Is there a thread that is about current LiFePO4 pricing & recommended suppliers

[lexio]

Totally Agree... and I hope Michael and those guys that bought from him can get something resolved but dumpster fire is an excellent description ...

As i have said before - right now I am using https://hezeyixin.en.alibaba.com/ ... I've got a few batteries in and they were all "good" packed (not super-duper-WELL packed but good enough ... I have been dealing wiht a girl named Bella and her English is soooo much better than my Chinese ... but they ARE a manufacturing Company that also have distributors under them -- so Win-Win for me ... I know that prices have gone up a chunk and we are being told that both battery and especially shipping charges are going to take a double digit climb - but so far - from the last time we ordered from her - their prices were still good ....

But with that said ... I still - each and every time hit alibaba -- put out a RFQ - and see what ppl are now selling their wares for so I can tell her -"but XYZ will do it for 105 a battery instead of 112" .. etc etc .... every time they have lowered to make the sell...

have you ever tried them?

Alibaba Manufacturer Directory - Suppliers, Manufacturers, Exporters & Importers

bluewhale1688.en.alibaba.com

seems cheap

 

[RobertGreen]

have you ever tried them?

Alibaba Manufacturer Directory - Suppliers, Manufacturers, Exporters & Importers

bluewhale1688.en.alibaba.com

seems cheap

Yeah, but just because they list 50$/cell as the price on those listings, when you contact them and ask for an order to be made, the price is completely different. The real question is , what they will give you as a quote?

 

[lexio]

@gyzf what is a 280 ah lishen costing at the moment

 

[lexio]

Yeah, but just because they list 50$/cell as the price on those listings, when you contact them and ask for an order to be made, the price is completely different. The real question is , what they will give you as a quote?

yea i know just have a quote in from bella $98 a cell that is to expensive for me
$ 75 is a good price that is only $10 more then last year
shipping was the same as last year $220 for 8 cells to Europe by train DPP

 

[Stepandwolf]

Thanks for the reminder. I did spec bus bars and nuts but not double since thats what you need for top balancing. Cheers!

Double bus bars needed for top balancing? Hadn't heard that and didn't use (didn't have) double bus bars for my Lishen 272s.

We know that LF280s were made as late as March of this year although vendors are still shipping ones made at the end of 2020. So far I have tested three of my eight LF280s and they are ranging from 286 to 288a. Not bad for new 12/21 batteries.

 

[Stepandwolf]

yea i know just have a quote in from bella $98 a cell that is to expensive for me
$ 75 is a good price that is only $10 more then last year
shipping was the same as last year $220 for 8 cells to Europe by train DPP

I was given a $99/cell quote by Basen for Grade A cells, but with lower "consistency" than their Grade A+ cells at $120 each. I don't think you will ever see $75 again for quality cells.

 

[lexio]

Double bus bars needed for top balancing? Hadn't heard that and didn't use (didn't have) double bus bars for my Lishen 272s.

We know that LF280s were made as late as March of this year although vendors are still shipping ones made at the end of 2020. So far I have tested three of my eight LF280s and they are ranging from 286 to 288a. Not bad for new 12/21 batteries.

if you have 4 cells you need to have at least 6 bus bars to top balance
for 8 cells you need to have 14 bus bars to top balance and don't forget the long busbar if you build a square pack

 

[Stepandwolf]

if you have 4 cells you need to have at least 6 bus bars to top balance
for 8 cells you need to have 8 bus bars and don't forget the long busbar if you build a square pack

All the cells I have heard of come with two busbars, but that is one set, one per terminal. To me double bus bars are when you put two per terminal, i.e. double high. The cells can be balanced before being put into final configuration. I had mine all lined up in a row when top balancing.

 

[Jgb3]

All the cells I have heard of come with two busbars, but that is one set, one per terminal. To me double bus bars are when you put two per terminal, i.e. double high. The cells can be balanced before being put into final configuration. I had mine all lined up in a row when top balancing.

I haven’t seen any that include 8 bus bars for 4 cells but he got what I was saying a double order to make sure he had enough for top balancing. ( Amy refers to it as double bus bars)

 

[bobdelso]

We also know from my recent experience with Basen that they are getting the same matched grade A cells as other vendors, but are selling for a lower price. I know some other people on here have also just recently bought from Basen and will be anxious to hear their results. It is nice that we have at least two options, which is also good for competition.

The unfortunate thing about a lot of chinese resellers if they will start off on the straight and narrow. The cells will be genuine grade A.

But then they will start to slip once a customer base is established. They will send a batch of grade B or A- and hope no one notices.

I know there is nothing stopping amy or basen from doing the same thing. But I'll gladly pay 125 a cell vs 110 a cell in the hopes that the extra money up front incentives them to not cut corners somewhere else. I haven't read a single bad Basen review. Even a recent post where someone bought and tested like 32 cells showed them all almost perfectly matched.

Who knows what you'll get with another supplier. Will prowse's recent videos are a good testimate to this, finding a legit grade A distributor is redicuously hard

 

[SteveCA]

I haven’t seen any that include 8 bus bars for 4 cells but he got what I was saying a double order to make sure he had enough for top balancing. ( Amy refers to it as double bus bars)

My first set came with one bus bar per cell. You obviously need two per cell in order to top balance. Not a huge deal as I made up some 10 gauge wires with ring terminals and top balanced. But it would be more convenient with double bus bars

 

[Stepandwolf]

My first set came with one bus bar per cell. You obviously need two per cell in order to top balance. Not a huge deal as I made up some 10 gauge wires with ring terminals and top balanced. But it would be more convenient with double bus bars

Hadn't heard of that...usually, it says "set of busbars" which means two. That is why I was wondering about double, as that to me would be "double" the correct amount, i.e. 4.