Not looking for a big bank or high charge/discharge currents. Don't need charging below freezing. In Canada things become difficult/expensive. Narrowed down to these 2:1)SOK, 100AH, $CAD 975 +$5 S/H. Takes both series and parallel connections. Metal case, 4 plastic-looking cells inside, impressive looking BMS and wiring. Claims "replaceable BMS or cells" - and it is indeed possible to take apart and service only I have no idea where one could get those cells or BMS. Available at amazon.ca straight from China. 7 years warranty. Support reportedly exists. SOK, 100AH2) Renogy, 100AH, $CAD 850, free S/H. Plastic case contains metal enclosure inside with many pouch cells, - so not much serviceable. Takes only parallel connections, but I don't need series anyway. This is a sale, Amazon have it at $CAD 1,200. 7 years warranty. Support exists and is spotty. Renogy make their own solar panels but I doubt they make batteries or electronics, must be a relabeled Chinese product: Renogy, 100 AH.Importing Battleborn from the US at $CAD 1,200 + unknown S/H is out of my range. Assembled from Chinese cells like all others, though they do assembling work in the US. 10 years prorated warranty.There is also Lifeblue at $CAD 975 + unknown S/H, maybe will look into those too - their BT monitoring is a nice feature. No idea what's inside. Lifeblue, 100AH

If I was going to buy a dropin battery it would be Lifeblue. Choice of batteries with or without heating pads, bluetooth, with the ability to see individual cells (prismatic), various AH size of batteries, plus I've read enough good thing of folks using them for a couple years now.

LiFePo4 batteries on Amazonhere is a link for them on amazone, price has droped like crazy reciently. Pianotuna even posted a sub 500 buck one from a place in Sask if I recall right. if you handy and want a bigger capacity you could build them yourself using prismatic cells.Steve

Hi Almot,If I were going to buy LiFePo4 in Canada, I'd likely purchase here:https://www.ablithium.ca/These appear to be the cheapest anywhere.If you are in Western Canada it might even make a nice trip?

Please Steve,Don't lumber folks in SK with a company from Alberta. (that's the home of extreme right wing).They seem to have very little in stock. I think they want an order and deposit before they bring the batteries to Canada.

pianotuna wrote:Hi Almot,If I were going to buy LiFePo4 in Canada, I'd likely purchase here:https://www.ablithium.ca/These appear to be the cheapest anywhere.If you are in Western Canada it might even make a nice trip?Thank you, Don. May I ask why - other than the price which is indeed low, perhaps the lowest I've seen anywhere. I forgot to mention that SOK reportedly have prismatic cells. They don't say this on their website but there was a specs sheet posted by retailer. Renogy pouch cells don't inspire confidence, though they enclosed it in metal box before enclosing the whole thing in plastic black box.

LiFePO4 - SOK or Renogy. | Good Sam Community

dieseltruckdriv
Explorer II
Feb 27, 2021
pianotuna wrote:
Almot LiFePo4 are pretty much useless to me. The only decider is price.

I believe the major factor in LiFePo4 is the battery management system. They jump through all sorts of different hoops. Nailing down what they actually do may be difficult research. I'd want to know what the cut off is for temperatures both low and high, and whether they limit the discharge rate. Some do 100 amps demand, others are 150 amps per 100 amp-hours of storage.

I also don't appreciate LiFePo4 living longest at 50% state of charge when in storage. It would mean turning off the solar--then going over and turning it back on a week before a trip. It almost makes solar redundant, kinda, sorta?

We have recently started using ReLion batteries at work. We switched from lead acid to LiFePO for weight savings. We haven't been using them long enough to have any helpful input, but this company does offer a low temperature version.

Pianotuna, I have some of the same misgivings about them as you do, but I really like the weight savings. I have also wondered about the solar in the winter storage issues.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Feb 27, 2021
Almot LiFePo4 are pretty much useless to me. The only decider is price.

I believe the major factor in LiFePo4 is the battery management system. They jump through all sorts of different hoops. Nailing down what they actually do may be difficult research. I'd want to know what the cut off is for temperatures both low and high, and whether they limit the discharge rate. Some do 100 amps demand, others are 150 amps per 100 amp-hours of storage, still others are 'no limit'.

I also don't appreciate LiFePo4 living longest at 50% state of charge when in storage. It would mean turning off the solar--then going over and turning it back on a week before a trip. It almost makes solar redundant, kinda, sorta?
Almot
Explorer III
Feb 27, 2021
pianotuna wrote:
Hi Almot,

If I were going to buy LiFePo4 in Canada, I'd likely purchase here:

https://www.ablithium.ca/

These appear to be the cheapest anywhere.

If you are in Western Canada it might even make a nice trip?

Thank you, Don. May I ask why - other than the price which is indeed low, perhaps the lowest I've seen anywhere.

I forgot to mention that SOK reportedly have prismatic cells. They don't say this on their website but there was a specs sheet posted by retailer.
Renogy pouch cells don't inspire confidence, though they enclosed it in metal box before enclosing the whole thing in plastic black box.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Feb 27, 2021
Please Steve,

Don't lumber folks in SK with a company from Alberta. (that's the home of extreme right wing).

They seem to have very little in stock. I think they want an order and deposit before they bring the batteries to Canada.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Feb 27, 2021
Hi Almot,

If I were going to buy LiFePo4 in Canada, I'd likely purchase here:

https://www.ablithium.ca/

These appear to be the cheapest anywhere.

If you are in Western Canada it might even make a nice trip?
StirCrazy
Moderator
Feb 27, 2021
LiFePo4 batteries on Amazon

here is a link for them on amazone, price has droped like crazy reciently. Pianotuna even posted a sub 500 buck one from a place in Sask if I recall right. if you handy and want a bigger capacity you could build them yourself using prismatic cells.

Steve
Itinerant1
Explorer
Feb 27, 2021
If I was going to buy a dropin battery it would be Lifeblue. Choice of batteries with or without heating pads, bluetooth, with the ability to see individual cells (prismatic), various AH size of batteries, plus I've read enough good thing of folks using them for a couple years now.

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