What is your RC LiPo of choice in 2022

[Xpress..]

That's a great price! Hope they hold up!

If I get a couple of years out of them then I'd consider it a win in my book!

 

[steelesean]

This is the 2022 version of the "What is your RC LiPo battery of choice"... yeah it's March and I'm a little late, but it's better than never.

Since RC LiPo companies come and go and RC LiPo batteries technologies are constantly changing and improving. We are doing an annual thread and what to know what you thank are the best RC LiPo batteries. Tell us which LiPo batteries have offered you the best performance, lifespan and price.

If you're looking for suggestions on a lipo charger, be sure to read Recommend me a battery charger. If you're unsure about how to store a LiPo battery, then check out How to store a LiPo battery.

If you're curious, you can get the previous 2021 LiPo battery recommendations.

That said, what are the best RC LiPo batteries for 2022?

ovanic are some of the best bang for your buck!

 

[The Bean]

Any suggestions for a 4s LiPo that fits in a Slash 4x4 LCG? I'm going to buy the expansion kit which will expand the max dimensions to 166x49x42mm.

I can't seem to find any known budget brand 4s batteries with EC5 connectors that don't have the cables pointing outwards. Of they do, I'll have to dremel out a hole for the cables.

Also, can the connector be swapped out safely? That'd broaden my range of options significantly, as for some reason many lipos still have the t-connector.

 

[KnowAir]

Any suggestions for a 4s LiPo that fits in a Slash 4x4 LCG? I'm going to buy the expansion kit which will expand the max dimensions to 166x49x42mm.

I can't seem to find any known budget brand 4s batteries with EC5 connectors that don't have the cables pointing outwards. Of they do, I'll have to dremel out a hole for the cables.

Also, can the connector be swapped out safely? That'd broaden my range of options significantly, as for some reason many lipos still have the t-connector.

I swap connectors on batteries.. as you said, usually the budget batteries come with either deans or trx connectors. Just do one wire at a time to help avoid a dead short.
What are you looking for in terms of mah? Hard case is going to have the wires coming out the top, if thats what you're referring to? Soft packs typically come out the end of the packs.
I don't mind soft packs for my 6s Arrma's, but on the 8s, I prefer hard case due to the wire orientation.

 

[The Bean]

Soft packs typically come out the end of the packs.

Some have them coming out of the top and bottom corners, which interferes with the battery tray.

I'm looking for around 5Ah, and I don't mind soft cases. I found a suitable one on which I'll have to swap out the connector, but I'll practice my thicker wire soldering (lack of) skills first

 

[Armarookie43]

This is the result of some crashes, general bashing and sometimes leaving my lipos fully charged for like 2 to 3 days. I'm going to storage charge them every single time. Don't be lazy like me. I'm going to try out the SMC 4s HCL HC next. I'm almost certain that leaving your lipos fully charged for more than a day is bad :
https://www.smc-racing.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=772

 

[KnowAir]

This is the result of some crashes, general bashing and sometimes leaving my lipos fully charged for like 2 to 3 days. I'm going to storage charge them every single time. Don't be lazy like me. I'm going to try out the SMC 4s HCL HC next. I'm almost certain that leaving your lipos fully charged for more than a day is bad :
https://www.smc-racing.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=772

View attachment 337915View attachment 337916View attachment 337917

Ouch!! Spensive lesson there! I've done it more times than I can count honestly. Never noticed any puffing.That's a hundred dollar battery no?
I just returned my first set of lipo batteries ever recently. Zeee 4s 7200 120c. Ran them in my stock Xmaxx a few times, great. Then got a K8S with Firma 1100 combo, fell right on their face.. I bought them from Zeee ebay official for $100 (pair). They came with xt90 connectors, I've seen the same spec batteries on their ebay store, website and amazon for $30-50 more..I think they knew these were either bad or mislabeled, but decided to sell them anyways? If I only ever used them in the Xmaxx, I wouldn't have known. Now I'm really pondering my battery purchases going forward.. I've always bought cheap. Zeee refunded, return postage paid, no problem. But do I want to roll the dice again?
For reference,, I have a pair of Spektrum 4s 5000 100c that have no trouble powering the K8S. Not really setup for the G2 Spektrum stuff though, nor interested in paying THAT much for batteries. 5000 is too small for the rig so I'd be looking at $150 a piece anyways for Spektrum. Nah. Considering the SMC hard case 8xxx @$80 each but, IDK. I heard they've gone backwards a bit since some fire that cut off their access to the good cells or something? $80 for SMC seems too low. Are they still good? IDK. Not really interested in the big CNHL's. Too heavy, don't want soft packs for the 8s Arrma. The trays aren't well suited for batteries with the leads coming out the end of the packs IMO. So, I'm on the hunt for some 8-9a hard case 4s batteries..

 

[Dan B.]

Ouch!! Spensive lesson there! I've done it more times than I can count honestly. Never noticed any puffing.That's a hundred dollar battery no?
I just returned my first set of lipo batteries ever recently. Zeee 4s 7200 120c. Ran them in my stock Xmaxx a few times, great. Then got a K8S with Firma 1100 combo, fell right on their face.. I bought them from Zeee ebay official for $100 (pair). They came with xt90 connectors, I've seen the same spec batteries on their ebay store, website and amazon for $30-50 more..I think they knew these were either bad or mislabeled, but decided to sell them anyways? If I only ever used them in the Xmaxx, I wouldn't have known. Now I'm really pondering my battery purchases going forward.. I've always bought cheap. Zeee refunded, return postage paid, no problem. But do I want to roll the dice again?
For reference,, I have a pair of Spektrum 4s 5000 100c that have no trouble powering the K8S. Not really setup for the G2 Spektrum stuff though, nor interested in paying THAT much for batteries. 5000 is too small for the rig so I'd be looking at $150 a piece anyways for Spektrum. Nah. Considering the SMC hard case 8xxx @$80 each but, IDK. I heard they've gone backwards a bit since some fire that cut off their access to the good cells or something? $80 for SMC seems too low. Are they still good? IDK. Not really interested in the big CNHL's. Too heavy, don't want soft packs for the 8s Arrma. The trays aren't well suited for batteries with the leads coming out the end of the packs IMO. So, I'm on the hunt for some 8-9a hard case 4s batteries..

Yeah, expensive and dangerous as well. A fully charged 4s pack that’s 8000 mAh has crazy energy and they go hard when they ignite. There have been several times my bash sessions with my nephew were cancelled for some reason and I was stuck with a few fully charged packs. Kind of a day wrecker for me to discharge those things to storage level, it takes freaking forever. I have to get a dedicated battery discharger some day…

 

[KnowAir]

Yeah, expensive and dangerous as well. A fully charged 4s pack that’s 8000 mAh has crazy energy and they go hard when they ignite. There have been several times my bash sessions with my nephew were cancelled for some reason and I was stuck with a few fully charged packs. Kind of a day wrecker for me to discharge those things to storage level, it takes freaking forever. I have to get a dedicated battery discharger some day…

Definitely a real handy tool to have.. I mean yeah, I can run them down close to storage by ripping up/down the driveway at full pull in 10 minutes or so, then balance, but sometimes that's not an option. Plus tire wear..less than ideal for sure. I'm pretty convinced that's why my Spektrum S2100 lost a channel after just a month of ownership. I hooked up a 6s brick I needed to bring down to storage after getting rained out. Heard a loud pop as soon as I plugged the battery in..dead. It still gives voltage readings on that channel, but no output. I see ISDT has a nice discharger, but it doesn't have a balance connector? I have to think it requires a balance charger to bring the battery to storage level?

 

[Hector_Fisher]

Yeah, expensive and dangerous as well. A fully charged 4s pack that’s 8000 mAh has crazy energy and they go hard when they ignite. There have been several times my bash sessions with my nephew were cancelled for some reason and I was stuck with a few fully charged packs. Kind of a day wrecker for me to discharge those things to storage level, it takes freaking forever. I have to get a dedicated battery discharger some day…

Definitely a must buy. Takes me like 15-20 minutes tops to drain down the batteries I didn't use when i get home. I can't believe I spent so long without it!

 

[KnowAir]

Definitely a must buy. Takes me like 15-20 minutes tops to drain down the batteries I didn't use when i get home. I can't believe I spent so long without it!

Researching now..

 

[Dan B.]

Definitely a must buy. Takes me like 15-20 minutes tops to drain down the batteries I didn't use when i get home. I can't believe I spent so long without it!

What’s your recommendation?

 

[Hector_Fisher]

What’s your recommendation?

SKYRC BD250 is a pretty basic model, that's the one I've got. I've read some reviews on it where people complain that the controls are "too basic" and they want a touch screen, or whatever. I think the ISDT FD-200 model is more along that line if that's your fancy, you can control it wirelessly with an app. But for a discharger, the higher the wattage the more useful it was for me, so I went with the SKYRC. I'm more than happy with "dumb" controls, and I feel like that's less electronics to go faulty. It only takes me 10 seconds more to set the parameters for the discharge. If I was buying one nowadays, I would definitely be considering spending extra to get the SKYRC BD350. That would allow you to discharge a large 6s lipo in a few minutes! Though I believe the BD350 is less of a standalone discharger and more one that plugs into the discharge port of your charger and acts like a large resistor.

EDIT: and when i say it takes me 20 minutes to discharge batteries, i mean, that's ALL of my batteries. Like i might have two 5000 4s packs, a 3s pack, and maybe a 4000 6s pack.

 

[Dan B.]

SKYRC BD250 is a pretty basic model, that's the one I've got. I've read some reviews on it where people complain that the controls are "too basic" and they want a touch screen, or whatever. I think the ISDT FD-200 model is more along that line if that's your fancy, you can control it wirelessly with an app. But for a discharger, the higher the wattage the more useful it was for me, so I went with the SKYRC. I'm more than happy with "dumb" controls, and I feel like that's less electronics to go faulty. It only takes me 10 seconds more to set the parameters for the discharge. If I was buying one nowadays, I would definitely be considering spending extra to get the SKYRC BD350. That would allow you to discharge a large 6s lipo in a few minutes! Though I believe the BD350 is less of a standalone discharger and more one that plugs into the discharge port of your charger and acts like a large resistor.

EDIT: and when i say it takes me 20 minutes to discharge batteries, i mean, that's ALL of my batteries. Like i might have two 5000 4s packs, a 3s pack, and maybe a 4000 6s pack.

Thanks for the input. I also saw that that’s the same one @LibertyMKiii recommended. I’ve had great luck with every other SKYRC thing I’ve had, too. I think I’ll be getting one.

 

[KnowAir]

I see the BD350 requires a compatible SkyRC charger. Not a bad thing, I know SkyRC makes good chargers, but I have the Hota S6. Not really interested in buying a SkyRC charger ATM.
I found a review of the SkyRC D200 Neo, along with the BD350 discharger. Said the D200 charger didn't properly balance cells..mind you, one mans experience so, IDK. I think the BD250 sounds like a winner to me.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I use a simple iSDT cell checker to balance cells after using the BD-250.
Usually they are only off by 0.01 - 0.06 volts so very little balancing is needed.

 

[Hector_Fisher]

I see the BD350 requires a compatible SkyRC charger. Not a bad thing, I know SkyRC makes good chargers, but I have the Hota S6. Not really interested in buying a SkyRC charger ATM.
I found a review of the SkyRC D200 Neo, along with the BD350 discharger. Said the D200 charger didn't properly balance cells..mind you, one mans experience so, IDK. I think the BD250 sounds like a winner to me.

Good spotting! I didn't catch that you had to use a SKYRC charger with the bd350. That would definitely be a deal breaker for me then. I have little tolerance for proprietary crap when there is little to no need for it (either it doesn't provide value or when other products in their lineup are not proprietary).

So yeah BD250 for the win!

 

[Armarookie43]

Ouch!! Spensive lesson there! I've done it more times than I can count honestly. Never noticed any puffing.That's a hundred dollar battery no?
I just returned my first set of lipo batteries ever recently. Zeee 4s 7200 120c. Ran them in my stock Xmaxx a few times, great. Then got a K8S with Firma 1100 combo, fell right on their face.. I bought them from Zeee ebay official for $100 (pair). They came with xt90 connectors, I've seen the same spec batteries on their ebay store, website and amazon for $30-50 more..I think they knew these were either bad or mislabeled, but decided to sell them anyways? If I only ever used them in the Xmaxx, I wouldn't have known. Now I'm really pondering my battery purchases going forward.. I've always bought cheap. Zeee refunded, return postage paid, no problem. But do I want to roll the dice again?
For reference,, I have a pair of Spektrum 4s 5000 100c that have no trouble powering the K8S. Not really setup for the G2 Spektrum stuff though, nor interested in paying THAT much for batteries. 5000 is too small for the rig so I'd be looking at $150 a piece anyways for Spektrum. Nah. Considering the SMC hard case 8xxx @$80 each but, IDK. I heard they've gone backwards a bit since some fire that cut off their access to the good cells or something? $80 for SMC seems too low. Are they still good? IDK. Not really interested in the big CNHL's. Too heavy, don't want soft packs for the 8s Arrma. The trays aren't well suited for batteries with the leads coming out the end of the packs IMO. So, I'm on the hunt for some 8-9a hard case 4s batteries..

Now, I've had batteries just get disconnected from the inside (dead cell I guess). When you connect the charger it says it only has 3 cells instead of 4. I have one from gens and Powerhobby like that right now. Both 4s. I'm assuming is from the high jumps and landing in concrete sometimes . Heck. I even hit a a concrete barrier that was over a manhole going full speed with a Mojave and that killed one of my 3s lipos from gens (the red ones with Hardcase).ive killed two of those batteries like that . Actually, one of them just works well on my thunder truck (modified Felony), but it doesn't work on my bashers.

 

[Armarookie43]

I wanted to add that even though I didn't take care of my Gens bashing pros, they lasted about a year. So they outperformed all the other batteries I've had. They took more abuse longer than the cheaper options. I bought them on December 6th 2022. Also, I always have my Voltage at around 2.5 to 5V when balance charging my batteries, which seems to be OK? Or should I lower that number more? My charger never goes over around 2.5V per channel when charging 4 big 8000mah batteries at once.

 

[Armarookie43]

SMC 4s HCL 8000mah 120C are here. Tested IR and voltage while new. I ran them for like 7 minutes and they went down to 74% charge. Test vehicle was a K8S with the XLX2 and 1100kv 5687 HW motor. 30/47 gearing. I couldn't run it longer because I ran out of time.

View attachment 340950
After 7 minutes of run time off road :