Batteries in the video (affiliate links): Tycorun 12V 100Ah: www.tycorun.com/products/12v-100ah-lifepo4-lithium-iron-phosphate-deep-cycle-battery-for-rv-caravan-solar-marine-home-storage-and-off-grid?ref=h-cvbzfahsek Lossigy 12V 100Ah: amzn.to/3uo5Mkq Sokerdy 12V 150Ah: amzn.to/3unMYC0 Vestwoods 12V 100Ah: amzn.to/37xNu7u Ruixu Stainless Steel 12V 100Ah: ruixubattery.com/product/rx-lfp-12-100bs?ref=h-cvbzfahsek SOK 12V Internal Heated/bluetooth: www.currentconnected.com/product/sk12v100h/?ref=wp SOK 24V Battery: www.currentconnected.com/product/sk24v100/?ref=wp Other batteries I recommend: www.mobile-solarpower.com/lithium-batteries.html *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 EnergyPal! They will price out a system and get your house offgrid: energypal.com/diysolar/ *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 Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.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 *My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:* *Signature Solar* Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Current Connected* SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp *Ecoflow Delta* 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 *Renogy* A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages! renogy.sjv.io/n1VjXx *Rich Solar* Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Battery Hookup* Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 5% off code: diysolar *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
If you're gonna throw them to the side for all time a poor fella like me would pay you to ship them to me since I'm surviving off 150ah and it's not enough to run my stuff with any autonomy .
Arrived early! I want Will to know, he has inspired me a lot, I've changed many bad electric habits at home, shared them with family and friends alike, and deep dived into learning to start my own solar at home and spread the knowledge here in LaTam where most of us are poor but with Strong WILL power, thanks Will for sharing with all of us such amazing lessons both in energy and Life. Best wishes! And i hope to open a channel like you did but for Spanish public and help spread some knowledge hard life lessons of my own, good energy and love 💕
I purchased 6 of the Lossigy a month ago. The company seems to make several batteries, basically the same, but some with added features. I have 4 yellow case and 2 black case. The first 4 we're around $330.00 each. In a week and a half they jumped up to $379.00. The black case I got for $345.00. They had pretty good ratings on Amazon. Supposed to have cold temp protection. The 6 are in parallel. We'll have to see long term, but for now they are working well running my Mom's off grid trailer.
@unionse7en Have not had an issue with the batteries. Of course with a 90 year old woman, a different issue. She would leave stuff on like she did when she was on grid. The biggest draw seemed to be the rv furnace. At 90 she was cold. Would turn the heater up and forget to turn it down. Then would get too hot and open the trailer doors with the furnace still running. Furnace would run 24/7. Fortunately she is now in assisted living.
Hey Will, fun video. For some odd reason, I've always liked tearing things apart more than putting them back together. These types of videos are my cup of tea!
LMAO, I think I was about 7 Years old when I took apart our RCA Victor Tube TV (pulled the tubes out to look at them) ... Still remember the consequences ! Hahaha
I found your channel about a year ago, went back as far as I could and watched all of your videos that I could find. I've really enjoyed watching and learning about solar panels and LiFePo4 batteries. I'm a union electrician with 40 years of experience but nothing as far as solar. I really appreciate you and your channel. The one thing that I would like to know are the weights of the different sized batteries and solar panels. I'm toying with the idea of building a CLC teardrop camper and weight will be a major factor if I decide to pull it with my motorcycle. Keep up the good work.
Click on the links at the top that Will gives on each battery and they tell you (in Metric) for example the Tycorun is 13 kilograms which coverts to 28.6 pounds!
Love the bulk tear-downs haha - good stuff! Sokerdy - Also bothers me when companies can't put "LiFePO4" correctly. It's not "LifePo4" or any other variant LOL. Probably just my OCD. And damn, that soldering job is crap! Vestwoods - That BMS is so tiny, I have a hard time believing that doesn't get super hot. Lossigy - Price went up $30 a few days after my video, was $370 - funny how that works... Also for the cells, you mentioned "who makes them" - they're GFB, seem to be good stuff! ^^ just random comments as I was watching
Right!? That company had so many mistakes in the marketing material, I almost ranted for 5 minutes straight. There is just so many errors, it sure is wild. Right?! That little bms is just crazy. I was really surprised something was not melting when I came back to it. Ahh I hate when they raise the prices. Then our viewers get mad at us for the change haha Ohh GFB's, very cool! Those are good!
Hey guys one request please. can one of you do a video breakdown of your preferred DC power supplies for recharging the lithium batteries? Is it safe to recharge a liFePO4 using a power supply unattended (assuming the BMS will disconnect for overcharge protection)? Where can I find these for sale? I find these hard to find and I don’t know any good brands
@DIY Solar with Will Prowse, related to the comment of the Vestwoods, would you do a BMS efficiency showdown with some of these? I'd be interested to know how the BMS units used compare.
Another great review Will, I would like to request you to comment on any Marine grade candidates for the off grid boating community. Generally we're going to be interested in quality builds and not necessarily need the temperature protection or even the internal heaters. Thanks for the insight regarding the heated batteries in series
I've been watching for a while now and my mother just had a Tesla roof installed with 4 powerwalls.... so I decided to build a UPS/ESS for my place. With the reviews and content you and others are doing it really is pretty strait forward. I breed Pythons for a living and have complete confidence there will be no power interruption to my incubator or my facility during an outage. Love all the work your doing.
I been studying different batteries, solar panels and entire systems to find the best products. Been waiting on improvements in technology also.Thanks for your videos I know what to buy and what not to get. Watch your videos religiously and feel comfortable to build mine and know how to protect my equipment now. Thanks again for your hard testing!
Just a consideration...people keep buying old (outdated) batteries instead of innovative battery because they don't know better and probably because old batteries had the time to be marketed/recommended/reviewed and therefore have a reputation that new ones don't have. I'm glad I found your channel, very good content! Thanks for your work!
Here's another possible reason they keep buying old. I bought 2 Battle Born batteries almost 4 years ago. About a year & a half later, I bought 4 more [24V system], at the same outrageous price [$949], mostly because I could not find any recommendations for mixing batteries. Now, almost 2-1/2 years later, the Battle Born batteries have only dropped 8% to $874, while all these new companies are coming out with new, innovative batteries for 60-75% of 5he price of Battle Born. The question remains. Can you integrate these new batteries into the old system? If so how? I certainly don't want to scrap my investment in what were the best batteries a few years back when I still expect 10-20 years or more of remaining life. Will, can you please address this problem in one of your videos?
Love your teardowns. I keep hoping Renogy will send you some of there new batteries, specifically the 200ah-bt version because those are the ones I took a chance on. On second thought maybe you'd find something bad and then I'd probably not be able to sleep at night.
He said the ones he is not naming are using old technology. But he said well known unnamed brands so my guess is probably R or BB? Would be nice to know!
Will, you had me laughing out loud when you said that Riuxu must’ve fired everybody and got new employees. Thanks for the videos. I’m just getting into solar, and learning plenty from your videos.
That was a good way to knockout the review of them all. So many nice choices now. Because of your videos I learned solar and diy'ed my setup. A 6kw split phase growatt and 2 server rack batteries from signature solar. I got my panels from Santan. Thanks Will!
Batteries are getting better and cheaper fast. If I were ding my power station project today I would probably not pop for the Battleborn. There are so many more choices now.
Simply another outstanding, information filled, fun video. Great to see the innovations and improvements taking place even though I built my own 12v 280ah battery system for our TT following your recommendations early last year. Thanks for all you do.
Found your chanel a few days ago. It is by far my fav chanel now. You also get to the point, you explain. You compare. You don't waste so much time promoting things and talking about a bunch of useless stuff. I just got handled a solar system. It's a few years old. However I can still use it as my starter and learn about solar more. I know good amount just not enough. I have 3 100 watt panels and 2 100amp batteries. They are the once that you can't get below 50%. So the batteries are the worst, but for getting panels, batteries, wires, controller, inline fuse and 300w inverter for free I can't complain. This is excellent chanel to learn about this. Batteries will be first thing I'll replace obviously. So this is perfect for me. Thank you for having a good chanel and actually about the stuff it's ment for. Everyone knows RUclipsrs who spend half the video promoting things or talking about a bunch of personal life useless stuff.
Thank you very much for the video Will. I have two 200ah Lossigy batteries in my motorhome for the last month and so far they are great. I went from AGM and these re-charge so much faster. Thanks for all of your knowledge.
Yeah, ive been using a 200ah 12v lossigy since last july in my offroad 4wd for a house battery. Been hooked up to a redarc bcdc and 200w of solar. Been a great battery so far. I wish it had bluetooth, but eventually ill just wire up a meter.
Thanks for looking inside these. For reviews like this it would be great to see summary tables at the end. Including: Tested capacity, features, dimensions, weight.
The way you descibe and teach this community is commendable and when i see something you reccomend, I pay great attention to that and it weighs heavy on my choice options! Thank you SIR!
Never fear, your videos are not boring. I for one have learned a lot from your videos. please keep them up. And as for some company's improving, I believe it is cause of your up- front, honest, tear apart review’s. you do weed out the junk. and some of the “junk” have changed and improved there products. or at least the advertising / labeling. Your word carry's, and is heard.
The quality improvements since Current Connected has became involved with SOK as their US vendor shows. They are growing leaps and bounds over others by building a quality product at an extremely competitive price.
Solid, as always. I would suggest that in the future if you see two temp sensors in a battery, perhaps try chilling or heating them together. The second sensor may be functional, but perhaps is used in a different way than being able to shut down the current on its own. Example, in a clothes dryer there will be a cycling thermostat and then a high limit safety thermostat. One is intended to be cycled, one is not. If a digital control system is taking in two temperature probes, it could be doing several things that require both sensors to be exposed at once: 1) perhaps, like the dryer, one is a safety that is used only in the case of a fault with the other sensor. If this is true, and the digital controller doesn't recognize a fault with the primary sensor, it may ignore the one that seemed to not work. 2) if the sensing probes are wired in series and the controller takes a voltage sample from between them, as a voltage divider (like how fuel level gauges usually work), then exposing just one to high or low temps may not be enough to trigger the low or high temp cutoff. 3) probably a handful of other conditions I'm not going to think of So, might be best to try them individually and then test them together, in case either the controller logic or the physical wiring requires particular inputs. It's not likely that if the sensors are inside a battery pack that their values would be so very different as they would be with different extreme temp exposures (room temp versus very high or freezing temps).
As with many things, the more the market growths the more innovation comes along at a lower cost. We are looking at off-grid property, the home will have a 24 volt system for lighting and low power draws and a 48 volt system for the inverter. That way there is some redundancy so you don't loose everything if one system goes down.
I love when you tear apart batteries & TEACH us (beginners) GREAT INFO (using normal language we can ALL understand) - truly honest review with No F'ing B.S. !! I'm still looking to convert my 48v golf cart from lead acid to new tech LiFeP4 & after this review I think I'll look into a SOK brand. THANKS FOR ALL GREAT INFO
I two of the 200ah Lossigy batteries I have been using for two months and love them so far. Thank you for the teardown video. It makes me feel good about my purchase. They were 659 each when I bought them and they have sense gone up $40.
Hey Will. Thanks for all your video man. It really helps a lot. As a full time missionary to the 22 Native American reservations in the state of Arizona, my wife and I and our 8 kids we live off grid and been learning a lot. A few bumps on our journey but we’re finally starting to get use to it. Then I ran in to your videos while looking for the best batteries for the money. You sold me right away, smiles. Now I can’t get enough of you. Thanks buddy. 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
I'd love to see an updated version of this test! I was shopping around, and it appears that there's a new crop of "mini" 100AH batts with lots of features (bluetooth/hi-lo temp cutoff's, etc). But--I've never heard of any of them. Price point seems to be around $329-375.
I used to work for Exide. My dad was QC there and he was a stickler for quality. Workers would adjust his settings after he left in order for higher production numbers which in turn produced subpar batteries. My advice would be to spend extra on a quality battery made by a small company before QC is compromised by production.
your excitement in explaining things about Solar is so contagious, that makes me a fan and keep me watching, learning and have updates. Dreaming my own simple set up soon. More Power, Solar Power to you!
Will That was excellent, I have been researching to set up my Overland Truck with Solar and the Batteries are insanely Expensive, until Now seeing your review. Thanks Mate
Thank you for doing these types of videos! I cannot tell you how much I’ve learned from your channel Will. I’ve looked through your tear down list but there’s one battery missing and I hope you’re going to do a tear down on it soon…cuz I’m in the market now. The battery tear down I’d like to see is from Acoucou. They talk the talk but I don’t know if they walk the walk…and I don’t know anyone that has them (that’s why I’m turning to you the very best source anywhere on the web). Hey thanks again for the great education you’re providing!
Great video and info! I ran into a few other "info" videos, where, it was just the channel creator talking, that's NOT what I consider information. Doing a good teardown and inspection always has more value and info than a creator just blabbing!
I’m using a $320 12v 100ah cells for my home rig. Solar charging works great. In California I don’t worry about cold charging, although once when it was frosty in the morning, it wouldn’t charge. Low temp protection? It works!
Hey Will, I've got an interesting idea for a video. Since you like running tests on batteries, how about testing out lithium rechargeable household batteries like AA and AAA. There are lots on the market and it would be cool to test out a bunch to see if any are worth the money.
I must say you've have Help me so much getting all my comments together for my Tiny home off gird system. I just love how you take your time to explain everything. supper supporter
Well, well, the battery market starts getting saturated, and we are getting cheaper and better ones. The manufacturers are watching what you said is what counts!
I've noticed the Zooms, Chins, Ampere clones are all $400+ for a decent basic battery. Would you recommend the Vestwood for budget buyers who will take decent care of their batteries? I will be using them in an RV, but will bring them into my house when not in use.
OMG. I was hoping to find out how the build quality of these batteries compare. What the differences are in BMS. Thanks for taking a multitool to these batteries. Exactly what I was thinking. You rock.
Great review, thanks. I’m not sure why I didn’t see this one before. I stumbled across it whilst looking for a review comparing the 12v Vestwoods 100ah to the 12v Blue Nova 108ah. Interesting that in Europe internally heated batteries are sought after. Here in Africa most parts we are concerned about overheating.
Since it has become easier to get ripped off with these batteries or manufacturers, I' decided the better way to go was, to go for a power station, that would need to have good batteries in them, but' a new problem then arose, was their stated Power usage!! One seller said after a purchase of a 500watt one, was to of gone for a 1000Watt to be able to obtain a 500Watt output!! And there's me thinking that a stated 500watt output power station was just that, being able to supply a 240volts AC at a current of 2.1amps. Keep up the good work Will!! Put these bad sellers or companies to their shame, with their own facts.
I was super close to buying a Lossigy before the price jumped up from $319 to $399, then I was looking at the Vestwoods. Even though I ended up building my own 230ah Eve cell battery for my RV (because it could fit where I wanted it to) I am happy to know I have a good "picker". The Vestwoods 200ah was on sale for $499 (crazy price) at one point which would have been a very good price for that capacity, I just could not find a place where I could put it in my smaller trailer.
Since you have a good picker maybe you could help me lol. I’m just trying to add a second battery system to my girlfriends 4Runner. I’m an electrician but this stuff is like Korean to me. So many options at vastly different price points.
Is there a age when you can't learn anymore? I'm 59, watch all your videos trying to build my confidence to tackle my own solar system with my Ambulance build.... I end up with more questions in the end. 🤔🤯🚑 I love your videos ❤👍
Will, I really like your videos. I am a full time RVer and have an old acid / Lead battery. Looking to upgrade . Your videos have helped educate this ignorant user. Now trying to decide 100 ah or 200 ah. Thanks again!
I have a couple of Lossigy batteries, and have been pretty happy with the quality. Glad to see you confirm my experience. Edit: And thanks for the review on the Vestwood!! Based on your review, I decided to buy their 200Ah version, which is also advertised with "cold temperature shutoff". Total price = $629. I'm suspecting that the sensor is on the BMS itself, which would be bad placement but at least better than nothing. The seller goes on at great length in the description about the feature as well as providing details when answering questions about the product, so I'd be very surprised if it actually didn't have it.
Great video compression, and by the way, the SOK server Rack 100Ah 48v is now even under discount. The downside of all you can't get anything in Europe what was reviewed.
i got 2 btrpower 12v 100ah lifepo4 batteries two weeks ago, good price, good performance so far, the IMPORTANT is that it can support max 100a charge current.
Prachtige plek voor je huis. Paar opmerkingen waarschijnlijk al aan gedacht. Regen water afvoer van je weg deze zal bij hevige regen uitspoelen. Ook rond je huis moet je dat bedenken waar gaat het water lopen of opborrelen. Verder moet je vuurstormen bij je huis kunnen weerstaan. Wind richtingen van belang en hoe brandbaar is het. Verder een tweede weg ingeval van dat je niet over deze aangelegde weg kan door brand bijvoorbeeld.
Me encantan los videos que tú haces Me gustaría saber qué haces con las baterías que desbarata las tiras o qué Sí yo tengo 60 años y tengo una casita chiquita en Tucson Arizona
Great review. It sounds like the heated 24v SOK has the advantage of heating and 24V, versus two 12v heated in series - which won't heat at exactly the same times... it at least solves the heat/timing problem.
Great video! I only wish you would have give a final summary and recommendation. But I suppose I can review the video a few times and figure it out. Thanks!
With so many of these batteries featuring Bluetooth, I'm surprised nobody's figured out the heated battery issue you described yet. Seems to me Bluetooth Low Energy (often abbreviated BTLE) could be used for nearby cells to keep track of each other. Maybe a new feature for SOK to innovate? 👍️
Great video again dude. Would love to see you tear down the new renogy 100ah battery with bluetooth as i have the model before with the pouch cells to see how it compares.
China to USA order and delivery of these pets seems to be a nightmare for many. Nowadays China companies set up warehouses locally. Who is it safe to buy from, (except for the DIY-solarforum lady)? Thanks for producing awesome content
Thank you, Will! For the Vestwood battery with no apparent temperature sensor, I'm thinking it could be possible that the BMS may have a sensor built into the BMS, not hanging out the side like it should be... other youtube reviewers will drop the batteries into a freezer for a while as a more thorough test for such an example. Do you have a freezer that you could setup to do such testing? Thank you again!
Has anyone yet actually tested dropping the battery (the whole thing) down to 32f to see if it shuts off before damage occurs. It is entirely possible that since the temp sensor is on the BMS, they may just set the trigger to a little bit higher temp. It might still work just fine.
Thank you for your video. It helped me to purchase the batteries that I need. It is helpful that you address issues like temperature, which are very relevant where I live.
thx William for this EXCELLENT TAKE APART VIDEO. STAY HEALTHY & GOOD HEARTED IN THIS DREADFUL WINTER SEASON! :D (PS: SOK if you read this, send 'em a 1000x LiFePo4 batteries as thank you!)
Hey Will one request please. can one of you do a video breakdown of your preferred DC power supplies for recharging the lithium batteries? Is it safe to recharge a liFePO4 using a power supply unattended (assuming the BMS will disconnect for overcharge protection)? Where can I find these for sale? I find these hard to find and I don’t know any good brands A NOCO 50 amp charger is upwards of $800 on Amazon which is ridiculous and so I look for a high output DC power supply 😆
man, thank you so much for the wealth of practical knowledge you bring to the solar world. you explain in great detail all the information the other influancers assume you know.AND THEN you start ripping things apart and showing us the how and the why. granted i have to watch your videos about 20 times each to understand things better. thank you so much !
Batteries in the video (affiliate links):
Tycorun 12V 100Ah: www.tycorun.com/products/12v-100ah-lifepo4-lithium-iron-phosphate-deep-cycle-battery-for-rv-caravan-solar-marine-home-storage-and-off-grid?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
Lossigy 12V 100Ah: amzn.to/3uo5Mkq
Sokerdy 12V 150Ah: amzn.to/3unMYC0
Vestwoods 12V 100Ah: amzn.to/37xNu7u
Ruixu Stainless Steel 12V 100Ah: ruixubattery.com/product/rx-lfp-12-100bs?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
SOK 12V Internal Heated/bluetooth: www.currentconnected.com/product/sk12v100h/?ref=wp
SOK 24V Battery: www.currentconnected.com/product/sk24v100/?ref=wp
Other batteries I recommend: www.mobile-solarpower.com/lithium-batteries.html
*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 EnergyPal! They will price out a system and get your house offgrid: energypal.com/diysolar/
*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
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.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
*My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:*
*Signature Solar*
Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps:
www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
*Current Connected*
SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components:
currentconnected.com/?ref=wp
*Ecoflow Delta*
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
*Renogy*
A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages!
renogy.sjv.io/n1VjXx
*Rich Solar*
Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price:
richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
*Battery Hookup*
Cheap cell deals
bit.ly/2mIxSqt
5% off code: diysolar
*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
Vestwood link is to 200Ah
If you're gonna throw them to the side for all time a poor fella like me would pay you to ship them to me since I'm surviving off 150ah and it's not enough to run my stuff with any autonomy .
When you say "custom built battery" in your charge controller video, does that include the raw cells I wire together? Anyone know?
Very important question is that which battery can be used 2s or 4s?
@@jross207 now is 100ah
Not a word wasted - its always a pleasure to watch a guru in the zone : )
Arrived early! I want Will to know, he has inspired me a lot, I've changed many bad electric habits at home, shared them with family and friends alike, and deep dived into learning to start my own solar at home and spread the knowledge here in LaTam where most of us are poor but with Strong WILL power, thanks Will for sharing with all of us such amazing lessons both in energy and Life.
Best wishes! And i hope to open a channel like you did but for Spanish public and help spread some knowledge hard life lessons of my own, good energy and love 💕
I had no idea that you shouldn't series connect 12V batteries with heaters due to uneven loading. Very Cool and good to know!
I purchased 6 of the Lossigy a month ago. The company seems to make several batteries, basically the same, but some with added features. I have 4 yellow case and 2 black case. The first 4 we're around $330.00 each. In a week and a half they jumped up to $379.00. The black case I got for $345.00. They had pretty good ratings on Amazon. Supposed to have cold temp protection. The 6 are in parallel. We'll have to see long term, but for now they are working well running my Mom's off grid trailer.
still working well?
@unionse7en Have not had an issue with the batteries. Of course with a 90 year old woman, a different issue. She would leave stuff on like she did when she was on grid. The biggest draw seemed to be the rv furnace. At 90 she was cold. Would turn the heater up and forget to turn it down. Then would get too hot and open the trailer doors with the furnace still running. Furnace would run 24/7.
Fortunately she is now in assisted living.
Just for the record I've never fallen asleep while watching any of your videos.
Because of your content you inspired me to start my solar business in South Africa 🇿🇦
Oh boy, a LiFePO4 battery showdown!! My favorite in videos!
What, no Chins, Zooms?
I have not watch this yet, cannot wait to!
Hey Will, fun video. For some odd reason, I've always liked tearing things apart more than putting them back together. These types of videos are my cup of tea!
That chainsaw got a good workout, didn't it? 😂
LMAO, I think I was about 7 Years old when I took apart our RCA Victor Tube TV (pulled the tubes out to look at them) ... Still remember the consequences ! Hahaha
@@LithiumSolar once I learned how to make the noise by pulling the rope!
@@stephsoltesz6731 Oh, boy, I remember doing the same!
@@fisherus did you have a similar encounter with the Leather Belt too ? ;-) some lessons only need learnin once hahaha
I found your channel about a year ago, went back as far as I could and watched all of your videos that I could find. I've really enjoyed watching and learning about solar panels and LiFePo4 batteries. I'm a union electrician with 40 years of experience but nothing as far as solar. I really appreciate you and your channel. The one thing that I would like to know are the weights of the different sized batteries and solar panels. I'm toying with the idea of building a CLC teardrop camper and weight will be a major factor if I decide to pull it with my motorcycle. Keep up the good work.
Click on the links at the top that Will gives on each battery and they tell you (in Metric) for example the Tycorun is 13 kilograms which coverts to 28.6 pounds!
Just finally decided to go with the SOK battery for my new 12 overland build,...thanks for breaking them down for us!
Love the bulk tear-downs haha - good stuff!
Sokerdy - Also bothers me when companies can't put "LiFePO4" correctly. It's not "LifePo4" or any other variant LOL. Probably just my OCD. And damn, that soldering job is crap!
Vestwoods - That BMS is so tiny, I have a hard time believing that doesn't get super hot.
Lossigy - Price went up $30 a few days after my video, was $370 - funny how that works... Also for the cells, you mentioned "who makes them" - they're GFB, seem to be good stuff!
^^ just random comments as I was watching
Right!? That company had so many mistakes in the marketing material, I almost ranted for 5 minutes straight. There is just so many errors, it sure is wild.
Right?! That little bms is just crazy. I was really surprised something was not melting when I came back to it.
Ahh I hate when they raise the prices. Then our viewers get mad at us for the change haha
Ohh GFB's, very cool! Those are good!
Hey guys one request please. can one of you do a video breakdown of your preferred DC power supplies for recharging the lithium batteries? Is it safe to recharge a liFePO4 using a power supply unattended (assuming the BMS will disconnect for overcharge protection)? Where can I find these for sale? I find these hard to find and I don’t know any good brands
@@michaelburke1023 Have a look at the AIMS LiFePO4 chargers. I have both the 12/24V and 36/48V models. They're ETL-listed.
@@LithiumSolar Thanks so much!
@DIY Solar with Will Prowse, related to the comment of the Vestwoods, would you do a BMS efficiency showdown with some of these? I'd be interested to know how the BMS units used compare.
Another great review Will, I would like to request you to comment on any Marine grade candidates for the off grid boating community. Generally we're going to be interested in quality builds and not necessarily need the temperature protection or even the internal heaters.
Thanks for the insight regarding the heated batteries in series
Hey will what can I run with a 3000w 48v pure sine wave inverter krxny. Is that a good brand
I've been watching for a while now and my mother just had a Tesla roof installed with 4 powerwalls.... so I decided to build a UPS/ESS for my place. With the reviews and content you and others are doing it really is pretty strait forward. I breed Pythons for a living and have complete confidence there will be no power interruption to my incubator or my facility during an outage. Love all the work your doing.
7y
I been studying different batteries, solar panels and entire systems to find the best products. Been waiting on improvements in technology also.Thanks for your videos I know what to buy and what not to get. Watch your videos religiously and feel comfortable to build mine and know how to protect my equipment now. Thanks again for your hard testing!
Just a consideration...people keep buying old (outdated) batteries instead of innovative battery because they don't know better and probably because old batteries had the time to be marketed/recommended/reviewed and therefore have a reputation that new ones don't have.
I'm glad I found your channel, very good content! Thanks for your work!
Here's another possible reason they keep buying old. I bought 2 Battle Born batteries almost 4 years ago. About a year & a half later, I bought 4 more [24V system], at the same outrageous price [$949], mostly because I could not find any recommendations for mixing batteries. Now, almost 2-1/2 years later, the Battle Born batteries have only dropped 8% to $874, while all these new companies are coming out with new, innovative batteries for 60-75% of 5he price of Battle Born. The question remains. Can you integrate these new batteries into the old system? If so how? I certainly don't want to scrap my investment in what were the best batteries a few years back when I still expect 10-20 years or more of remaining life. Will, can you please address this problem in one of your videos?
Love your teardowns. I keep hoping Renogy will send you some of there new batteries, specifically the 200ah-bt version because those are the ones I took a chance on. On second thought maybe you'd find something bad and then I'd probably not be able to sleep at night.
He said the ones he is not naming are using old technology. But he said well known unnamed brands so my guess is probably R or BB? Would be nice to know!
Will, you had me laughing out loud when you said that Riuxu must’ve fired everybody and got new employees. Thanks for the videos. I’m just getting into solar, and learning plenty from your videos.
Got 4 Chins 12v 100ah off of Amazon for a club car golf cart a few weeks back. So far they're working great!
That was a good way to knockout the review of them all. So many nice choices now. Because of your videos I learned solar and diy'ed my setup. A 6kw split phase growatt and 2 server rack batteries from signature solar. I got my panels from Santan. Thanks Will!
What Growatt model please?
@@bobcole3852 I used 6kw split phase off grid one 240v charge controller.
Batteries are getting better and cheaper fast. If I were ding my power station project today I would probably not pop for the Battleborn. There are so many more choices now.
You definitely know your stuff.
It's always a pleasure watching your videos.
Simply another outstanding, information filled, fun video. Great to see the innovations and improvements taking place even though I built my own 12v 280ah battery system for our TT following your recommendations early last year. Thanks for all you do.
Found your chanel a few days ago. It is by far my fav chanel now. You also get to the point, you explain. You compare. You don't waste so much time promoting things and talking about a bunch of useless stuff. I just got handled a solar system. It's a few years old. However I can still use it as my starter and learn about solar more. I know good amount just not enough. I have 3 100 watt panels and 2 100amp batteries. They are the once that you can't get below 50%. So the batteries are the worst, but for getting panels, batteries, wires, controller, inline fuse and 300w inverter for free I can't complain. This is excellent chanel to learn about this. Batteries will be first thing I'll replace obviously. So this is perfect for me. Thank you for having a good chanel and actually about the stuff it's ment for. Everyone knows RUclipsrs who spend half the video promoting things or talking about a bunch of personal life useless stuff.
Thank you very much for the video Will. I have two 200ah Lossigy batteries in my motorhome for the last month and so far they are great. I went from AGM and these re-charge so much faster. Thanks for all of your knowledge.
Glad to hear your experience has been good! Very cool
Yeah, ive been using a 200ah 12v lossigy since last july in my offroad 4wd for a house battery. Been hooked up to a redarc bcdc and 200w of solar. Been a great battery so far. I wish it had bluetooth, but eventually ill just wire up a meter.
Whats the max charge and discharge (continuous) current for the 200AH lossigy?
@@rjlorua 100 amps
Thanks for looking inside these. For reviews like this it would be great to see summary tables at the end. Including: Tested capacity, features, dimensions, weight.
The way you descibe and teach this community is commendable and when i see something you reccomend, I pay great attention to that and it weighs heavy on my choice options! Thank you SIR!
Love it when you tear part batteries. Great side by side comparison.
Never fear, your videos are not boring.
I for one have learned a lot from your videos. please keep them up.
And as for some company's improving, I believe it is cause of your up- front, honest, tear apart review’s.
you do weed out the junk. and some of the “junk” have changed and improved there products. or at least the advertising / labeling.
Your word carry's, and is heard.
those vestwoods look like they'd be a neat option for a 12v cheapo off-grid situation
I love watching you get so into tearing them apart to evaluate! Awesome information and gel as always. Thanks 🙏
The quality improvements since Current Connected has became involved with SOK as their US vendor shows. They are growing leaps and bounds over others by building a quality product at an extremely competitive price.
Agreed
@@WillProwse - youre doing a great service - thank you!!
Great great video Will, I love watching you tear these apart and critique them. Thank you for another great video
Solid, as always. I would suggest that in the future if you see two temp sensors in a battery, perhaps try chilling or heating them together. The second sensor may be functional, but perhaps is used in a different way than being able to shut down the current on its own. Example, in a clothes dryer there will be a cycling thermostat and then a high limit safety thermostat. One is intended to be cycled, one is not. If a digital control system is taking in two temperature probes, it could be doing several things that require both sensors to be exposed at once:
1) perhaps, like the dryer, one is a safety that is used only in the case of a fault with the other sensor. If this is true, and the digital controller doesn't recognize a fault with the primary sensor, it may ignore the one that seemed to not work.
2) if the sensing probes are wired in series and the controller takes a voltage sample from between them, as a voltage divider (like how fuel level gauges usually work), then exposing just one to high or low temps may not be enough to trigger the low or high temp cutoff.
3) probably a handful of other conditions I'm not going to think of
So, might be best to try them individually and then test them together, in case either the controller logic or the physical wiring requires particular inputs. It's not likely that if the sensors are inside a battery pack that their values would be so very different as they would be with different extreme temp exposures (room temp versus very high or freezing temps).
As with many things, the more the market growths the more innovation comes along at a lower cost.
We are looking at off-grid property, the home will have a 24 volt system for lighting and low power draws and a 48 volt system for the inverter. That way there is some redundancy so you don't loose everything if one system goes down.
Great info...I can't wait until Will is doing tests and breakdowns on Sodium-Ion batteries.
Jajajaja would pay to see that become a reality
DUDE! THIS IS AWESOME! I spend hours and hours on Amazon... Should I get this... what if it's crap.... This helps a lot!
Ill say the name, Battleborn. Overpriced just like Apple and Harly Davidson, but some think they are better because they cost more. : )
I love when you tear apart batteries & TEACH us (beginners) GREAT INFO (using normal language we can ALL understand) - truly honest review with No F'ing B.S. !! I'm still looking to convert my 48v golf cart from lead acid to new tech LiFeP4 & after this review I think I'll look into a SOK brand. THANKS FOR ALL GREAT INFO
Best solar channel on RUclips. Appreciate you my man good stuff!
I two of the 200ah Lossigy batteries I have been using for two months and love them so far. Thank you for the teardown video. It makes me feel good about my purchase. They were 659 each when I bought them and they have sense gone up $40.
I loved this format, what a fun video. Have a great day everyone, 😀😎☀️ from Wales U.K. 🏴
You know I really think because of all your reviews in just a few short years we have really got some great quality batteries now!
Hey Will. Thanks for all your video man. It really helps a lot. As a full time missionary to the 22 Native American reservations in the state of Arizona, my wife and I and our 8 kids we live off grid and been learning a lot. A few bumps on our journey but we’re finally starting to get use to it.
Then I ran in to your videos while looking for the best batteries for the money. You sold me right away, smiles.
Now I can’t get enough of you.
Thanks buddy.
🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
I'd love to see an updated version of this test! I was shopping around, and it appears that there's a new crop of "mini" 100AH batts with lots of features (bluetooth/hi-lo temp cutoff's, etc). But--I've never heard of any of them. Price point seems to be around $329-375.
I used to work for Exide. My dad was QC there and he was a stickler for quality. Workers would adjust his settings after he left in order for higher production numbers which in turn produced subpar batteries. My advice would be to spend extra on a quality battery made by a small company before QC is compromised by production.
your excitement in explaining things about Solar is so contagious, that makes me a fan and keep me watching, learning and have updates. Dreaming my own simple set up soon.
More Power, Solar Power to you!
It would be fantastic if I could find someone with your expertise that would do the same extensive reviews of sealed marine LiFePo4 batteries.
Many folks use these in a marine environment, or even just build their own.
Just use these.
I did.
You can Google it and get the info online!
I'd be happy to help. Send me some batteries I'll test em.
He recently did one for a 24v marine battery that he really liked
Will That was excellent, I have been researching to set up my Overland Truck with Solar and the Batteries are insanely Expensive, until Now seeing your review. Thanks Mate
Thank you for doing these types of videos! I cannot tell you how much I’ve learned from your channel Will.
I’ve looked through your tear down list but there’s one battery missing and I hope you’re going to do a tear down on it soon…cuz I’m in the market now.
The battery tear down I’d like to see is from Acoucou. They talk the talk but I don’t know if they walk the walk…and I don’t know anyone that has them (that’s why I’m turning to you the very best source anywhere on the web).
Hey thanks again for the great education you’re providing!
Would like to see a review of the new Renology batteries and how they stack up to SOK.
I don’t know Renology, did you mean Renogy perhaps?
Great video and info! I ran into a few other "info" videos, where, it was just the channel creator talking, that's NOT what I consider information. Doing a good teardown and inspection always has more value and info than a creator just blabbing!
I can't wait to build my own battery, I ordered 4 300 AH cells for my first build.
Thanks for the teared down video. It is good to know Vestwoods don't have low temp cut off as advertised.
I’m using a $320 12v 100ah cells for my home rig. Solar charging works great. In California I don’t worry about cold charging, although once when it was frosty in the morning, it wouldn’t charge. Low temp protection? It works!
Hey Will, I've got an interesting idea for a video. Since you like running tests on batteries, how about testing out lithium rechargeable household batteries like AA and AAA. There are lots on the market and it would be cool to test out a bunch to see if any are worth the money.
Thanks Will, very informative on build quality. Will be interesting to see if you do testing on capacity.
I don't understand any of this, but just like linus tech tips, i watch it from start to finish.
I must say you've have Help me so much getting all my comments together for my Tiny home off gird system. I just love how you take your time to explain everything. supper supporter
Well, well, the battery market starts getting saturated, and we are getting cheaper and better ones. The manufacturers are watching what you said is what counts!
I've never seen the inside of the battery shell. Great breakdown, thank you!
Great post Will. I appreciate you sharing your perspective on these units here.
I have 2 chins 100 amp lithium. And I’m very happy with them. Oh yeah I have a victron charge controller. Great combination
I've noticed the Zooms, Chins, Ampere clones are all $400+ for a decent basic battery. Would you recommend the Vestwood for budget buyers who will take decent care of their batteries? I will be using them in an RV, but will bring them into my house when not in use.
Hello Jesse,
How are these vestwoods performing?
OMG. I was hoping to find out how the build quality of these batteries compare. What the differences are in BMS. Thanks for taking a multitool to these batteries. Exactly what I was thinking. You rock.
Great review, thanks. I’m not sure why I didn’t see this one before. I stumbled across it whilst looking for a review comparing the 12v Vestwoods 100ah to the 12v Blue Nova 108ah.
Interesting that in Europe internally heated batteries are sought after. Here in Africa most parts we are concerned about overheating.
Good job! Good to see cheaper alternatives getting better!
Since it has become easier to get ripped off with these batteries or manufacturers, I' decided the better way to go was, to go for a power station, that would need to have good batteries in them, but' a new problem then arose, was their stated Power usage!! One seller said after a purchase of a 500watt one, was to of gone for a 1000Watt to be able to obtain a 500Watt output!! And there's me thinking that a stated 500watt output power station was just that, being able to supply a 240volts AC at a current of 2.1amps. Keep up the good work Will!! Put these bad sellers or companies to their shame, with their own facts.
Would love to see a review of the HQST battery for $375. Has low temp charge protection among other features and seems like a decent battery.
I was super close to buying a Lossigy before the price jumped up from $319 to $399, then I was looking at the Vestwoods. Even though I ended up building my own 230ah Eve cell battery for my RV (because it could fit where I wanted it to) I am happy to know I have a good "picker". The Vestwoods 200ah was on sale for $499 (crazy price) at one point which would have been a very good price for that capacity, I just could not find a place where I could put it in my smaller trailer.
Since you have a good picker maybe you could help me lol. I’m just trying to add a second battery system to my girlfriends 4Runner. I’m an electrician but this stuff is like Korean to me. So many options at vastly different price points.
@@ChristiannTyler Hard to say a year later, build one!
Is there a age when you can't learn anymore? I'm 59, watch all your videos trying to build my confidence to tackle my own solar system with my Ambulance build.... I end up with more questions in the end. 🤔🤯🚑 I love your videos ❤👍
Thank you for the review and info on the Weize, I just installed 2 of them on my Toy Hauler
I ran across your videos while looking for a kayak battery, you have a great channel!
You're a pleasure to watch and listen. Very articulate and detailed. Thank you for your work and happy new year 2023
Will, I really like your videos. I am a full time RVer and have an old acid / Lead battery. Looking to upgrade . Your videos have helped educate this ignorant user. Now trying to decide 100 ah or 200 ah.
Thanks again!
I have a couple of Lossigy batteries, and have been pretty happy with the quality. Glad to see you confirm my experience.
Edit: And thanks for the review on the Vestwood!! Based on your review, I decided to buy their 200Ah version, which is also advertised with "cold temperature shutoff". Total price = $629. I'm suspecting that the sensor is on the BMS itself, which would be bad placement but at least better than nothing. The seller goes on at great length in the description about the feature as well as providing details when answering questions about the product, so I'd be very surprised if it actually didn't have it.
Great video compression, and by the way, the SOK server Rack 100Ah 48v is now even under discount. The downside of all you can't get anything in Europe what was reviewed.
Great video, just FYI, RUclips is putting ads every 2 mins or LESS
Another outstanding video from Will Prowse!
i got 2 btrpower 12v 100ah lifepo4 batteries two weeks ago, good price, good performance so far, the IMPORTANT is that it can support max 100a charge current.
The cat hair shirt rocks! Awesome review as always, thanks!
Prachtige plek voor je huis. Paar opmerkingen waarschijnlijk al aan gedacht. Regen water afvoer van je weg deze zal bij hevige regen uitspoelen. Ook rond je huis moet je dat bedenken waar gaat het water lopen of opborrelen. Verder moet je vuurstormen bij je huis kunnen weerstaan. Wind richtingen van belang en hoe brandbaar is het. Verder een tweede weg ingeval van dat je niet over deze aangelegde weg kan door brand bijvoorbeeld.
Me encantan los videos que tú haces Me gustaría saber qué haces con las baterías que desbarata las tiras o qué Sí yo tengo 60 años y tengo una casita chiquita en Tucson Arizona
Great review. It sounds like the heated 24v SOK has the advantage of heating and 24V, versus two 12v heated in series - which won't heat at exactly the same times... it at least solves the heat/timing problem.
no sokerdy..check Love these teardown videos Wll, thank you!
Great video! I only wish you would have give a final summary and recommendation. But I suppose I can review the video a few times and figure it out. Thanks!
With so many of these batteries featuring Bluetooth, I'm surprised nobody's figured out the heated battery issue you described yet. Seems to me Bluetooth Low Energy (often abbreviated BTLE) could be used for nearby cells to keep track of each other. Maybe a new feature for SOK to innovate? 👍️
Great video again dude. Would love to see you tear down the new renogy 100ah battery with bluetooth as i have the model before with the pouch cells to see how it compares.
China to USA order and delivery of these pets seems to be a nightmare for many. Nowadays China companies set up warehouses locally. Who is it safe to buy from, (except for the DIY-solarforum lady)?
Thanks for producing awesome content
Thank you, Will! For the Vestwood battery with no apparent temperature sensor, I'm thinking it could be possible that the BMS may have a sensor built into the BMS, not hanging out the side like it should be... other youtube reviewers will drop the batteries into a freezer for a while as a more thorough test for such an example. Do you have a freezer that you could setup to do such testing? Thank you again!
Yes was wondering the same thing, very easy to have onboard sensors.
Problem is that the BMS might be warmer than the cells. That's why you want to have the sensors away from it.
Yes, you are right. The sensor is within the BMS. We checked inner structure. The NTC is arranged next to MOS.
good to know!
Has anyone yet actually tested dropping the battery (the whole thing) down to 32f to see if it shuts off before damage occurs. It is entirely possible that since the temp sensor is on the BMS, they may just set the trigger to a little bit higher temp. It might still work just fine.
Thank you for your video. It helped me to purchase the batteries that I need. It is helpful that you address issues like temperature, which are very relevant where I live.
thx William for this EXCELLENT TAKE APART VIDEO. STAY HEALTHY & GOOD HEARTED IN THIS DREADFUL WINTER SEASON! :D (PS: SOK if you read this, send 'em a 1000x LiFePo4 batteries as thank you!)
Hey Will one request please. can one of you do a video breakdown of your preferred DC power supplies for recharging the lithium batteries? Is it safe to recharge a liFePO4 using a power supply unattended (assuming the BMS will disconnect for overcharge protection)? Where can I find these for sale? I find these hard to find and I don’t know any good brands
A NOCO 50 amp charger is upwards of $800 on Amazon which is ridiculous and so I look for a high output DC power supply 😆
Lol i have not watched this channel for a while. But Will has found his sense of humorr funny to watch thx
man, thank you so much for the wealth of practical knowledge you bring to the solar world. you explain in great detail all the information the other influancers assume you know.AND THEN you start ripping things apart and showing us the how and the why. granted i have to watch your videos about 20 times each to understand things better. thank you so much !
I'm on a bucket list, full-time RVING, 100AH lithium would be awesome for boondocking can't afford yet but one day it will happen
I am not a geek, but I laughed several times at your videos...great video.
Love your videos... clear and unbiased... keep up the great work!
We need a 2023 cheap battery showdown! How about those mini 100AH batteries?
Interesting to see the different build quality. Thanks for sharing.