Best 280-304 to buy right now?

[Badgerz]

I have purchased up till now 48 - CATL 230AH , 12 - 40AH LTO, 3- Seplos BMS, 2 - JK BMS, among other items from EEL battery, (previously recommended on this forum) and had a good experience. the USA stock batteries came within a week, last order was ordered Thursday night shipped Friday (from Calif.) showed up Monday (Arizona). my 2nd of 3 sets, had one defective cell, and they sent me a box (4 cells) as replacement under warranty, i did order 12 LTO batteries that were only China stock, they took over 2 months, but the Chinese new year slowed things up on that order. other than the CATL batteries, everything else came from china, mostly around 2-3 weeks to get here. just wanted to mention this.

 

[Alkaline]

I went ahead and purchased the EVE304 locally. Amy price matched 18650 for me. I’ll pick up on Monday and report in the results of the capacity testing.

Anybody local in houston have testing equipment I can borrow?

Advice on what to buy to do individual cell testing as well as overall pack testing?

I have multimeters and dc power supplies at work. From what I’ve read on here, it seems like I should charge it up as a 4P4S 12v pack first to like 85%. Then reconfigure to 16P and charge to 3.6V? Or thereabouts? And then buy/borrow something to capacity test the cells?

Did you have to pay sales tax? I'm only 3 hours away from them, could capacity test them. I already know they are grade B with altered QR codes but if the prices is right.... Plus I have ZKE 40....

 

[acolunga07]

Are you planning on a 12 volt systerm? The only practical reason I can see for a 12 Volt system is a RV application otherwise 48 volt is far superior in every way.

Yes, the orion tr 12/12 30a might have been the give away. This is for a travel trailer. And even then I struggled with the decision to go with 12V. I know I could do 24V and get a 12/24 converter to power everything on the trailer (fridge, lights, vents, front Jack, stabilizers, etc) but keeping it 12V seemed simpler.

 

[acolunga07]

Did you have to pay sales tax? I'm only 3 hours away from them, could capacity test them. I already know they are grade B with altered QR codes but if the prices is right.... Plus I have ZKE 40....

No tax, but she does charge a $55 PayPal fee. Someone else asked about price… I asked her to match 18650’s price (including shipping 16 x $129 + $148 shipping). So I was invoiced for $2212 total.

 

[Sam Cho TX]

How did you get cells without paying tax if you picked them up locally? I have been to there warehouse, its a combined business between Ezeal, Lithicore, and Docan. They have a lot of cells in there warhouse on Baker Road, Houston TX. Unless there is an exemption Harris County has had 8.25% sales tax for years.

 

[acolunga07]

How did you get cells without paying tax if you picked them up locally? I have been to there warehouse, its a combined business between Ezeal, Lithicore, and Docan. They have a lot of cells in there warhouse on Baker Road, Houston TX. Unless there is an exemption Harris County has had 8.25% sales tax for years.

My guess is the sales tax is just baked into the price (their accounting department will have to account for it somehow).

You said you’ve been several times? You wouldn’t happen to be in the area would you? I’m in the NASA/Clear Lake area but work in a Stafford.

 

[MrM1]

I'm guessing if you go the Docan route, make sure you reach out via email and not Alibaba or Whats App. Seems there might be a fake or 2 Amy and Jenny Wu.

 

[Quattrohead]

The Chinese are faking each other as well as battery cells?

 

[MrM1]

The Chinese are faking each other as well as battery cells?

It could happen.

I mean do any of us believe that the names are really Amy or Jenny or Bill or Steve?

 

[Alkaline]

Yes sound like traditional Chinese names

 

[thisguyhere]

Just got a quote, 16 x 280ah shipped for $2486 (155 per cell) from Luyuan, compared to $2531 (158 per cell). Not really worth waiting 2 months for a $3 difference, right?

1pcs Eve 280ah Lifepo4 (lfp) 3.2v Cells Battery ( Lf280k With 6000cycles,Fully Matched)--genuine Grade A New Terminals - Buy Eve lifepo4 luyuan Product on Alibaba.com

1pcs Eve 280ah Lifepo4 (lfp) 3.2v Cells Battery ( Lf280k With 6000cycles,Fully Matched)--genuine Grade A New Terminals - Buy Eve lifepo4 luyuan Product on Alibaba.com

szluyuan.en.alibaba.com

EVE LF280K V3 Grade A Cells - 3.2V LiFePO4 280Ah Battery

Brand new Grade A EVE LF280K LiFePO4 cells with 280Ah capacity. 10+ years design life, 6,000 cycles. Get unmatched power and performance for your energy storage needs.

www.18650batterystore.com

 

[MrM1]

Just got a quote, 16 x 280ah shipped for $2486 (155 per cell) from Luyuan, compared to $2531 (158 per cell). Not really worth waiting 2 months for a $3 difference, right?

Nope. Note for me. Plus the hi seas might not be nice to them. At least ordering local you can assume they already weeded out the ones that beat to crap on the journey over, and all you have to worry about is local FedEx.

BTW, I got EVE 304s from Docan for $159 Huston

 

[Alkaline]

159 for grade B cells... Jesus...

 

[LydMekk]

All prices has gone up, esp. in the last year or so.

 

[Alkaline]

Just got a quote, 16 x 280ah shipped for $2486 (155 per cell) from Luyuan, compared to $2531 (158 per cell). Not really worth waiting 2 months for a $3 difference, right?

1pcs Eve 280ah Lifepo4 (lfp) 3.2v Cells Battery ( Lf280k With 6000cycles,Fully Matched)--genuine Grade A New Terminals - Buy Eve lifepo4 luyuan Product on Alibaba.com

1pcs Eve 280ah Lifepo4 (lfp) 3.2v Cells Battery ( Lf280k With 6000cycles,Fully Matched)--genuine Grade A New Terminals - Buy Eve lifepo4 luyuan Product on Alibaba.com

szluyuan.en.alibaba.com

EVE LF280K V3 Grade A Cells - 3.2V LiFePO4 280Ah Battery

Brand new Grade A EVE LF280K LiFePO4 cells with 280Ah capacity. 10+ years design life, 6,000 cycles. Get unmatched power and performance for your energy storage needs.

www.18650batterystore.com

How are you getting your prices? My quote is over $178 / Cell after alibaba fees + tax from Luyuan, 18650 is $176 / cell shipped from 18650. Its cheaper (no transaction fee or sales tax).

Basically its $28.00/cell for shipping/fees/taxes on Ali...

 

[Sam Cho TX]

SunFunKits.com - Certified Automotive & Enterprise Storage (EV & ESS) Grade A Genuine RUIPI REPT Lithium REPT 280 Lithium Iron Phosphate Cell 280AH 4 Pack for USA, Canada & Mexico Sun Fun Kits

SunFunKits.com - Certified Automotive & Enterprise Storage (EV & ESS) Grade A Genuine RUIPI REPT Lithium REPT 280 Lithium Iron Phosphate Cell 280AH 4 Pack for USA, Canada & Mexico Sun Fun Kits

www.sunfunkits.com

$183/cell shipped to Texas with the check payment coupon. Seems to be much stronger cell than 280K and has larger area contact terminals.

 

[Sam Cho TX]

My guess is the sales tax is just baked into the price (their accounting department will have to account for it somehow).

You said you’ve been several times? You wouldn’t happen to be in the area would you? I’m in the NASA/Clear Lake area but work in a Stafford.

Currently in Pensacola, FL its boating season

Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi were my stomping grounds. Before the Taco Truck I used to sell hot tubs all over the South East, 1 day delivery and install good money. All that went to heck in 2008, then I ran a Korean Taco Truck for about 12 years until a semi decided to smash it and permanently screw up my back... at least I had a decent lawyer.

Anyway yes Talk with Tom (white guy, in his late 30's), there is a also a young Asian lady Cleo, but neither work for Docan, I think they just lease warehouse space for them.

I'm not sure how they are getting by not charging sales Tax, Harris county comptroller is not someone you want to mess with, I would keep it quite.

Anyway, all I will say is that Tom wanted me to buy cells from Zeal brand which I had not heard of, but I ended up not buying any cells, they did show me there warehouse, very nice large and clean, I say they have like 200,000 cells in there.

 

[pau1phi11ips]

The only practical reason I can see for a 12 Volt system is a RV application otherwise 48 volt is far superior in every way.

24V is superior in every way in an RV application tbh. The cabling for a 3kW load at 12V is insane.

 

[pau1phi11ips]

Thanks for the practical feedback. I am planning to purchase Multiplus II 12V 3000W, Orion tr smart 12/12 30A, smart shunt 500, lynx distributor and thinking about Cerbo GX & GX touch 50 (either or or a raspberry pi running Venos OS). I will also get the REC ABMS for the battery.

Like you said, maybe it’s better/easier to test it as a pack. Unlike most, I think I would still be happy with 1200Ah or even 1180 (as opposed to the 1216 Ah that it’s suppose to be). I would have spent $3k on a battery pack that could have cost me $10k+ and I get the experience/joy of building my own.

If you've not bought it yet I'd seriously consider going 24V. I've pretty much got all the things you listed. The cabling is so much better.

I have fridge, LED light strips, USB chargers, diesel heater, water pumps, water heater, 4G Wi-Fi router; all running of native 24V

The only thing running off the 24V - 12V converter is the MaxxAir fan.

I left room for another Orion when I designed it by 600W of solar is more than enough so leave the Orion turned off now unless the SOC is less than 50%.

 

[acolunga07]

If you've not bought it yet I'd seriously consider going 24V. I've pretty much got all the things you listed. The cabling is so much better.

I have fridge, LED light strips, USB chargers, diesel heater, water pumps, water heater, 4G Wi-Fi router; all running of native 24V

The only thing running off the 24V - 12V converter is the MaxxAir fan.

I left room for another Orion when I designed it by 600W of solar is more than enough so leave the Orion turned off now unless the SOC is less than 50%.

Already bought it and working on installation. In hindsight, the cost/complexity of putting in a 24/12V converter would have probably been worth it but I’m already far enough along that I’ll just keep going down this path.