Harbor Freight 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit - Pros and Cons
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- Опубліковано 13 лип 2024
- In this video I discuss my experience with the harbor freight solar panel kit. We've been running the 45 watt kit for a few years and decided to try the 100 watt kit. I talk about the pros and cons of a cheap system like this.
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We have this kit we like it works well with our small 15ft camper. We bought one 35 amp Harbor Freight Solar battery been a few months of using it has done well.
Yeah, it's a simple little system I agree. I lived in a 18 foot camper until my house was complete and this system gave me enough electric here in Arizona to just get me by. BUT, it is limited and those panel stand brackets need to be held down with something heavy, I used 4 cinder blocks weighing a total of about 150 pounds to keep them in place. Good job on the video and enjoyed to adult humor!!!
I use the hundred watt system on my utility truck I'm converting into a camper, I've bolted them to the top , I never thought about unhooking panels when I'm driveing with my alternates charging my battery , haven't had any problems using my in side lite and coffee pot and small fan I've been using this system for about a year I have 3 car battery witch total about 375 amp and 15 hundred watt inverter so far I'm happy thanks for the vid
I have used this solar kit for 3 years, and it works great.
Great presentation. You have a good sense of humor. This info helped me. Thank you.
Enjoyed the humor on the gas stations very informative overall, thanks for the share!
LOL!! The introduction and your commentary made me laugh. Thank you! Great review.
Dude I have the same system only I have 1 extra 25 watt panel so it's 125 watts with a 400 amp battery bank. I live in Florida and on a sunny day I get free electricity all day long. You're gonna love that kit man. My power bill went down to 50-60 bucks a month. I was able to find a Jupiter 1500 watt inverter at a pawnshop for 35 bucks but it's a modified sine wave. Supposedly it's not good for certain electronic appliances but I power my tv, cable box, WiFi router and phone without any problems.
That's awesome, thanks.
How many batteries can you connect to the 100W system before it can’t keep up with the draw?
Pure junk. Thanks for playing
Thanks for showing this set-up.
No problem 👍
Model name and Truckstop tale per xtra protection was a Good one !!!
How about mounting on a turn circle to catch more of the sun at the best times of the day, would that work?
I just got this kit as well. I need to run 25' wire extension. Was a little worried because I think the wire they supply you with is 16 gauge, not sure if that will be enough for powering my shed. Thanks for the video
Informative and honest. Thank you.
My pleasure!
Can you tell me what the dimensions of the solar panels are? Just the panel as you showed on your video.
AGM batteries are relatively inexpensive (check Amazon) are much more serviceable than car batteries. I have a 15 year old AGM battery that has finally dropped to 10.46 volts and is no longer useable for normal duty use. However, it does have enough power for 12v LED lights.
junk
If he got 15 years out of it, I would not call it junk.
on the charge controller; can it charge three different 12 volt batterys at the same time ,each battery with its own positive and negative cables and plugged in to outputs on to the buttom of controller?
How did you get the racks off solar panels? Cant find your video about it.
I've got two of the 45 watt kits but also four 100 watt HQST panels that I'm going to get 2 more of...in about 8 hours I'm getting 2 more batteries and then I'll have 8...these thunderbolt ones I have help the voltage in the morning but I've got them hooked up 12 volts but I'm changing it to 24 and that'll give me 490 watts...those florescent self ballasted lights I've got four of but I put a 120 v plug in on one and got a 5 watt LED white light at the farm and ranch..I also changed ends and put the switch by the bulb instead of backwards...like they had it...if you run it off the controller like they did it drops the charging voltage to the batteries too much with the flourescents...wrong place for a voltage drop to be goin on...so the other ones I put alligator clips on so I can hook them to the lower or top set of four batteries..try it, it drops the voltage less hooking it to the batteries instead...crazy, ain't it? I'm gonna run mine thru my mppt controller tomorrow, its supposed to be 73 and sunny...I was getting 370 watts today for awhile but tomorrow I'm gonna try for 460 or so ..I was getting 10 amps this morning so it should go up to 13 or 14..pretty good charge..or I could put the two kits in series/parallel and them In series with the other 2 sets and that would give me about 65 volts to the controller...itll take 150. V. It's a 4215 BN epever...which way do you think would have more watts?
Check in RV stores. My locally owned store had 12 volt screw in replacements - a few months ago. We bought for my daughter's lamp for her "room" in the RV.
When you buy the harbor freight solar kit ALWAYS GET THE REPLACEMENT PLAN. it always covers ANYTHING that happens to it.
I bought a whole lot, and we had a wind storm and broke my shit, and I exchanged it for a new one.
@Johnny Rep If you're still interested, I bought mine a week ago and they wanted like $30-$40. I said no thanks. That's damn near half the price of the unit. If it doesn't last long enough to break under the warranty, I want something else anyways. Just my .02
Or return the Chinese junk every 90 days for free lol 😆
It's a scam, though. They bank on this fear.
@@worldchangingvideos6253 It's a good deal on tools you know you're going to work hard. They're great about replacing anything you have coverage on. As for these solar kits... I don't think the insurance is a great deal.
Looks like it might be a nice kit to throw in my popup. I can easily store two deep cycle batteries in the front storage, run some rgb lighting and an external outlet from an inverter, then just pull out the panel when I get to the site. Being portable I can always position it towards the sun. Sounds like a good start for my fist solar kit.
We have one for our small camper they work well.
😢😊🎉
😮😢😮😅
Thunderbolt magnum wow! I remember some of that lol! All joking aside hope you continued to grow your system. Your charge controller is everything as far as functionality and growth of your system. With big bad charge controller you can always add panels or batteries. And go to 24 volt system where you will increase aspects of efficiency. For now I am staying with 12 volt as long as I can. Some I will make the 24 volt jump. Lithium is the list also. I got the solid hf 100watt panels also. They have actually been great. No complaints.
I watched a video that said the plastic coating around the wires was better for this kit than the old one.
I wouldnt tin wires going into a screw terminal, better off going bare back or ferrules. Screw wise I would be curious if they can be backed out and replaced with something not cheese grade.
I just bought the Thunderbolt 100 watt 12v folding briefcase system. This was just to mess with and figure out if it was worth it. Basic experimentation with it says it's a pretty good system, but VERY HEAVY. So I started a project to put 2x 25 watt 12v Thunderbolt system on my now very modified kayak. The system for the kayak is just like a normal system with panels, the Hub, battery, inverter and the DC controller. Now the even more funny part. I didn't want to spend another 300 USD for an electric motor and the whole kit with it. So I bought a 3.2 amp drill to plug into the inverter, a 90 degree adapter for the drill, 2x 3/8in flexible drill extensions and a drill powered propeller (drilled a place for it through the hull) for about 60 USD. That was a deal! The Harbor Freight 2x25 watt system works just fine and my first time taking it out put a smile on my face you couldn't get off!
Very cool, thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a really cool project for a UA-cam video!
my biggest gripe about the 100w kit is the construction of the panels, the 45w kit had panels with aluminum frames and were much more robust than the cheap plastic frames used on the 100w kit. i've heard that the plastic-frames panels are prone to failure, lots of people only get 2-3 years out of them but of course they never mention if they were abused or not...
The kits I bought had aluminum rails on the long sides and plastic rails on the short side . It is possible to loosen the brackets so they can be moved down on the short side , opposite the end with the wire connection . THEN , the brackets can be slid off the panel end , Lay the panel face down on a verified smooth surface , so as to not damage the glass . Look carefully at the plastic panel end . It is shaped like the letter "U" . At the TOP of each side of the "U" there is one screw holding the bracket in place . Use a phillips screwdriver to remove each screw . Use a putty knife to carefully move the plastic panel down away from the long side rail . Pry between the two pieces of the rails . The plastic bracket can be slowly moved down and off the panel completely . NOW , using a allen wrench , the stand bracket can be loosened , slid along the aluminum side rail and completely off the panel , with no drilling or other work . I did this with 28 panels in my system , re-assembled the panels and I have had NO problems or panel failures . When installing the bottom plastic bracket to the panel , BE CAREFUL not to disturb the film coating on the glass . Watch carefully as you re-install the bottom piece of rail , so as not to interfere with the coating . The only remaining test of the panels will be resistance to hail storms . They have survived drenching rain , high winds and holding up under heavy snowfall . I have NO complaints with their performance . They are a great investment for the price . Time will tell how long they last .
Solar Systems are HUGE !
I like the old set. Tks Fer look at new. (Got two) old type and they have worked well did away with big LEDs. For truck stop marker lamps. Only three lamps per unit and I don't run into my stuff. And they run on the cheep all night. Consuming low power. . Once again tks Fer look at new. Tks.😎
As of today, in the Phoenix area, this kit is on sale for $170. It seems people are increasingly uneasy about how things are going.
As of today $180 at College Station Texas
@@Classifiedastra 9-12-2021 just paid 189 at HF also got a Jupiter 1500 watt inverter for $139
@@ironwill665 how has the inverter worked out? im considering buying two of the 100 watt set ups and the inverter
It's a Clint Eastwood Reference Thunderbolt & Light foot & of course Magnum force
I know it's not really but sounded good to me 😃😃😃😃
Any advice on choosing a battery for this system? I was considering a readily available optima red or yellow top. Plan on using the solar kit to power a freezer or refrigerator in possible power outages.
Also, would it be best to store the battery and kit until needed, or would it be best to set it up asap and keep the battery always charged while never really using it?
Lastly, I don’t need step by step instructions or an elaborate answer, but would I be able to put two batteries on this single 100W system??
Thanks in advance to all.
A solar battery is the best option, but you could use a deep cycle battery. I wouldn't recommend a standard car battery as they are not meant to be discharged like the solar and deep cycle.
As for storage, if you don't need it now and want to keep the battery in good health. I would buy a trickle charger and plug it in once a week or so to make sure the battery stays charged. You could just hook it up to the solar, but I think that's harder on the battery than a trickle charger would be.
As far as hooking 2 or more batteries up to this kit. Yes it's possible. Will the panels be powerful enough to charge 2 batteries? IDK for sure. I run a large capacity single deep cycle battery and it fully charges up on a good sunny day. You're asking the right questions, good luck.
@@TheHandsOnChannel thanks for the reply. I wasn’t sure if there was a difference between a “deep cycle battery” and a solar battery, so now I will look specifically for a solar battery, and I’ll set it up on a trickle charger.
Thanks for your help and the informative video!!
Hay guys but yeah the kick stands are wobbly so there you have it wheels would be great idea, I just upgrade to a Victron controller and ditched the 30amp BougeRV controller
I bought 4 of these kits for our small off grid cabin , they produce great power , even to much power the wires where they go from 4 to 1 melted every one of them and melted 3 of the 4 charge controllers
So... a Separate charge controller is a good idea then..?
I was wondering about that,
I just bought 4 of these and was going to use them at my cabin/bol/slide in camper (lol)
to charge my battery bank.
I have 4 100AH batteries and a cobra inverter, but the only electricity I really use is a few LED lights (5W),
a 12v oscillating fan, a usb charger, and my laptop.
Sounds like a great project. With that much power coming down into a feed I would suggest upgraded wire and a better charge controller.
Came for the info, stayed for the truckstop jokes.
LOL
Hey so what kind of battery can I use with this??
Great video! What other items do I need to buy please? Only an Inverter & car battery?
Thanks A Million!👑❤
Yes, but I would look at deep cycle batteries rather than a car battery. They are made to handle the load better than a car battery. Of coarse if a car batt is all you have it will work. I bought my inverter at harbor freight. It's a 750 watt and I wish it was at least 1500 watt but it's better than nothing. I'm able to run small loads like lights and charging devices. Hope that helps, stay safe out there.
The Hands On Channel Thank you So very much! God Bless & Keep you & Yours!♥️🇺🇸🕊👑🙏🏾
@M Smoosh yes as long as your inverter can handle it. Just look on the side of the tool you're using and check how many amps it draws. Then just multiply that by 115 volts to figure how much wattage it needs and make sure the inverter is rated for that wattage at it's continuous output (not peak) and you're good.
So this is good for beginners? Looking to build the kit to get some experience. Can this be for grid tied solar instead of off-grid?
Yes it's a good entry level kit. IDK if it can be grid tied, we only use ours off grid.
How long is the cord from the panels to the unit? Could someone make a longer cable? Might be a good video to see. Did you make a video of your bracket and how you made it?
I think the cable is about 20' long and yes a longer cable would be nice. I haven't finished my mounting bracket yet. I started it and then the chaos broke out and I've been busy preparing for that. I need to finish it though and I will shoot a short video of how I made it. Thanks for asking.
The Hands On Channel without power for 3 days or so now here in CT, and they are talking possibly until next Tuesday. Sure would be nice to have this
@@TheHandsOnChannel Haha! What Chaos are you talking ablout? "The Rona" or The Man with the orange hair who's currently in the Hospital with Covid19?
If you do get or make longer cables.... use a heavier gauge wire.
Hello. Do u recommend the Energizer p320. Or eccoflow. Would u plz let me know. Thanks a bunch!😊
Sorry I'm not familiar with either of those but maybe someone else will chime in.
How many products of solar material do l need to get 3AMPs of solar power?
I was thinking of buying 2 kits for my shed do you thunk that's over kill I have 3 18v ryobi charging stations and a 42 inch flat screen. T.V that we watch football on Sundays. What's your thoughts?
That will be a very nice setup for a shed. You should be able to charge up to 4 batteries and run a 1500 watt inverter. Good luck.
What would I have to buy/add to be able plug 🔌 stuff in? I’m making a small pond in my back yard and would like to have the pump plugged in to something like this
You'd need the panels, an inverter and a battery or two to get started. All of those things would need to be sized according to the load.
@@TheHandsOnChannel Hi! Great Solar Tips on this HF Unit! Really thought that was an inverter that maybe came with the 100 watt Solar Kit that I saw on top of your battery in the video. If that thingy unit wasn't an inverter, then what is it called?
@@designertjp-utube Charge controller. Google search "solar charge controllers" and you will find info on what they are, how they work and different models, makes, and prices....Good luck!
I'm curious about the charge comtroller, it looks like it is almost better than the 500 watt one they sell separate. I think it's a little racket for HF, you buy two Kits and think you need the upgraded controller for 80 bucks. Ratings they give are confusing, and the kit one seems to have better controls and options to adjust things...
Where is your video on removing brackets??
thx
Found two 45 watt systems in dad's garage loft after he passed. Don't know why he didn't set them up. Maybe health issues. Experimenting with one soon, pointers? I'm in Ohio.
Sorry for your loss. They are great kits to use in a shed for lighting or to charge a small battery bank for a cabin. You'll probably need to get the adapter to tie the 2 panel kits together, but otherwise you should have everything except batteries and an inverter. I can recharge a marine battery in a day so you can probably charge 2 or more. With one battery we can run lights all night if need be. They are a good beginner kit to get into solar. Use them for learning and if you want to get serious look at 275-325 watt panels. Price per watt the professional panels are cheaper than HF. Good luck.
I have been watching just about every UA-cam video on this Harbor Freight 100W solar setup. Only a few of the videos measure the current output of the panels. The only ones that do measure the DC current from the panels show a maximum output of around 4.5 to 4.9 amp. Using Ohm's Law makes it a 50-60W panel setup, not 100W. I've yet to see any video showing more than 4.9 amps under optimum conditions. I'd be interested if anyone has gotten more out of these panels.
Did you account for the internal resistance of the battery?
It's a likely scam and potential class suit.
When was this video made? I just priced them at HF online and the 100w kit sure wasn't 120.00 . It goes for 199.99 or 180.00 if you have the 20% coupon at the store. For the same components as you have. Could they have gone up that much since Feb of 2020? Just say'n
I got it at a parking lot sale.
They do coupons a lot
20% of 200 is 40.
It's on sale today for $149.99 Cyber Monday.
when you say you run this and that, is all of those things running at the same time?
Yes, I am limited by the size of my inverter though to 750 watts.
Can I use just 1 panel-which would give me 25w? I need 25w max to charge my GoPowerPlus power station.
Then use all 4 panels on my Jackery. Do I need to buy anything else to hook my Jackery to the panels?
EXCELLENT video for us newbies. Thanks so much!
Yes you should be able to use just one panel. IDK about the jackery, but you can configure the panels in any number you need. BTW what is a Jackery? Is it a battery? Good luck.
@@TheHandsOnChannel -it's a power station. HF sells them, but calls them a generator. Thanks for the info!
Can it be added a different brand of 100 watt panel to this kit to have 200 watt total?
Probably, but you'd have to have the right equipment and IDK what that would be. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
@@TheHandsOnChannel u can they have a piece to plug in more panels looks like an extension cord multiplug
i use them in my garage and shed
What about those gel cell 12v batteries like they use in electric wheel chairs?
Those would probably work. Just check the voltage/amp hours.
@@TheHandsOnChannel I've heard the golf cart batteries work well, too.
Thats y I'm hear I got 4 of them 100amp hour's I'm trying to figure what I need to run them to run my swamp cooler this year
Yeah or trolling batteries are good too
No, Gel cells have different charge requirements and you would damage you batteries.
Would it run a dorm sized refrigerator?
If you had the right battery's and inverter it should work. Assuming it's a modern low energy use appliance.
So can I simply plug this into my active 12v camper battery?
You should be able to do that. You may have to have it on a switch so that when you drive and the alt is charging your solar is disconnected. IDK if it would be a problem but it could be. Hopefully someone else will chime in and help us out.
Still needs to go through the solar charge controller to charge your camper battery. Unless you're installing some type of isolation equipment it would be best to only use this set up to charge your battery when you're boondocking without shore power. I've used it with great success. Keeps the batteries topped off nicely.
Thunderbolt Magnum for that little extra protection... I see what you did there haha
Those led lights are 120v household lights. Read the cord it verifies that I have the same kit. Even did a review on my channel just a couple days ago
I hooked up my battery to a harbor freight 100 watt solar panel. I got an error code (E11).. I know the battery is low. But, will the panels still charge it?
Hi! Hope you solved your *E11* Error Code Problem by now! I saw this possible answer on *Amazon* - "Hello,please recharge your battery with solar panel directly, after the voltage is above 11v use the controller.Thanks
E11: Low-voltage protection; battery voltage is below 10.5-10.8V.
Controller will shut off and enter low-voltage protection state." ----
Tuck Porter Thanks. I realized my battery was too far depleted.
I need to install this things on top of my rv , the 45 what even had a build in frame, this one don’t, but there is nothis that will stop a pressurized trited 2x4 lol
I was thinking the same thing
I need something for my mine. I'm in Arizona, so sun isn't a problem. But with the price of fuel, I can't keep running my truck to charge my rigid batteries. Would this power a battery charger that is 18v 4 Ah?
Yes if you go through an inverter it will charge them. I charged my porter cable 20v batteries off of the harbor freight 750 watt inverter and a marine battery. Good luck.
@@TheHandsOnChannel Thank you so much!
Will this work with a jackery or wattfun 500w solar generator?
Sorry IDK. You'll have to check the specs on both the solar output and the generator you are charging. Just based on wattage it appears you would need 4 or 5 of these solar kits to charge a 500 watt generator. It would probably be better to buy some used panels from santan solar. They have some amazing deals on panels. I plan to do a full review about them in the future. Good luck.
Not sure if this is still pertinent to the OP, but to answer your question, "Yes".
I use a HF 12 volt 100 watt portable suitcase to keep my Jackery Explorer500 charged.
BE AWARE, a charge controller should NOT be used with your panels when charging the Jackery. The Jackery has an internal charge controller that prevents it from overcharging. Jackery still does recommend unplugging the unit once it reaches 100% charge.
My Jackery500 powers my 12V ICECO 60L dual zone frig/freezer beautifully, and it's a beast. My Jackery usually drops from 100% to 64% overnight, and recharges to 100% during the day, with the sun's cooperation, of course. Your fridge and temperature settings may use more or less power.
Have you calculated when it will pay for itself?
No, I really don't have a way to accurately calculate that. If I was using this every day year round I'd say it would pay for itself in 3 months. Of coarse I'm comparing it to running a generator for power. Great question and thanks for commenting.
The Hands On Channel - it would be neat if you figured it out. And making a video out of it. Thanks.
I've done it with a renogy kit. Many years in the Midwest to pay for itself. It was something like 8.5 years.
@@semiprofessional8470
Which Renogy kit do you speak of ?
Researching...
Thanks
Pays for itself in the experience you get.... as well as the first time you need it in an emergency.
As for off grid/remote use like a tiny home or cabin... pays for itself the first use! LOL
How can I run a fridge with this dollar panel? Any ideas?
You would need a lot more panels and a big battery to run a fridge all day. And have to have sun guaranteed. How many amps is the fridge?
You might want to get a portable power station like a solar generator to charge with the solar panel.
Getting my feet wet ,I like it Roll Tide ,Mt alternative is moonshine for generators 🍺😂
would a 40 watt led grow light run on that ?
I think so, if you had the right batteries and inverter.
@Johnny Rep u dam right
I have this HF kit and want to remove the kick-stands from the panels. Dont make a vid just explain in few words how. Drill out ? Thanks
Drill them out. If I remember correctly they are riveted at the hinge.
I would like to know what is the capacity of the controller, If it can take more panels.
They sell a splitter at HF that you can connect more panels. I saw them today
Mixed information on the controller. I've read it's a 20amp or 30 amp unit. Two kits would be no problem for the controller.
I just found four thunder bolts panels in the dumpster, seem to be in good condition.
Behind the store?
Sounds crazy perhaps...... however I have wired up this system with their (HF) 35 WATT battery.. runs lights for driveway, electric gate, activation of cameras via motion detection..... ALL RUNS OFF THIS LITTLE SETTLE UP
I like the brackets. I can set them up in sunlight while my rv is parked in shade. Win win. If I were to permanently mount them I'd use screws and washers to fix them to a roof or something. I like them better being portable.
I like the concept of portability but mine kept blowing over.
How long are the cords on the lights?
I'm not sure but I think they are about 20' long.
@@TheHandsOnChannel thank you
Alien finger 😂😂
Tape was good tip/The black tape & glue give good fixes.
👀👀
I've seen those same things at the urinals, LOL
LOL
At: 2:28 that's what she said....
It took me way too long to get that condom joke.
no inverter?
No this kit does not include an inverter or battery.
10.8 is when it shut down out put to protect the battery
25 in bedroom tv? damn I guess my bedroom tv is too big no wonder my room looks so small.
LOL, yeah ours is a small tv mostly used for our off grid location.
A 25 inch is fine for Porn. Oops. *TMI*
Let me get a box of them thunderbolt magnum’s
I PAID180 DANG but great video tho
Can this run a window unit lol
No way
It's $180 now. Thanks covid.
french tickler out of no where Lul
I could tell you right now you're not serious about solar... Real solar panels are not made with cheap weak plastic, they are made with aluminum framing with mc4 plugs!!!
Did you individually test each panel??? For 25 Watts you need a 50 watt 2 ohm resistor and you should be getting roughly 2 amps per panel...
Oh God, the that metal frame leg is to be used for a couple of hours, then you put it away for the year... because this is a shit system.... Nothing about it is for real use.... Just shows you know little.... You don't even show a real solar panels mounting system... Nothing but a crap show here boys and girls....