Saturday, Mar 07, 2015 at 13:32
Hi Steve
Before you go and blow your hard learnt cash, please do your homework, as not all solar panel are what they claim as I recently found out.
I recently went through the exercise of getting a new solar panel a few weeks ago, and like most people, looked at ebay and think that you are going to get a great deal for just over $200.........how wrong can it be.
After some very good advise from a couple of members that know what they are talking about here on the
forum, I ended up spending a lot more than I thought I would, on a quality 200w, high output solar panel from Kickass up in Queensland that offer first rate quality service, and you even get to speak to someone in person ( and it is even an Aussie and not an Asian Call Centre) , and not just waiting for return emails from ebay sellers. One great extra that I also purchased was their inline watt metre, that gives you a continual readout of the output of the solar panels, and the input to the battery you are charging, which will help you to maintain the highest output from my quality panel. Trust me this is just one case of you only get what you pay for. The quality is first rate and the type of cable used is about 3 times the quality and thickness as used on cheaper units on the market by the cheap ebay sellers.
A mate of mine recently purchased a 160w ebay panel from outbaxcamping, and trust me, it is the biggest heap, to think that companies can sell such cheap junk. Look at the image below of just how poor the quality was when it arrived at his place.....panel out of square, cheap hinges broken, and the regulator faulty. He is now going through the long winded saga of trying to get his money back.......well after a month of receiving it and countless emails to people that will not supply a contact phone number. Even after suppling then with a number of images of the poor quality of their product and a good number of email, he did get a reply saying they needed to inspect the unit first before they could swap it over, even though the images speak for themselves.
Second rate quality panel
We have set up the panels together to see how they compare and it is like chalk and cheese.
Do not get caught out, to show you how good their products are, have a look at this link. I am in no way associated with Kickass, but one very happy customer that he is glad that I took the advise offered here on the
forum.
Quality Solar panels from Kickass
Its you money, but if you want a panel that is well worth the extra money and with figures to show just how good they are, then DO NOT BUY CHEAP.
All the best in your selection.
Stephen
AnswerID:
549552
Follow Up By: Zippo - Saturday, Mar 07, 2015 at 16:49
Saturday, Mar 07, 2015 at 16:49
Stephen, your mate must have forgotten the first rule of buying items on ebay: ALWAYS use Paypal. The supplier can argue all he likes about inspecting etc but you can get a full refund.
I had one dodgy product and went through this process. The Oz-based seller didn't want to send a replacement or do a refund. Paypal refunded all including shipping cost, and (not that it's worth anything as it doesn't function) the faulty item is still here. I gave the seller the option to have it returned at his expense, but he passed.
FollowupID:
834960
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Mar 07, 2015 at 17:22
Saturday, Mar 07, 2015 at 17:22
Hi Zippo
Not sure how he paid, but there is more than pride at stake now, when he saw the quality and the side by side performance of the two panels. If you check out the video from Kickass, what they show is 110% correct, from the quality of the carry bag, strong stainless steel hinges and latches, through to the quality of the 20 amp regulator, give their panels the edge straight away. As they say, their panels ARE not made to a price but QUALITY with a full 5 year warranty on everything and 25 years on the solar panel.
From what we could judge, the quality of the cables alone must have a huge effect on the voltage drop in the cheaper panels, with sub standard, cheap light weight cable supplied, no thicker than the we get when wiring up a trailer or caravan, which is just not acceptable when you want the full benefit from the panel to the battery.
When you look into the cost of buying the correct heavy duty cable and 2 anderson plugs, this immediately adds at least $100 on top of your cheap so called ebay special and the cheap regulator supplied another $100 or more, which then puts the price at a par of the Kickass.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
834965