Is harvesting 18650s from laptop batteries still a thing?

Some people have asked about the solar gate project I started almost a year ago. I wanted to replace the two AGM batteries with li-ion cells from used laptops.
Now, that we can get cheap and reliable LiFePO4, I found collecting cells from used laptop batteries a bit outdated, cumbersome and probably even dangerous. And I don't mean this in a negative way.

So, the question is: building powerwalls from used laptop batteries, is this still a thing in times of LiFePO4?

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[upnorthandpersonal]

I remember doing that, harvesting 18650 cells and making huge battery packs out of them. I'm very happy not having to do that anymore...

[vuaeco]

All Tesla cars come with thousands of these cells, from 18650 to 2170, and now 4680. Are they outdated?

[GarethJones-dkyp]

I've built a 10Kwh power wall from harvested 18650s 2 years ago. I only used LG, Samsung and Panasonic cells. Its been a great investment and really enjoyed building it. However I do agree lion is higher risk, there's more points of failure. Alot of 18650s are capable of high amperage discharge/charging but I only tickle mine. Each cell only ever sees around 300mA. I only charge to 4V and discharge to 3.4V and keep them <25oC. Hopefully this reduces massively the risk of fire and massively increases the life expectancy. 2 years in with no issues and I'm expecting at least another 8 years out of them. :-)

[BischesseHunting]

Did we miss the Philipp Video? What is going on... i think many people supported and you should keep us updated... maybe i missed it, but what is the Status?

[offgridnaija]

I work with 18650 cells almost every day and really enjoy it. I have a 60kw system made from recycled batteries and have built 100s of different sizes of batteries for lots of clients without any issues in the last 5yrs. 18650 is not for everyone, you must know what you're doing otherwise you can easily mess things up then blame the cells for your carelessness.
Tho Lithium ion Phosphate prices are declining but you still can't compare them. Recycled 18650 batteries is way cheaper expecially if you're on budget.

[duketogo]

What would you use as a replacement for an electric car with a depleted battery pack? Those things get scrapped due to the cost of buying a replacement battery pack but if you could build your own it might be worth it.

[Mazlem]

I'm using 18650's for small projects / packs, but quickly decided they're way too much work for big packs, especially if harvesting used cells.

[SinKillerJ]

I just love how colorful your 18650 bin is.

[magicmanspaz]

I think its great to recycle the cells. I would not bother with a power wall but for smaller projects i think its a great idea.

[Nic]

@1:07 can we get a kWh conversion on that 110km range boost?

[jasonbroom]

"Very cheap" is a relative term. A lot of folks with limited means are harvesting used cells because they are much less expensive, per kwh, than brand new, high-quality LiFePO4 cells/batteries. Even those "7200mah" cells are more expensive than a similar capacity of used Li-ion or LiFePO4 cells. I have built batteries from 100ah prismatic cells, 55ah cylindrical cells, and some smaller projects with both 18650 Li-ion and 26650 LiFePO4 cells. It all boils down to what cost you are comfortable with and what your particular use case is. Suffice to say that if anyone has an idea for a battery they would like to build, there are tons of options available and no reason not to have some fun with the various lithium batteries! :)

I really like the content you've been doing, but would find it very interesting if you built the gate battery with the 8S, 5ah LiFePO4 cells or the Li-ion pouch cells. Your channel has always been about "what if?" and that's what people like, I think. Go for it! Do more variety with your batteries and we can all learn more stuff! :)

[Sekir]

On the wealthy west maybe not worth to harvest 18650s. I can harvest them for about 50 cents each, so the price difference is still at least 6 fold. On another note: never believe those 280Ah batteries are really has that capacity. You still have to measure them to make sure they work properly. And measuring them takes a lot of time and need a new (not cheap) tool.

[peterking]

IMO 18650 should be substituted by Lithium iron phosphate due to safety considerations. I vote to abandon those old projects and continue building new powerwalls. The gate project would be interesting as a side project.

[catsrsilly]

Hello sir what inverter u recommend for a 18650 48v system ? Thanks .

[phester]

where did you buy the small lifepo4 kit for 40 bucks? LInk?

[easylawncare]

We build with lion cells and we sell p.walls with 18650s and here is the deal any battery has it risk. You really just need to know what your dealing with and account for it with cell fusing etc.
I personally run 60kw + with two sunny islands. No problems at all.
Stay safe have fun.

[BobHannent]

Build the 24V LFP with the little cells for the gate, it's a fun little side project which should widen your audience.
There's lots of people curious about AGM conversions I am sure and even us regular viewers could enjoy it.
I wouldn't bother with a long comparison of capacity testing, just do a couple of episodes of the gate conversion.

In respect of used batteries, I'm vaguely interested in salvaged EV batteries, since watching DavePoz, but he and AveRageJoe have recently been buying off-the-shelf packs, I think that's the future.

[andreasj.]

Hi Andy, i also think that the effort with 18650 and Liion is too big to build the battery for the solar gate or the electric fence. But to replace the lead batteries with the palo cells and see how they work would be an interesting project. Thanks for your videos, keep up the good work.

[NedKLee]

The Palo cells in a 12v or 24v configuration would be interesting (and useful)

[francoisguyot]

Hi Andy, you're certainly are right about it. The wasted energy, time and money spent on building such powerwall out of those 18650 cells is not worth it. Add to it the risk factor!... However if you consider the energy density and weight of LiFePO4 vs Li-Ion when designing mobile applications, such as bikes, scooters, robots and portable appliances...etc. The Li-Ion is pretty much the only choice left for the engineers since other variations such as Li-Titanate are prohibitively expensive. I use them to revive my old cordless tools, garden lanterns and backyard lighting where it's safe from catching fire. By the way, the LiFePO4 batteries have considerably dropped down in price, but they're are still very expensive, just like the AGM are. So if you compare them to free salvaged Li-Ion, most people who cannot afford a solar system will not even consider them. So 18650 is still their playground and your educated analysis into making a safer pack with them will help them better understand the constraints, pros and cons of the project. They will learn probably as much or even more.