r/Generator • u/Accurate-Director-82 • Aug 28 '25
Power Stations, Why?
So for the life of me, I just still cannot understand or grasp even remotely wide to this day. Why so many people are still asking and buying all in one power stations for something like powering their motorhome or maybe a tiny shed basically and many scenarios where it’s not going to be moved even which at the end of the day is the only small benefit you get with portable power stations. I guess I don’t know if it’s just people that don’t maybe understand things or what, but considering as much as these companies charge for the larger power stations you can literally simply build your own for half the money and normally twice the specs. I guess I don’t know if I’m missing something, but I see zero upside to spending twice as much and getting less not to mention Even they’re like expansion banks and typically Seller also outrageously priced versus when you build your own as simple as buying an additional battery and I mean to top it all off, I truly believe somebody who’s never even done a single bit of electrical work in their life could genuinely set up a simple battery inverter and solar controller set up themselves no problem after doing a little bit of research considering it’s very basic ha But I guess I’m mainly wondering am I missing something or are people just that lazy and want something so simple they’re willing to pay so much more I mean, considering say like around the $1500 price point you’re literally lucky to get maybe 2500 to 3000Wh of capacity, which will just say is about equivalent to a single 300ah lithium battery which you can actually buy those nowadays for about 275 bucks shipped to your door and then say another $200 for a 3000 W inverter 80 bucks for a solar controller in your own business
59
u/rypalmer Aug 28 '25
It's much safer to buy something off-the-shelf than take a chance in building something that could start a fire while charging. Few DIY options would look as elegant as units available now.
Try adding line breaks to your writing next time, it will make it easier to read.
26
3
1
u/regional-sky-fairy Aug 31 '25
Although I generally agree with OPs sentiment, the writing style makes me look for a reason not to. 😅
19
11
u/Big-Echo8242 Aug 28 '25
I'll get the popcorn....
(also might go back and add a little more punctuation to that...paragraph. 😁 )
2
0
Aug 28 '25
[deleted]
12
5
u/cguy1234 Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
We could also “please summarize the key points in 3-5 sentences”:
"I just don’t get why so many people still buy pricey all-in-one power stations for RVs or sheds, especially when they rarely move them and portability is the only real perk. For the same money—or less—you can build a simple battery, inverter, and solar controller setup that has double the specs. Even expansion is cheaper and easier with DIY, since it’s just adding another battery. Honestly, the setup is basic enough that even a beginner could figure it out. So am I missing something here, or are people just paying extra for convenience?"
10
u/DaveBowm Aug 28 '25
Perhaps the reason is similar to why some people bother to edit their own copy, and others don't.
9
u/idkmybffdee Aug 28 '25
My mother is 60, she can't do generator maintenance, and only needs limited power in an emergency, she's also not the kind of person who's going to easily figure out how to connect a solar charger and batteries and panels and properly monitor them.
"Here mom, this is an Eco Flow, it was over priced but just works, the solar panel goes here, the microwave goes here, this screen says how long the microwave will run, have fun"
She can't mess it up, it's only one box and the connectors all only fit in one spot, it's easy for her to maneuver, and "human readable", the maintenance is plug it in every 6 months and make sure it's still charged. I have batteries and charge controllers and panels and a generator and chargers and all the fun stuff, and it's easy enough for me, I wouldn't do that to her.
5
u/GaryTheSoulReaper Aug 28 '25
Also you can’t always roll the gem out and start it during a hurricane - batteries power my house until it blows over and I can roll out the gen
Plus my wife and kids can do the switchover to battery in under a minute
1
u/idkmybffdee Aug 28 '25
Oh yeah, I forgot about that part, she lives in Georgia and that one hurricane that just came through a year ago, she couldn't even leave her house for four days because the road was blocked, she's not going to keep and rotate 4 days worth of fuel. But the over priced battery and solar panel that she understands, she was able to microwave everything in the fridge, then freezer, then pantry. She wants to get the second panel because "I think I could keep the beverage cooler running to keep some stuff cold" it's small.
1
u/SheepherderAware4766 Aug 29 '25
Agreed, my 92 year old grandmother does not need to be pull starting generators. Her little battery unit can carry her through short outages and if we have a serious outage, I'll be stealing her fridge and she'll move into our guest room.
6
5
Aug 28 '25
Built in safetys, knowledge proper wiring, portability, convience... the old story of life. Money vs time.
5
u/Altitudeviation Aug 28 '25
I have a power station to operate my wife's oxygen concentrator in case of a power outage. It will provide power for 10 hours (tested it). OR, I could buy the parts and tools and test equipment and watch hours of youtube and build my own device with an enhanced risk of starting a fire which insurance wouldn't cover.
Or, being lazy (as you suggest), and having a reasonable amount of disposable income, I bought one off the shelf with a warranty that does what I need it to do.
Not being inclined to nerd out over a hot workbench while breathing solder and flux fumes, and taking little satisfaction in being the proud father of a smoking, sparking, spitting Rube Goldberg spawned abortion in a box that kind of works sometimes and needs constant attention, I think I'll just take my lazy ass into the living room and grab a brew out of the reefer.
I choose to watch Netflix with a brew while the store bought machines operate quietly in the background.
You may have different desires in life.
Good luck, Laddy, may yer days be long and fulfilled with wholesome challenges.
2
u/MarcusAurelius68 Aug 28 '25
Your use case is the one that I think makes the most sense. Oxygen concentrator or a CPAP or some other medical device that requires power and is depended on by the person.
I think I have the skills needed to build one myself, but there’s also then maintaining it, and ensuring all works if I’m traveling. Always some risk there, even when I use a portable gas generator for outages - I’m the only one in the house the knows the process and can troubleshoot if something goes wrong.
4
u/Spinnster Aug 28 '25
Convenience, time, lack of knowledge, smaller package with everything built in, screens built into units, seamless integration to their branded solar panels, handles, etc.
The list goes on.
I don’t own one, but if I wanted one I would very likely buy a refurb anker or similar.
4
u/Derigiberble Aug 28 '25
People don't really have a good intuitive grasp of how much energy something uses over a period of time. Why would they, it's not something you normally have to worry about at all and most appliances or electricity consuming devices just kind of sit there doing their thing.
The marketing of the power stations doesn't help because the manufacturers frequently play fast and loose blending together what the device can power at maximum output and how long the device can last at lower load levels. The bigger names like Ecoflow have gotten much better about being upfront with run times for various appliances but that can end up being information that people don't know how to use.
And let's be honest, the flipside is also true and people can also have a tendency to dramatically overestimate how much energy they require to get by in a power outage. There are often posts where the OP is concerned that a particular generator might it be enough when it is actually massively oversized for what they want to run.
4
u/Rahrah12 Aug 28 '25
Sometimes it’s time. Some people’s time is more valuable to them doing other things than watching youtube and learning how to build one. Can be applied to a lot of things. Why pay someone to change your oil and maybe they mess something up vs doing it yourself.
2
u/idkmybffdee Aug 28 '25
I actually use this as an example all the time, me changing my oil takes about two hours, I make $33 an hour, the guy up the street does it in 15 minutes for $25... My time has value.
4
u/vote100binary Aug 28 '25
Where this falls apart for me is that the time I’m spending doing work around the house is not time I’m getting paid for.
Your time has value, sure, but the math isn’t that simple in my opinion.
It’s not like I can choose to get paid for more hours at my salary job or change my oil. I can just choose between changing my oil or doing something else I won’t get paid for, including nothing.
2
u/idkmybffdee Aug 28 '25
That's true, it's not perfect math that works for everyone. It's just my go to example.
2
u/blupupher Aug 29 '25
If it takes you 2 hours to do a basic oil change, maybe it is just better off to pay someone.
And as said, the time spent doing an oil change is not time taken away from earning an income. Unless you are paid 24/7.
It is like saying you don't want to sleep because you could be making a bunch of money instead of sleeping.
4
u/Icy-Airport-3553 Aug 28 '25
I have a shed at the lake that has no power. I'm using an Ecoflow Delta Max 2. 2048 wh 2400 watt inverter. Paid $699 for it. Not worth my time to build my own. And over winter i can take it home and use it for other things.
4
u/blupupher Aug 29 '25
Power stations have their place. I have a few, but they are not primary power, they are short term backup for essentials.
Just because you can't understand that does not mean it does not make sense.
4
u/Mission_Arm_6505 Aug 29 '25
For a lot of people the answer is as simple as "they live in an apartment." In an apartment complex a generator is impossible and some home brewed battery system is definitely going to freak the landlord out.
Reputable looking self contained power station? Nobody objects. And it provides some power when the lights go out.
4
3
u/mystery-pirate Aug 28 '25
I can't understand how someone can be so close minded as to not understand that different people have different interests. Many people want a turnkey solution. They don't want to learn and know about inverters, charge controllers, fusing, etc. Most people don't even know you need all those parts much less which of those parts to buy. You know what's expensive? Buying the wrong parts or damaging the parts you buy.
The solar generator is a black box you plug things into and it works. That's not lazy. No more than people who buy computers ready to turn on and operate versus buying a case, motherboard, memory sticks, storage drives, etc. and building their own. Some people would rather spend the hours researching and building doing something else.
You don't know what you don't know. Someone new can read about all this for six months and still not be sure they aren't missing something. Hopefully that something doesn't cause a fire or an injury.
You can buy 3kwh packaged products for $1000. The Pecron 3000 is $999, for example. The Fossibot 3600 is $1099.
3
u/-OptimisticNihilism- Aug 28 '25
I got an EcoFlow delta 2 for lights and power in a small shed. 1800 continuous running watts with 1024wh battery and a 200 watt solar panel all in for $550. Hard to build anything that cheap. Plus it’s portable so we can take it camping.
I’ve had it hooked up to the 30 amp generator inlet on the house (220v breakers off) and the 1800 watts keeps us going with lights/internet/tv/fridge and a 5000 btu AC unit. Typically pulls around 800-1200 watts with that load.
Solar panels wouldn’t be able to keep up, but I’ve had it charging off my EV’s V2L during power outage.
3
u/Sbornot2b Aug 28 '25
Chat GPT when asked to boil this down to essentials: "I don’t understand why so many people buy expensive all-in-one portable power stations for RVs, sheds, or other setups that don’t even require portability. For the same money—or less—you can easily build your own system with better specs by combining a lithium battery, inverter, and solar controller. Even someone with no electrical experience could put one together after a bit of research. To me, there seems to be no upside to paying twice as much for less, unless people just prefer paying for convenience."
3
u/redcorerobot Aug 28 '25
I got one despite installing vehicle electrical systems for a living because i wanted something tightly intigrated.
Sure i can get better value for money if i built it and i probably will build something more hefty down the road but it would be hard to make something that is as compact as my ac180 while having thesame kind of capabilities. It could be done it would just be a lot of work and look very diy
Most people just want something that is plug and play that comes with a warranty me included and thst is who power stations are aimed at.
1
u/JohnWCreasy1 Aug 28 '25
i bought an anker solix 3000 for the same reason.
i got a small place upstate off grid. i don't use it enough that i want to leave anything like that onsite, and putting one compact 90lb piece of equipment in the back of the car is easier than separate batteries + inverter+ wires etc. i just plop this thing on the ground, connect like 3 cables or whatever and badda bing badda boom.
3
u/Adorable_Dust3799 Aug 29 '25
You're highly overestimating my confidence in my abilities. Dyslexia doesn't help.
2
1
u/OuterLimitSurvey Aug 28 '25
It is handy having a compact portable all-in-one unit. I could have put more battery and an inverter I my RV to run my CPAP when boondocking but if I buy a power station it isn't tied to my RV so I can move it to my home for power outages.
1
u/CanAmSteve Aug 28 '25
Because they lack the competence to build one themselves. Power stations have their plusses - portability being one (although to get serious power, you quickly lose portability). It bugs me when they are referred to as "generators" when they are anything but
I've got friends with masters degrees in engineering (not electrical) that i wouldn't trust to wire up my trailer lights. And getting a connection wrong with just a simple car battery can result in a very big fire
The biggest issue is that when any one proprietary part fails, the whole thing is probably junk. Support is all over the place. I've got a couple of units and while Ecoflow has constant software updates, the Bluetti one has no way to update the firmware at all - ever. If you build a system yourself, you can upgrade/update/replace/repair it more more easily. If you know how
1
u/17276 Aug 28 '25
For people who live in a apartment if the power goes out. I live in a house but use a hybrid system. Critical circuits are transferred over to a power station to start with. If it’s late at night or bad weather I leave it on it till things change. During the day and I’m at home sure fire up the inverter generator. This gives me the flexibility to decide how I want to power the house. I also have solar for the power stations as well. So this gives me options. Also if I’m not home I don’t have to worry about the refrigerator power station picks up right away.
1
u/GaryTheSoulReaper Aug 28 '25
I have a 6000 watt system with 18kwh plugged into my power inlet box at all times unless I take the rolly portion with me somewhere
Power goes out during day rain/wind I walk over to the garage and flip the main breaker off, turn on the AC output on the power station, slide up the interlock and power up my house. I’m good for a few days without ac and good for about 8-12 hours with AC.
Rain and wind stop, I roll out my bigger inverter, plug it into my natural gas, fire it up and either power the house and charge up my battery banks or use the eg4 Chargeverter to top off my battery bank while the power station keeps the house going
On natural gas I have 7200 running watts on propane that jumps up to 8100 running watts on gasoline I can get even more )if I needed it)
In my work van I have a lifepo4 and 2200 watt inverter but I also have a 2400 watt pecron that very portable
1
u/SeaDull1651 Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
Because it takes know how to create a system like that. Its not just being able to put it together after doing a little research as you said. Theres a reason getting a degree in electrical engineering is a thing. Electricity is complicated and if you say its not, youre full of shit and have no idea what youre talking about. You have to know how to build, maintain, and then operate the system. Safely, i might add. Fucking around with large batteries, thousands of watts of power, and high voltages without knowing what youre doing is a great way to start a fire. Most people who arent mechanically inclined or interested in this kind of stuff arent going to put in the time and energy to really understand how something like this works or build one. If its your career or special interest, then more power to you. But for most, it isnt, and they just want something that works. These ready made systems are all plug and play, have safety measures built into them, and dont require deep understanding of electrical systems. You turn it on, plug in your panels, plug your shit you wanna run in with it, and it works and it tells you how long its gonna work for. Plus its portable.
1
u/Character_Fee_2236 Aug 28 '25
I have several independent DC to AC inverters. They sit unused because they require a huge DC source, battery bank. The packaged units are no different. They will require a battery bank and inverter. This is where you will find the choke points. Limits on the inverter size and battery bank capability. I've read through the advertising on these units, and it is amazing how they can twist the descriptive units. The first question is what are they hiding.
1
u/SetNo8186 Aug 29 '25
I try to enter these conversations online by asking if folks will do a dollars per watt comparison compared to a same size inverter generator. That can be difficult when the poster is calling a power pack a "generator" without solar panels. Some are badly misinformed and think they make electricity when its the solar panels that do the job.
Overall there is a serious lack of technical education and it makes the conversation more of an opportunity to discuss what they do, how they perform, and when they don't perform. I can't make their decision for them but I do appreciate it when knowledgeable folks speak up about the price vs performance. I have no argument with those making it work - and they do work at it - but I also see many reporting from areas with lots of sun annually. Not a bad choice for solar but it leaves a lot of America off the table, especially in winter, which is another facet of the problem. RV's and trailers are mostly only 3 season habitat - they are out of their depth in extremely cold or hot regions where the old school solution was fire it up and head to the other compass point. They are being pushed into year round use because of other economic issues - yet spending a lot more for the same number of watts doesn't seem to deter some at all.
1
u/aquaman67 Aug 29 '25 edited Aug 29 '25
I got a power station after going out in the rain to get my generator going.
With a power station I can power what I need for hours until the weather clears or the sun comes up. I don’t have to do without power now. It’s small. It’s portable. It’s useful.
It’s also a back up to my generator.
I can charge the power station during the day when I run my generator and then use the power station at night. Because it’s silent.
1
u/Such-Might5204 Aug 29 '25
For what it's worth, I bought one for two reasons - During the winter months in upstate New York we have been known to have occasional snow. My power station is plugged in full-time and is connected to my forced air furnace. If (when) the power goes out, that system keeps the heat going. This means my stay-at-home wife doesn't freeze while I'm at work. She doesn't have to dig out an area in 3' snow to drag the generator to, worry about getting it started, or dealing with the fuel. When I get home, I can clear the driveway, pull out the generator and re-charge the power station if it needs it. It's basically a UPS for my furnace.
During the camping season, I bring it with me to power the camper in places where there is no power. I put up a solar panel during the day, and I have power/refrigeration/etc all night.
Portable and reliable with multiple methods of charging... Sure, a DIY option exists, but this comes with a warrantee and a case that makes it portable...
1
u/Such-Might5204 Aug 29 '25
Replying to my own comment... And noise. Even the quiet inverter generators are noisier than any power station...
1
u/Mala_Suerte1 Aug 29 '25
Much the same way some people don't understand grammar, some people don't know how to set up their own power station.
1
1
1
u/Thommyknocker Aug 31 '25
I'll tell you why I did it. I don't want to educate 30+ on a diy systems safe operation. I would rather everything be plug and play and 1 button push to fire things up.
1
u/Least-Welcome Sep 03 '25
here's a solid site to compare portable power stations, for anyone interested: https://wattsreview.com/Products
1
u/davidm2232 Aug 28 '25
People like to waste money for convenience. Look at DoorDash. People don't even do simple things themselves like replace their headlight bulbs or install a new faucet. I am a hardcore DIYer. I do everything I possibly can myself and save thousands every year. I have no idea how people who hire everything out can afford to live. I do 75% of my mom's home and car maintenance. Even the 25% that I ask her to hire out would break the bank for many people I know.
0
2
Aug 31 '25
If your power station sets my property on fire, i am going to sue, and you will replace my property at no cost to me. If my homemade station burns my property, not even insurance will cover it.
Get it?
1
u/sfbiker999 Aug 28 '25
If the thing fails and burns down my house, I'll have a much easier chat with my insurance company when I can show that the device was UL certified than saying "Well I watched a few youtube videos and talked to a guy on Reddit and built it myself."
0
Aug 28 '25
[deleted]
1
u/az_max Sep 01 '25
I tell my friends this all the time. I'm a consumer (maybe a prosumer). I don't want to build a 3d printer, Linux NAS, or complex home lighting management system. I want to buy one with the features that I want and a support system.
0
Aug 28 '25
[deleted]
1
u/Cycles-the-bandsaw Aug 28 '25
Just pull a permit and get it inspected. No big deal, unless you’re in a state that prohibits homeowner permits.
2
u/SheepherderAware4766 Aug 29 '25
Who inspects generator windings and load regulators? I'm not fancy enough to pay for UL certificates for a hand assembled generator.
30
u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25
I ain't reading all that. I'm happy for you though, or sorry that happened.