Bluetti AC180 Launch Price is $799 - ($20 OFF COUPON ALSO AVAILABLE BELOW) Purchase the AC180 HERE from their website: shrsl.com/4846d *DON'T FORGET THE $20 OFF DISCOUNT CODE: JASONAC180 *
Bluetti customer support note: My EB3A recently died. I was so afraid of the warranty process. I emailed their general customer service and received a response from them within an hour. I needed to troubleshoot some, but ultimately, I sent it back and had a new replacement within a total of 2-1/2 weeks. AMAZING in my opinion. I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for your content, Jason. You’re the best on TH-cam for these reviews.
Yes, I found customer service online to be helpful. A year ago when I got my EB3a it did not include a charging cord. First I called and no one answered and second I emailed them and got a quick response. And got the cord shipped to me.
I’ve emailed them a couple of dumb questions, and they have always answered. I’m really happy with their customer service. Even when I bought my EB3a and they didn’t include power cords, they shipped some out to me when I complained. They shouldn’t have made the assumption that people have cords, especially since that was my first solar purchase. Anyway, the made it right.
Customer service is half of the deal in mu opinion. If a company has a decent product and stands behind it then why not do business with them? I would give them a real look soon!
I had an issue about a year ago and service was bad. However, I encountered a failed charger a couple of months ago an service was great and the issue resolved. They have improved.
I scored a 180 on Amazon for $499 delivered to my shop. I'm an over the road trucker. I have an auxiliary power unit in my truck that runs off diesel. I charge my Bluetti with the APU and run all my electronics, TV and refrigerator with the Bluetti and run the APU only for heating and cooling my truck. Runs my microwave, vacuum and George Foreman grill without any problems.
Hey Jasonoid, we recently had an issue with our Bluetti AC500 that powers our cabin. The error would turn off the AC inverter, leaving us without power until reset. We submitted a service request through the app and were contacted within 24 hours. The response and fix, firmware update, occurred within 2 days. Our AC 500 is again working flawlessly. We have 6 Bluetti units, and we are pleased with the quality and now awesome support.
I've been waiting to buy my first power station. With your extra discount code I'm definitely considering a buy. Your thorough reviews are highly valued; thank you!
That was a complete review if I ever saw one; excellent job sir. Your rant was awesome and very needy. Safety is my biggest concern as well. Thank you.
Really enjoy your videos. We currently have 8 products from BLUETTI not counting their solar panels. We started with the AC50S and have units as large as the EP500PRO and the AC300 with 3 B300 expansion batteries. Earlier in the year we had a problem with our EP500PRO. Reached out to BLUETTI and they sent a new replacement and had a trucking firm pick up the defective unit to ship back. Have never had a problem with their support group. We have recommended BLUETTI products to friends and they love them also. Keep up the good work.
What up Doe!? I think the AC 180 sits in a really good sweet spot as the little big box! The price was a good deal But! with the Dr J' discount code😲 I will definitely grab me one tonight!!! Great job Thanks again 👍🏻
Thanks Jasonoid for your thorough testing n presentation on the AC 180. Deals are sweet now on Amazon for this at $650 on sale with a $350 off coupon of a $999 price. That's only about 56 cents/watt !!
Jason you are awesome. I have learned more from your video than all the others including Hobotech's, which was the best until I saw this. Thank you so much for your sacrifice and contribution. 👍 I recently purchased two of these AC180's plus one PV200 solar panel for the crazy low price of $1548 combined. I bought these primarily for backup during power outages and blackouts, but I like the portability to be able to use camping or share with others that have needs greater than mine. (c-pap's, keeping insulin cold etc.) I live in Oregon and I know the PV200 solar panel will only be able to recharge one AC180 to maybe halfway at best on a good day. I have two small 2200 watt gas generators that I can supplement with, but I can't use them in the summer during a level 4 fire danger and the power is out due to fire/wind damage or power company induced blackouts. I'm in a quandary as to what would be the best way to get the fastest most efficient solar energy into the AC180 given it's low DC input capability and Oregon's limited sun power. Any idea's or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for giving us such a great channel. 🙂👌
Thanks for joining the memberships! :) 400w large format solar panels are SUPER cheap right now. For example, I just picked up three brand new Talesun 400w bifacial panels for $150 each over the weekend. That's 1200 watts for only $450! I found these panels on Facebook Marketplace. I'd suggest looking locally on Facebook Marketplace for similar deals. If you purchased one of these panels and placed it in your yard during an outage, you'd be able to get decent power into the AC180. If you purchased 2 of these 400w panels, you could wire them in parallel and connect them into the AC180. You'd be 'over-paneling' the power station but you'd get decent cloudy performance! The second option I'd recommend is to store extra power in either a 24v or 48v LFP battery so when the AC180 is getting lower on capacity, you can connect in a spare battery to the AC180 charging port and extend the runtime (kinda like a DIY expansion battery). I have a video on that HERE: th-cam.com/video/tK4JKmfndh8/w-d-xo.html Down the road you could also purchase a separate charge controller for your spare battery and extra solar panels and charge both the AC180 and your spare battery at the same time. Lots of different options, I hope this got your brain going in a few different directions for some ideas.
@@Jasonoid Wow Jason. Not only was the fastest reply to a TH-cam comment I've ever received, it was also the most helpful. And considering this is a 7 month old video it is phenomenal! You must really love people and love what you do. I was totally lost before but now I have a path. I can't thank you enough. I am currently looking for two 400 watt panels. I will also look into going the extra battery route in the future and watch that video you posted a link to. You definitely got my brain going in different directions lol! The good thing now is these are solid directions and not dead end ones. By the way, your membership is the first one I've ever joined. Thank you so much for what you do. You are very much appreciated. 👌😎👍
@@escheidl I just ask that you spread the word of my channel. TH-cam doesnt recommend my videos out much so it's always a long up hill battle trying to get my content to new people.
At this price I will probably end up buying it. I do have one gripe with it though, which is that I wish it had true battery expansion. I do agree that a higher amp dc output would be great as well.
@@Jasonoideah, too bad there was a mixup on the discount. At 20% off of 799, I was going to go ahead and get it. But at $20 off, I think I am going to go ahead and wait to see if they come out with an ac180Max sometime in the next year (with expandability and maybe higher dc output). Don’t get me wrong, $799 with a $20 discount is a still a good price for someone that doesn’t need expandability.
It's seems to matter how much wattage your deisel heater pulls. Some pull more power than others. If it pulls more than ~140 most Bluetti models will turn off. The Bluetti AC200MAX has a 30 amp DC output that will run it no problem, the new upcoming AC240 also has the 30 amp output.
@@covecarpentry my diesel heater pulls about 150 watts for 2 minutes (to get the glow plug going) and then runs at 35 watts until it runs out of fuel. If your heater pulls over 140 watts, it will trip an overload error on most Bluetti 12v sockets. You need to find out the exact wattage your heater glow plug pulls.
I'm glad you test UPS with a decent sized workstation and monitor. Hobo uses a laptop (without battery obviously) and does the test only once or twice. Big difference!
you absolutely have to put a load on the PC if you want a reliable result, having the laptop idle doesn't necessarily indicate that the pc will power down on switch over. i believe that stress test application Jason is using is a very good indicator as to how someones PC would behave while gaming should the power be interrupted.
Good vid. I would also list the 60V solar input limit as a con...it needs to be able to run three 180W panels in series regardless of panel manufacturer
@@jamescabaniss5857 Or the EB150s (I have two of those). I know, it's not the latest technology, but I can get a whole lot more solar into those vs. EB70, EB55 or this new model. I wish/hope they would bump the volts up to ~68V like they did after the EB150 was out for a while. I can get 3 Bouge RV 180W panels running in series with no problems. I don't need the inverter horsepower that the AC200 series has to offer, plus the overhead the inverter draws on minimal loads is steep.
Agreed, finding the right combination of panels and wiring them becomes a task if trying to get the full 500 watts. The Renogy 1000 accepts up to 100 volts. That makes it easy to configure, but it only accepts 400 solar watts
The lack of DC ports is a real bummer here. I use the 5521 ports on the EB3A to power a 12v refrigerator and it has worked much better than the standard cigarette plug.
People mostly buy these for the AC capacity. Especially as capacity grows. DC devices are cheaper and more versatile if added where needed rather than within the unit.
YES, we need MORE 5521 ports, not less. And more simple ports with at least 10 amps. Hopefully someday we will no longer have the silly cigarette port, too many problems with it.
Agreed. It's clear that Bluetti was trying to hit a very aggressive price point here, and that (of course) means design decisions about which capabilities have to go. There was no way to please everyone with those choices, but I think they did a pretty good job overall, though no 5521s at all is a bit of a bummer for things like 12v refrigerators and some 12v electric blankets.
Thanks for spending the time and doing a full review! I just bought one to put upstairs bedroom for the small TV and charge phones at night. May put 2 solar panels on the roof right outside the window to maybe power the master bedroom totally off solar! That would be nice.
An excellent presentation, as usual. This looks to be a very good 1152wh power station for AC users. For use for primary 12 DC use in a truck camper or RV trailer, it is a subpar design. Add a 250 watt, 12 volt DC Anderson output to the AC180 and I'd rate it as a good to go for boondocking RV use . Also, on a power station of this size, the DC 7909 input for charging needs to be augmented with either additional Anderson or XT60 port. To me the wire gauges associated with a DC 7909 connection are a bit wimpy and tend to run warm when charging at 200 watts.
I totally agree, thanks for your feedback Andrew! I always appreciate hearing your thoughts on these units. I wish they had thought about the DC output and how it could have been better.
Agreed.. this would be a very useful port. Especially since the majority market with this unit will be overlanders/ travelers powering multiple 12v devices. It's always a pain plugging in my Dometic fridge to the 12v auto port because it ALWAYS jiggles out on the road.
For RV use, you may look into generators as well or instead even. Champion has a few that are even around the same price, but run on both gas and/or propane. They tend to have higher compacitiea for the price and run longer even. The downside is they make a bit more noise. The upside is they'll perform much heavier workloads no problem including AC units.
@@kerrydaniels8460 My rig is a truck camper with a pop up roof and no air conditioning or microwave oven. My largest consumers of electrons are a forced air propane furnace, a portable 40 quart DC fridge and a vent fan. Other than a portable lithium power station my truck camper does not have an 120 volt AC inverter or shore power hook ups. When I'm on the road, the only luxury item to use the AC output on the lithium power station is a small 500 watt coffee maker. At home, I also use to recharge power tool batteries and my e-bike. The power station resides in an exposed cubby in the the camper's cabinetry. In addition to the above mentioned portable lithium power station, (which is easily removable,) - the camper has a dedicated 100 amp hour lithium house battery, 180 watts of solar and a dual input 30 amp DC to DC charger. The DC to DC charger is able to augment the solar panel by up to 400 watts utilizing the truck's alternator. On a sunny day it'll draw about 200 watts from the truck's alternator and draw about 150 watts or less from the solar panel. Not including the portable lithium power station, all of the above came out be at least $1200 US in 2021.
Great video, as per your usual standards. This looks like an excellent value and should be one of the more serious contenders in the truly "portable" power station market.
Thank you for your great review! I ordered the AC180, but EU version. Great to know the powerstation is quite good from an expert. If I had to point out my flaws; No wifi, only one usbc [not bi-directional], only 2 ac sockets [eu version], and the usual very big price hike for EU customers. You guys pay 640,- dollar, we on the other end of the pont pay...... 1099 eur or 1191 dollar, discount included. I know its also tax related, but man, thats almost twice as expensive.
@@Jasonoid Yeah, thats a crazy price hike. But still happy, and great to at least now know it actually is quite good performance wise! There were some reviews, but not very technical. Thanks again:]
Bi-directional USB-C on power stations can be problematic. A friend of mine has an Anker PPS and was trying to charge a portable power bank from it. Despite both being Anker products, the two devices decided to charge the power supply from the power bank instead! In a PPS application, I prefer USB-C ports to be explicitly one direction or the other.
Another timely and awesome review Jason, thank you. I have 5 Bluetti solar generators and zero issues with any of them so this is definitely of interest. I also have the Renogy Phoenix 1000 (2 of them) which matches well with this and the Eco you mentioned, still waiting on you or Hobo or Will to review the Renogy, but all three are very similar. Price of this with your discount is almost too good to be true!
How you like the Renogy 1000? I'm curious to know if you've tried their parallel feature? Does it allow AC charging and discharging at the same time in parallel mode? Really like the combined 2700 AC out watts.
@@mrct309 I like many of the features but have not tried the parallel connection yet. I bought the split phase as I wanted to use it for my well pump needing 240 volts. No wireless charging and they use a XT30 solar input, a little unique and I had to convert to XT60 connections. So far, so good.
@@Kantuski awesome, can the Renogy AC charge / AC pass-through mode while in split phase output mode (assuming you've plugged each unit on different 120v phases). I really like it's feature set, but I might want to wait for gen 2 where they can reduce the weight. 40 lbs is too heavy for 1kwh unit.
@@mrct309 I have not tried the parallel connection yet. I was hoping for Jason, Will or Hobo to do a complete review to try those connections so I didn't mess up one or both. The 41 lbs. is heavier than what I am used to but manageable with the two handles. I am over 70 and can move it up and down stairs safely (not without some exertion though). My read is that it will not do pass through charging while in a parallel mode, but again, I have not tried it yet.
My EB3A smoked Oct 2023. I emailed bluetti service on a Friday and heard back by Sunday. Seems they don’t work weekends, idk. I sent mine back in the original box and had a new one back within 2 to 3 weeks. Save your original box!
Sweet unit. I like that is has 100Wh more than the Delta 2. I also like the case better than the Delta 2. Price is incredible. I like the Delta 2, but it will have a hard time competing with this unit. Thanks for another great video.
Thank you! I just got one. Great review. I plan to use it camping, (and if the power goes out at home to run the fridge) Eventually, I'll get a 48v server rack battery as well. When i go camping i have a small 5000btu ac unit (about 500w) I also have a small generator that i run on propane that puts out 1440w. It will be neat to see these all working together. Im still shopping 12v fridges, its between the iceco vl45 and that Explorer Bear 50L.
Just bought this! Wish I would’ve found your videos sooner but sounds like I got a good one. I watch a lot of TH-cam and I’ve never seen a review as complete as yours. Well done. I’m checking out more of your content now! Can I run my 12v fridge off of the AC ports? Does it matter which one I use, AC or DC? Is one more efficient? I just need my fridge for a night or two while camping and off-roading. Thanks!
Excellent review. Just want to confirm if understood correctly. You stated if the plugged in device pulls over 129 watts that the AC180 will reach overload and turn off? If a full-size refrigerator requires 380 watts then the AC180 will not be able to power the device (not even for one hour) and turn off? Is this correct? The concern is where I live the power goes out for approximately 2 hours at a time.
So, I think Bluettis ideal power station would have the efficiency and capacity of the AC200 max but with Wi-Fi and two separate charge controllers in it like the AC 300. It would also be able use and charge the external batteries like the B300 and the B230. If Bluetti would produce something like this, it would sell like hotcakes. in the Northwest it is very difficult to generate electricity from late November to mid February. That’s why 2 charge controllers that did 150 V would be great. Two separate lines like the AC 300 The reason why I’m telling you this is because I have both the AC 200 max and the AC 300. The AC 300 is terrible in its efficiency Great if you’re in Arizona not so much if you’re in Seattle. it seems like every new model that blue Eddie releases becomes more efficient and efficiency is what you start chasing once you’ve been in this situation for a while. I think you do a great job with your channel. I know I’m rambling here a little little bit but I’m glad that you do such a good job in your reviews
Hey Jason, a little update here. So sadly, the AC 180 did not power itself on this morning. First time I’ve actually got to test it I have two 200 or 220 W Newpowa panels in series hooked to it. I can only assume that it’s very cloudy and there wasn’t enough voltage to power it up. Sooooooo, as you know, I also have an AC 200 max that I use a enhancer to get the maximum amount of power out of it in the winter time. I have 250 W panels W panels in series and three 200 or 220 W panels and series both going into a parallel connection. I run into my DC enhancer and it seems to work very well with AC two max limited to 500 W regardless. So the power production with two 250 W panels hooked into my AC 180 is very disappointing on a cloudy day. Wait for it….. I just plugged in the DC charge enhancer with the two strings of panels that are usually use use for the AC 200 max into the AC 180 and it works perfectly. The charge controller doesn’t trip because the volts are under 60 and the DC char enhancer is going to dump everything down to 500 W anyway. genius? Or am I very foolish?
The original price was $1000, so yes, 20% did come off, and all the promoters have been given an extra $20 coupon. This is an excellent price, way below the $1/watt we’ve been accustomed to for most power stations. I’m going to base my decision on whether it meets my needs, but I have no complaints about the price.
Any price drop helps right!? I actually edited the video this morning so I'm hoping the changes I made reflect soon. I removed the sections were I talked about the additional 20% off so the video is more accurate.
I just received a VTOMAN Jump 1500X a couple of weeks ago. Had I known of this release, I surely would have waited. We already use the EB3A on the daily, so this would have been a natural fit. I would have a hard time justifying the Jump 1500X and the AC180, as they have similar capacity and inverter.
im most likely going to be getting my hands on this because of the chemistry of the batteries, LIFepo, really good battery, this'll used for the UPS mod WITH the APC that i have, i can have it set on my other battery, and having the APC battery be plugged in into the bluetti, hopefully that it will work. 4 hours of play time between 200 to 300 watts is perfect for me. this will most likely be used as UPS feature for what i will have. thanks for the in-depth review, and im hopping i can get hands on for this device.
Great review that played heavily on my decision to purchase the ac180.this unit only needs a few features that would make it perfect, like being able to connect a external battery along with at least a 20amp input. About the customer service I to send them a simple question that I knew the answer to just to see their response. The question was could I use a 24v battery to charge the 180 , and they just sent a response and link to a charge cable. Along with telling me to check the charging guidelines. The same question that I asked them, so CS gets a fail from me. But so far it's a nice station.
Jason, thank you for this wonderful video. Showing my ignorance because this is all new for me, but I want to make sure I understand Electronics 101. I have a portable a/c unit in my home that I used when the a/c failed. The info on the unit shows 1,270 W, 115 V., 60 Hz. So there is no question I would be able to plug it into the AC180 if I lose power in my house. Right? It looks like I won't get a lot of time from the AC180, but even an hour may help. And I don't mind if one of your educated followers responds. Just be kind to this newbie. :)
That portable AC will pull 1270 watts at peak load but I'm guessing it will average less than that. It will probably get 1 to 2 hours of runtime off the AC180 battery.
💯for the small percentage in extra weight, absolutely prefer LFP vs NMC, more cycle life and safer chemistry, seems like a no brainer move to me.👍 I feel like you put in more work on this power station review than some of the last couple, or at least that is my perception, very well done imo. if i didn't already have my FFPower 2001, i would be seriously looking at this power station. that 60v input makes it attractive, but too bad it doesn't up the current at the higher voltages, yes i know at the standard 12/24v input you dont want to go over 10 amps because vehicle fuses will pop. in comparison to the ecoflow, it doesn't have the expandable battery feature, not that it really needs it tho. that 48 volt expansion battery option will give this power station a seriously long run time, very nice to see this addition to your testing!
Interesting that you feel that way about this video. I wonder what made the difference since this video was very similar to the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max video and the UGreen PowerRoam 1200 I recently published on the channel. All of them took me weeks to test, film, and edit LOL
@@Jasonoid humm, the longer video, played a part, the additional comments on your nmc battery blowing up rant, very nice add imo. it felt more detailed. i dont doubt that you spent similar amount of time testing, but i took away that you were excited about this one a bit more, because of the rant and customer service feedback.
@@user--PM the broll of exploding batteries could have added to that affect to haha. Either way, I enjoy showing all all these products. I try to turn down anything that's not exciting to cover on the channel 😁👍
@@Jasonoid I will never forget the exploding battery fragments in your video...how terrifying that must have been. I think I was researching fridges at the time, some have the battery pack, yikes! Sending out links for this to family with your link/code.
Quick question...can you safely charge the AC180 with a xt90 to 7909 connector? Another words xt90 from a 12v battery then 7909 into the AC180? And as long as you stay under 60v? Thanks!
I was a little mad they took away the 5521 plugs. I actually use those, and hooking it up to that eg4 server rack battery was pretty cool. Did you ever do a review on that? But you wanna know what I think would be a cool way to extend that battery, A b300 with the Charge enhancer hooked up to that
No review on the battery yet. I purchased it awhile back and it's been super useful so far. I've heard the Bluetti charging enhancer is just an 8 amp MPPT charge controller, I'll have to see if that will work with the EG4..... hmmmmm
No, unfortunately there's no password. Anyone that's within range of the unit and that has the Bluetti app can see the device. They do need a Bluetti login / username and password first.
@@Jasonoid I hope they update the app to require password to pair with a device. With its popularity people in a crowded camp ground can mistakenly log in on their neighbor's Bluetti and shut it off.
Looks like a nice power station. I only wish they had included the barrel plugs. I have had problems with my 12-volt refrigerator plug and have since switched to a barrel plug for my refrigerator cord.
Just purchased the ac180 last month, have used at home as a back up for TV, wifi and full size fridge, have it set up with the pass thru , the power has gone off twice since installed due to storms but continued to run tv and fridge till power was restored, as for customer service, ive contacted them to ask regarding solar and received several responses via email within a day or so 👍
Would you consider the 'Silent' charging mode to be a healthier charging mode vs the others for the longevity of the batteries? Maybe my believe that rapid charging Li-Ion batteries is less healthy for them is a bit outdated...
That is correct, silent charging will put less stress on the batteries and will allow for a healthier longer lasting battery. Now by how much? Not sure. I think turbo mode would be the only one to lower charge cycles since the standard mode is still under a 1C charge rate.
@@Jasonoid Thanks. This is shaping up to be a worthy upgrade to my EB70. Not being able to run an InstaPot (among other appliances) is the biggest downfall of the EB70 (for our uses).
Bluetti wanted me to put the video out last week but I told them I'd rather put it out on launch day. There are many other videos already released so I'm definitely not first haha
@@Jasonoid Yeah, but only you and Hobo are authoritative reviewers of stuff like this. Not that I won't watch a layman's review by any channel I'm a big fan of for other reasons. But I can only watch so many clueless people doing reviews of items where technical testing/analysis is needed, even if by online friends.
While in ups mode the batteries are not used or cycled. This allows for usage without lowering charge cycles and you are still using the power station while the batteries stay at 100% SOC. When power drops it switches over to the battery backup. The fans don't run often either. It's pretty different than pass through charging since the batteries aren't charging at all.
Audio amplifiers can be sensitive to ground. I notice the AC180 has a grounding terminal. Perhaps it would improve the noise level if you grounded the Bluetti?
So maybe by installing a grounding pole into the ground while on the go you think it would sound differently? It's nice to have the ground connection available for that.
if you decide to test this, i would be very curious to how it does, perhaps a short video? perhaps try more than one method of grounding, example one to any metal pipe, one to just the ground on an outlet (generally the center screw is grounded on the outlet cover) i wonder if it's just because of the high frequency inverter. i dont have one but would be interested in knowing if a 1:1 transformer would clean up some of the noise.
The US model doesn't support expansion batteries, I'm not sure about the UK version. This model has no "offical port" for expansion batteries like the AC200MAX or the new AC60. The way you can "expand" the battery is by taking one of Bluettis with a special adapters (cost $100+) and then plugging it into the the charging port on the AC180.
I don't have the B80 expansion battery so I'm not sure what it comes with. Since the expansion battery has a proprietary output port you'll need to purchase the special charging cable that has the 7909mm plug on the end so it will charge the AC180.
@@DanielEarlester I haven't seen that product, I'll have to look it up. I know Ecoflow does a better job with accessories for their devices so I doubt Bluetti would do that.
I purchased one of the AC180's and was wondering if I could use one 12v SOK 206AH as an expansion battery with a 7909 barrel plug. Thank you for your video🤠
I had good experience with Bluetti email customer service a few months ago. I had ordered the charging enhancer which was back ordered. I waited a bit but then decided to cancel my order. I emailed my request along with my order number and they replied within about 12 hours saying they will cancel the order. My money was already refunded.
Heads up! Amazon Prime Deal is $549 for the AC180. I also got an additional 5% off! Hope this helps you make a decision. I just ordered mine and the Prime Deal pushed me over the edge.
Currently this unit is on sale for 599 during Father's Day and I'm thinking about picking one up. Is there any unit better that I should get instead of this one in your thoughts?
I am going to be doing a comparison video of this unit, vs the Anker C1000 and the Delta 2. Prime Day pricing should be a little better if you want to wait a month or so.
Most of us use these in our cars/trucks to camp and run stuff off the battery instead of the car/truck. As such, they need to have strong 12v output support. This unit only has one 12v output and it is the crappy cig lighter type of outlet. Most everyone changes their stuff to use better connectors such as the 5521, XT60 or Anderson. The AC180 is pretty much useless for running 12v stuff with only have the one crappy 12v output. This unit has far less output flexibility than the EB70 or EB70S. This unit is not for me. I just dont understand the lack of 12v output support. It only makes sense if you are using it in a house as a "home backup" of sorts where you are powering 120v/AC stuff and charging phones/laptops.
It has been hard finding solar panels that can get me close to the 500 watt limit. Before i could only get a max of 250 watts using 2 bluettis expensive 200 watt panels. I couldn't use a third because it goes over the 60v limit. But because of you i finally found panels that got me so close to the limit! I bought 3 newpowa but the panels they sent me are 9bb not 5bb. I'm getting 460 - 480 watts! Im very happy now. Thank you this video has been very helpful.
@@JasonoidI wonder if using the new powa 9bb in series indicates that ac180 will take more than 60 volts. I've always wondered way no over voltage protection is not implemented
@@russinoklahoma as long as you plug appliances into the inverter outlets. It's safe to run in your home. Do not connect the power station to an outlet in your home to back feed the circuit.
question; can a solar generator be used in place of a UPS? I was thinking of using a mid-range SPS with a UPS plugged in to it, but that seems redundant. Opinions appreciated.
Here's a video I just put out testing UPS cutover speeds, if it's under 15ms, it should work for most devices. The faster the better. th-cam.com/video/ajVgUW4qRGI/w-d-xo.html
Very helpful review, I appreciate your efforts to include the solar charging performance and panel testing! If you were looking for an optimal solar charging setup for the AC180 would you recommend the Newpowa 180w x3 or is there another panel/combination that you would suggest?
You'll need to stay under 60 volts total on the AC180. That's difficult using most normal 200w panels with a higher voltage. The benefit of the NewPowa 180w panels are that they have low VOC. Three of the Newpowa 180w panels in series are probably the best option since I haven't found any panels with a similar voltage: amzn.to/3t9FwfR You could also run four 200w panels in a 2S2P config, but that will cost more money since you have to buy 4 panels total and you'll not be able to use the full amperage the panels produce.
Great review. Sounds like a unit I’d be interested in. You stated a lot of numbers and facts that was Dutch to me. I have a small RV parked in a campground that does not have electricity. My main question is, will it operate a Keurig or toaster?
I have a Bluetti ac200P, it says it can take in 700W of solar. I do use it a lot & on most days to power my home to save on electric bill. I do have 7 100w panels so total of 700W charging it all day with pass through charging. Will this harm the batteries or shorten the life? Bluetti says it’s ok but what are your thoughts?
As long as you stay under a 1C charge rate (2000w) on the AC200p you'll be good. 700 watts is around a .35C charge rate and less than half the 1C max charge rate. No issues with your setup.
Shorten the life by half at least. Pass through charging isn't necessarily bad (useful) but if done constantly, yeah. It's obviously going to effect battery longevity
I have purchased one or two of those 12v splitters and man they are not good for much in terms of charging up power stations and the ones I get (decently priced) seemed to be not so great quality with regard to the 12v male portion. At this price its a no brainer, I dont even have the money and I want one. lol
The splitter I purchased is okay for small loads, it does get a bit warm when pushing over 10 amps through it. I really like the capacity and AC inverter on this model. It packs a punch!
*UPDATE: THERE WAS A PRICING ERROR IN MY VIDEO. My Bluetti representative, Ivan, provided me with the pricing information and when I confirmed the pricing was $799 with a 20% off code for $640 he said it was correct. This was right before filming the final draft of my video and the product hadn't be launched yet. As you know today the pricing is inaccurate and I apologize for the misleading discount code everyone. Total BUMMER that I was not provided with the correct information. I rely on accurate information for these videos and that was not the case. Please accept my deepest apologies, it was an honest mistake.* You can find the AC180 HERE for $779 ($20 off discount code: JasonAC180 ): shrsl.com/43wll
200w panels usually put out around 80% of power, so plan on 160 watts to 170 watts on average. To estimate charging times take the total watt hours and divide by watts and it gives you charge time in hours. 1152wh / 170 watts = 6.7 hours 576wh / 170 watts = 3.3 hours
Outstanding video, but just one thing, I do not understand the advantage of the 12 volt outlet being regulated. With the older lithium batteries, yes, as they loose their SOC, the voltage goes down, so regulation was important. But with LiFePO4 batteries what is the point. They do not loose voltage as their SOC goes down. And you have to have regulation if the internal voltage is 32 volts, it is not an added feature, it is a requirement. So why give it points for something it has to have?
Great question! Back a couple years ago it was definitely more of an issue. Now that power stations have either gone to LFP or higher voltages it doesn't apply as much as it used to. There are still junky models out there that are missing regulation so I still keep it around. Maybe one day I'll swap it out with a new grading aspect when it's not needed anymore.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. In considering a Renogy 200W portable solar panel to pair with the AC180, it has a short circuit current rating of 10.5A (along with an open circuit voltage rating of 23.4V). Given that the AC180 has a limit of 10A input should this particular panel be ruled out? Thanks in advance.
The power station will limit the amperage of the solar panel, even if it goes over 10 amps. For example, you can connect a solar panel into the power station with 20 amps, and it won't cause any harm. You are good to use that solar panel on the AC180.
Bluetti AC180 Launch Price is $799 - ($20 OFF COUPON ALSO AVAILABLE BELOW)
Purchase the AC180 HERE from their website: shrsl.com/4846d
*DON'T FORGET THE $20 OFF DISCOUNT CODE: JASONAC180 *
Is this coupon 20% off the special $799 price?
Edit: sorry I didn't realize you mentioned it in the video!
Yeah so this coupon is for $20 not 20%. I probably wont buy it since $800 is too steep for me.
@@skatRdie0 I knew 20% off the early price was too good to be true.
So the code is just for $20 not 20%
@@ItsEverythingElse I thought it was an incredible deal too :( at this price I'm going to pass.
Hit the thumbs up people!
He has a regular job and still puts this content out. Not to mention, he has always answered our questions.
Thank you :)
I couldn’t agree more. Jason doesn’t get the subscriber or likes he deserves.
Nice post and very appropriate for this situation. You can only post what the representative tells you.
Bluetti customer support note:
My EB3A recently died. I was so afraid of the warranty process. I emailed their general customer service and received a response from them within an hour. I needed to troubleshoot some, but ultimately, I sent it back and had a new replacement within a total of 2-1/2 weeks. AMAZING in my opinion. I couldn’t be happier.
Thank you for your content, Jason. You’re the best on TH-cam for these reviews.
Thanks for the feedback on their support, I like to hear about improvements!
Yes, I found customer service online to be helpful. A year ago when I got my EB3a it did not include a charging cord. First I called and no one answered and second I emailed them and got a quick response. And got the cord shipped to me.
Bluetti has been fairly dinged in the past for customer service. Glad to hear it sounds like they are upping their game a bit.
I’ve emailed them a couple of dumb questions, and they have always answered. I’m really happy with their customer service. Even when I bought my EB3a and they didn’t include power cords, they shipped some out to me when I complained. They shouldn’t have made the assumption that people have cords, especially since that was my first solar purchase. Anyway, the made it right.
Customer service is half of the deal in mu opinion. If a company has a decent product and stands behind it then why not do business with them? I would give them a real look soon!
I had an issue about a year ago and service was bad. However, I encountered a failed charger a couple of months ago an service was great and the issue resolved. They have improved.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I scored a 180 on Amazon for $499 delivered to my shop. I'm an over the road trucker. I have an auxiliary power unit in my truck that runs off diesel. I charge my Bluetti with the APU and run all my electronics, TV and refrigerator with the Bluetti and run the APU only for heating and cooling my truck. Runs my microwave, vacuum and George Foreman grill without any problems.
Hey Jasonoid, we recently had an issue with our Bluetti AC500 that powers our cabin. The error would turn off the AC inverter, leaving us without power until reset. We submitted a service request through the app and were contacted within 24 hours.
The response and fix, firmware update, occurred within 2 days. Our AC 500 is again working flawlessly. We have 6 Bluetti units, and we are pleased with the quality and now awesome support.
Thanks for your hard work!
Thank you sir! You're a good man. Much appreciated! 😊👍 Wow!
I've been waiting to buy my first power station. With your extra discount code I'm definitely considering a buy. Your thorough reviews are highly valued; thank you!
The discount is $20, not 20%, so $779 instead of $640.
@@ziggy29That’s a huge difference. Bluetti needs to honor the 20 percent!
@@mickbolinger8583agreed, I was planning on purchasing it at 20% off, but with only $20 off I’m going to shop around for something else.
That was a complete review if I ever saw one; excellent job sir. Your rant was awesome and very needy. Safety is my biggest concern as well. Thank you.
Really enjoy your videos. We currently have 8 products from BLUETTI not counting their solar panels. We started with the AC50S and have units as large as the EP500PRO and the AC300 with 3 B300 expansion batteries. Earlier in the year we had a problem with our EP500PRO. Reached out to BLUETTI and they sent a new replacement and had a trucking firm pick up the defective unit to ship back. Have never had a problem with their support group. We have recommended BLUETTI products to friends and they love them also. Keep up the good work.
What up Doe!?
I think the AC 180 sits in a really good sweet spot as the little big box! The price was a good deal But! with the Dr J' discount code😲 I will definitely grab me one tonight!!!
Great job
Thanks again 👍🏻
Right on!
Thanks Jasonoid for your thorough testing n presentation on the AC 180. Deals are sweet now on Amazon for this at $650 on sale with a $350 off coupon of a $999 price. That's only about 56 cents/watt !!
Good job once again Jason.
I bought the unit a couple of days ago so thanks for the discount. I like smaller power stations based on my requirements.
For being a smaller unit, this one sure packs a punch!
Just ordered my ac 180 for 459.00 can't wait recieve my 2nd Bluetti. I've had my Eb3a for 3wks. 👊😁👍
I just ordered one for $436.05
I love my AC180! Just bought an EF D3+ earlier today. Can't wait to compare them side by side. Most likely I'll prefer the AC180! 😉
Jason you are awesome. I have learned more from your video than all the others including Hobotech's, which was the best until I saw this. Thank you so much for your sacrifice and contribution. 👍 I recently purchased two of these AC180's plus one PV200 solar panel for the crazy low price of $1548 combined. I bought these primarily for backup during power outages and blackouts, but I like the portability to be able to use camping or share with others that have needs greater than mine. (c-pap's, keeping insulin cold etc.) I live in Oregon and I know the PV200 solar panel will only be able to recharge one AC180 to maybe halfway at best on a good day. I have two small 2200 watt gas generators that I can supplement with, but I can't use them in the summer during a level 4 fire danger and the power is out due to fire/wind damage or power company induced blackouts. I'm in a quandary as to what would be the best way to get the fastest most efficient solar energy into the AC180 given it's low DC input capability and Oregon's limited sun power. Any idea's or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for giving us such a great channel. 🙂👌
Thanks for joining the memberships! :) 400w large format solar panels are SUPER cheap right now. For example, I just picked up three brand new Talesun 400w bifacial panels for $150 each over the weekend. That's 1200 watts for only $450! I found these panels on Facebook Marketplace. I'd suggest looking locally on Facebook Marketplace for similar deals. If you purchased one of these panels and placed it in your yard during an outage, you'd be able to get decent power into the AC180. If you purchased 2 of these 400w panels, you could wire them in parallel and connect them into the AC180. You'd be 'over-paneling' the power station but you'd get decent cloudy performance!
The second option I'd recommend is to store extra power in either a 24v or 48v LFP battery so when the AC180 is getting lower on capacity, you can connect in a spare battery to the AC180 charging port and extend the runtime (kinda like a DIY expansion battery). I have a video on that HERE: th-cam.com/video/tK4JKmfndh8/w-d-xo.html
Down the road you could also purchase a separate charge controller for your spare battery and extra solar panels and charge both the AC180 and your spare battery at the same time. Lots of different options, I hope this got your brain going in a few different directions for some ideas.
@@Jasonoid Wow Jason. Not only was the fastest reply to a TH-cam comment I've ever received, it was also the most helpful. And considering this is a 7 month old video it is phenomenal! You must really love people and love what you do. I was totally lost before but now I have a path. I can't thank you enough. I am currently looking for two 400 watt panels. I will also look into going the extra battery route in the future and watch that video you posted a link to. You definitely got my brain going in different directions lol! The good thing now is these are solid directions and not dead end ones.
By the way, your membership is the first one I've ever joined. Thank you so much for what you do. You are very much appreciated. 👌😎👍
@@escheidl I just ask that you spread the word of my channel. TH-cam doesnt recommend my videos out much so it's always a long up hill battle trying to get my content to new people.
@@Jasonoid Absolutely. You have my full support and recommendation. You are the top of the pick in my book.
At this price I will probably end up buying it. I do have one gripe with it though, which is that I wish it had true battery expansion. I do agree that a higher amp dc output would be great as well.
Thanks for the feedback David, I hope they hear our feedback to make changes in the future :)
@@Jasonoideah, too bad there was a mixup on the discount. At 20% off of 799, I was going to go ahead and get it. But at $20 off, I think I am going to go ahead and wait to see if they come out with an ac180Max sometime in the next year (with expandability and maybe higher dc output). Don’t get me wrong, $799 with a $20 discount is a still a good price for someone that doesn’t need expandability.
Are there any Bluettis that can power a diesel heater thru the 12v DC outlet? Love your channel.
It's seems to matter how much wattage your deisel heater pulls. Some pull more power than others. If it pulls more than ~140 most Bluetti models will turn off.
The Bluetti AC200MAX has a 30 amp DC output that will run it no problem, the new upcoming AC240 also has the 30 amp output.
My lavaner heater says 40 watts on the side, and my assumption is 10a x 12v is 120watts, so well within? pardon my ignorance. @@Jasonoid
@@covecarpentry my diesel heater pulls about 150 watts for 2 minutes (to get the glow plug going) and then runs at 35 watts until it runs out of fuel. If your heater pulls over 140 watts, it will trip an overload error on most Bluetti 12v sockets. You need to find out the exact wattage your heater glow plug pulls.
I'll work on that, thanks for the help.
Ooh, very nice review! Tempted; going to review again on Friday and make a decision.
This answers my every question. Your great at this.
I'm glad you test UPS with a decent sized workstation and monitor. Hobo uses a laptop (without battery obviously) and does the test only once or twice. Big difference!
I try to incorporate real world situations in my videos. If you got any other ideas for tests to do let me know. I'm happy to consider more options.
you absolutely have to put a load on the PC if you want a reliable result, having the laptop idle doesn't necessarily indicate that the pc will power down on switch over. i believe that stress test application Jason is using is a very good indicator as to how someones PC would behave while gaming should the power be interrupted.
Good vid. I would also list the 60V solar input limit as a con...it needs to be able to run three 180W panels in series regardless of panel manufacturer
60V input is much higher than most typical power stations, but not as high as the AC200 series.
@@jamescabaniss5857 Or the EB150s (I have two of those). I know, it's not the latest technology, but I can get a whole lot more solar into those vs. EB70, EB55 or this new model. I wish/hope they would bump the volts up to ~68V like they did after the EB150 was out for a while. I can get 3 Bouge RV 180W panels running in series with no problems. I don't need the inverter horsepower that the AC200 series has to offer, plus the overhead the inverter draws on minimal loads is steep.
@@GreasyGrits21 Yeah, 3 x whatever BougeRV Voc is would be nice. I think the typical Voc is around 22 so 66 would be nice.
Agreed, finding the right combination of panels and wiring them becomes a task if trying to get the full 500 watts. The Renogy 1000 accepts up to 100 volts. That makes it easy to configure, but it only accepts 400 solar watts
The lack of DC ports is a real bummer here. I use the 5521 ports on the EB3A to power a 12v refrigerator and it has worked much better than the standard cigarette plug.
Totally agree. Not sure who was the decision maker behind that.... Why Bluetti, why!?
People mostly buy these for the AC capacity. Especially as capacity grows. DC devices are cheaper and more versatile if added where needed rather than within the unit.
YES, we need MORE 5521 ports, not less. And more simple ports with at least 10 amps. Hopefully someday we will no longer have the silly cigarette port, too many problems with it.
Agreed. It's clear that Bluetti was trying to hit a very aggressive price point here, and that (of course) means design decisions about which capabilities have to go. There was no way to please everyone with those choices, but I think they did a pretty good job overall, though no 5521s at all is a bit of a bummer for things like 12v refrigerators and some 12v electric blankets.
What about it makes it “much better” curious to why. Maybe I need to redo my cable end on mine for one of them plugs
Thank you for such a thorough and outstanding review!!! I really love your grading sheet - very helpful!!! 🌸👍
Thanks so much!
Thanks for spending the time and doing a full review! I just bought one to put upstairs bedroom for the small TV and charge phones at night. May put 2 solar panels on the roof right outside the window to maybe power the master bedroom totally off solar! That would be nice.
Just ordered today! Thanks Jason
Hope you like it!
Another great review!!
Glad you liked it!
Good test, this seems like a good generator for the amount of money. I like the fast charging input of this.
Outstanding review! 👌👌👌
Thanks for the video.
Been wanting this or the EF River 2 pro for running my dc fridge while camping. Hard to decide longevity since they're both new.
The DC output is a little lack luster with one port. It does have much more capacity and a larger inverter than the River 2. Decisions decisions!
An excellent presentation, as usual. This looks to be a very good 1152wh power station for AC users. For use for primary 12 DC use in a truck camper or RV trailer, it is a subpar design. Add a 250 watt, 12 volt DC Anderson output to the AC180 and I'd rate it as a good to go for boondocking RV use .
Also, on a power station of this size, the DC 7909 input for charging needs to be augmented with either additional Anderson or XT60 port. To me the wire gauges associated with a DC 7909 connection are a bit wimpy and tend to run warm when charging at 200 watts.
I totally agree, thanks for your feedback Andrew! I always appreciate hearing your thoughts on these units. I wish they had thought about the DC output and how it could have been better.
Agreed.. this would be a very useful port. Especially since the majority market with this unit will be overlanders/ travelers powering multiple 12v devices. It's always a pain plugging in my Dometic fridge to the 12v auto port because it ALWAYS jiggles out on the road.
For RV use, you may look into generators as well or instead even. Champion has a few that are even around the same price, but run on both gas and/or propane. They tend to have higher compacitiea for the price and run longer even. The downside is they make a bit more noise. The upside is they'll perform much heavier workloads no problem including AC units.
@@kerrydaniels8460 My rig is a truck camper with a pop up roof and no air conditioning or microwave oven. My largest consumers of electrons are a forced air propane furnace, a portable 40 quart DC fridge and a vent fan.
Other than a portable lithium power station my truck camper does not have an 120 volt AC inverter or shore power hook ups.
When I'm on the road, the only luxury item to use the AC output on the lithium power station is a small 500 watt coffee maker. At home, I also use to recharge power tool batteries and my e-bike. The power station resides in an exposed cubby in the the camper's cabinetry.
In addition to the above mentioned portable lithium power station, (which is easily removable,) - the camper has a dedicated 100 amp hour lithium house battery, 180 watts of solar and a dual input 30 amp DC to DC charger. The DC to DC charger is able to augment the solar panel by up to 400 watts utilizing the truck's alternator. On a sunny day it'll draw about 200 watts from the truck's alternator and draw about 150 watts or less from the solar panel.
Not including the portable lithium power station, all of the above came out be at least $1200 US in 2021.
Great video, as per your usual standards. This looks like an excellent value and should be one of the more serious contenders in the truly "portable" power station market.
I like how you bring up the fact it's truly portable, good point!
Thank you for your great review! I ordered the AC180, but EU version. Great to know the powerstation is quite good from an expert. If I had to point out my flaws; No wifi, only one usbc [not bi-directional], only 2 ac sockets [eu version], and the usual very big price hike for EU customers. You guys pay 640,- dollar, we on the other end of the pont pay...... 1099 eur or 1191 dollar, discount included. I know its also tax related, but man, thats almost twice as expensive.
Taxes, tarrifs and the difference between the dollar... man they are pretty crazy on how prices differ!
@@Jasonoid Yeah, thats a crazy price hike. But still happy, and great to at least now know it actually is quite good performance wise! There were some reviews, but not very technical. Thanks again:]
Bi-directional USB-C on power stations can be problematic. A friend of mine has an Anker PPS and was trying to charge a portable power bank from it. Despite both being Anker products, the two devices decided to charge the power supply from the power bank instead! In a PPS application, I prefer USB-C ports to be explicitly one direction or the other.
Got it for 999 early bird with a 50 euro discount still much more expensive then us pricr after 20% discount
@@mrgringo7289 How did you menage to get a 50 discount code? After looking around for long, I only found & used a 20 euro discount code.
Another timely and awesome review Jason, thank you. I have 5 Bluetti solar generators and zero issues with any of them so this is definitely of interest. I also have the Renogy Phoenix 1000 (2 of them) which matches well with this and the Eco you mentioned, still waiting on you or Hobo or Will to review the Renogy, but all three are very similar. Price of this with your discount is almost too good to be true!
I was pretty impressed by the discount code. Usually Bluetti gives me a 5% off, but 20% off is pretty decent!
How you like the Renogy 1000? I'm curious to know if you've tried their parallel feature? Does it allow AC charging and discharging at the same time in parallel mode? Really like the combined 2700 AC out watts.
@@mrct309 I like many of the features but have not tried the parallel connection yet. I bought the split phase as I wanted to use it for my well pump needing 240 volts. No wireless charging and they use a XT30 solar input, a little unique and I had to convert to XT60 connections. So far, so good.
@@Kantuski awesome, can the Renogy AC charge / AC pass-through mode while in split phase output mode (assuming you've plugged each unit on different 120v phases).
I really like it's feature set, but I might want to wait for gen 2 where they can reduce the weight. 40 lbs is too heavy for 1kwh unit.
@@mrct309 I have not tried the parallel connection yet. I was hoping for Jason, Will or Hobo to do a complete review to try those connections so I didn't mess up one or both. The 41 lbs. is heavier than what I am used to but manageable with the two handles. I am over 70 and can move it up and down stairs safely (not without some exertion though). My read is that it will not do pass through charging while in a parallel mode, but again, I have not tried it yet.
My EB3A smoked Oct 2023. I emailed bluetti service on a Friday and heard back by Sunday. Seems they don’t work weekends, idk. I sent mine back in the original box and had a new one back within 2 to 3 weeks. Save your original box!
Great Video, very helpful.
Thank you for all the info and work to gather it.
Glad it was helpful!
Sweet unit. I like that is has 100Wh more than the Delta 2. I also like the case better than the Delta 2. Price is incredible. I like the Delta 2, but it will have a hard time competing with this unit. Thanks for another great video.
Thank you! I just got one. Great review. I plan to use it camping, (and if the power goes out at home to run the fridge)
Eventually, I'll get a 48v server rack battery as well.
When i go camping i have a small 5000btu ac unit (about 500w) I also have a small generator that i run on propane that puts out 1440w. It will be neat to see these all working together.
Im still shopping 12v fridges, its between the iceco vl45 and that Explorer Bear 50L.
Excellent thoughts on your future setup!
Very thorough Review! It took Bluetti long enough to come out with this size.
It's definetly a great size for portability! I think it's a great option.
Very good video! Thanks for your efforts.
You're welcome!
Thanks for the great reviews
Just bought this! Wish I would’ve found your videos sooner but sounds like I got a good one. I watch a lot of TH-cam and I’ve never seen a review as complete as yours. Well done. I’m checking out more of your content now! Can I run my 12v fridge off of the AC ports? Does it matter which one I use, AC or DC? Is one more efficient? I just need my fridge for a night or two while camping and off-roading. Thanks!
DC ports will be much more efficient overnight for running your 12v fridge. I recommend using the DC ports.
This is a terrific video, thank you very much for all the info here
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great review on a great product thank you
You are so welcome!
Excellent review. Just want to confirm if understood correctly. You stated if the plugged in device pulls over 129 watts that the AC180 will reach overload and turn off? If a full-size refrigerator requires 380 watts then the AC180 will not be able to power the device (not even for one hour) and turn off? Is this correct? The concern is where I live the power goes out for approximately 2 hours at a time.
That is correct for the DC output (the 12v plug).
Running a full size fridge off the AC inverter shouldn't be an issue and it doesn't shutoff.
Does the AC 180 automatically power up when the sun first hits the panels in the morning after being off all night?
Yes, DC input turns on the power station.
Thanks, I should be getting the AC 180 within the week. I’ll keep you posted.
So, I think Bluettis ideal power station would have the efficiency and capacity of the AC200 max but with Wi-Fi and two separate charge controllers in it like the AC 300. It would also be able use and charge the external batteries like the B300 and the B230. If Bluetti would produce something like this, it would sell like hotcakes. in the Northwest it is very difficult to generate electricity from late November to mid February. That’s why 2 charge controllers that did 150 V would be great. Two separate lines like the AC 300 The reason why I’m telling you this is because I have both the AC 200 max and the AC 300. The AC 300 is terrible in its efficiency Great if you’re in Arizona not so much if you’re in Seattle. it seems like every new model that blue Eddie releases becomes more efficient and efficiency is what you start chasing once you’ve been in this situation for a while. I think you do a great job with your channel. I know I’m rambling here a little little bit but I’m glad that you do such a good job in your reviews
Hey Jason, a little update here. So sadly, the AC 180 did not power itself on this morning. First time I’ve actually got to test it I have two 200 or 220 W Newpowa panels in series hooked to it. I can only assume that it’s very cloudy and there wasn’t enough voltage to power it up. Sooooooo, as you know, I also have an AC 200 max that I use a enhancer to get the maximum amount of power out of it in the winter time. I have 250 W panels W panels in series and three 200 or 220 W panels and series both going into a parallel connection. I run into my DC enhancer and it seems to work very well with AC two max limited to 500 W regardless. So the power production with two 250 W panels hooked into my AC 180 is very disappointing on a cloudy day. Wait for it….. I just plugged in the DC charge enhancer with the two strings of panels that are usually use use for the AC 200 max into the AC 180 and it works perfectly. The charge controller doesn’t trip because the volts are under 60 and the DC char enhancer is going to dump everything down to 500 W anyway. genius? Or am I very foolish?
So, speech to text really sucks sorry for the incoherent paragraph
Congrats on 40K! WOW!!!!! Happy for you!
I'm looking forward to buying a bluetti 180. This is the perfect size for the weekend warrior and will be perfect along with my Honda eu2200i
The original price was $1000, so yes, 20% did come off, and all the promoters have been given an extra $20 coupon. This is an excellent price, way below the $1/watt we’ve been accustomed to for most power stations. I’m going to base my decision on whether it meets my needs, but I have no complaints about the price.
Any price drop helps right!? I actually edited the video this morning so I'm hoping the changes I made reflect soon. I removed the sections were I talked about the additional 20% off so the video is more accurate.
Well I ordered it through you. Your videos are the most thorough and informative. I love your spreadsheet analysis and point system.
Was about to pull the trigger on the pecron p1500 But this is just too good of a system. Have an alarm set to remind me once the sale starts tonight.
I'm interested to see what will happen when the sale goes live tonight.
@@Jasonoid It looks like that code is good for $20 and not 20%
Hard to beat these for under $500 at this point in time
These are on an excellent sale for Prime Day! $459 currently
I just received a VTOMAN Jump 1500X a couple of weeks ago. Had I known of this release, I surely would have waited. We already use the EB3A on the daily, so this would have been a natural fit. I would have a hard time justifying the Jump 1500X and the AC180, as they have similar capacity and inverter.
I have seen those VTOMAN super cheap. I always wonder how good are they.
im most likely going to be getting my hands on this because of the chemistry of the batteries, LIFepo, really good battery, this'll used for the UPS mod WITH the APC that i have, i can have it set on my other battery, and having the APC battery be plugged in into the bluetti, hopefully that it will work. 4 hours of play time between 200 to 300 watts is perfect for me. this will most likely be used as UPS feature for what i will have. thanks for the in-depth review, and im hopping i can get hands on for this device.
Great video! I love your attention to detail.
Thanks Rob!
I got this for $499 Black Friday price on Amazon… using it to UPS backup the entertainment system in the mountains of NC.
Great review that played heavily on my decision to purchase the ac180.this unit only needs a few features that would make it perfect, like being able to connect a external battery along with at least a 20amp input. About the customer service I to send them a simple question that I knew the answer to just to see their response. The question was could I use a 24v battery to charge the 180 , and they just sent a response and link to a charge cable. Along with telling me to check the charging guidelines. The same question that I asked them, so CS gets a fail from me. But so far it's a nice station.
The customer service has been improved from a year ago, but they still lack the advanced support you'd get from asking a professional.
Jason, thank you for this wonderful video. Showing my ignorance because this is all new for me, but I want to make sure I understand Electronics 101. I have a portable a/c unit in my home that I used when the a/c failed. The info on the unit shows 1,270 W, 115 V., 60 Hz. So there is no question I would be able to plug it into the AC180 if I lose power in my house. Right? It looks like I won't get a lot of time from the AC180, but even an hour may help. And I don't mind if one of your educated followers responds. Just be kind to this newbie. :)
That portable AC will pull 1270 watts at peak load but I'm guessing it will average less than that. It will probably get 1 to 2 hours of runtime off the AC180 battery.
@@Jasonoid Thanks!
💯for the small percentage in extra weight, absolutely prefer LFP vs NMC, more cycle life and safer chemistry, seems like a no brainer move to me.👍
I feel like you put in more work on this power station review than some of the last couple, or at least that is my perception, very well done imo.
if i didn't already have my FFPower 2001, i would be seriously looking at this power station. that 60v input makes it attractive, but too bad it doesn't up the current at the higher voltages, yes i know at the standard 12/24v input you dont want to go over 10 amps because vehicle fuses will pop.
in comparison to the ecoflow, it doesn't have the expandable battery feature, not that it really needs it tho.
that 48 volt expansion battery option will give this power station a seriously long run time, very nice to see this addition to your testing!
Interesting that you feel that way about this video. I wonder what made the difference since this video was very similar to the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max video and the UGreen PowerRoam 1200 I recently published on the channel. All of them took me weeks to test, film, and edit LOL
@@Jasonoid humm, the longer video, played a part, the additional comments on your nmc battery blowing up rant, very nice add imo. it felt more detailed. i dont doubt that you spent similar amount of time testing, but i took away that you were excited about this one a bit more, because of the rant and customer service feedback.
@@user--PM the broll of exploding batteries could have added to that affect to haha. Either way, I enjoy showing all all these products. I try to turn down anything that's not exciting to cover on the channel 😁👍
@@Jasonoid exactly as it should be, if you are not excited about it, how can you expect your viewers to be?
@@Jasonoid I will never forget the exploding battery fragments in your video...how terrifying that must have been. I think I was researching fridges at the time, some have the battery pack, yikes! Sending out links for this to family with your link/code.
Great video thanks!
Great review. If I didn’t already have an eb 70s, I’d buy the hell out of this at the discounted price.
Quick question...can you safely charge the AC180 with a xt90 to 7909 connector? Another words xt90 from a 12v battery then 7909 into the AC180? And as long as you stay under 60v? Thanks!
Yes, that's completely fine and will work well.
Thank you sir!
I was a little mad they took away the 5521 plugs. I actually use those, and hooking it up to that eg4 server rack battery was pretty cool. Did you ever do a review on that? But you wanna know what I think would be a cool way to extend that battery, A b300 with the Charge enhancer hooked up to that
No review on the battery yet. I purchased it awhile back and it's been super useful so far. I've heard the Bluetti charging enhancer is just an 8 amp MPPT charge controller, I'll have to see if that will work with the EG4..... hmmmmm
Thank you for this detailed review video. I have a question, is there a password on the app to lock out unwanted access to the bluetti ? Thanks again.
No, unfortunately there's no password. Anyone that's within range of the unit and that has the Bluetti app can see the device. They do need a Bluetti login / username and password first.
@@Jasonoid I hope they update the app to require password to pair with a device. With its popularity people in a crowded camp ground can mistakenly log in on their neighbor's Bluetti and shut it off.
I spoke w customer service they were thorough in regards to finding out why I could not charge my phone from the wireless charging pad.
Ecoflow is running a similar sale for July 4 interesting.
Where can you find this information?
I'm sure it's on Ecoflows main website
Looks like a nice power station. I only wish they had included the barrel plugs. I have had problems with my 12-volt refrigerator plug and have since switched to a barrel plug for my refrigerator cord.
imo anderson plug instead of barrel, but XT60 would be fine too, the barrel and cig plugs can be easily bumped and unplugged.
I totally agree!
I have recently switched to an upgraded accessory plug that has a more positive contact and it holds great.
Looks like a great unit! I noticed the explorer bear fridge in the video. Upcoming review on it?
Heck yeah, I am loving that fridge! Great efficiency at a great price. Just enough features to keep people happy, nothing fancy :)
@@JasonoidJason was wondering if you had a reason there is no Lioncooler from ACOPOWER evaluation?
Just purchased the ac180 last month, have used at home as a back up for TV, wifi and full size fridge, have it set up with the pass thru , the power has gone off twice since installed due to storms but continued to run tv and fridge till power was restored, as for customer service, ive contacted them to ask regarding solar and received several responses via email within a day or so 👍
Thanks for sharing!
@@Jasonoid I also purchased it during the Amazon days sales for 549.00
Interresting that you had noice because WafeFormScience said it was very clean. Great review thanks you!
Lots of different ways to test I suppose. I tested with both my EMI meter and my guitar amp and both showed it had more interference than normal.
@@Jasonoid hobotech got the same noice so its not a bad unit or something
Thanks for the great videos. Is the newer version with higher Watt Hour rating worth the extra money? (especially since it is not discounted)
Would you consider the 'Silent' charging mode to be a healthier charging mode vs the others for the longevity of the batteries? Maybe my believe that rapid charging Li-Ion batteries is less healthy for them is a bit outdated...
That is correct, silent charging will put less stress on the batteries and will allow for a healthier longer lasting battery. Now by how much? Not sure. I think turbo mode would be the only one to lower charge cycles since the standard mode is still under a 1C charge rate.
@@Jasonoid Thanks. This is shaping up to be a worthy upgrade to my EB70. Not being able to run an InstaPot (among other appliances) is the biggest downfall of the EB70 (for our uses).
@@red6743 the larger inverter is much more useful!
You beat Professor Hobo by 9 hours. Now I'll watch your review.
Bluetti wanted me to put the video out last week but I told them I'd rather put it out on launch day. There are many other videos already released so I'm definitely not first haha
@@Jasonoid Yeah, but only you and Hobo are authoritative reviewers of stuff like this. Not that I won't watch a layman's review by any channel I'm a big fan of for other reasons. But I can only watch so many clueless people doing reviews of items where technical testing/analysis is needed, even if by online friends.
Isn't the UPS mode simply just passthrough charging? What's the diff?
While in ups mode the batteries are not used or cycled. This allows for usage without lowering charge cycles and you are still using the power station while the batteries stay at 100% SOC. When power drops it switches over to the battery backup. The fans don't run often either. It's pretty different than pass through charging since the batteries aren't charging at all.
Audio amplifiers can be sensitive to ground. I notice the AC180 has a grounding terminal. Perhaps it would improve the noise level if you grounded the Bluetti?
So maybe by installing a grounding pole into the ground while on the go you think it would sound differently? It's nice to have the ground connection available for that.
@@Jasonoid You can just get a small jump starter type clip and clip it to any pipe that is available to you to make an earth ground.
if you decide to test this, i would be very curious to how it does, perhaps a short video?
perhaps try more than one method of grounding, example one to any metal pipe, one to just the ground on an outlet (generally the center screw is grounded on the outlet cover)
i wonder if it's just because of the high frequency inverter. i dont have one but would be interested in knowing if a 1:1 transformer would clean up some of the noise.
@@Jasonoid Yes, ground rod or pipe or other suitable ground.
That was excellent....many thanks.
The UK version does have add on battery capability, I think Bluetti were just late getting this info out.
The US model doesn't support expansion batteries, I'm not sure about the UK version. This model has no "offical port" for expansion batteries like the AC200MAX or the new AC60. The way you can "expand" the battery is by taking one of Bluettis with a special adapters (cost $100+) and then plugging it into the the charging port on the AC180.
@@Jasonoid i ordered the b80 to go with this. Does it come with the cord to plug if in to the ac180? If not you have a cheap alternative?
I don't have the B80 expansion battery so I'm not sure what it comes with. Since the expansion battery has a proprietary output port you'll need to purchase the special charging cable that has the 7909mm plug on the end so it will charge the AC180.
Great detailed video yet again Jason. Does the BLUETTI display timeout after 20sec or so?
It goes a little over 1 minute before it shuts off. There is no way to change that time.
Would this be a rivalry to Eco flow delta 2, vtoman jump 1800 and ctechi st2000 to name a few...I'm sure there's loads of competition out there
Yep, lots of models in this category but it's closely matched to the EcoFlow Delta 2.
Ecoflow now have solar balcony. Will Bluetti?
Can you confirm your question? I think spell check got a hold of that comment haha
@@Jasonoid Will Bluetti have a balcony solar system that can attach to the AC180 like Ecoflow has just launched? You are right, typed on a phone.
@@DanielEarlester I haven't seen that product, I'll have to look it up. I know Ecoflow does a better job with accessories for their devices so I doubt Bluetti would do that.
I purchased one of the AC180's and was wondering if I could use one 12v SOK 206AH as an expansion battery with a 7909 barrel plug.
Thank you for your video🤠
This video will answer that question and show how fast it will charge:
th-cam.com/video/tK4JKmfndh8/w-d-xo.html
I had good experience with Bluetti email customer service a few months ago. I had ordered the charging enhancer which was back ordered. I waited a bit but then decided to cancel my order. I emailed my request along with my order number and they replied within about 12 hours saying they will cancel the order. My money was already refunded.
Heads up! Amazon Prime Deal is $549 for the AC180. I also got an additional 5% off! Hope this helps you make a decision. I just ordered mine and the Prime Deal pushed me over the edge.
That's awesome!
Currently this unit is on sale for 599 during Father's Day and I'm thinking about picking one up. Is there any unit better that I should get instead of this one in your thoughts?
I am going to be doing a comparison video of this unit, vs the Anker C1000 and the Delta 2. Prime Day pricing should be a little better if you want to wait a month or so.
Most of us use these in our cars/trucks to camp and run stuff off the battery instead of the car/truck. As such, they need to have strong 12v output support. This unit only has one 12v output and it is the crappy cig lighter type of outlet. Most everyone changes their stuff to use better connectors such as the 5521, XT60 or Anderson. The AC180 is pretty much useless for running 12v stuff with only have the one crappy 12v output. This unit has far less output flexibility than the EB70 or EB70S. This unit is not for me. I just dont understand the lack of 12v output support. It only makes sense if you are using it in a house as a "home backup" of sorts where you are powering 120v/AC stuff and charging phones/laptops.
Totally agree. I wished it had a 20 amp dc output, or at least some barrel connections. The 12v port wiggles loose and is not the best.
@@Jasonoid Nice review by the way. Many thanks.
It has been hard finding solar panels that can get me close to the 500 watt limit. Before i could only get a max of 250 watts using 2 bluettis expensive 200 watt panels. I couldn't use a third because it goes over the 60v limit. But because of you i finally found panels that got me so close to the limit! I bought 3 newpowa but the panels they sent me are 9bb not 5bb. I'm getting 460 - 480 watts! Im very happy now. Thank you this video has been very helpful.
I'm glad the 9BB panels are still working for you. They have a higher voltage than the 5BB panels I have.
@@JasonoidI wonder if using the new powa 9bb in series indicates that ac180 will take more than 60 volts. I've always wondered way no over voltage protection is not implemented
What is 9bb an 5bb?
Shill..
Should i have to worry about Backfeeding with this unit when using in house??? EB70
How would you connect it to make it backfeed?
Just making sure it is safe to use in house.
@@russinoklahoma as long as you plug appliances into the inverter outlets. It's safe to run in your home.
Do not connect the power station to an outlet in your home to back feed the circuit.
Looks like Bluetti is much more competitive now!
question; can a solar generator be used in place of a UPS? I was thinking of using a mid-range SPS with a UPS plugged in to it, but that seems redundant. Opinions appreciated.
Here's a video I just put out testing UPS cutover speeds, if it's under 15ms, it should work for most devices. The faster the better. th-cam.com/video/ajVgUW4qRGI/w-d-xo.html
Very helpful review, I appreciate your efforts to include the solar charging performance and panel testing! If you were looking for an optimal solar charging setup for the AC180 would you recommend the Newpowa 180w x3 or is there another panel/combination that you would suggest?
You'll need to stay under 60 volts total on the AC180. That's difficult using most normal 200w panels with a higher voltage. The benefit of the NewPowa 180w panels are that they have low VOC. Three of the Newpowa 180w panels in series are probably the best option since I haven't found any panels with a similar voltage: amzn.to/3t9FwfR
You could also run four 200w panels in a 2S2P config, but that will cost more money since you have to buy 4 panels total and you'll not be able to use the full amperage the panels produce.
@@Jasonoid Thanks for the info I think I'll pickup the NewPowa's. Is it ok that the panels are 11.2A panels and the charge limit on the AC180 is 10A?
@@Stealther yes, the amperage will be limited automatically by the power station.
Great review. Sounds like a unit I’d be interested in. You stated a lot of numbers and facts that was Dutch to me. I have a small RV parked in a campground that does not have electricity. My main question is, will it operate a Keurig or toaster?
This will run both a toaster and a Keurig just fine.
As always great video. I have a question about the Boost converter, does it use a lot of battery energy when charging
They are around 93-95% efficient, not too much energy wasted!
I have a Bluetti ac200P, it says it can take in 700W of solar. I do use it a lot & on most days to power my home to save on electric bill. I do have 7 100w panels so total of 700W charging it all day with pass through charging. Will this harm the batteries or shorten the life? Bluetti says it’s ok but what are your thoughts?
As long as you stay under a 1C charge rate (2000w) on the AC200p you'll be good. 700 watts is around a .35C charge rate and less than half the 1C max charge rate. No issues with your setup.
Shorten the life by half at least. Pass through charging isn't necessarily bad (useful) but if done constantly, yeah. It's obviously going to effect battery longevity
I have purchased one or two of those 12v splitters and man they are not good for much in terms of charging up power stations and the ones I get (decently priced) seemed to be not so great quality with regard to the 12v male portion.
At this price its a no brainer, I dont even have the money and I want one. lol
The splitter I purchased is okay for small loads, it does get a bit warm when pushing over 10 amps through it. I really like the capacity and AC inverter on this model. It packs a punch!
@@Jasonoid there’s no excuse for most people who want power for various reasons, not to grab this at 620.
@@AskIveSolar $639 is what is comes out to without taxes, we'll see if the code works on launch tonight.
*UPDATE: THERE WAS A PRICING ERROR IN MY VIDEO. My Bluetti representative, Ivan, provided me with the pricing information and when I confirmed the pricing was $799 with a 20% off code for $640 he said it was correct. This was right before filming the final draft of my video and the product hadn't be launched yet. As you know today the pricing is inaccurate and I apologize for the misleading discount code everyone. Total BUMMER that I was not provided with the correct information. I rely on accurate information for these videos and that was not the case. Please accept my deepest apologies, it was an honest mistake.*
You can find the AC180 HERE for $779 ($20 off discount code: JasonAC180 ): shrsl.com/43wll
Great job on the detailed testing & numbers. Glad to see Bluetti finally gave us a super midgrade so-gen. 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
Thanks! 👍
Jason what can I expect for charging with a single 200 watt folding solar panel time wise to 50%. Excellent review enjoy your channel very much
200w panels usually put out around 80% of power, so plan on 160 watts to 170 watts on average. To estimate charging times take the total watt hours and divide by watts and it gives you charge time in hours.
1152wh / 170 watts = 6.7 hours
576wh / 170 watts = 3.3 hours
Have you tried charging the AC180 with a generator, I've read that some Bluetti power stations don't like generator power. Thanks...
Most power stations need an inverter generator with pure sine wave output.
Great review as always Jasonoid !!!!!
P.S. These power stations are getting better & better every month :)
P.P.S. WOOOOOOOO !!!!!
Outstanding video, but just one thing, I do not understand the advantage of the 12 volt outlet being regulated. With the older lithium batteries, yes, as they loose their SOC, the voltage goes down, so regulation was important. But with LiFePO4 batteries what is the point. They do not loose voltage as their SOC goes down. And you have to have regulation if the internal voltage is 32 volts, it is not an added feature, it is a requirement. So why give it points for something it has to have?
Great question! Back a couple years ago it was definitely more of an issue. Now that power stations have either gone to LFP or higher voltages it doesn't apply as much as it used to. There are still junky models out there that are missing regulation so I still keep it around. Maybe one day I'll swap it out with a new grading aspect when it's not needed anymore.
@@Jasonoid Thx for your well said reply!
Yes Jason. The BLUETTI customer support has improved greatly!! I’ve really seen the difference!!
Great video. Thanks for sharing. In considering a Renogy 200W portable solar panel to pair with the AC180, it has a short circuit current rating of 10.5A (along with an open circuit voltage rating of 23.4V). Given that the AC180 has a limit of 10A input should this particular panel be ruled out? Thanks in advance.
The power station will limit the amperage of the solar panel, even if it goes over 10 amps. For example, you can connect a solar panel into the power station with 20 amps, and it won't cause any harm. You are good to use that solar panel on the AC180.