I took a look at some of the threads you have started in this forum. Impressive project, much more ambitious than my own! You have done plenty of homework on your vendors. Hope those 18650batterystore LF280K cells work out for you, I have yet to see bad reports about them. Let us know. Current pricing is very close to Docan from Houston once you count alibaba and credit card fees.18650 site showed zero stock when I ordered mine.
From Amy I’m getting a price quote of $145 per cell not including shipping from China which is right at $300 for my order.. wonder why yours were so much cheaper from China. I see cells for around $110 each from China on Ali but they are not grade A.That first buy of 16 LF280K cells plus the JBD 200A BMS from Houston have been working great.
I have now placed a buy of 16 additional LF280K cells plus 16 extra busbars to be shipped from China.
The following describes how my buy process went.
Should be the same for any customer in the continental US.
Prices haven't changed for nearly 6 months now.
Each cell comes with one busbar, I bought 16 additional busbars at $0.75 each in the second buy,
needed to connect all 32 cells in a 2p16s configuration of two rows.
The busbars are sized for a single row of cells, using those busbars on two rows of LF280K cells
leaves a one inch gap between the rows. The older version of the EVE 280AH cell has the terminals
placed differently, and would have no gap between rows.
Each cell shipped from Houston costs $149.00 and the JBD 200A BMS costs $145.00, shipping included.
The price for cells shipped from China is lower at $110.00, but shipping is not included in that price.
Whether you have them shipped from Houston or China, you can work with Jenny Wu: jennywu896@gmail.com
or Amy Zheng: amy@docanpower.com who I believe are both based in China and both employees of Docan.
You could buy through the Houston website at www.powerwholesale.net without a salesperson,
but the price is the same and you then don't have someone at Docan to answer questions and
advocate for your interests. I believe they can inspect cells that ship from China (but not Houston).
Alibaba charges a fee of 2.04% on these transactions whether shipping from Houston or China.
You could pay for the merchandise, any shipping fees, plus the Alibaba fee with a wire transfer.
Using a credit card is safer but incurs an extra 3.00% charge from Alibaba to cover credit card fees.
Buying direct from Alibaba with my Mastercard failed, so instead bought through a paypal account
and paid paypal with that same credit card, still just an extra 3.00% charge.
First buy of 16x EVE LF280K cells plus the JBD 200A BMS, ordered May 31 2022, shipped from Houston:
Total value of merchandise: 16*149.00 + 145.00 = $2529.00
Shipping from Houston via UPS: $0
Alibaba transaction fee: $51.60 (2.04% of $2529.00)
Additional fee for using a credit card: $77.16 (3.00% of $2529.00+51.60)
Total cost as billed to my credit card: 2529.00+51.60+77.16 = $2657.76
Second buy of 16x EVE LF280K cells plus 16 extra busbars, ordered on July 20, 2022, shipped from China:
Total value of merchandise: 16*110.00 + 16*0.75 = $1772.00
Shipping fee from China, arrives via UPS: $276.00
Alibaba transaction fee: $41.80 (2.04% of $1772.00+276.00)
Additional fee for using a credit card: $62.49 (3.00% of 1772.00+276.00+41.80)
Total cost as billed to my credit card: 1772.00+276.00+41.80+62.49 = $2152.29
Total cost of just the 16 EVE LF280K cells shipped from Houston on a credit card including fees
should be around 16*149*1.0204*1.03 = $2505.61
Total cost of just the 16 EVE LF280K cells shipped from China on a credit card including fees
should be around (16*110+276)*1.0204*1.03 = $2139.86
So buying from China saves 2505.61 - 2139.86 = $365.75 on 16 cells
but takes a month or two to arrive instead of a week or less from Houston.
Regardless whether you buy from China or Houston, report any problems to your
salesperson (Jenny or Amy), and any defective product is shipped to Houston.
Well, that's how I understood the transaction, let me know of any errors in the above.
Edit: I'm in the state of Oregon, which has no sales tax.
The dates that come out of the QR code reader are in the order of day/month/year. So all of your cells are from February.All were built in March through June of 2022, except for one that claims to have been built on Sept 2 2022, which is a couple days after they arrived at my house. Best guess regarding the time warp is that the QR code printer on line 65 was set up incorrectly.
Amy Zheng works for Docan.Just realized I might be talking to the wrong Amy. Her name is Amy Wan
Hank, thanks for the correction! Silly mistake.The dates that come out of the QR code reader are in the order of day/month/year. So all of your cells are from February.
The portion of the alpha-numeric characters around the QR code that give the date are C29. C is the year, 2 is the month, and 9 is the day.
Yeah, now they show out of stock in China as well. I ordered with Jenny, a first shipment of 16 of the EVE 280 K's just before this change in availability. Wondering now if I have an allotted shipment on the way or an unexpected long wait.There are no LF280K cells in stock at the Houston warehouse, though was told there are some on a boat headed that way. I suspect they have plenty in China. Prices don't seem to have changed since I started paying attention in March of 2022.
EXCELLENT news! I am right behind you.View attachment 109755
I have 3 16S banks in parallel, all from Houston through Jenny. Working great, no duds! Using 3x overkill solar 100A BMSs. Would buy again!
On the bright side, when they arrive they will probably be fresh from the factory. ;-)Yeah, now they show out of stock in China as well. I ordered with Jenny, a first shipment of 16 of the EVE 280 K's just before this change in availability. Wondering now if I have an allotted shipment on the way or an unexpected long wait.
Have you noticed any of your cells swelling? I see you have the cells oriented in a way where swelling shouldn’t matter, But was just curious. I was only able to get CATL cells because EVE was out of stock. I here CATL are more prone to swelling or swell more. Trying to figure out if I should compress or not.. flexible busbars or not...View attachment 109755
I have 3 16S banks in parallel, all from Houston through Jenny. Working great, no duds! Using 3x overkill solar 100A BMSs. Would buy again!
I have some similar racks, any feel for what the shelf and overall rack weight capacity is?View attachment 109755
I have 3 16S banks in parallel, all from Houston through Jenny. Working great, no duds! Using 3x overkill solar 100A BMSs. Would buy again!
It appears to me as if his racks are drooping from the weight..in my experience some of those racks that look like that are made better than othersI have some similar racks, any feel for what the shelf and overall rack weight capacity is?
I weighed a few of mine, about 11.85 to 11.95 lbs each.Has anyone weighed their cells individually? I weighed my cells I got from AliExpress varicose cells supposed to have been 280ah but have only been getting 245 to 250ah out of them in my motorhome. They weighed 11.4 to 11.7 lbs. Each.
Agreed, I just get a little nervous about those plastic sleaves/inserts that lock the shelfs in place and most seem to use that same basic design.It appears to me as if his racks are drooping from the weight..in my experience some of those racks that look like that are made better than others
Will uses those shelves and they don’t appear to be drooping. I have two of those shelves that look almost identical. One of them I’d almost feel comfortable standing on and it is a lot heavier, the other would bend in half if I stood on it and it is lighterAgreed, I just get a little nervous about those plastic sleaves/inserts that lock the shelfs in place and most seem to use that same basic design.