Full disclosure. Brands I've had, ran, and/or tested on my GFX: MaxAmps, Polyquest, Turnigy, Hyperion, Venom. I've never owned a MaxAmps lipo, I tested a friends nearly new pack though. Not going to get into the results but MaxAmps only beat one pack and basically tied another. And I had bought an 8cell NiMh from them that they wouldn't take back when they shipped it to me missing a battery bar. Had to remove the shrink wrap and solder on a battery bar myself to use it. Not exactly the warrantee and customer service those drinking the koolaid usually talk about.
I don't know the details of every companies operation. Maybe there is cherry picking going on. Maybe they do take the time to charge every cell they receive, then discharge it recording the results. Maybe they do chuck, discard, recycle, resell, return or give away the cells they reject. The time it would take to do that testing would require higher prices whether the testing equipment was basic or more advanced. But all their advertising in magazines and websites requires more money too. Just look at Traxxas and their price increases. Sure they've come out with some new features for their vehicles, but the vehicles are largely the same while their prices have increased a lot the last 5 years or so. The thing that has changed more than their vehicles is their advertising. Multi page ads in magazines, at xmas time those magazine ads grow to basically a catalog, their sponsorship of multiple drag racing cars, the monster trucks. All that stuff wasn't around 5 years ago when their prices were lower. A LST used to cost way more than a Maxx or Revo 5yrs ago, now the gap has closed. Losi still does the same amount of advertising they did 5yrs ago but Traxxas has increased theirs and raised their prices to compensate. Sure MaxAmps USA labor costs more and so does their warrantee but there's other factors too.
What anyone believes is worth it for them is up to them. Not gonna judge or try and change anyone's minds. If you like brand X, they've been good to you and you can afford them then by all means go for it. MaxAmps has been at the center of this kind of debate forever and unless they go out of business the debate will rage on. Because Internet.
Last edited by Maj_Overdrive; 04-18-2016 at 01:56 AM.