look good.
Thank you for the warnings and knowledge! Always looking for good deals but good to know where to draw the line. Love all your videos! 💙
I love the way you are, you are funny. And easy to follow
Ha. "Liitokala" is Finnish word and means "flying fish" (or "glide fish"to be exact, but you get the point. "liito" = "a glide", "kala" = "fish" )
Yeah, I always wondered how a Chinese battery manufacturer can be called that. Would love to know the story behind that one as I don't believe in super weird coincidences.
@@eowendyl Yeah. It doesn’t seem to have any connection to Finland. 🤨🤔
Finally a video where you speak normally without shouting
I really appreciate you blazing the trail ahead of us. I had considered that supplier but I'm now glad I didn't pull the trigger.
What do you think about Shenzhen Basen? BUT DON'T DO A VIDEO ON BASEN BEFORE I GET MINE!!!
There have been videos on SB previously. That‘s why their prices went up quite a bit. Sorry - too late... 😜
@@spaRTan3246 And yet, they still appear to be a really good value.
In the end they‘re all the same. You‘ve got the big three manufacturers Lishen, EVE and CATL and their cells are almost identical. I‘ve got 4 pieces of Lishen (Shenzen Basen) and 12 pieces of CATL (someone else 🤗) and you couldn‘t spot the difference. Go with the cheapest offer on Alibaba that has some recent sales. 💪
@@spaRTan3246 The suppliers are all not the same however. Some have really crappy packaging causing damage in transit, some have poorly threaded terminals, some are known to have really good customer service and don't blow you off if there is an issue.
some heat camera pictures from charging and disscharge would be great.
I didn't know I wanted to see a heat camera shot until Will mentioned he didn't have one.
I've been told that some shipping companies will only ship batteries if they're at 30% state of charge or less because of new regulations
Yes . We are lithium battery manufacturers
Or the batteries were removed from commercial service after a couple years . Those look alot like refurbished used batteries to me you got screwed if those were sold as new
wish you did more of this. I have a few questions on testing and now need to build a 72v build for a golf cart and really could use an advice....
I would love to hear if you ever used these for anything, and how they held up if you did
I'm pretty sure these are ETC cells (not CATL). Also, based on the 32x 280Ah LittoKalla/Vericore branded cells I bought having similar defects, I'm convinced that these aren't swollen due to electrolyte breakdown/internal gases, but rather, an oversize jelly roll inside a hodge podge of QC rejects - each cell has slightly different physical, electrical and mechanical properties and tolerances that violated one or more limits without being an outright dud that would preclude its sale. Corporate buyers making forklifts and EVs don't want them, but individual buyers dealing in quantities of 4 to < 100 can still use them and are guided by bargain basement prices.
My guess is that the jelly roll is made by automated equipment that terminates the roll based on a fixed linear distance, but both the anode and cathode films are not a perfectly consistent thickness over many meters of material, so lots of cells end up oversized and with excess mass or uneven total thickness at the top of the jelly roll versus the bottom. This suggests, but doesn't gurantee more battery capacity since the extra mass can be due to only one electrode, where ultimate capacity is still limited by the amount of active material at the opposing electrode.
Other QC rejects I have seem to be due to superficial dents, terrible bubbles and trapped debris under the blue plastic insulation tape or cuts/holes exposing a bit of the underlying aluminum can. One had a missing plastic protector over the overpressure blow out vent. You get what you pay for, but there is no reason to throw these out or not use them based on their geometric abnormalities. Just don't expect to build a 400V series pack without serious time invested characterizing every cell individually and removing or pairing underperforming cells with small helper cells to get some semblance of consistent coulombic capacity and ESR for each series component.
Thanks for the information. Appreciated!
Yeah, good final points. They are still usable.
That makes good sense. Truly hope that’s the case. My main concern has been “are these AliExpress cells USED” and then rebranded which will obviously impact/reduce remaining cycle life. I ordered a Vericore set of 280ah last year and they’re working great & pulls full capacity. Two cells were bloated but their under compression now so not an issue. Pulling full capacity doesn’t tell me if these cells are used though. Wouldn’t be surprised if these cells were originally 320ah but used and rebranded as 280ah. I won’t be using this battery much as it’s in a camper so the cells suite my purpose regardless of cycle life.
6:53-7:02. They look like the onliest temporary batteries. The kind you'd by at a dollar store. I don't blame you at all, for not daring to recommend them.
I really want too build my own trolling motor lifePO4 batteries but I have tons to learn
Funny name. LiitoKala is Finnish, it means flying fish 😃
You have some really good advice and I think you are greatly knowledgeable it would be nice to have your help to design a system
Could you please do a video on the Li-BIM 225?
I literally got the same batteries yesterday took about 3 months. Mine seem to be good so far fingers crossed.
Thank you
Ive seen you examine 1200$ worth of batteries today.
🔋🔋🔋🔋🔋
Thank you for very high Value information. I need your Recommendation for marine AGM Group 31 Deep Cicle. Thank You
Aw man, I also just ordered 16 pc's 310Ah Liit0Kala! I hope they're not bulged.....
Will, thanks you for all your very informative videos! I want to build my EES, using Victron Multiplus II as charger/inverter.
Ater 4 months waiting I opened a dispute. Within two days I received my money back! (1600 euro). Incredible! But now the search for good cells starts again.....
Will, Thanks for all youe amazing videos!
I ordered these cells before I saw this video. When they finally arrived, they were in perfect condition. No bulges, scatches, etc. and the codes were intact. They look brand new. I ordered a Daly BMS, too. I expected the batteries to have problems but the BMS is defective. Can't win.
Love your review! You tell it like it is. You have great cred!!!
do you remember where you got the box for $7? thanks love your vids!
Two weeks ago I bought four 280ah batteries for $228 with no tax and free shipping and...they have shipped. Who knows how good they are but that is crazy cheap! I upgraded my 12v lead acid system to 24v lifepo4 after watching Will's video last year and have equipment from that system laying around. I have a separate 24v 280ah system and the new batteries wont be used in that.
How're those batteries holding up?
I'm looking at 280ah batteries on AliExpress
Need a budget build for a trailer I'm working on. wish I could have your expertise for a few hours to sort me out , your knowledge is first class.
Hey Will. The other day I was joking about that I couldn’t share something with you because it would go out of stock in 24 hrs after it’s on your channel. Well I bought all the stock I need so..... here goes.
I had a problem when charging some 280ah batteries with a 50 amp or higher rate. I top balanced to start with and a Overkill 120 BMS was used. I started to see unbalanced cells and it got worse each cycle. I desperation I found an active balancer and didn’t expect much. I hooked it up in parallel with the BMS and low and behold, only a peak 65mv difference just before the cross over cc/cv event and continuing to lower to 2mv Delta at end of a 30 minute absorption. Gobsmacked! I now can get full capacity without a high cell tripping the BMS. Please do video on the Heltec 3S 4S 5A Active Equalizer ($29 Amazon) Do inspect them, one out of four had a capacitor turn around wrong (red mark 180* out).
Grade A cells? It’s still only luck of the draw and time is the judge. A 50ma balancing circuit in a common BMS’s and high charge rates in a high ah battery may be too much to ask of it too.
Ordered
Very interesting
@@WillProwse
Hey Will. They’re out of stock! LMAO!
@@SkypowerwithKarl no way!!!! Gosh dang it 😂😂😂
Ive jumped on the lithium bandwagon and ordered an SOK 100ah. Also 2 renogy 100w panels.
Oh....and Wills book off Amazon 😁
🔋🔋 I like big batteries and I cannot lie?? Will, do you have a merch store cookin yet? 🔋🔋
My sister is working on it haha she is the artist in the family. I won't offer merch unless it is super awesome stuff. High quality shirts and things that you will actually like using. Hopefully my sister finishes up soon! lol
@@WillProwse Cool! I understand....yeah, definitely order in some samples before going live to check the product and the quality of the print/embroidery.
There will be less logistics involved with sites like Redbubble/Teespring/etc....but you will have much more control over the final end product if you chose to use printify/printful/etc etc. With half a milly subscribers....there is quite the potential there...good luck!
... shirts are ok I guess, but I think maybe tools or DIY kits might suit your audience better, especially since you're building a brand around being truthful. patiently awaiting my Will Prowse branded Tool set for solar system assembly & testing
OMG love the commentary, can't wait to watch more and learn (and laugh a bit). :-)
Great video. Those cells might be rejects feom the factory.
I once worked at the TV manufacturing factory in Finland. I made couple TVs out of reject parts. Just had to buy a remote and degaussing coil👍Gave them to my brothers.
I was hoping that these were the cells that you mentioned you were waiting on. I have been very tempted to order some of these.
I loved this one, Will.
I was told these types if cells require pressure to hold them together. If cells bulge, they are no longer good? But the caps didn't blow. I'm confused.
Yes they need sone positive pressure on the cans. The internals are wrapped up in a roll and naturally want to bulge out in the middle.
LiitoKala is a good brand, so good in fact that they have knock offs made using their name. No question the cells have issues, im just not sure they are genuine?
witch one should i buy for Sonar ( fishing ) I need minimum 28AH LifePO4 Battery ( 12v to 18v working voltage sonar ) i need the smallest possible setup because i have a portable sonar. The sonar use 1ah of energy.
Hi DIY Solar Power, i know this is an old video but i just started my own solar-project in the middle of Sweden :). I saw your video for this brand after i bought my batteries :). I just bought 16pieces of 3,2 volts 310Ah LiFepo4 from this manufacturer branded as new Grade A batteries.... And the price is, inc vat and shipping from Italy, 2188,64 SEK, 1SEK is currently approx 0.11USD ... Lets see what i get :)
Hi Will,
Great video as usual. Have you done a video on your CBA IV battery tester?
Give them away! :-) I'd love to see you do a video using the Battery Hookup LiFePo4 cells. I just bought a 4-pack for a 12V battery milk crate I'm building based on your $702 design. For $302 shipped from the US for 4 x 3.2V 100Ah batteries, it might be a great option. Add a BMS and you're golden.
You talking about the 4-pack kit with (20) 32650 cells in each pack for $300, right? I've been look at those myself. Did you finish your build? How was the quality?
@@ehondo88 I'm waiting on the batteries to arrive. I planned it all out on Tuesday! I'm headed to the local electrical supply tomorrow -- I'm not sure which Walmart Will shops at, but my Walmart isn't listing coils of beautiful and cheap 10 AWG stranded copper wire in red and black online, and who has time to drive there to check?!? :-) Hopefully my local supply will be less expensive.
Hi Will. A quick question. Is there a reason to put batteries in series then parallel or can I parallel batteries then connect those into series? For instance, if I'm doing 4s6p, can I put 6 cells together in parallel the connect each of those packs to others in series?
Thank you you saved me from making a bad purchase
Will~ Speaking of Harbor Freight @3:40. Have you any info on the new 100watt solar panels they're now selling $99.99 ea.? I'm wondering if the convenience of local pickup is worth buying them?
LiitoKala does have proper 18650 cells and those 12v 18650 cell battery packs. Rest, i would just buy a known brand like you are saying.
Perfect video, was planning to try them out becouse of the good 18650 cells.
That was a fun video. Watched it 2 or 3 times. Not fair I can't give multiple thumbs up 👍
you can put way smaller terminal screws on that. thats super low volt like 3.2 v
You should try the battery hookup 4 pack of pre assembled 32650's.
keep up the good work
Can you point us at the store / brand of container you showed at 4:15?