Lithium batteries on a low budget?

[RobOfYork]

From reading lot's of threads on the forum I have finally decided to NOT go with AGM batteries. I have decided to bite the bullet and go with lithium batteries instead.

Are there any recommendations on lithium battery choices when you are on a AGM battery budget? I'm looking for about 200Ah total of batteries.

I have seen talk of making your own from alliexpress cells. Is that the way to go? Or are there lower price reliable lithium batteries besides the name brands?

Help!

I'm learning slowly but my head has exploded a few times so far.

 

[66788]

206 amp SOK lithium battery for around a grand.  Problem is they are constantly sold out.

Build your own battery (search Will Prowse on youtube.com) but even bare grade A cells are not easy to find in stock.

Battleborn 100 amp batteries are in stock and they are the gold standard, but you are looking at $1,800 for two.

 

[RVTravel]

Are you sure you need 200 Amps? If you need 200 amps on AGM, you may only need 100 amps on lithium?

 

[jimindenver]

Discount Solar in Quartzsite has a sale on LifeBlue lithium batteries. 100 Ah is $749, 200 Ah is 1500. The heated versions are $829 and $1600 respectively. No tax.

First thing to know is that they close for the summer on the second of April. I'd call to check on stock before making a trip.

I can vouch for the quality as my service has included them in designs and have installed over 3000 Ah in three years. Today with the sale I picked up 1300 more Ah to install including 200 Ah for myself. I've been waiting for my Lifelines to give out and at 10 years old at least one of them has.

Generally they are not inexpensive. Like Battleborn, they are a American company just without the advertising budget. The heated version was $1100 before the sale and they were one of the first to offer that option. The other nice feature is a blue tooth app that makes amp counters obsolete. It tells you how charged the battery is as well as voltage, status, amps in and out, temperature, and number of cycles. The peace of mind it provides is one of the biggest reasons I suggest it.

 

[IGBT]

Batteries just don't seem to be coming down in price.

Can't wait to get a 250kWh Cyber truck and tap off of it to power a RV trailer

 

[RobOfYork]

Are you sure you need 200 Amps? If you need 200 amps on AGM, you may only need 100 amps on lithium?

I need 200 usable Ah. Was planning on 400Ah if I went AGM

 

[RobOfYork]

Discount Solar in Quartzsite has a sale on LifeBlue lithium batteries. 100 Ah is $749, 200 Ah is 1500. The heated versions are $829 and $1600 respectively. No tax.

Thanks but way over my budget. I just don't have the extra cash. My budget is about $800 for batteries and I need 200Ah usable.

 

[Matlock]

My budget is about $800 for batteries and I need 200Ah usable.

Just curious, if you use 200AH today how will you be charging back that 200AH tomorrow?

 

[RobOfYork]

Just curious, if you use 200AH today how will you be charging back that 200AH tomorrow?

Have both solar and a generator. Plus shore power when needed. Want enough Ah to last a few days when needed due to clouds etc.

 

[RobOfYork]

Just wanted to update this thread. I have decided to go with buying LiFePo4 cells and building my own battery. That seems to be the only way to go lithium on my budget.

Now to learn all I can about building a battery.

 

[Matlock]

Now to learn all I can about building a battery.

Please do a thread on your battery build. All I've seen are a couple UTubers versions. Will Prowse does a nice job on his LifePo4 builds he does. Lot to be said for owning all the proper charging and metering equipment. My 2¢ is it's all about buying good cells and don't cheap out on the BMS but, what do I know.
Good luck on your project.

 

[66788]

Just wanted to update this thread. I have decided to go with buying LiFePo4 cells and building my own battery. That seems to be the only way to go lithium on my budget.

Now to learn all I can about building a battery.

Just curious about your average amperage draw over a 24 hour period.   What do you use that necessitates the need for such a large battery capacity?

I've been running 2 FLA golf cart batteries for 3 years and I run my vented propane heater (fan at 1.9 amps), lighting, charging of cell and tablet, range hood, ARB compressor fridge, and CPAP machine on less than a 30 amps per night.  I can go 2 days with zero input, but even on cloudy days in the PNW, I usually hit 100% charge as indicated by my Victron Smart Shunt the next day.

 

[RobOfYork]

Nothing. What I am after is being able to go many days if it is cloudy or I can't park in direct sunlight without the need to charge the batteries. Also, if I move the system to a larger vehicle that does have more power requirements in the build.