Bluetti AC180 Portable Power Station (watch before you buy!)

[@ozziereviews]

Check out our review of the Bluetti AC240 portable power station: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmnMpHifrpelb9U

[@RadioRich100]

Overpriced junk.

[@MRxr400]

as an electrician, with off grid design and installation experience, and living off grid for 20 years, i can say these units are a great idea. easy to read to know how much life left in battery. however, just know that you are likely to find their limits quickly with small storage battery. if you have a black out, the most important thing to run is your fridge/freezer and a couple of LED lights and you should get through the night no problem. Still, ask your local sparkie to install a change over switch to run your home off a generator if you need some grunt and charge Bluetti while it's on. 7kva generator minimum and a 32A outlet on generator and inlet on house.

[@ozyrob1]

You just described my swith and input plug on my power board. I'm going to add a power bank as the fuel even in my tiny Honda gets pretty crazy after a few days. I think using one of these (a larger model) will cut my fuel consumption to 25% of what I use in a several day power outage.

[@MRxr400]

@@ozyrob1 just work out how much the fuel will cost over say 10 years of black outs, and how much a battery, solar array, MPPT solar regulator and a professional to install and set it up. i think you'll find it's not very economic. If you plan to use a power wall battery full time for night use, you may break even before the battery dies. I don't like to be negative about it, just being my business to inform customers of the true coat and viability of such ideas when the grid is there. However, the grid is set to fail and be extremely costly soon the way the government are going. maybe set up for off grid life is worth considering.

[@ozyrob1]

@@MRxr400 Thanks for the advice and I'm sure it would be appropriate most people. Where I live my solar exposure is average (not fantastic) in the summer and poor in the winter. I would want the system mainly for emergencies, not everyday use. Hence relying on charging it with grid power or a genny for extended power outages. I've had 2 week long outages here in the last 10 years and I expect them to continue.

[@mrhalfstep]

One of the best ways to use this, whether camping or in a blackout, is to run your gennie, with the AC180 on turbo charging, get it charged up quickly, do any high power tasks that the gennie can handle while it's running and charging the AC180 (such as cooking, laundry, fill water containers from a well pump, etc), then shut 'er down and enjoy the peace and quiet while you draw on the AC180 for running your entertainment and lights in the evening. Your campground neighbors will thank you for just using your gennie midday and not in the early hours of the morning or late at night.

[@LawrenceMcGregor-y9p]

I have added a comment from Bluetti, that buyers need to know. The product states 10 amps, I have an MP200 bluetti solar panels. In order to charge safely and prevent accidents, AC180 will limit the charging current of the car to about 8A. Therefore, AC180 will have an identification mechanism, that is, it will be judged as a car charger below 30V, and the current will be limited to about 8A. The open-circuit voltage of the PV200 is 26.1V, so it will also limit the charging current. I hope you understand. Your temperature tool can only measure the ambient temperature, not the temperature inside the battery pack. Bluetti's portable power stations have internal protection circuitry, and if the temperature inside the battery is too high, it will have a negative effect on the machine. So in order to protect the AC180, our machine will automatically control the charging power to reduce the heat generated inside our battery pack, so as to protect the equipment. If the temperature is too high, our machine will even cut off the input and output, and report an error, all to protect the battery. These measures are for your safety and to ensure the longevity of the power station. I hope you understand.

[@RadioRich100]

Gee my generator doesn't have these problems. Dont throw out the box!

[@davidwilson6297]

I bought one today. Your review helped us tremendously. Simple language used by you in your review made us confident we are buying exactly what we need. Sadly I would off liked to have an Andersen plug connector but will see if we can adapt one.

[@ozziereviews]

Glad I could help, it’s how I do all my reviews, show real life practical use that people actually want to see 👍

[@seancleary2295]

The AC180 comes with an MC4 plug connector cable in the box - as you prob know by now, presuming you soon received yours from Bluetti. Not hard therefore to add a MC4 to Anderson plug adapter.

[@BadgerMcblasty]

I’m of the view of having this in combination with a Honda EU2200i petrol generator. In the event of long term power outage ( more than a week ), petrol for fridge/freezer, electronics and charging the power station during daylight hours, and the bluetti for silent use at night, people were losing it over toilet paper during the “pandemic”, I can easily imagine the insanity after just a week without power. *Queue everybody tearing each other apart. 🙄

[@ozyrob1]

That will be my combination. I'll go binger on the bluetti and would go bigger on the genset it I didn't already have one. I have a stitch in my power board and a 32 amp input so I gan up a much bugger genny into the house if I need to. It's the single best thing I did to my house (and that's even after a full reno).

[@ComeatMEOW]

My mum was going crazy after a day without internet. I was praying it would take a week...then I realised I pay the bill...😂😂😂 I'm gonna start turning it on and off via my phone app.

[@jocknarn3225]

a m8 thought this model lacked juice but i think it'd suit me 2 a t. Initially wanted 2 experiment with solar powering everything over & above the essentials in the cottage. Would b ideal also as a backup generator during outage .. i'd keep the 180 charged from solar panels while drawing from it. Loox 2 have heaps outputs from mag-charging the iPhone 2 powering the stereo & home theatre. I think this model should power all my "toys", the grid powering all my essentials .. that's the nature of my "life-style" experiment. So I'd probably buy this AC180 & 200/300W solar panel. Fridge, microwave, hair-dryer demo was the deal-maker 4 me .. good job👍

[@RNA0ROGER]

Gotta say these have gotten vastly better over the years.

[@australianmade2659]

I have one of these connected to a 400w house panel and it runs my second fridge. When I go camping it does the duties with a bluetti pv120 panel. Perfect quality and no problems whatsoever. Also can run an induction cooktop

[@Johnno1979]

Thanks, have been looking at dual batteries or a battery box for my new ute. Something like this is a bit more but is so much more practical.

[@darrensmith4661]

Needs an Anderson plug output. I have recently looked at these versus building up a lithium battery box. There is a big difference in cost but as a tech, I am very impressed with the smarts ready built into this range of products.

[@joebloggs6131]

MC4 to anderson for the DC input?

[@ComeatMEOW]

I bought the ac180 after being so amazed of the eb55 efficiency. Picked up the 350w solar panels. Between those and my mates eb55 also we are pretty good for camping wise.

[@AndyViant]

If this model had been available when I bought mine (I have the EB70) I would have absolutely bought this instead. At 1800w it can be used on induction cooktops which are a great way to cook in the bush on those total fire ban days. The EB70 with 1000w should be able to run it, but even on lower power modes the initial surge of the induction cooker trips out the EB70's 1400W peak, even if my induction cooker is only set at 600w or 800w.

[@silviusksig]

any kind of cooking or heating uses a lot of wattage… I also have eb70. These are on sale on their website 1 more day…

[@davidheath2427]

The whole battery life is so much better over the last 10 years . But it is a lot of money to run a hair dryer or microwave for 1/2an hour . But will run a big fridge for nearly 12 hours . Would definitely run the average camp site for a few days at least .

[@ComeatMEOW]

The 350w solar panels are great. On a decent day it charges between 3-4 hours.

[@Coolybanana]

Been eyeing this for a while now and finally pulled the trigger...awesome off-grid unit. Thinking of for a really long drive around Australia with this baby.

[@marceld6061]

1:04 You might laugh at the ability to charge an AC180 with a generator but, here is a scenario you may not have thought of: Extended power outages will undoubtedly happen when the skies are cloudy or dark, minimizing your ability to recharge by solar! In such a situation you can quickly recharge the Bluetti from the generator with a small amount of fuel then, turn off the genny and go back to supplying your electrical needs in silence without fumes.

[@ISRAELITE.ZEBULUN]

My bro has had one for a year or so, and it seems well made. I built my own with Lithium cells from China, and built 2 for less than this unit, sure it does not have the wireless charger, but than again my phone only charges via USB. I have one in my 4x4 with a dc to dc charger and the other one is used for camping or to power my electric boat motor. If money is not a problem buy the Bluetti, my bro loves his and has been faultless.

[@edsaunders1897]

Good review mate. Would be really interested in seeing how it goes for you long term. Seen quite a few negative comments about these (and other similar products) in terms of QC and customer service/ warranty claims. Would love to hear more thoughts as you get to use it more!

[@FieldWorxoverlandadventures]

I’m going to get one of these units for my off-road adventures I have a teardrop trailer and I do a lot of back country travel and off grid camping and I think something like this would be great, I could run my refrigerator which is tiny little thing off a unit like this and then connect the solar charger to it it would be awesome then I wouldn’t have to worry about my battery draining, I don’t know if it would run my tiny air conditioner it only takes about six minutes to cool down my trailer but I also carry a gas generator but something like this would be great I also carry an electric chainsaw because there’s a lot of Fallentimber from the fires in the area that I go and I’m constantly cutting timber so I wonder if this would charge the batteries on my chainsaw? Thanks for the review, I have a tough time with electricity I can pretty much do everything else but when it comes to electronics I’m terrible. 👍🇺🇸

[@leemobai762]

I hope you got it for free like many others who have posted glowing reviews.

[@ozziereviews]

@@leemobai762 no actually, this is bought and paid for privately, no favours, no discounts, if you’ve followed me for any length of time you’d understand I have built my credibility over the years by showing exactly how a product works for me at the time, nothing more, nothing less. So nice try in suggesting it’s a glowing review because it’s free, but it wasn’t.

[@lynnlmr2032]

Thank you so much. I have no idea about powering anything, this helped a lot.

[@bestestimesreborn]

Thanks for this Video. We ordered one yesterday.

[@ozziereviews]

@@bestestimesreborn glad I could help 👍

[@TorchHacker]

I've been eyeing their portable solar panels for a while 👀

[@japanham5973]

The AC180 is 16Kg.....The AC200Max is 28Kg ... Not "just a few Kg more".... LOL! I have both and the AC180 is the one you want for real portable use. Use the AC200Max for longer operating time and where you have a place to put out of the way. Update to a minimum of 200W solar panel, more for the 200Max.

[@scubaval08]

This is info I was looking for! I’m traveling in a van w/fridge & maxfan I plan to run off this unit.

[@nomadz3358]

Great review thanks, I just wondered what limit you could take the battery down too without damaging it, if it’s similar to a deep cycle battery that is.

[@noizareth]

Nice review! Do you how long it takes to change it fully from 0% with PV120?

[@Aaron.13]

Looks like a good unit and well thought out but the price is a bit steep unless it’s something you use frequently..

[@armygreenfj3924]

It’s on sale on Amazon today.

[@tassie7325]

1:03 Funny that you should have a chuckle at the idea of charging this from a generator because I am currently researching that very idea. The scenario I am looking into is in the event of a prolonged power outage during a storm. I currently use a generator. But I am investigating the idea of using one of these units to run the fridge/freezer, then using the generator to recharge the battery bank. Even if the generator is running on Eco ie it powers down a little when the current being pulled lowers, it still needs to be running constantly. But I now think it would be better to use the power bank and then only have to run the generator for a couple of hours to recharge the power bank. Thought, anyone . . . . . .

[@otrkid70]

Yeah running a gas generator constantly wears it down quicker. If you use a combination of gas and this both units will have extended lives. This is my plan. Also if there is no sun there is no charging solar so the gas is great to have just fire it up charge the power station and turn it off.

[@tassie7325]

@@otrkid70 Good to see that someone else also thinks that the idea is not illogical 👍

[@otrkid70]

@@tassie7325 The idea is a no brainer.

[@milansablic]

Hi Ozzie thank you for a great review. I was just wondering if I could charge it with. redarc bcdc1225d ? Thanks

[@joebloggs6131]

Similar thoughts & conclusion here, I like the concept within this Bluetti AC180, but am waiting a bit longer for a 2000W / 2400Wh variant, that would be more storage for off-grid cooking plus charging option, where 900Wh of useful energy just doesn't quite cut it, yet.

[@michaelwaters69]

I have a 60ltr Engel fridge was just wondering would it power my fridge and roughly how long for. Thankyou very much 👍

[@WElliottSmoothVocalMan1099]

I appreciated your review. I’ve been reaching a few similar generations. One that impressed me especially with all the options they offer, “The Patriot”, have researched it?

[@TommyBackwater41]

Great video

[@stephenodell1417]

The AC180 can handle more than one PV120 when you can use 2 PV 200w panels in series.

[@otrkid70]

I just bought one of these from Walmart for $579 just waiting for it to arrive. My son has the Jackery 1500 which i fell in love with but i just cant justify spending $1000+ for the jackery which has less power. Just seemed like a no brainer to go with Bluetti Ac180

[@omnidirectional2339]

great review :) thanks

[@theneverman]

Funny lil' pluggies you have there brother. ;)

[@moniquebrombal2877]

Hi these are a great idea and we have bought one for our van. It came with no charge at all and we have charged with all the options and it is not charging. What are we doing wrong. I thought it was plug and play and not rocket science. I have emailed and tried calling Bluetti and no answer so far. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

[@Gravelbikepacking]

I have a ac180 and it has been fantastic. It arrived about 50% charged. I'm pretty sure all modern battery products come out of the factory with some charge as that is the recommended storage process. So when you turn it on the display doesn't light up at all?

[@jazzycool2950]

Can you use your Bluetti Solar panels to charge a non Bluetti battery?

[@professionalpiercer]

Yes.

[@weewestie8935]

ABSOLUTELY

[@harryhasbeard8666]

Now do a realistic review against a honda eu2000i with a hair dryer, kettle, or microwave.

[@tassie7325]

10:15 When the power is out because of a storm: "What have you got usually . . . . . The sun." I would argue that power outage due to a storm probably means there is not much sun to be had.

[@otrkid70]

Thats why you buy a low cost gas invertor generator. Not only is it a good backup for those not so sunny days you can use it to charge it after dark.

[@mulletjocks]

Another channel I am subscribed to got sick of the unsucribing by yo tube and got us to unsubscribe en-mass, and resubscribe again a while later. Good for feeding that hungry hungry algorithm catapillar. Just a thought. Keep up the good work.

[@ktmrider8768]

Does somebody know how Turbo Charging works ? I can't figure out if it has a 1440W charger, or a smaller one with a special feature able to deliver more power...

[@joebloggs6131]

Turbo charging to 2700W output is only a short-term affair, I think you'd be pushing the specs to need that all the time; the 1440W charging (input) is from an AC wall socket - the "brick" is inside the AC180 itself, so just a conventional three-prong cable (ubiquitous) is all you should need to carry with you.

[@moonsbits]

no Anderson plug as well as a cig pug ?

[@seancleary2295]

Comes with MC4 adapter cable. Easy to add a MC4 to Anderson adapter, (or two if you need polarity both ways!)

[@Roddlerson]

Anderson plugged appliances rated above 10A for the 12V output.

[@MF-qw5wl]

Can you charge this with a 12v car cig socket ?

[@ozziereviews]

Yes

[@Coolybanana]

Don't know why the US model has 4 ac outlets and we only get 2.

[@ozziereviews]

240v vs their 110v

[@hellohello8556]

What's better the ac180 or ac180p ?

[@joebloggs6131]

Depends on how you plan to use it. AC180P has a bit more capacity but more pricey... this one is smaller but cheaper, I think all I need is to cook dinner from it once in a while.

[@hellohello8556]

@@joebloggs6131 Hi I'm currently living in a van and paying caravan park to use their electricity. My daily electricity uses are a mobile phone a android tablet, a Bluetooth home speaker, a 10000 miliamp power bank that has led inbuilt that I use as a light which once fully charged can last me three or four nights. In the future I would like to get a 12 v fridge and a 12v fan and a coffee pod machince. I've been paying $200 a week to stay in caravan park I'm hoping to get a Powerstation so I can camp elsewhere and recharge for a hour or two once or twice a week off mains power until I save up for solar panels. I plan on using it full time and upgrade battery capacity once I save some money from the rent saved by having a Powerstation.

[@hellohello8556]

Once I have enough solar I would like to get a RV caravan style aircon unit aswell.

[@chriscoss28]

Would of liked too see it boil a kettle

[@RadioRich100]

Here is a free piece of advice for your Bluetti (DONT THROW THE BOX OUT!) your going to need it! Shipping weight about 65lbs UPS shipping over $100 your cost - EVEN UNDER WARRANTY! Since nobody can fix it but them (Proprietary parts). Wait till the battery starts failing like a laptop, you know the meter says 95% - 5 hours left, and in 10 minutes it says 6% left charge battery or shut down. Me, Ill just put more gas in but not in near 10 minutes. How much will they charge you to replace that battery that didnt last as long as they said but its just outside the warranty period? You might as well buy a new unit, (If you havent learned your lesson) Ill just put a little fuel stabilizer in the gas, change the oil once a year maybe the air filter, possibly a spark plug every 10 years. It will probably run forever, if not - anybody local can fix it. Good luck with it

[@je2338]

It's a five year warranty. Many people have done one year reviews with them and they are going strong

[@RadioRich100]

@@je2338 So every time one fails they contact you? You must work for them. Fact is they suck. Buy a generator.

[@je2338]

@@RadioRich100 I have both, generator has its fair share of issues. No I don't work for them but I just purchased this bluetti model and it's good. Why does this suck? Does a deep cycle battery in a car suck? "The is lithium it's 20 year old technology now. Do you run a petrol motor on your drill? I've got lithium battery in my drills which are 20 years old, still hold heaps of charge. These are lithium phosphate batteries which will last thousands of recharges.

[@je2338]

@@RadioRich100 ... You can't run a generator in a car to power accessories. This can double up as a dual Battery system, it can be taken out of the car to run appliances without noise and in power outages it can provide suitable power. You seem very narrow minded

[@RadioRich100]

@@je2338 No , you just bought one and realized what a mistake you made. Those things are not worth the money and you cant fix them. There are high quality low noise generators out there. You cant recharge them fast enough to reuse them , so when it goes dead its a paper weight.

[@TommyJones49]

I havent gone camping have it mostly for power outages certain to happen if Biden gets another 4 years but until then will use for everyday items TV kitchen etc then chg it up w/solar so to save on daily monthly electric bills.

[@AMEX_]

(1) negative = the price.

[@darylcheshire1618]

If you don't run a petrol generator someone else will be...

[@dolbyatmos866]

Very disappointed in my last two purchases with the AC-70 and the AC-180 unit neither of these units have WI-FI connection, only bluetooth, what a foolish way to lose future buyers, today in 2024 and this company does not provide the most basic of connectivity, a disgrace.

[@leemobai762]

Bought one nothing but headaches, wasted food due to failure and erratic voltage. Horrible customer service.

[@wriker36]

You didn't check it on the most important thing of all? The 'coffee' machine??? Aldi of course...

[@joebloggs6131]

That'll be just fine and within spec, any coffee machine

[@RaDiCaLRyAn69]

How long will it run a 45 litre camping fridge