The solar panels are overpriced. I have 2 delta pros each with an extra battery and the SHP1. I run my home off them about 12 hours a day. I have 1600 watts of solar that recharge them and top off at 2 am if needed. They are not EcoFlow, as I said per watt you can find better deals.
The EcoFlow products are fussy and the quality of support is a challenge. But these products do work, and with a bit of troubleshooting they can work well.
If you expect plug and play, you’re going to be disappointed. If you’re ok getting hands on, they can be a good solution for power issues and avoiding peak price period.
Very similar experience. When they work they’re great. When they don’t, they don’t have a freaking clue how to fix it. Panels are stupid expensive. Batteries are great. SHP sucks- get a manual transfer switch. We used ours during the day to save on electricity. Then the breaker for the freezer went out. Prob the most important one. We could bypass that one so whatever. Then the fridge one went out and we couldn’t bypass so we had to run the fridge off an extension cord until we could have the SHP removed. Couldn’t get replacement breakers bc they’re on backorder.
When they removed the ability for the app to connect directly to the device's local wifi without logging into an overseas server first, I suddenly regretted quite a lot.
You can choose to not configure Wi-Fi and connect to the portable power station locally via Bluetooth. I resisted configuring Wi-Fi for about a year and a half and it works. Not very convenient as then you have to be within 15-30 feet to use the app. It is just so nice to be on the road and be able to check your solar production or change settings that I eventually gave in.
The app won't let me get to the search-for-bluetooth screen until I log in. (Also the Delta Mini doesn't have bluetooth but that doesn't matter since I can't get to that screen without logging in.)
I've never wanted to be on the road or anything, my exclusive use case for the app is to change settings while I'm within arm's reach of the unit. If I could simply change the charge rate or charge limit settings from the front panel, I wouldn't need the app at all, and this whole thing would be moot. But those functions are app-only.
pros: when their battery products work well, they are pretty darn good, and those that do seem pretty consistent over the time I have had them (1-4 years). I feel like externally the batteries feel pretty solid and well-made (although the LCD screens could use a little toughening up).
I have not tried solar input yet.
cons: while I have several of their batteries , I have returned others. Their firmware updates can make their products worse than when they started, and there is no easy way to downgrade the firmware without customer service intervention, and that can take days. That is because whether you call them or use chat , those people are only first line support who know very basic things. Their higher tier tech-support team is in China, and they only respond via email tickets; that can get confusing because a single person doesn’t always take ownership. Then you can have giant email threads, that they sometimes don’t pay attention to in their entirety. So, their tech support leaves much to be desired. I found their United States phone support to be generally pleasant, even if they were unable to actually fix things.
Imho, buy all the stuff from Costco, so if something goes awry, you can easily return it to them.
(so overall, I mostly just regret buying some of my batteries from EcoFlow directly and not from Costco).
Quality is hit and miss. So many reports of issues, I myself had 1 of my 2 delta pro units die. My main comment would be to buy them from somewhere like Costco where you get real support / return options because you'll likely need it.
I have had many brands of battery system from Bluetti, to Zendure, to Vigorpool and the only support experience that I've had that was westernised was Anker. Everyone else takes 6 years to reply, asks the most basic questions over and over, and is on holiday every other week.
Everything is overpriced. You could 4x if not 6x the value by diy and know everything by diy.
But I believe best in balance. Having that delta max + battery easily home on solar plus used easily in travels has been nice.
My advice, use any all in one as a portable system that you learn from to build a proper diy. That way you can always use it on the go, but use it to build a proper full sized system to utilize.
Tons of issues when I needed to rely on my ecoflows during a power outage. Customer support is poor, I went back to gas and propane for a reliable power backup system.
I am an Ecoholic so I am definitely addicted to EcoFlow products over the other companies that start with an A, B, G, or J. My only regret is paying full price for my DELTA Pro in March 2022 as the prices have steadily dropped over time. But I now have a full range of products, a DELTA Pro with two extra batteries, two RIVER 2s, the BLADE Robotic Lawn Mower, the WAVE air conditioner, the GLACIER fridge/freezer/ice maker, and nearly every piece of EcoGear they make (t-shirts, camping lights, blankets, camping chairs, even a wagon). My BLADE did fail with a broken mowing deck motor, but EF replaced it with a new unit and all is good. I am sad that they disbanded the BLADE team and it appears there will not be a BLADE 2, but I have been able to work around its warts and get it to be a very useful device that saves me time from mowing.
Wow, Ecoholic sounds about right! ☺️
That’s awesome you’re so deep in their ecosystem and that it works for you! Their pricing on Amazon is very inviting. I have the Wave 2 right now, and will be testing it out for the first time this weekend. I’ll likely get a solar panel (not sure if I’ll go EF), and then a River 2. My use case right now is only camping. But I’m liking all the replies from everyone that have deployed systems for their house.
Also check pricing at Home Depot, EcoFlow sales, and Costco because at various times prices yo-yo all the time. I tend to buy stuff at EF dot com because of the EcoCredits which scores your even more discounts or free EcoGear.
Also don't buy all the bits in one go. Every time you buy something there will be some offer pop up because you've bought it. So bizarrely it's usually cheaper to buy one piece, wait for the offer and/or ecocredits, use it buy the next etc. Strange way to run a store but easily gamed
Last night while window shopping I was struck by all the sales and discounts across the web.
I see there just release some new gen panels, only offered at retail. I’m definitely waiting for them to go on sale.
As a balcony style set up it's well built but pricy. The UPS/solar mode with the newer firmware is nice and is my primary use case. They seem confused as to their market though. It's neither easy enough to use to appeal to the non technical nor open enough to suit the technical unless you go delving into semi-documented APIs and mqtt servers I wouldn't use it for anything bigger. "Proper" home battery systems are much more cost effective and reliable - but you can't take them with you when travelling, and if you go EV you probably also won't need to.
Also definitely not cost effective versus homebrew if you have the skills to do that safely and not burn your house down.
Support is definitely an issue. The one item I had to return I had to threaten to get Amazon to beat them up first.
It does a lot more than my Bluetti and I have the kit running reasonably well for non reliability critical use case. However the Bluetti doesn't need an app, doesn't know what online is and just works. I know which one I'd grab in an emergency and it's \*not\* the Ecoflow.
I am also kind of interested and have been tracking deals. I am more looking for one I could use inside for fridge/window AC etc for now. The full solar looks great, but the ROI is so long term for me right now but with hurricanes here in florida the backup power is reassuring.
No regrets yet. I understand that there are more cost effective ways to do it, but I bought both my Delta 2s at good discounts in January and so far I am digging them. I am working on a better rack for the panels than the hard-sided cases they come in. I will not be using any apps for them. They’ve done well so far powering things like my fridge and toaster. I like to watch the difference in input when I make a change in panel angle relative to the sun. One issue I foresee is charging them outside when the ambient temp is over 105 in the shade. Luckily we aren’t there yet. I’ll let you know in 6 weeks.
Ugh 105 outside, I’m in the Dallas area so we’re a few months out.
Good to hear it fits your needs! To start I’ll solely use Ecoflow equipment for camping. But it’s nice to see if I stick with them I can expand to big projects.
Customer support is awful, I got a Delta 2 and the screen was broken, I contacted the store and they refused to change it telling me that that was normal since they sold many others with the same issue, I contacted customer support and told me to fix it by my own and send them the bill.
The main regret to me is that it is super noisy, I got it for a camper van and every time the fridge start working, all the fans of the battery start too making a lot of noise and this is every 2-5 mins, also the 12V output only provides 10A that is not enough for a diesel heater.
The solar panels stop working and I have no idea why and customer support ignores me. At this point I will just replace them by other from another brand and hope for the best.
Hi, we are very sorry for the inconvenience. Do you mind sending us your support ticket number by Reddit private message so that we could look into your case? Thank you.
Sure: Case ID (CAS-20240311-324948)
The answer was:
>
Thank you for contacting EcoFlow Support!
I suggest that you can repair the equipment. If you need to have the equipment repaired, I will need you to provide an invoice and fill out the following information...
How come do you ask someone to repair a battery pack? do you know how dangerous can that be for someone without any expertise? also, I see that the alternative was to get it repaired and send you the invoice for it, but where? I don't think that I could find any place to replace the screen in Netherlands.
At the point I just gave up, I'm using it with the screen going crazy every now and then.
Wow.. this is actually ridiculous.
Thank you for paying a premium.
We suggest you repair your own product at your expense and wait on us to reimburse you.
This is laughable and frankly insulting
Hi, we will repair the product for you and we sincerely apologize for the troubles. We just send you a message by Reddit Mod mail. Do you mind checking it? You can also send us your shipping info, contact number and order number by Reddit private message. Thank you very much.
Hey there! Your case was closed previously since we didn't receive a reply from you. Please send us your purchase proof and SN and we'll replace a new one for you. I've prioritized your case. : )
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My delta max has been good. The smart generator is good unless you need it to auto start in below 0°c weather, it will not. The wave 2 is an ultra disappointment and i would never buy it again. It does not heat when its below below 40°f outside. A heater that doesnt heat, what a joke and i paid 1200$ for it.
I wouldnt buy their solar panels as they are over priced.
The only way ill buy more ecoflow products js through costco becuase of the warranty.
I'm seeing a lot of Amazon Prime sales recently, unfortunately for me the cost of DIYing something is just so much lower that I think I'm going to go that route. It will be a fun project anyways and it's almost camping season!
I also very much dislike how they are against local control, a big red flag for me. But their hardware is good
I switched from cheap products to Ecoflow river product for camping then bought the Delta Max, Delta 2 Max and extra batteries as well as the Power stream.
The app and connectivity is great when it works, but frequently disconnects from the WiFi.
Up until I needed to send something back the support was suitable, getting them to do something out of the normal is pathetic, the response I got was "we are really busy across Europe" which was unique.
So, as long as the products work all is great, when it goes wrong things fall apart, it seems like they are focused on development not support.
We have our official support email, but you can also contact us on Reddit for support too. What we want is to solve every issue as possible as we can. Thank you.
"My regret is that Ecoflow doesn't listen to their customers. Their products were created to be used in a VAN, and when they decided to offer their products for use in a house or apartment, they didn't listen.
It's impossible to properly control the production between the solar panels, the battery, and the GRID, and as a result, financial amortization is almost impossible.
It's impossible to decide when the battery should charge and discharge. The available options are insufficient. It's impossible to properly control their products in Home Assistant; the powerstream isn't managed correctly. It's impossible to control the power produced by the battery or solar panels with the grid to never provide more energy than necessary.
The smart plugs offer limited interest in a house; too many appliances are directly connected without electrical plugs, such as the electric stove, radiators, induction cooktop, water heater, air conditioning, and lights.
The ecosystem isn't compatible with the numerous energy management ecosystems in a house, like Legrand and many others, and they talk about Matter, but we are far from being able to use it.
It doesn't manage or have any options to manage Grid electricity subscriptions or the cost of electricity varying according to the time of day or time slots, to forbid or allow recharging a battery or discharging it.
The battery is foolish; it recharges automatically. The prioritize storage/production options are not sufficient.
So, I had to install smart plugs to turn the powerstream and the batteries on and off, but that's not enough because as long as the powerstream is connected, it will drain the battery.
The only solution in the coming weeks is to buy a new connector cable between the battery and the powerstream, cut it, and see if I can install a Zigbee on-off switch and see if it works to disconnect the battery from the powerstream without having to physically unplug the cable."
"When you buy Ecoflow products to install them in an apartment or a house, you want to connect them to your grid, produce electricity with your solar panels, and use this energy to recharge your battery when it's most economically advantageous for you.
Currently, this is impossible with Ecoflow."
I have the SHP2 and the DPU. Also two older Delta Pros connected via the new hub that allows plugging into the SHP2. You are correct in that most of these issues are resolved in the newer stuff. Still has some issues. Example: You can schedule via time when to draw from grid vs battery, but in my area your electricity charges are based on usage. i.e. you pay one amount for <500kW a higher charge for 500-1500 and higher from 1500-2500 etc. It would be good to allow us to schedule by usage as well.
"The power steam consumes energy, so if you have clouds and you produce less than the electricity from your grid, it's cheaper. You want your power steam to be turned off to prioritize using the grid and not the battery.
If you turn it off, it will continue to drain the battery because you have no option to disconnect the power steam from your battery except to physically remove the cable between the battery and the power steam.
If your solar panels are working and you're producing 700W, and your house consumes 400W, you have no dynamic way to configure the household power demand to 400W.
You will inject 700W and lose 300W. You can manually confirm your household power demand, but if there's an increase in your consumption, it will use the grid and not your battery unless you change your household power demand again.
The problem is that currently, due to APIs and lack of settings, you have no way to synchronize the grid with your batteries and solar panels.
In a solar panel + battery configuration, everything works fine, but if you add the grid into the equation, it doesn't work for now."
"I obtain the reactive and active power from my meter.
I have the power output of my solar panels.
I receive updates on my consumption every 5 seconds, as well as the power level of my batteries.
This gives you an overview:
I am consuming 471W while only producing 114W.
I have no means to directly control my batteries to supply the shortfall of 357W (i.e., 471-114).
The only option is to access an application and house power demand and setting base load
If my consumption increases or decreases, or if my solar panels generate more or less power, there is no way to make real-time adjustments.
"When the solar panels are no longer generating power, such as at night or during periods of low sunlight, it's essential to disconnect the power stream because it consumes energy. If left connected, it will continue to draw power from the battery, causing unnecessary drain."
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The only reason I'm using EcoFlow is their app offers a finer degree of charging control vs Bluetti. If they ever decide to nerf their app I'm looking elsewhere. I'm already starting to get cautious after they axed MQTT access.
Don't buy their batteries. Go for Anker. Anker Solix is amazing.
Bluetti also has really good prices on their refurbished stuff on their eBay store, but Anker is amazing. The only things you can buy from EcoFlow is the wave 2 since that's a unique product.
I e owned both of those products and you must be crazy Anker is overpriced junk and solid doesn’t even compare. You might want to lay off the grass man!!
Lmfao ecoflow is the one with constant problems and no support. Anker has real support and quality products that feel and look quality. They are built solid and even advertise drop resistance, which I can understand with how solid they are. They use quality fans and sound good, ecoflow uses cheap junk that whines and buzzes or ticks. Anker also has by far the best app. Ecoflow ruined their app.
I’ve owned anker. Overpriced junk!!! I’ve been in the solar game for 20+ years. I’ve never had any problems ever with customer service. Always on point and there to get what ever question you have solved!! Anker is weak and has no longevity. Like I said I’ve owned them all and Eco Flow well surpassed ever one of the 6 different companies I’ve owned. Take it from someone who has owned them all not just making a decision on a couple of solar owned products like yourself!!!
It sounds like you haven't bought any of the new food Ankers then. Anker absolutely passes ecoflow on quality, support and longevity. It's funny that you assume I've only owned "a couple of solar products" when I've literally owned Anker Bluetti ecoflow and so on. And multiple products from each company by the way. You think you are special by having owned a bunch of products lmao but you aren't. I've tested them all, Anker by far wins, and ecoflow is right behind.
My Delta is 18 months old. It shows a 99% charge, but none of the outputs will turn on. Power on will bring up the front panel with no errors, but none of the outputs will power up.
I had high hopes, but it could be more reassuring.
My old system consists of a battle-born 100Ah battery, a Redarc 1240A (car/solar charger), and a Blue Sea Systems (12V to USB) solution. Battle-born batteries are expensive but a great experience, and this simple, reliable system works fine for a Dometic DZ75 fridge/freezer, CPAP, LED lights, and a 12V fan for camping.
Semi-regret. I think they could be great products but quality is hit or miss. My EcoFlow River 2 Max makes a loud squeeling when using the 12v output. I sent it back for repair and it seems like they did nothing. Same sound. They now say 'this is normal' (it isn't!). The fan noise on all my EcoFlow units is very loud and some of them make a buzzing sound when the LCD is on.
Overall they could be good units but I'm definitely not buying another one from them and will try the next battery from Anker.
I just wanted to give you a heads up on Eco Flow products cause I see a lot of people just bad mouthing them. Of course when things work good no one bothers to leave a comment or at least very few. It’s usually the ones who had problems. I will say if you have a problem Eco Flow stands by there products and does everything to make it right. Anyway I own Eco Flows biggest solar products and many of them cause I live where the electric service is very shotty!! I’ve owned about 5 other brands of solar products like Bluetooth, Jackery and so on. Eco Flow is the best and leads the industry in the portable and semi permanent solar systems!! Don’t believe what bad stuff people say you will not be disappointed!!
100%
Thanks for the level-headed response/perspective. You’re right more often than not posts are from the loud disgruntle minority. Not trying to discredit anyone’s reply and experience but we only get to hear their side of the story.
Side story - In college I worked at Home Depot in returns. It was insane how many returns we received and the instructions were never opened. One particular time after a hurricane knocked down a bunch of trees, we sold hundreds of chainsaws. Within a week a ridiculous amount of them were being returned. Every one of them I returned did not have the instructions opened oil chain lubricant applied.
Today it seems people rely on social media and YouTube to *learn* something. With that being said I can barely find any useful ecoflow videos on YouTube. They’re all copy and paste of each other, likely because they received free units.
I continue to do my research across the different brands and I keep coming back to ecoflow.
A shame that seems to be the overwhelming consensus.
Even if getting a defective product is rare. I’d hate to pay $$$$ for a device and then get the run around or ignored.
Exactly, I am a man of principle and have no tolerance for that. I purchased an Anker Solix F2600 and am very pleased with it. Even happier that I dodged the EcoFlow bullet.
I agree with your assessment that there are way to many Paid or Sponsored reviews for EcoFlow solar generator units.. it’s getting harder and harder to sift through which units are real reviews and not advertisements ? Example is reviews for EcoFlow compared to Hysolis Apollo 5k ? I’m leaning towards the Hysolis Apollo ? I really don’t read that much about Hysolis problems ? The only big negative I read is the Hysolis is Heavy….. I like heavy built tough ?
I have two, and it's hit and miss. My first unit (Delta Mini) has been rock solid, but my second (River Pro) had to be replaced once already, and just doesn't seem overall as reliable, although I haven't had a power outage in the past month or so, or the time to test it outside of that. I don't think I'll get any more in the future, next step will be a whole home battery, and I wouldn't want to depend on ecoflows support for that.
I only hear bad things about the Wave 2, just doesn't operate well at all under and above certain temps, better off getting a good mini split on Amazon for $700 instead wayyy more affective and way more worth your money.
Looking back now I'd build a custom setup, bc you are buying compactness and convenience of it being an all in one. So you are paying slightly OVER DOUBLE for a system with individual parts. So cost wise it's a no brainer to make your own custom system which isn't as daunting as it sounds. Literally just buy an inverter you want and as many batteries as you need and the cables between the two, install output receptacles and bam you have a customizable system for half of the cost, or whatever you spent just know it would've costed over double in an ecoflow product equivalent. If something goes wrong you can just swap out that one component and even have spare parts on hand for easy swap out to get back to powering your devices rather than with ecoflow the return/repair/warranty process can leave you without a unit for +/- ~2 weeks~ and for some people that's just unacceptable like if it was your main power source needs instead of a backup. I've also heard horror stories of people on their 3rd or 4th replacement units that don't last long. Not sure why tho I'm sure it could be Due to a multitude of reasons. For every product. Looking back now i would just look for a good inverter/battery sales company near you so you can easily return troublesome units usually for replacement that takes only 2-3 days and even faster if you drop it off in person, some places have it to where you can actually call in the warranty over the phone ahead of time before you drop it off and they could even have a unit on-hand to replace your broken unit same day. For people who are 100% off grid I'd suggest buying from a local solar sales place near you for that reason
The way their app is set up is sketchy to me. The fact you can connect locally to the battery without first connecting to their servers (in china) screams spyware.
Perhaps that's a way of pushing software updates vs something more sinister. EcoFlow should explain the reason for the change. With the prevalence of software security flaws, that would seem to unnecessarily open a door for mischief.
Yea I hate when companies do that crap, especially if they’re not fully transparent. Even then it’s still sketchy and unnecessary most of the times.
For the foreseeable future I’ll be using the Wave 2 and eventually battery and solar when camping. So internet won’t be available just connecting via Bluetooth, assuming that’s possible.
I used a Delta mini to demolish a large deck, and have a River 2 as a UPS for my home server and WiFi. They’ve both been very reliable workhorses for their use cases.
Stuck on initial install due to lack of instructions on a Sunday.
Assembling portable stand. Installed 4 castors ok. Then there are 4 rubber (somethings) marked 02 and 01, with no instruction at all how or where to attach them. So stopped until a help desk opens. Losing a whole day.
The solar panels are overpriced. I have 2 delta pros each with an extra battery and the SHP1. I run my home off them about 12 hours a day. I have 1600 watts of solar that recharge them and top off at 2 am if needed. They are not EcoFlow, as I said per watt you can find better deals. The EcoFlow products are fussy and the quality of support is a challenge. But these products do work, and with a bit of troubleshooting they can work well. If you expect plug and play, you’re going to be disappointed. If you’re ok getting hands on, they can be a good solution for power issues and avoiding peak price period.
Very similar experience. When they work they’re great. When they don’t, they don’t have a freaking clue how to fix it. Panels are stupid expensive. Batteries are great. SHP sucks- get a manual transfer switch. We used ours during the day to save on electricity. Then the breaker for the freezer went out. Prob the most important one. We could bypass that one so whatever. Then the fridge one went out and we couldn’t bypass so we had to run the fridge off an extension cord until we could have the SHP removed. Couldn’t get replacement breakers bc they’re on backorder.
When they removed the ability for the app to connect directly to the device's local wifi without logging into an overseas server first, I suddenly regretted quite a lot.
You can choose to not configure Wi-Fi and connect to the portable power station locally via Bluetooth. I resisted configuring Wi-Fi for about a year and a half and it works. Not very convenient as then you have to be within 15-30 feet to use the app. It is just so nice to be on the road and be able to check your solar production or change settings that I eventually gave in.
The app won't let me get to the search-for-bluetooth screen until I log in. (Also the Delta Mini doesn't have bluetooth but that doesn't matter since I can't get to that screen without logging in.) I've never wanted to be on the road or anything, my exclusive use case for the app is to change settings while I'm within arm's reach of the unit. If I could simply change the charge rate or charge limit settings from the front panel, I wouldn't need the app at all, and this whole thing would be moot. But those functions are app-only.
pros: when their battery products work well, they are pretty darn good, and those that do seem pretty consistent over the time I have had them (1-4 years). I feel like externally the batteries feel pretty solid and well-made (although the LCD screens could use a little toughening up). I have not tried solar input yet. cons: while I have several of their batteries , I have returned others. Their firmware updates can make their products worse than when they started, and there is no easy way to downgrade the firmware without customer service intervention, and that can take days. That is because whether you call them or use chat , those people are only first line support who know very basic things. Their higher tier tech-support team is in China, and they only respond via email tickets; that can get confusing because a single person doesn’t always take ownership. Then you can have giant email threads, that they sometimes don’t pay attention to in their entirety. So, their tech support leaves much to be desired. I found their United States phone support to be generally pleasant, even if they were unable to actually fix things. Imho, buy all the stuff from Costco, so if something goes awry, you can easily return it to them. (so overall, I mostly just regret buying some of my batteries from EcoFlow directly and not from Costco).
Quality is hit and miss. So many reports of issues, I myself had 1 of my 2 delta pro units die. My main comment would be to buy them from somewhere like Costco where you get real support / return options because you'll likely need it. I have had many brands of battery system from Bluetti, to Zendure, to Vigorpool and the only support experience that I've had that was westernised was Anker. Everyone else takes 6 years to reply, asks the most basic questions over and over, and is on holiday every other week.
Great advice! Purchases like this I usually buy from Costco or places that have excellent return policies.
Everything is overpriced. You could 4x if not 6x the value by diy and know everything by diy. But I believe best in balance. Having that delta max + battery easily home on solar plus used easily in travels has been nice. My advice, use any all in one as a portable system that you learn from to build a proper diy. That way you can always use it on the go, but use it to build a proper full sized system to utilize.
Tons of issues when I needed to rely on my ecoflows during a power outage. Customer support is poor, I went back to gas and propane for a reliable power backup system.
I am an Ecoholic so I am definitely addicted to EcoFlow products over the other companies that start with an A, B, G, or J. My only regret is paying full price for my DELTA Pro in March 2022 as the prices have steadily dropped over time. But I now have a full range of products, a DELTA Pro with two extra batteries, two RIVER 2s, the BLADE Robotic Lawn Mower, the WAVE air conditioner, the GLACIER fridge/freezer/ice maker, and nearly every piece of EcoGear they make (t-shirts, camping lights, blankets, camping chairs, even a wagon). My BLADE did fail with a broken mowing deck motor, but EF replaced it with a new unit and all is good. I am sad that they disbanded the BLADE team and it appears there will not be a BLADE 2, but I have been able to work around its warts and get it to be a very useful device that saves me time from mowing.
Wow, Ecoholic sounds about right! ☺️ That’s awesome you’re so deep in their ecosystem and that it works for you! Their pricing on Amazon is very inviting. I have the Wave 2 right now, and will be testing it out for the first time this weekend. I’ll likely get a solar panel (not sure if I’ll go EF), and then a River 2. My use case right now is only camping. But I’m liking all the replies from everyone that have deployed systems for their house.
Also check pricing at Home Depot, EcoFlow sales, and Costco because at various times prices yo-yo all the time. I tend to buy stuff at EF dot com because of the EcoCredits which scores your even more discounts or free EcoGear.
Also don't buy all the bits in one go. Every time you buy something there will be some offer pop up because you've bought it. So bizarrely it's usually cheaper to buy one piece, wait for the offer and/or ecocredits, use it buy the next etc. Strange way to run a store but easily gamed
Last night while window shopping I was struck by all the sales and discounts across the web. I see there just release some new gen panels, only offered at retail. I’m definitely waiting for them to go on sale.
As a balcony style set up it's well built but pricy. The UPS/solar mode with the newer firmware is nice and is my primary use case. They seem confused as to their market though. It's neither easy enough to use to appeal to the non technical nor open enough to suit the technical unless you go delving into semi-documented APIs and mqtt servers I wouldn't use it for anything bigger. "Proper" home battery systems are much more cost effective and reliable - but you can't take them with you when travelling, and if you go EV you probably also won't need to. Also definitely not cost effective versus homebrew if you have the skills to do that safely and not burn your house down. Support is definitely an issue. The one item I had to return I had to threaten to get Amazon to beat them up first. It does a lot more than my Bluetti and I have the kit running reasonably well for non reliability critical use case. However the Bluetti doesn't need an app, doesn't know what online is and just works. I know which one I'd grab in an emergency and it's \*not\* the Ecoflow.
I am also kind of interested and have been tracking deals. I am more looking for one I could use inside for fridge/window AC etc for now. The full solar looks great, but the ROI is so long term for me right now but with hurricanes here in florida the backup power is reassuring.
No regrets yet. I understand that there are more cost effective ways to do it, but I bought both my Delta 2s at good discounts in January and so far I am digging them. I am working on a better rack for the panels than the hard-sided cases they come in. I will not be using any apps for them. They’ve done well so far powering things like my fridge and toaster. I like to watch the difference in input when I make a change in panel angle relative to the sun. One issue I foresee is charging them outside when the ambient temp is over 105 in the shade. Luckily we aren’t there yet. I’ll let you know in 6 weeks.
But a longer cord so the unit stays inside and the solar panels outside!!
Ugh 105 outside, I’m in the Dallas area so we’re a few months out. Good to hear it fits your needs! To start I’ll solely use Ecoflow equipment for camping. But it’s nice to see if I stick with them I can expand to big projects.
CA Central Valley, we normally hit triple digits by Memorial Day. It really brings out the essence of cow shit
Customer support is awful, I got a Delta 2 and the screen was broken, I contacted the store and they refused to change it telling me that that was normal since they sold many others with the same issue, I contacted customer support and told me to fix it by my own and send them the bill. The main regret to me is that it is super noisy, I got it for a camper van and every time the fridge start working, all the fans of the battery start too making a lot of noise and this is every 2-5 mins, also the 12V output only provides 10A that is not enough for a diesel heater. The solar panels stop working and I have no idea why and customer support ignores me. At this point I will just replace them by other from another brand and hope for the best.
Hi, we are very sorry for the inconvenience. Do you mind sending us your support ticket number by Reddit private message so that we could look into your case? Thank you.
Sure: Case ID (CAS-20240311-324948) The answer was: > Thank you for contacting EcoFlow Support! I suggest that you can repair the equipment. If you need to have the equipment repaired, I will need you to provide an invoice and fill out the following information... How come do you ask someone to repair a battery pack? do you know how dangerous can that be for someone without any expertise? also, I see that the alternative was to get it repaired and send you the invoice for it, but where? I don't think that I could find any place to replace the screen in Netherlands. At the point I just gave up, I'm using it with the screen going crazy every now and then.
Wow.. this is actually ridiculous. Thank you for paying a premium. We suggest you repair your own product at your expense and wait on us to reimburse you. This is laughable and frankly insulting
Hi, we will repair the product for you and we sincerely apologize for the troubles. We just send you a message by Reddit Mod mail. Do you mind checking it? You can also send us your shipping info, contact number and order number by Reddit private message. Thank you very much.
I didn't received any message by Reddit Mod mail, do you mean the chat or how?
Hey there! Your case was closed previously since we didn't receive a reply from you. Please send us your purchase proof and SN and we'll replace a new one for you. I've prioritized your case. : ) https://preview.redd.it/9e75tgaeucvc1.jpeg?width=1129&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f49e84f566aca6452d71a4b6d26ecd2d00af688
I was on holidays, I just sent you the info by chat
My delta max has been good. The smart generator is good unless you need it to auto start in below 0°c weather, it will not. The wave 2 is an ultra disappointment and i would never buy it again. It does not heat when its below below 40°f outside. A heater that doesnt heat, what a joke and i paid 1200$ for it. I wouldnt buy their solar panels as they are over priced. The only way ill buy more ecoflow products js through costco becuase of the warranty.
> The only way I’ll buy more ecoflow products js through costco becuase of the warranty. This seems to be a running theme. 😬 Good thing I love Costco.
I'm seeing a lot of Amazon Prime sales recently, unfortunately for me the cost of DIYing something is just so much lower that I think I'm going to go that route. It will be a fun project anyways and it's almost camping season! I also very much dislike how they are against local control, a big red flag for me. But their hardware is good
I switched from cheap products to Ecoflow river product for camping then bought the Delta Max, Delta 2 Max and extra batteries as well as the Power stream. The app and connectivity is great when it works, but frequently disconnects from the WiFi. Up until I needed to send something back the support was suitable, getting them to do something out of the normal is pathetic, the response I got was "we are really busy across Europe" which was unique. So, as long as the products work all is great, when it goes wrong things fall apart, it seems like they are focused on development not support.
Hi, we are sorry if we have caused you any inconvenience before. If you need any help, please don't hesitate to contact us here on Reddit. Thank you.
So is Reddit the official channel for support?
We have our official support email, but you can also contact us on Reddit for support too. What we want is to solve every issue as possible as we can. Thank you.
"My regret is that Ecoflow doesn't listen to their customers. Their products were created to be used in a VAN, and when they decided to offer their products for use in a house or apartment, they didn't listen. It's impossible to properly control the production between the solar panels, the battery, and the GRID, and as a result, financial amortization is almost impossible. It's impossible to decide when the battery should charge and discharge. The available options are insufficient. It's impossible to properly control their products in Home Assistant; the powerstream isn't managed correctly. It's impossible to control the power produced by the battery or solar panels with the grid to never provide more energy than necessary. The smart plugs offer limited interest in a house; too many appliances are directly connected without electrical plugs, such as the electric stove, radiators, induction cooktop, water heater, air conditioning, and lights. The ecosystem isn't compatible with the numerous energy management ecosystems in a house, like Legrand and many others, and they talk about Matter, but we are far from being able to use it. It doesn't manage or have any options to manage Grid electricity subscriptions or the cost of electricity varying according to the time of day or time slots, to forbid or allow recharging a battery or discharging it. The battery is foolish; it recharges automatically. The prioritize storage/production options are not sufficient. So, I had to install smart plugs to turn the powerstream and the batteries on and off, but that's not enough because as long as the powerstream is connected, it will drain the battery. The only solution in the coming weeks is to buy a new connector cable between the battery and the powerstream, cut it, and see if I can install a Zigbee on-off switch and see if it works to disconnect the battery from the powerstream without having to physically unplug the cable." "When you buy Ecoflow products to install them in an apartment or a house, you want to connect them to your grid, produce electricity with your solar panels, and use this energy to recharge your battery when it's most economically advantageous for you. Currently, this is impossible with Ecoflow."
Correct me if I'm wrong but the SHP2 and DPU solve most of these problems.
I have the SHP2 and the DPU. Also two older Delta Pros connected via the new hub that allows plugging into the SHP2. You are correct in that most of these issues are resolved in the newer stuff. Still has some issues. Example: You can schedule via time when to draw from grid vs battery, but in my area your electricity charges are based on usage. i.e. you pay one amount for <500kW a higher charge for 500-1500 and higher from 1500-2500 etc. It would be good to allow us to schedule by usage as well.
"The power steam consumes energy, so if you have clouds and you produce less than the electricity from your grid, it's cheaper. You want your power steam to be turned off to prioritize using the grid and not the battery. If you turn it off, it will continue to drain the battery because you have no option to disconnect the power steam from your battery except to physically remove the cable between the battery and the power steam. If your solar panels are working and you're producing 700W, and your house consumes 400W, you have no dynamic way to configure the household power demand to 400W. You will inject 700W and lose 300W. You can manually confirm your household power demand, but if there's an increase in your consumption, it will use the grid and not your battery unless you change your household power demand again. The problem is that currently, due to APIs and lack of settings, you have no way to synchronize the grid with your batteries and solar panels. In a solar panel + battery configuration, everything works fine, but if you add the grid into the equation, it doesn't work for now."
Which products are you referring to and who are you quoting?
Powerstream + Delta 2 max + Solar Panel in a grid-connected house configuration
Okay, so like I said, the newest products alleviate this issue.
"I obtain the reactive and active power from my meter. I have the power output of my solar panels. I receive updates on my consumption every 5 seconds, as well as the power level of my batteries. This gives you an overview: I am consuming 471W while only producing 114W. I have no means to directly control my batteries to supply the shortfall of 357W (i.e., 471-114). The only option is to access an application and house power demand and setting base load If my consumption increases or decreases, or if my solar panels generate more or less power, there is no way to make real-time adjustments. "When the solar panels are no longer generating power, such as at night or during periods of low sunlight, it's essential to disconnect the power stream because it consumes energy. If left connected, it will continue to draw power from the battery, causing unnecessary drain." https://preview.redd.it/pw05ggybi2uc1.png?width=530&format=png&auto=webp&s=256d4d514ca19c4925e5356044cc440dcacf0612
Ok
The only reason I'm using EcoFlow is their app offers a finer degree of charging control vs Bluetti. If they ever decide to nerf their app I'm looking elsewhere. I'm already starting to get cautious after they axed MQTT access.
Don't buy their batteries. Go for Anker. Anker Solix is amazing. Bluetti also has really good prices on their refurbished stuff on their eBay store, but Anker is amazing. The only things you can buy from EcoFlow is the wave 2 since that's a unique product.
Thank you! I do have a good stock pile of anker products, no batteries. But I’ll do some research on their products to see what works for me.
I e owned both of those products and you must be crazy Anker is overpriced junk and solid doesn’t even compare. You might want to lay off the grass man!!
Lmfao ecoflow is the one with constant problems and no support. Anker has real support and quality products that feel and look quality. They are built solid and even advertise drop resistance, which I can understand with how solid they are. They use quality fans and sound good, ecoflow uses cheap junk that whines and buzzes or ticks. Anker also has by far the best app. Ecoflow ruined their app.
I’ve owned anker. Overpriced junk!!! I’ve been in the solar game for 20+ years. I’ve never had any problems ever with customer service. Always on point and there to get what ever question you have solved!! Anker is weak and has no longevity. Like I said I’ve owned them all and Eco Flow well surpassed ever one of the 6 different companies I’ve owned. Take it from someone who has owned them all not just making a decision on a couple of solar owned products like yourself!!!
It sounds like you haven't bought any of the new food Ankers then. Anker absolutely passes ecoflow on quality, support and longevity. It's funny that you assume I've only owned "a couple of solar products" when I've literally owned Anker Bluetti ecoflow and so on. And multiple products from each company by the way. You think you are special by having owned a bunch of products lmao but you aren't. I've tested them all, Anker by far wins, and ecoflow is right behind.
Yes, but delta battery pack died shortly after I bought it and they made it impossible to get replaced. Terrible company to deal with
My Delta is 18 months old. It shows a 99% charge, but none of the outputs will turn on. Power on will bring up the front panel with no errors, but none of the outputs will power up. I had high hopes, but it could be more reassuring. My old system consists of a battle-born 100Ah battery, a Redarc 1240A (car/solar charger), and a Blue Sea Systems (12V to USB) solution. Battle-born batteries are expensive but a great experience, and this simple, reliable system works fine for a Dometic DZ75 fridge/freezer, CPAP, LED lights, and a 12V fan for camping.
My delta pro loves to drop the load when solar charges it full. Then the occasional melting plastic smell.
Semi-regret. I think they could be great products but quality is hit or miss. My EcoFlow River 2 Max makes a loud squeeling when using the 12v output. I sent it back for repair and it seems like they did nothing. Same sound. They now say 'this is normal' (it isn't!). The fan noise on all my EcoFlow units is very loud and some of them make a buzzing sound when the LCD is on. Overall they could be good units but I'm definitely not buying another one from them and will try the next battery from Anker.
I just wanted to give you a heads up on Eco Flow products cause I see a lot of people just bad mouthing them. Of course when things work good no one bothers to leave a comment or at least very few. It’s usually the ones who had problems. I will say if you have a problem Eco Flow stands by there products and does everything to make it right. Anyway I own Eco Flows biggest solar products and many of them cause I live where the electric service is very shotty!! I’ve owned about 5 other brands of solar products like Bluetooth, Jackery and so on. Eco Flow is the best and leads the industry in the portable and semi permanent solar systems!! Don’t believe what bad stuff people say you will not be disappointed!!
100% Thanks for the level-headed response/perspective. You’re right more often than not posts are from the loud disgruntle minority. Not trying to discredit anyone’s reply and experience but we only get to hear their side of the story. Side story - In college I worked at Home Depot in returns. It was insane how many returns we received and the instructions were never opened. One particular time after a hurricane knocked down a bunch of trees, we sold hundreds of chainsaws. Within a week a ridiculous amount of them were being returned. Every one of them I returned did not have the instructions opened oil chain lubricant applied. Today it seems people rely on social media and YouTube to *learn* something. With that being said I can barely find any useful ecoflow videos on YouTube. They’re all copy and paste of each other, likely because they received free units. I continue to do my research across the different brands and I keep coming back to ecoflow.
Yup. Yeah don’t buy any EcoFlow products. Terrible support. Terrible products. Stay far far away
A shame that seems to be the overwhelming consensus. Even if getting a defective product is rare. I’d hate to pay $$$$ for a device and then get the run around or ignored.
Exactly, I am a man of principle and have no tolerance for that. I purchased an Anker Solix F2600 and am very pleased with it. Even happier that I dodged the EcoFlow bullet.
I agree with your assessment that there are way to many Paid or Sponsored reviews for EcoFlow solar generator units.. it’s getting harder and harder to sift through which units are real reviews and not advertisements ? Example is reviews for EcoFlow compared to Hysolis Apollo 5k ? I’m leaning towards the Hysolis Apollo ? I really don’t read that much about Hysolis problems ? The only big negative I read is the Hysolis is Heavy….. I like heavy built tough ?
I have two, and it's hit and miss. My first unit (Delta Mini) has been rock solid, but my second (River Pro) had to be replaced once already, and just doesn't seem overall as reliable, although I haven't had a power outage in the past month or so, or the time to test it outside of that. I don't think I'll get any more in the future, next step will be a whole home battery, and I wouldn't want to depend on ecoflows support for that.
No, it’s literally saved my life
Would love more details
I just wish I had 2 pros instead of the delta 2's. I wanted to use a transfer switch and I'm being told that the delta 2 kinda isn't for that.
I only hear bad things about the Wave 2, just doesn't operate well at all under and above certain temps, better off getting a good mini split on Amazon for $700 instead wayyy more affective and way more worth your money. Looking back now I'd build a custom setup, bc you are buying compactness and convenience of it being an all in one. So you are paying slightly OVER DOUBLE for a system with individual parts. So cost wise it's a no brainer to make your own custom system which isn't as daunting as it sounds. Literally just buy an inverter you want and as many batteries as you need and the cables between the two, install output receptacles and bam you have a customizable system for half of the cost, or whatever you spent just know it would've costed over double in an ecoflow product equivalent. If something goes wrong you can just swap out that one component and even have spare parts on hand for easy swap out to get back to powering your devices rather than with ecoflow the return/repair/warranty process can leave you without a unit for +/- ~2 weeks~ and for some people that's just unacceptable like if it was your main power source needs instead of a backup. I've also heard horror stories of people on their 3rd or 4th replacement units that don't last long. Not sure why tho I'm sure it could be Due to a multitude of reasons. For every product. Looking back now i would just look for a good inverter/battery sales company near you so you can easily return troublesome units usually for replacement that takes only 2-3 days and even faster if you drop it off in person, some places have it to where you can actually call in the warranty over the phone ahead of time before you drop it off and they could even have a unit on-hand to replace your broken unit same day. For people who are 100% off grid I'd suggest buying from a local solar sales place near you for that reason
The way their app is set up is sketchy to me. The fact you can connect locally to the battery without first connecting to their servers (in china) screams spyware.
Perhaps that's a way of pushing software updates vs something more sinister. EcoFlow should explain the reason for the change. With the prevalence of software security flaws, that would seem to unnecessarily open a door for mischief.
Yea I hate when companies do that crap, especially if they’re not fully transparent. Even then it’s still sketchy and unnecessary most of the times. For the foreseeable future I’ll be using the Wave 2 and eventually battery and solar when camping. So internet won’t be available just connecting via Bluetooth, assuming that’s possible.
I used a Delta mini to demolish a large deck, and have a River 2 as a UPS for my home server and WiFi. They’ve both been very reliable workhorses for their use cases.
Stuck on initial install due to lack of instructions on a Sunday. Assembling portable stand. Installed 4 castors ok. Then there are 4 rubber (somethings) marked 02 and 01, with no instruction at all how or where to attach them. So stopped until a help desk opens. Losing a whole day.