Appreciation post: Harbor Freight solar panel vs Amazon no-name panel, the difference was night and day

Picked up a 100w panel from Harbor Freight last spring for my garden light setup. Worked fine, got the job done. Then I saw a 100w panel on Amazon for like $40 less, figured why not. That thing barely put out 60w even in full sun. Voltage was all over the place. Returned it and just bought another Harbor Freight one. I know they're not top tier but at least they actually hit their rated output. Has anyone else gotten burned by those cheap Amazon panels with fake specs?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix_bailey451mo ago

That "you get what you pay for" rule applies to just about everything nowadays.

evan1511mo ago

Same thing happened to me with a portable power station. Saw some no-name brand on sale for half the price of a Jackery, figured it was worth a shot. It died after three months and the seller ghosted me. You really do get what you pay for with solar gear, don't you?