I just joined the group yesterday and want to make a few comments after reading from the beginning of his post:
1. To Ian Soutar: I cannot believe that you left out a company, BeUtilityFree, Inc , in your initial list of "manufactures" of nickel iron cells that started this post in the first place. I think you know that BeUtilityFree has been importing nickel iron cells since
1995! No one at this point in time manufactures NEW nickel iron cells in the USA (Zapp claims to but no one I know of has seen this "new" cell. ) BeUtilityFree has the most experience and has sold more nickel iron cells (10,000 cells they claim on there web site nickel iron page)
http://www.beutilityfree.com/Electric/Ni-Fe. than ANYONE else in the USA.
2. IRON EDISON, all they do is the same thing BeUtilityFree does. They buy cells from Changchong and rebrand them. However, there is a several differences between the two companies. IRON EDISON is still learning and BeUtilityFree has the experience and has been in business far longer than the start up. Price wise there prices are about the same, but BeUtilityFree has a great track record. After all no one would be selling these cells for since 1995 if they did not work in the field. One VERY big difference is their warranties. Another difference is the
type of plastic cells they offer. BeUtilityFree has a 15 year warranty on both material and workmanship
and battery capacity and IE has a 2 year warranty on just material and workmanship
only. BIG difference! If I where in the market for new nickel iron cells I would go with a company that has been around and also gives the best warranty in the nickel iron world.
2. Zapp works buys up ORIGINAL Nickel iron cells , takes them apart, cleans the plates, reassembles them and puts them in new polypropylene ( PP) cases (a picture is on their web site) of what there new "cell" like. AS for there "new" nickel iron cells I believe that they are still a very long ways from actually bringing anything to market. They have been advertising there "new " cells for about a year now on there web page. What they are trying to do is simple. Collect down payments and using the down payments to fund the initial project. It appears to me that they have not had enough people "bite' and therefore nothing really new seems to be happening there. Developing a new nickel iron cells will take MILLIONS of dollars and research and I do not think there organization has that type of capital. Just my opinion.
3. Buying a repackaged original Edison cell. The question I would ask myself is why buy a cell that could already be 40 years old or older (they stopped making the original cells in 1972) when you can buy NEW cells? The thing that get s me is that Zapp only provides a 2 year warranty on there repackaged cells. No a great vote of confidence!!! a 15 year warranty vs 1a 2 year? No brainer!
3, To STEVE CH: I love reading accounts of people who are using the nickel iron battery. That is where the rubber meets the road and is the true "reality" show. No bull , just the facts, good and bad. But I am curious as to who you bought them from. Did you buy the directly form China? Would be nice to know and surprised you did not say in your post, then who asked? LOL!
4. To Off grid in Tonopah: You ask "how well these mix and match with age"? I can tell you this. I know someone who has over a 12 year old set of nickel iron cells and had a few cells go south, the weak cells where pulled,
new cells with the same Ah capacity where installed and the battery pack is working great. This I do not believe can EVER be done with a lead acid battery set. So part of the
appeal and
reality of nickel iron cells is that they have
unprecedented flexibility when it comes to keeping a battery bank working for a very long time. So when I hear "they are to expensive" one can always start with a smaller set (less expensive) and add to the set as time and money allow. I have seem countless incidences of lead acid cells failing way before their lifetime is up and you have to scrap the whole ball of wax..oh it happens more then the lead acid people admit to!
Over and out for now!