Chinesse LifePo Batteries Question

[MN Fisher]

33 minutes ago, Jimmy Wallhanger said:

They are ALL built in China. My Power Queen battery is JUST as good as a DL that costs 3x as much

Question being can you get local support. I can buy my Mighty Max at the local Home Depot and get support there.I don't have to send it off somewhere.

[gim]

5 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Question being can you get local support.

 

Exactly.  Do you want to go online and deal with some chinese bot to ship it back somewhere, or do you want to walk back into the store you originally bought it from and simply make an exchange on the spot?

 

Easy decision for this guy.  Path of least resistance.

[Bankc]

6 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

Exactly.  Do you want to go online and deal with some chinese bot to ship it back somewhere, or do you want to walk back into the store you originally bought it from and simply make an exchange on the spot?

 

Easy decision for this guy.  Path of least resistance.

Definitely a factor to consider.  I know a lot of these Chinese brands won't honor their warranty anyway.  Though some do.  But it's still going to be a lot in shipping and a long wait to get a replacement.  

However, I considered this when making my decision, and figured I could buy two Chinese lithiums and still save money over one of the US assembled batteries.  So my warranty was buying a second if the first one failed.  Kind of like paying extra for the warranty, only if you use it.  

 

6 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Question being can you get local support. I can buy my Mighty Max at the local Home Depot and get support there.I don't have to send it off somewhere.

Mighty Max is also a Chinese company.  They have an office in NYC, but it's probably just a space rented out to say they have a US address, something a lot of companies do.  I mean, there aren't too many companies that can or would afford NYC rents and labor for a factory or warehouse!  However, being sold at Home Depot does give you some recourse, as I've found HD a little easier to deal with returns than Amazon, as of late.  I have no idea if Mighty Max actually honors their warranty.  But judging from their website and HD affiliation, I bet there's a good chance they do.  They have a lot of restrictions on their returns, which usually means they plan to actually go through with it.  Otherwise, why not offer a lifetime, no questions asked, shipping paid warranty, if you're not going to honor it.  It costs the same.

[Woody B]

The "magic" is a lithium marine battery is the BMS.  While it's true all the cells are made in China a quality battery simply has a better BMS.  That's the difference between a battery that last 3 or 4 years on one that last 10 or more.   

 

Lithium Hub (Ionic) is a local company for me.  I picked my batteries up instead of having them shipped.  That made a difference for me too.  

[Tennessee Boy]

Every BMS is also made in China.  Some are better than others but without a review where they open up the battery and test the BMS you will probably never know.   Dakota Lithium is a premium American brand.  I have yet to see a good review of a Dakota Lithium battery and they get poor reviews for service.  Still,  most people are happy with them because most lithium batteries just work.  The extra you pay for DL apparently goes into all of the advertising they do on the tournament trails.  Some of the cheap Chinese batteries get great reviews on YouTube.

 

 

[Pat Brown]

Been a cheap Chinese LiFePo4 battery user for 2 years now and they're great!  Never buying another lead acid battery again.  It's amazing how long I can run my trolling motor in heavy wind at full power.  Makes fishing a lot more fun and hassle free when you just fish out of a small boat with a trolling motor.

[PourMyOwn]

I just bought ($109) a 50 AH "Moseworth" for my 10' jon boat/30 lb thrust Minnkota. It should easily last for the few hours I'll be able to stand being cramped in that little boat. 

 

[Bankc]

16 hours ago, PourMyOwn said:

I just bought ($109) a 50 AH "Moseworth" for my 10' jon boat/30 lb thrust Minnkota. It should easily last for the few hours I'll be able to stand being cramped in that little boat. 

 

That's what I run, though a different brand of lithium battery (Weize).  Still, I've fished for 8 hours before with my 30lb Minn Kota off that 50AH battery without fully draining it.