Why buy batteries from CheapBatteryPacks

[Chris_The_Battery_Man]

So it gets brought up fairly often when a customer asks about our prices compared to places like hobby king.


First off, we are not comparing apples to apples here. The quality and customer service to price ratio is totally different.


CBP is a US based business, and 75% of our product is assembled in the US. Some gets produced at our Chinese factory. But when we chose a factory for a specific item, we spend a lot of time to research, test, and develop the best product for the money. All that hard work we put in, ensures that you... the customer... gets the best bang for the buck.


Why are places like hobby king so cheap? No one REALLY knows, but making batteries for the last 10+ years, I can say that they are most likely buying factory leftovers. When the lipo cells are made, they are made into a mold. Kind of like a cupcake cooking sheet. There are many different sizes of molds, and they are for many different applications. So this means, that every factory in China most likely has a mold for all the common sizes. When they over-produce a cell or pack, and have to un-load them, places like the brands hobby king carry's buy them up and produce packs. So with brands like turnigy, sky, and rhino, you are likely getting a factories leftovers. This means that the brand is buying from several factories to make packs. And with that, you get in-consistent quality. Trust me on that, I see it all the time. Get a dozen guys saying they have really bad luck with a particular pack, and another dozen saying they never have issues.

Next, you have to consider the customer service end of it. Many many people have complained that they buy a battery from a discount place like hobby king, and it is dead right out of the box. They contact em, and never hear back, or are told that they are SOL. You wont experience that buying from us


When you have problems with a pack, there is always someone here to help you out. That is not always the case with these massive discount places.


Another thing to keep in mind, is the fact that we ARE US based. Make packs here in Oregon. I am sure you all want to support locals, and help the economy. Buying from places like hobby king hurts our economy because the Chinese are undercutting good US based businesses and selling directly to the customer. If everyone keeps spending like this, our economy is only going to get worse. There have been many small battery places we have seen go out of business because of places like hobby king.


I know we all cant afford the best stuff, and saving money becomes a priority. But at what cost? Often, you spend MORE money with places like hobby king because of the bad product you could get, and just throw out. I am a firm believer in buy it once. I have been running Elite lipos in my toys for years now, and never had a problem. Wouldnt you like to buy a couple nice packs, and have them last a couple years?


Keep your business in the US, even if it's not with us.

[joshsmith512]

X2, i have been running elites for 3 years now and have only ever had 1 swell, it still charged and balances but for a whopin 13 bucks i replaced it. Customer service has always been great, and i like that my money stays u.s. based.

[trevinator]

I may be Canadian, but anything built on this continent is usually of a slightly higher grade.......always has been, always will be.

When I am looking for batteries again I will be checking out your products for sure!

[Pointman]

There's a reason why a link to your web page is in my signature!

And no, I don't get paid for it!!

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by Chris_The_Battery_Man

So it gets brought up fairly often when a customer asks about our prices compared to places like hobby king.


First off, we are not comparing apples to apples here. The quality and customer service to price ratio is totally different.


CBP is a US based business, and 75% of our product is assembled in the US. Some gets produced at our Chinese factory. But when we chose a factory for a specific item, we spend a lot of time to research, test, and develop the best product for the money. All that hard work we put in, ensures that you... the customer... gets the best bang for the buck.


Why are places like hobby king so cheap? No one REALLY knows, but making batteries for the last 10+ years, I can say that they are most likely buying factory leftovers. When the lipo cells are made, they are made into a mold. Kind of like a cupcake cooking sheet. There are many different sizes of molds, and they are for many different applications. So this means, that every factory in China most likely has a mold for all the common sizes. When they over-produce a cell or pack, and have to un-load them, places like the brands hobby king carry's buy them up and produce packs. So with brands like turnigy, sky, and rhino, you are likely getting a factories leftovers. This means that the brand is buying from several factories to make packs. And with that, you get in-consistent quality. Trust me on that, I see it all the time. Get a dozen guys saying they have really bad luck with a particular pack, and another dozen saying they never have issues.

Next, you have to consider the customer service end of it. Many many people have complained that they buy a battery from a cheap place like hobby king, and it is dead right out of the box. They contact em, and never hear back, or are told that they are SOL. You wont experience that buying from us


When you have problems with a pack, there is always someone here to help you out. That is not always the case with these massive discount places.


Another thing to keep in mind, is the fact that we ARE US based. Make packs here in Oregon. I am sure you all want to support locals, and help the economy. Buying from places like hobby king hurts our economy because the Chinese are undercutting good US based businesses and selling directly to the customer. If everyone keeps spending like this, our economy is only going to get worse. There have been many small battery places we have seen go out of business because of places like hobby king.


I know we all cant afford the best stuff, and saving money becomes a priority. But at what cost? Often, you spend MORE money with places like hobby king because of the bad product you could get, and just throw out. I am a firm believer in buy it once. I have been running Elite lipos in my toys for years now, and never had a problem. Wouldnt you like to buy a couple nice packs, and have them last a couple years?


Keep your business in the US, even if it's not with us.

Since no one really knows why HobbyKing prices are so cheap, how do you know so much about why their prices are so cheap? The continuation of that statement HAS to be taken with a grain a salt after reading what you said.

I can tell you why I think they are so cheap. I believe it's because they are manufactured over there. Why do they cost more here? Because sticker slappers feel the need to up the cost and they probably have to in order to make any money.

I order my $7 lipos from the U.S. and they STILL come from overseas. If I order from CBP, or TP, hell even MAX.... the cells still came from overseas. So where are we going with this?

[railripper]

America f***yeah, coming to save the motherf****** day yeah!

I need to buy batteries from you.
I get mine through my lhs but I've never bought from hobby king and such..their prices seem like a scam and that's what turns me away:thumbup:

[trevinator]

Quality control.

Pride in product.

[SlowGrynd]

Running Gens Ace exclusively with no issues.

If they are seconds they're dang good seconds.

[Pointman]

Originally Posted by helhedded

how do you know so much about why their prices are so cheap? The continuation of that statement HAS to be taken with a grain a salt after reading what you said.

the cells still came from overseas. So where are we going with this?

Obviously he knows more then the rest of us, because he deals with the manufacturers overseas. The point is that the assembly, and quality control is done here in the US!

I'm sure that you've had nothing but good luck with items assembled overseas...

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by Pointman

Obviously he knows more then the rest of us, because he deals with the manufacturers overseas. The point is that the assembly, and quality control is done here in the US!

I'm sure that you've had nothing but good luck with items assembled overseas...

Keeping on topic of Lipos... actually I've had no problems whatsoever. I even still have some Zippy lipos from 2008 that still read even on every cell and they run fine. I have never had a single problem with assembly.

Now the PUFFED Thunder Powers that were purchased for twice as much nearly 2 years later .... POOF!

[Chris_The_Battery_Man]

Youre right that they all come from overseas. All cells are produced in China. But when dealing with a US based business, you get more quality control.


Sure, ordering a $7 pack makes the most sense to you. But there is a difference between a mass produced pack, and one hand made in the US. Yes, American labor is more expensive, but isnt that how we keep jobs in America?

You're right that my statement may be a bit contradictory, but I also have been doing this for 10+ years, and know how things work in this world. I MAY be wrong, but my gut tells me otherwise. I am sure some are simply a factory producing and selling to the public, but hobby king doesnt make batteries. And they have to make something for it to be worth their while. I sure as hell wont sell something and only make a dollar off of it when I would have to spend 15 to buy it. Doesnt make any sense. When you see a place selling a product that is at times at or under our cost, you start to wonder where the wiggle room in the price came from.

If turnigy for example sold from their own site directly to the customer, then that would make sense. But the fact that there is still a middle man, AND they are that cheap, is a dead give away.


We have factories contact us all the time trying to dump cells they over-produced because a customer of theirs backed out. Since I know this goes on, I know that someone buys em..... Not us though. We like to have a consistency in our quality

[Charlie-III]

No need to sell me.....

I've bought my NiCD cells, NiMH packs and LiPO's from CBP for quite a few years.

Why???

1-Fast shipping (if I order before ~noon eastern time Friday, I have them at home in NJ the following Monday!!)
2-I can usually specify my balance ports (for LiPO) and pack connectors (Anderson PowerPoles/Sermos) as PART of the cost. This saves me time & cost.

I will say I have heard great things about Nano-Tech packs (for small high "C" LiPO) and may give them a try.

We have a couple of "other brand" packs in the house, I won't say they're bad or good. But, we have them.

I have had good dealing with the CBP supplied packs, never had to go back for a warranty issue.

Hopefully if I have an issue, it will be taken care of.

Besides, CtBM has some "interesting" avatars......

PS, for LiPO, I run Elites for larger packs, ThunderPower for smaller packs.

[Chris_The_Battery_Man]

Also, I am not here to argue that places like hobby king cant have good quality. I am simply stating that you will get hit and miss quality. Hit and miss quality WITH hit and miss customer service.....

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by Chris_The_Battery_Man

Youre right that they all come from overseas. All cells are produced in China. But when dealing with a US based business, you get more quality control.


Sure, ordering a $7 pack makes the most sense to you. But there is a difference between a mass produced pack, and one hand made in the US. Yes, American labor is more expensive, but isnt that how we keep jobs in America?

You're right that my statement may be a bit contradictory, but I also have been doing this for 10+ years, and know how things work in this world. I MAY be wrong, but my gut tells me otherwise. I am sure some are simply a factory producing and selling to the public, but hobby king doesnt make batteries. And they have to make something for it to be worth their while. I sure as hell wont sell something and only make a dollar off of it when I would have to spend 15 to buy it. Doesnt make any sense. When you see a place selling a product that is at times at or under our cost, you start to wonder where the wiggle room in the price came from.

If turnigy for example sold from their own site directly to the customer, then that would make sense. But the fact that there is still a middle man, AND they are that cheap, is a dead give away.


We have factories contact us all the time trying to dump cells they over-produced because a customer of theirs backed out. Since I know this goes on, I know that someone buys em..... Not us though. We like to have a consistency in our quality

Your point on quality control and customer service I agree with. However with the cost of living and competing most guys are going to buy the cheaper packs, run them and toss them. When there is over a 100% markup (in some cases) it's almost a no brainer on where to buy from.

[Chris_The_Battery_Man]

I completely agree that it is hard to afford sometimes. And most of us are smart enough to know how the game is played. Just want to show folks why we arent as cheap as other places at times. Gotta secure my job

Any any successful business knows that unless you can double your $$, its not worth your time. Maybe not on large items, but smaller ones for sure.

If I buy a battery pre-made, for 10 bucks, I need to sell it at 20. Otherwise, it's not worth my time.

Also, youre paying for the labor, not the pack itself. That's where the mark up comes from with us. Is to pay for the US labor

[BC-Brian]

Well said.

I wonder if the cheapo packs also have something to do with cell batching/grading. When they make the LiPo cells they always have varying capacity and they typically grade them. Perhaps they are getting the cells that didn't meet the standard.... Just a thought.

[Maxx_Savage]

Well, since I don't live in the US I really couldn't give two sh!ts about american jobs and your so-called wonderful QC.

[Chris_The_Battery_Man]

Then why even reply?

Haters gon hate!

[BC-Brian]

Jameson will do that to a guy

[Highmark]

Maybe my junk is just amp hungry, but none of my cheaper packs have held up. I ran some of the 2200mah turnigy 55c neo-whatever packs for awhile and they all c'd out or poofed. Same story with the hyperions, zippys and a few others.

All of my 65c Thunder Powers (even the little 850mah packs) have held out just fine though - and all of them came from CBP. Yes they cost more money, but they also don't cause my entire rig to catch on fire, I call that cheap insurance. Besides, I didn't get into this hobby because it's cheap.