Lithium Buyer's Guide—Budget: Economy Options

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Options 4 to 9

In the last chapter in this Buyer&#;s Guide, we specified and costed out a fully functional lithium-based system, including heavy duty alternator with regulator, inverter charger and lead-acid serial backup, using gear primarily from a single high-quality manufacturer.

We also looked at how much design help and advice to pay for, and the probable costs of professional installation.

The total came out in excess of US$20,000, including installation, and an owner who opts for a huge system capable of supporting electric cooking and/or air-conditioning could spend US$40,000 without breaking a sweat (bad pun), particularly if installing those high-current (amperage) loads resulted in having to upgrade the boat to 24 volts.

And even that&#;s not the limit. I can easily see a complete system exceeding US$50,000 for an owner aiming to go cruising with all the comforts of home .

Yikes, all those options cost a hell of a lot of money!

Let&#;s try to come up with a more attainable option and compare it to the base-system hardware price of approximately $14,000 for Options #1 to #3. Then, we can examine what sacrifices in functionality, safety, and insurability will be necessary to achieve those savings.

Yes, it&#;s cheaper to build your own battery pack.

If you shop for your tools and supplies wisely, you can build a single battery pack for cheaper than it cost to buy one pre-made. This, of course, can vary from situation to situation. Also, if you plan on building high-end battery packs, it will take 2 to 3 battery packs before you make your money back on the tools. 

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Building A Single Battery

It is certainly possible to buy the minimum tools, supplies, and battery cells and build a DIY battery pack for a lower cost than it would have been to buy it from a builder or a store. Any time you choose to build something rather than buying something that someone else has built, you are going to save money.

If you want to build a battery pack, you will need to buy some tools which will need to be factored into the overall cost. If you are not planning to continually build battery packs, you won&#;t need to buy a bunch of high-end gear in order to make a good battery. With a lower-power spot welder, you may have to spend a little more time building it or use a couple more layers of nickel. 

Becoming A Battery Builder

If you plan on building premium copper/nickel battery packs over the long term, you will need to spend a little more money on the initial setup and tools. You will need the best spot welder you can buy and a really nice power supply to run it. Buying all of that stuff plus the cost of the cells and battery supplies will cost more than just buying the battery pack.

But that's only true for the first battery pack. After the second or third battery pack, they will start paying for themselves and then you'll have amassed all the tools that you need and a bunch of brand-new experience to build and sell battery packs.

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Will Building a Lithium Battery At Home Save Me Money?

Yes, you can build a battery at home, and building your own battery can save money compared to purchasing pre-made packs and it provides you with a valuable, in-demand skill. However, there are certain factors to consider and expenses to account for, which include the tools and materials required for the process.

Initial investment: Purchasing tools and equipment, such as a welder and power supply, can be costly upfront.

Learning curve: Building a battery pack requires some level of technical skill and understanding of battery technology. So, you will have to do lots of research before building anything., 

Time investment: The process can be time-consuming, particularly if you lack experience or high-end equipment. If you try to do it fast, you will burn your house down. This is going to be a project. 

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Advantages of building your own battery pack

• Cost-effective in the long run and can be cost-effective in the short term if you do your shopping right.
• Allows for customization and tailored specifications rather than simply settling with whatever some battery manufacturer makes. 
• Skill and experience development that will be able to pay for itself again and again.