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Xuba Electronics: DEAL - 280AH LiFePo4 cells. Purchase & Review

XUBA order placed around mid Dec and I received the battery few days back.
One battery had a deep dimple right at the top of the cell,
I sent pics to Xuba and asked for replacement.
They denied it. From the packing it seems they sent a dented cell.

Here is their reply:

I'm sorry to hear this news. Our engineers said that this Dent does not affect the use of the battery. You should first test the internal resistance, voltage and capacity of the battery.

We are willing to refund you $20 as compensation, and we will pay more attention to the packaging and transportation process in the future.
 
No harm in overkill and/or just-in-case planning regardless of what's right or wrong. I do not know of a timer that meets yours needs but I suspect there are many.
Ah, thanks anyway- seemed the place to pose the question, seeing as this forum has it’s own gurus
 
My RV repair and info guru advised that, while manufacturers claim there isn’t any gas given off, his mentor/instructors showed a closed box with lithium batteries in, and lit a match- Flash of hydrogen burning.
I don’t feel like being a statistic.
- I also wanted to apply it to setting a fan up for other timed purposes, so it will cover a few bases to know how to set up a 12v fan on a timer function.
Just for the sake of sanity I'd like to have some hard data indicating this is an issue since I've never seen this brought up. Those tests showing the cells seriously overcharged or thrown in a flaming pit you don't see gas igniting above the LiFePO4 cells. Even if hydrogen were produced that would indicate something is being broken down in the cell causing permanent damage and a good BMS would prevent that (over temp). Seriously curious if this is an issue since I think many people have these in a sealed container.
 
Just for the sake of sanity I'd like to have some hard data indicating this is an issue since I've never seen this brought up. Those tests showing the cells seriously overcharged or thrown in a flaming pit you don't see gas igniting above the LiFePO4 cells. Even if hydrogen were produced that would indicate something is being broken down in the cell causing permanent damage and a good BMS would prevent that (over temp). Seriously curious if this is an issue since I think many people have these in a sealed container.
My guru said he didn’t want me to be the cautionary tale he tells all future customers as to why to make sure and vent. ??‍♂️
No data to back it up of my own. Seems a minor step to avoid a possible issue. Nice & easy
 
The thermostat that I'm using has a timer feature that allows power to go on for a certain amount of time once the temperature threshold has been met. Set the threshold so it's always tripped and it should work. But I haven't tested that. Since you're trying for turning on a fan every X minutes, my thermostat seems to be more than you need. But it's cheap and reliable.

 
Here is their reply:

I'm sorry to hear this news. Our engineers said that this Dent does not affect the use of the battery. You should first test the internal resistance, voltage and capacity of the battery.

We are willing to refund you $20 as compensation, and we will pay more attention to the packaging and transportation process in the future.
I question if they actually have any engineers. The only engineer I would trust that says a damaged cell is safe to use would be an engineer who works for the manufacturer.

One thing people could start doing is leaving negative reviews on their Alibaba sales page. Maybe that will get their attention.

In this case $20 dollars is the same as zilch because you received a damaged cell and there is no way to tell if it's suitable for use. As far as their comment they will pay more attention in the future? Heard that one before. Insist on a replacement cell or a full refund including the cost of shipping. Good luck.. :)
 
It looks like we are beginning to see the pattern of bad batteries sellers that do not want to do the right thing when it comes to damaged cells.
I can see XUBA, and BASEN are falling into bad sellers list now.
 
FYI: I started THIS thread way back on January 29th.
I do not support Xuba anymore for several reasons but they are my own. Thread remains BUT may be a bit misleading, much changed at Xuba as is becoming apparent to others now unfortunately.
My guru said he didn’t want me to be the cautionary tale he tells all future customers
I would not use the term "Guru" for that fellow, he still thinks in Lead Acid terms. Likely does not even know the vast differences between Lithium Chemistries and THAT IS OK as it's a lot of knowledge to have and that is usually for serious Hobbyists & Pro's who do this for a living, not to forget those of us who are Off-Gridders (tend to be hardcore ;-) ).

LFP does NOT OFFGAS anything, they are Sealed Cells. IF a vent pops due to a fault it will not vent anything that will harm you BUT if such happens there is bad things happening and you disconnect immediately. Lead Acid creates Hydrogen by virtue of electrolyzing the water/sulphuric acid which neither exists in ANY lithium chemistry.

Dangerous vs. Safe batteries, Explosion and fire test! - YouTube
 
XUBA - "Sorry we do not make much profit on the batteries, we will give a free battery NEXT time you buy batteries from us".

They are making it sound like they do NOT have shipping insurance on the items, WT$.

I asked them for replacement or money back attributable to 1 cell.

What should I do [other than trying out lace under clothing] :rolleyes:
 
I would not use the term "Guru" for that fellow, he still thinks in Lead Acid terms.
Based on how I think of the term guru, its a term / way of thinking I would avoid in general, at least for technical topics. In my eyes it gives a somewhat false/inflated sense of security and confidence in one persons understanding.

There are an exceptional number of smart, informed, knowledgeable people on this forum, exponentially more so than myself, I have learned soooo much from them, and at the same time I have respectfully disagreed with almost all of them at least once. We all have things to teach and things to learn, knowledgeable folks have gaps in their knowledge, experienced folks have gaps in their experience.

I think it would be uncontroversial to say in the short history of the forum, all of us regular posters have been around here long enough to see each and every one of each other miss the mark, get something wrong, or put our foot in our mouths (me more than most). The people I respect most are those that acknowledge it openly, learn from it, and approach every conversation openly with a touch of humility.

The way I see it, we are all on a learning journey, some are further than others, and spend more time in the teacher/explainer role than the learner role, but those I respect most and learn the most from wear the teacher hat and the student hat at the same time. I think of it like a web of knowledge and experience and insight, everyone even the newest of newbies has something to contribute and something to learn, and our (lifelong) project is to resist the hardening of our views and to keep learning and keep being open (in some ways the more experienced you get the harder this becomes, and in some ways its the opposite).
 
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XUBA - "Sorry we do not make much profit on the batteries, we will give a free battery NEXT time you buy batteries from us".

They are making it sound like they do NOT have shipping insurance on the items, WT$.

I asked them for replacement or money back attributable to 1 cell.

What should I do [other than trying out lace under clothing] :rolleyes:
What would happen if you tried to order one cell? Would it be free? Unfortunately you would have to pay for shipping. Too bad they used plural when they said batteries. And they are denying they shipped it that way. You could dispute it with TA and/or your CC company.
 
Just to chip in here. Supposedly my order from Xuba was shipped on 12/16/2020. I haven't seen any shipping update. I messaged the seller and they said the ship was damaged coming over seas to the US and apparently in Mexico getting repaired and should be done in "March". Needless to say I definitely put a refund request in.

What are other known good sellers? I see some people saying Basen is also starting to do poorly, but I have seen people really recently get large orders from them with really nice cells.
 
Just to chip in here. Supposedly my order from Xuba was shipped on 12/16/2020. I haven't seen any shipping update. I messaged the seller and they said the ship was damaged coming over seas to the US and apparently in Mexico getting repaired and should be done in "March". Needless to say I definitely put a refund request in.

Why do you put a refund request in? I don't think its fair to blame Xuba (or any other seller) for issues with a specific boat. This does occur sometimes unfortunately.
This is also one of the risk when buying directly from China. It doesn't affect you moneywise, it's insured and you will get the batteries eventually, but it does add delays. You have taken this risk, and in return, a lower price.

Luckely, the majority of the shipments goes without any problems. Recently, the ONE Apus disaster hit, and was affecting some of the members shipments here as well.

Currently, there are 2 boats affected by severe weather in the Pacific Ocean.
The Maersk Essen, lost 750 containers, repaired in Mexico (I assume this one is having your shipment). New ETA for arrival in LA is now set to march 4th. However, LA port has been queued up, not sure if they can bypass this to make up for the delays (They are negotiating with port authorities afaik)

Second is the Maersk Eindhoven, lost 260 containers, 65 damaged, currently heading towards Yokohama (JP) for repair, LA port arrival unknown yet.


Damage at the Maersk Essen (Now from Mexico towards LA after repairs)

I only hope your cells are still onboard. Otherwise they need to be resend all the way from CN. But the sender probably only knows this after the ship has been unloaded, so untill than they don’t know either which containers are affected. You could be lucky with only delays, but be unlucky if you're cells are now somewhere on the bottom of the ocean and it will take some more weeks to unload and find out your shipment was affected.
 
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Why do you put a refund request in? I don't think its fair to blame Xuba (or any other seller) for issues with a specific boat. This does occur sometimes unfortunately.
This is also one of the risk when buying directly from China. It doesn't affect you moneywise, it's insured and you will get the batteries eventually, but it does add delays. You have taken this risk, and in return, a lower price.

Luckely, the majority of the shipments goes without any problems. Recently, the ONE Apus disaster hit, and was affecting some of the members shipments here as well.

Currently, there are 2 boats affected by severe weather in the Pacific Ocean.
The Maersk Essen, lost 750 containers, repaired in Mexico (I assume this one is having your shipment). New ETA for arrival in LA is now set to march 4th. However, LA port has been queued up, not sure if they can bypass this to make up for the delays (They are negotiating with port authorities afaik)

Second is the Maersk Eindhoven, lost 260 containers, 65 damaged, currently heading towards Yokohama (JP) for repair, LA port arrival unknown yet.


Damage at the Maersk Essen (Now from Mexico towards LA after repairs)

I only hope your cells are still onboard. Otherwise they need to be resend all the way from CN. But the sender probably only knows this after the ship has been unloaded, so untill than they don’t know either which containers are affected. You could be lucky with only delays, but be unlucky if you're cells are now somewhere on the bottom of the ocean and it will take some more weeks to unload and find out your shipment was affected.
Xuba claims the shipment was on the ship with the 750 containers lost, but says that the cells are still on board. Of course we won’t know for sure until they unload.
My main issue here is trust though. Usually I would agree with you that shipping is more or less out of the seller’s hands once it’s left the warehouse. This ship damage and loss made headlines and seemed very fishy to me.
 
A little patience. Amy went to bed 1/2 hour ago (00:20 hrs her time). Big Time Difference, for me in EST it's 12 hours.
Customs and shipper's are all backlogged and working overtime with reduced staffing, this of course affects all shipments and deliveries too.
Methods of shipment are also all affected too to varying degrees as well.
Couriers & Post Offices worldwide are basically stating they are carrying Christmas Level Packages but without the usual seasonal casual employees to help with the load of parcels being processed which is also putting strain on everything.

Could you confirm How many cells make up 1 cbm,
310ah or 271ah cells. Have been hearing various numbers, 60, 62, 72
 
Balancing 96 cells...
Now i also hear the liquid flowing inside the cells when you rotate them. Kinda freaky to be honest :)
Have the cells give you any problems since you heard the liquid move around? I just got a set of cells and I'm not sure if the liquid movement is normal. I also got my cells with 2.8volts so I'm scare there is a real problem with them.
 
The cells have liquid electrolyte. It’s normal to hear it in the EVE cells. I can’t hear it in the Lishens however.
 
Another warning against Xuba:

Ordered in march and got the cells last week. I've inspected and they are grade B cells as expected minor issues that wont affect use. However I have one cell with a major issue. The vent seal has been popped. As sshibly found they wont give a refund or assist in any way for the faulty cell. They say it isnt their fault... No damage to boxes and they showed their photo of the cells they sent so they aren't doing anything.

Avoid, there are now better companys to deal with as others have found.
 
Another warning against Xuba:

Ordered in march and got the cells last week. I've inspected and they are grade B cells as expected minor issues that wont affect use. However I have one cell with a major issue. The vent seal has been popped. As sshibly found they wont give a refund or assist in any way for the faulty cell. They say it isnt their fault... No damage to boxes and they showed their photo of the cells they sent so they aren't doing anything.

Avoid, there are now better companys to deal with as others have found.
thank you for sharing your experience
 
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