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Looking for a reasonably priced LiFePO4 battery...but "reasonably good" as well

French_guy

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Mar 14, 2023
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Michigan - USA
Hello,

I'm looking to upgrade to LiFePO4 for my 12V DC backup sump-pump (my AGM batteries need to be replaced)
I'm looking for 100Ah (200Ah would be better, but then budget becomes an issue....!)
Have you ever heard about PUPVWMHB batteries?

If not a good one, which one would you recommend with the best compromise quality/price?

I'm planning to use the Victron Energy Blue smart charger 30A

Thanks
 
Only time (experience over some years) will tell if any one vendor's LFP (LiFePO4) battery will be any good, so who knows about this particular amazon item ... reviews don't seem bad. Not sure how you'll get support for it, other than by "amazon email" ...

I do strongly detest any Amazon item where the item picture is spliced into numerous "happy people" pictures, as this one has ... too cheesy for me.

I went with AmpereTime (now LiTime) LFP batteries ... origin is china, but 3 local shipping points in USA. This is local delivery/support, etc. They even replaced one of my batteries with a BMS board issue, on their shipping nickel.

Overall, it feels like pre-manufactured LFP batteries are "getting better", meaning that you could buy from just about anybody, and get a decent deal. I wouldn't be surprised if there was just one small handful of china-based manufacturer's behind every battery on the marketplace. I note that more and more batteries look just like my AmpereTime (only outside label has changed) ...

Hope this helps ...
 
I just picked up 16 Power Queen 12v | 100ah batteries for about $275 each out the door for a 4s4p | 48v | 400ah config. Teardown videos on YT for this brand all seemed positive so I chose them. LiTime is overpriced for what it is and their 48v server rack battery is a crappy 15s setup. That said, LiTime does have a new small form factor 12v 100ah battery coming out soon, so curious to see how it performs and what it looks like inside.

I don't like server rack batteries due to excessive price, lack of water resistance, inability to repair / replace cells (welded studs), lack of durability for mobile applications, etc. With individual 12v batteries I also have the option to break apart the system and use them for other applications that may require 12/24v or a different form factor.
 
I haven't yet bought any Lipo batteries, so I can't comment there. But I have watched many of Will Prowse's (owner of this forum) youtube videos where he physically tears apart batteries to find out what is inside. Some have really cheap or too-thin or poorly connected wiring and/or wimpy BMS units. The budget brands that he has said "these are decent/good" are (in no particular order): Chins, AmpereTime (now known as LiTime), Powerqueen, Weize and Roypow (now known as PowerUrus). If you don't ever expect that the battery will EVER be in freezing conditions, you could go for a model that doesn't have low-temp cutoff protection, which will save you a few dollars.

A brief Amazon search sees the Chins can be had for $318 (link), PowerQueen $309 (link) and has a promotion to receive a free 12Ah Lipo, Weize $319 (link) and LiTime $349 (link). These often go on sale for a cheaper price. The Weize was selling for $269 last November. If you go for a 200Ah model, you usually save a few dollars over buying 2x100Ah and the price has been around $600 for these budget brands lately. Currently the PowerQueen looks to be a good deal if you don't need low-temp cutoff charging protection. I do know the Weize has low-temp protection and Will confirmed that this worked in his teardown video. Some of the other batteries he tore down he found the battery was advertised as having low-temp protection and it even had the temp sensor inside, but when he tested it, it didn't work.

The model you linked to, according to the seller, has a low-temp charging cutoff protection of -10C (14F). This is far colder than most manufacturer's use, most are 0C/32F or slightly above that. If you charge a frozen/partially frozen Lipo, you will cause permanent damage. This model also hasn't been torn down/reviewed by Will, as far as I'm aware of. Doesn't mean it's not good, but for my money, I'd rather go with a brand that at least has some known history of the quality inside than to take a total gamble, just to save a few dollars.
 
Hello,

I'm looking to upgrade to LiFePO4 for my 12V DC backup sump-pump (my AGM batteries need to be replaced)
I'm looking for 100Ah (200Ah would be better, but then budget becomes an issue....!)
Have you ever heard about PUPVWMHB batteries?

If not a good one, which one would you recommend with the best compromise quality/price?

I'm planning to use the Victron Energy Blue smart charger 30A

Thanks
Maybe you can DIY by your self, It will more reliable. buy all of 12V Battery kits, It's very easy to assemble, and you know exactly what's inside.
 
I just got 16x304 ah eve cells from qishou, they overperformed to 314-317 ah. In your position i would buy lifepo4 cells and diy them into the 12v configuration with a nice bms and an enclosure. Sure it is better capacity for the same budget and you get to do and learn something new.
 
I just got 16x304 ah eve cells from qishou, they overperformed to 314-317 ah. In your position i would buy lifepo4 cells and diy them into the 12v configuration with a nice bms and an enclosure. Sure it is better capacity for the same budget and you get to do and learn something new.
Is there any good tutorial you could recommend?
And about the cells to buy, can you provide a link? I looked at the Qishou website, but redirect to Alibaba?
 
Yes i bought them from Alibaba. This is the link to the batteries i bought.
And about good tutorials, Will Prowse, the guy that initianed this forum has a youtube channel full of tutorials on how to build lifepo4 batteries.
This one is from 3 years ago, technology has improved since and prices have come down a lot but the principles remain the same.
 
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