plasma 327

I just recently made the switch to Lipo from matched 7 cell Mimh and wish I would have done so sooner.
I have 3 7.4 5000 mah 40c protek lipos and am very happy...
I was searching around the net and saw Maxamps and for the equivilant they want twice the price..
Are they really trying to gouge the rc user that badly?? I was shocked!!!
I am suprised they sell any at all for the prices they list...


God Speed!!

Willystylz

When I originally went lipo I bought two 5250mah 2S lipos from them. I do not know what I was thinkin. I guess I got sucked into them by their marketing campaign. Although they have been good batteries for me, they are not a good value. I wish I had known what I do now, and went with a much cheaper and capable brand.

SyCo_VeNoM

that sticker they slap on the cheap lipos costs a ton of cash as well as the ads they have to buy vs the cheaper batteries

Slo-V Flyer

Yeah before I discovered HK and other sources for cheap good lipos, I paid them $130 for a 3s 5000 lipo 2 years ago, and it went bad last year. I wish I hadn't paid that much, but oh well, I really wanted lipo power.

I'll never buy any from there again, now that I know I can get 5-6 lipos for the price of 1 of theirs from other sites. So if 3 of the 5 lipos go bad, I'm still out on top.

redfisher1974

So true.

plasma 327

Must be 2 tons of cash for their Prices!!!
God Speed

plasma 327

Fortunately for me I most always research before I buy, get others opinions etc...
I am just curious how they stay in business profitability wise with all the other distributors
that sell for 1/3 or even less... I too am a little older and not a child so?????

Willystylz

Seeing that you have owned them, Is there any difference in your opinion to warrant such
a cost difference??

God Speed

rymansl2

The only reason they stay in business is because they suck in newbies and those who are extremely against Chinese made items (though I'm sure Maxamps sources their batteries from China anyways ).

plasma 327

I agree... If the truth be known Their cell are the same as turnigy rhino etc....

God Speed..

Willystylz

I own a Orion, IP-Battery, LRP, and Maxamps 2S lipos. All are in the 5000-5400mah range. The Maxmps were the most expensive, but do not perform any better than say my 5000mah 50C IP-Battery which costs about half the price.

I'm thinking of getting a 1/8 buggy soon and I'll try out a couple Turnigy 4S lipos. Expensive is not necessarily better in the battery world.

Access

Maxamps probably isn't selling to hobbyists any more. With those prices I would guess they have shifted into the industrial and commercial markets.

When castle and other companies sell into industrial markets, they can differentiate their products by offering different firmware, special software / tools, etc. only to those industrial companies, in order to justify the price difference. Maxamps can't do this, they sell OEM batteries. If they kept their hobby prices low, they would undercut their own industrial prices.

Roughly 5+ years ago they had the best prices in town, I remember things like a 3s 4000mAH battery for $99. (this was several years ago, an equivalent battery would cost $189. or more elsewhere). Then at some point their prices took a a jump while the rest of the hobby suppliers prices have been on a steady downward trend. Since then their prices have been completely flat. Today I often see the proven 'best' brands like Thunderpower batteries for less than Maxamps, it's pretty ridiculous and there's no reason a hobbyist would want their batteries for the prices they charge.

Brainanator

My Feedback: (1)

but guys!!!! they obviously give you the max amount of amps! Just look at the name!!!!! I need all my amps!

plasma 327

Thats funny right there

alexchen86

Well I run several scaler trucks and I depend on MaxAmp lipos simply because they are submersible.

I mud my trucks and quite often submerge them. Am I mistaken here are other brands waterproof as well for LiPOs?

Brainanator

My Feedback: (1)

you can easily water proof any lipo with a couple bucks and a couple minutes.
Multiple ways too, I would simply buy some liquid electrical tape and slather it on anywhere that water can get it. You can also use silicon, or spray on sealant.

Access

Maxamps batteries are OEMs. There's nothing special or 'more waterproof' about them than any others out there. LiPos are not manufactured specifically to be waterproof, if you want to waterproof them you need to do that yourself.

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

I may be mistaken... but aren't most hardpacks waterproof? At least the maxamps ones...

overrev

I have taken my max amps batteries apart to change out the balance connector and they are seal up to be waterproof. You could do it yourself if you known what you are doing but I like my batteries. If you don't like the price then don't buy them it's simple as that. Tim smith used them to set speed records enough said.

Brainanator

My Feedback: (1)

I've soaked my non-waterproofed turnigy battery in a thick layer of snow multiple times, still kicking strong. Of that's nothing like liquid submerging, for that I would do what I said above to water proof it.

rymansl2

That doesn't mean that they are inherently the best batteries on the market. You can set a speed record with any lipo that has a large enough C rating.

ScottKelly911

My question is how does MaxAmps get these super high mAh batteries? They've got a 13,500mAh pack http://www.maxamps.com/Lipo-13500XL-74-Pack.htm How come other battery companies don't have these super high mAh batteries? MaxAmps also has a 10,000mAh 4s, 5s and 6s packs. I'd love to have a 10,000mAh 4s pack for my MMM 2650 powered Slash 4x4, but at $399, no way I can justify it. But imagine the run time!

rymansl2

The physical size of the pack is greater. You don't get the increased mAh without some drawbacks. All they do is run multiple sets of cells in parallel. For example, for a 10,000 mAh 2s pack they would take two 2s 5000 mAh packs and run them in parallel. This makes the pack closer to the size of a 3s or 4s though.

Brainanator

My Feedback: (1)

taken from your link:
"Lipo 13500XL 2S3P 7.4V Battery Pack"

the 2S3P means that there are 2 cells in series, three times over in parallel, so there are actually 6 lipo cells in that pack (I think...) but for sure, 13500/3=4500, so they just have 3 4500mAh 2S lipos stuck together and put shrink wrap around them.

ScottKelly911

Thanks for the explanation guys, makes lots of sense. I have a 1/16 Slash 4x4 and I can run two batteries either in series or parallel, so that makes a lot of sense, thanks! Now, the question is, how come other companies don't do this also?

Slo-V Flyer

Most people can do this themselves. At least, with some basic battery/electrical knowledge, and wiring setup, like explained above about the 2s3p business. Essentially you take 3 packs, each 2s 4500 mah, and put all the + terminals together, and - terminals together, and vouila 13500 mah... that weighs as much as 3 batteries...if you don't mind the extra weight (about ~20 oz)

With this parallel pack setup, you also introduce more cells into the battery "pack" and have more cells that can go out of balance, so you need balancing charges to make sure one "set" in the parallel setup doesn't become lower and lower in voltage while the other is still showing a good voltage. I suppose it's just kinda silly after a point. many of us don't need 10,000 mah packs, and if we do, we simply run 2s 5000 mah 1 at a time and swap packs....unless you are racing and need the capacity all in one, then you just hook them up in parallel. I guess there must be some good reason for other vendors not to sell big packs. Oh, and it's harder to fit such a fat pack in a standard battery compartment hehe.