DIY or BUY: Save Thousands With a DIY Lithium Battery

Welcome to my video where I take you through an in-depth comparison between building your own batteries and buying them off the shelf. This video is packed with insights and real-world cost analyses that will help you make an informed decision on whether to DIY or purchase ready-made battery solutions.

In this video:

- I start with a comparison of a small 1.2kWh battery, showing you the cost breakdown between sourcing parts for a DIY build versus purchasing a pre-assembled battery.
- I then move on to medium-sized 5kWh server rack batteries, comparing the DIY assembly costs with the price of a commercial server rack battery.
- For those looking into large-scale storage, I analyze a massive 100kWh battery system, revealing the significant cost benefits of DIY in this scale.
- A comprehensive cost comparison table will visually demonstrate the price differences across these three scales, highlighting the cost-effectiveness of DIY in larger setups.
- I also discuss important factors like warranty considerations, the time and technical knowledge required for DIY builds, and the tools needed for assembling a battery pack.
- Finally, I'll share my personal recommendations for cell suppliers and server racks, ensuring you have access to quality components for your DIY projects.

This video aims to provide you with all the necessary information and comparisons to choose confidently between building your own battery system or investing in pre-built options. Whether you're a seasoned DIY enthusiast or just starting, you'll find valuable insights here.

00:00 Introduction
00:51 1.2kWh Battery
01:50 5kWh Battery
02:43 100kWh Battery
03:50 Battery Comparison
04:50 Considerations for comparison
06:00 Disadvantages of DIY
07:24 Cell Suppliers

[cbinett]

Your BMS cost is too high, you can buy a nice JK BMS 100A-16s for less than 90$USD. Same for an 4s one for under 60$USD. But i'm in sync with you, for small project, way better to buy it than DIY.

[davidwright]

There are many videos on building your own batteries. This video is quite good the other advantage of building your own is you can replace dead cells if necessary.

[Emphasis]

He doesnt calculate the wire harness, terminal lugs fuses and protective box.

[andersonk-stones]

What about the cables, enclosures and clamps?

[tstatus]

think i seen some of them 51.2v from a reputable brand for 800 now

[imnguyen]

Thank you! Great and easy to understand content.

[TabooRevolution]

My blue batteries bulged in the cold weather...

[sergelajeunesse]

Thank you, Very informative description and understanding of the differences, But i would like to know even though you give comparison prices between 2 different suppliers, Do you really believe that (Made in CHINA) products are as good as USA or Canada made ?
Thank you your content is very well done
👍

[goofykl]

Thanks for the info, I DIY my system, 3 * 280AH 12v units.

[berns]

My jbd BMSses of 150 Amp kost only 85 with bluetooth. Running smooth on 4 system for over a year.

[ricardofranco]

I bought my lifepo4 battery for $175. It's a redodo 12v 100ah lifepo4 battery. After that, each battery was $185. They were on sale 2 weeks ago.

[MainEventMinistry]

This is a fantastic video, thank you!

[MayanMe]

But labour hours, tools and consumables are also costs to be considered

[leafnutz]

Except the cheap batteries are likely relabeled B cells and not really grade A.

[sun-sea-solar]

I really want to try and make my own lifepo4 battery

[dc]

spot on except these do not average 48V, they average 52 volts. so 14.56kw. I have 4 of these banks. I average 13.5kw as I do not use 100% of capacity. I agree I saved huge amounts of money building my own. When I bought mine I saved almost $16000. Prices are lower now. Mine have been up and running for over a year now and I bought mine 1 year before I installed them.

[FirstLastOne]

I can surmise that English isn't your strong point but in all fairness, NOBODY is BUILDING their own batteries.

What you should be stating is building your own array of battery cells or packs and piecing together a BMS and other equipment needed to do the job of a prebuilt unit like a EG4 rack mount unit.

[teknosql]

Yoi are not making battery, you just assembling existing battery

[dimensionsofhell]

You're comparisons are very skewed towards DIY. Premade is ready to run, where as you are not counting for Wires, fuses, kapton tape, and safe storage (case), etc.