Traxxas or Venom Batteries/Charger

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TurboChargedHonda

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I have run Traxxas batteries before (two NiMHs and two 2s LiPos). Have had a pretty good experience with them, but I have heard that Traxxas LiPos puff easily... is that true? I've gotten the LiPos since last December, so they are both about 9 months old. My batteries have had zero puffing, but I've never really pushed them to their limits in high amp-draw vehicles. I am planning on getting some 3s LiPos, and got stuck between choosing Traxxas or Venom, mainly because of their lifetime warranties. Also, I feel like the fan on my Traxxas ID charger (the EZ Peak Plus) is dying, so I might as well get a new charger as well.

I know how Traxxas warranties work (50% off trade-in, no questions asked for a new battery), but I just want to make sure about Venom's warranty before I get something. This is what I found on their website:
"Venom will repair or, in its discretion, replace defective product free of charge for a period of 1 year from the original date of purchase. After that, for any defective product you will receive a credit equal to thirty percent (30%) of retail price (as shown on venompower.com) toward the purchase of a new Venom product of the same size and type."
So basically what they are saying is that you will receive 30% off of a new battery only if the previous battery you got was defective, and you need to pay the full price if it dies due to normal use? Any clarification would be appreciated!

If I am getting Venom batteries, I will most likely get a 3s 5000 mah 35C LiPo, and a Duo Pro Charger. If I am getting Traxxas batteries I will most likely get a 3s 5000 mah 25C LiPo, and the EZ Peak Plus Dual Charger.

Also, which one do you think would be the most practical choice? It would be a massive help! Thanks in advance!
 
Traxxas stands behind there products.
venom not so much(they deem defective)
yo me id choose neither I've been using SMC batteries exclusively for the past 10 years. I had a dead pack on delivery it was replaced after a phone call free of charge.(much better product and I abuse my lipos bigtime..more than 1 c charge rates and run way more than 25% of the mah out
 
I'll look into SMC batteries. The C ratings are way more than I need :). 25C is sufficient for me, so anything more than 50C is kind of overkill. If I am not getting any more Traxxas batteries, then I will definitely get the Venom Duo Pro charger (seems much better than the Traxxas one).

I've also found some cheap LiPos on Amazon and eBay. They are half the price of LiPos from well-known brands, and the reviews are saying the batteries balance well, and last a long time. Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Zeee-5200mAh...1&keywords=zeee+3s+lipo&qid=1599065303&sr=8-7
The reviews also say that the customer service is very good and replaces any bad LiPo from factory. If that is the case, then I will most likely get one of those, and change the connectors on it to Traxxas connectors. Does that seem like a good idea?
 
unless your traxxas esc is under warranty id change those out also to a xt plug dont know your amp needs but they are far better tan a traxxas plug. I dont need a charger that is both ac/dc passed that long time ago..I have a ton of other equipment that needs a 12v power supply and I like to know what my battery is doing internally as in ir.but thats just me.
 
Venom warranty is 1 year free replacement if deemed to be a battery failure vs an abuse failure, after that its 30% off a replacement through them for the same/similar battery.
so far I've had great luck with venom and their warranty. have only had to use it once but my LHS contacted them and swapped it out on the spot.
i dont like how traxxas is trying to be as proprietary as they possibly can in their batteries and chargers, especially when they are "OK" grade, pretty overpriced for what you get, and low C-rating. i also hear alot about them puffing, most likely due to the C-rating. SMC and gensacearespammers are probably the most recommended that i have seen, but i have been happy with my Zeee 7.4V 5200mah 50C 2S battery that i got for 18$.
charger if i needed a more involved one i would have gone to the pro duo, but i picked up a SkyRC Imax B6 V2 for $50 and have been super happy with it.
 
its a failure they deemed failed due to whatever things they alone decide..ate 2 batteries 4 years ago one was doa the other the other after 2 uses puffed I was left recycling them myself had my cc company reclaim my funds.
 
Thanks for the replies! I like how Traxxas plugs fit together snugly, and I still have 4 Traxxas Batteries with the Traxxas Connector. I will definitely change the connectors to XT60s after the Traxxas LiPos are done (the ID connector for the LiPo has the balance wires built in it, so it is pretty finicky to change connectors for the battery). For now, I'll use the Traxxas Connectors, and change them later on to XT60s.

I guess it makes sense that the Traxxas LiPo puffing is from the low C ratings. The Zeee LiPos seems pretty good for what they are, so I will spend $30 on two 2s first, and then a 3s since I won't need it just yet (going to see how higher C ratings affect the speed :D).

Charger wise, I like the LiPo info checking feature on the Venom charger. I don't want to make any mistakes on accidentally entering the wrong LiPo information (like saying it's 3s when it is 2s), and damage the batteries.

I also have another question about how the Traxxas charger works with non-Traxxas ID batteries. I know you can set the charge rates (1 amp all the way up to 5), but how do I charge at, say 1.3 amps? Is this possible? And what charge rate should I charge 5200 mah 2s LiPos?

Thanks, everyone for all the help!
 
lipos dont puff at a low C charge rate .it just takes longer to get it to 4.2 volts is all..you want a low C rate battery why? A battery that is over discharged and stored at higher or lower than storage voltage will puff,high heat high humidity will also make a lipo unstable and puff more.
 
people tend to follow the 1C charge rate.. 1 amp for every 1000mah... so a 5000 would like 5 but 1 amp still ok no harm done
 
lipos dont puff at a low C charge rate .it just takes longer to get it to 4.2 volts is all..you want a low C rate battery why? A battery that is over discharged and stored at higher or lower than storage voltage will puff,high heat high humidity will also make a lipo unstable and puff more.
C-rating is the capability to SAFELY handle an amount of amperage it can either take or receive (from charger).
if you over-drain from a battery, the battery will heat up because it is working too hard and having to strain the chemical reaction for voltage faster than it is capable, that is how they puff.
some of what you have listed are also factors of it.
 
C-rating is the capability to SAFELY handle an amount of amperage it can either take or receive (from charger).
if you over-drain from a battery, the battery will heat up because it is working too hard and having to strain the chemical reaction for voltage faster than it is capable, that is how they puff.
some of what you have listed are also factors of it.
please note, "the battery is CAPABLE of", they do not drain at max C-rating typically, this is bad, you do not want that. they only supply what they are required to unless they do not have the capability to supply that amperage.
there is also the burst rating, but that is not sustainable for a period of time, but quick "Bursts" like under acceleration, or of the wheels get stuck and can't rotate allowing the contacts in the motor to stay in proximity too long.
sorry forgot to mention that as well.
 
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I use the Zeee batteries and I really like them. I also installed xt90s on them.
I have a Traxxas EZ Peak Plus but eventually I want to upgrade.
 
Thanks for all the useful info! You guys have helped me out a ton! For now, I'll get the Zeee batteries and use my current charger, and get the Venom charger later on.
 

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