Goal Zero Yeti (Yeti 1400)

I have run my houses, one in Samoa, and my tiny house here in the States for over ten years on various solar builds, some I built, others I bought. Now, because of the fact that in Samoa parts must be shipped and power is iffy as we get a lot of hurricanes, I built systems for each room. By having room by room I had independent systems , all of which shared the same solar connection specs. This way, if a system gave out, another could be moved to replace it while waiting for parts. I use the same strategy in my tiny house here in hurricane prone SC. The backbone for the last three years was a Yeti 1200, with a couple of smaller, portable units for charging equipment, running lights and tv, etc. This year, after two years of hurricanes, during which my systems kept us comfortable and secure, I decided to add the Yeti 1400, which is my new little powerhouse. This unit sits on top of the 1200 and shares the same panels, when one is full I simply unplug and top off the other...my tiny house runs completely on solar. I use an instant pot and an instant pot blender, Alexa, lights, tablets, a small vac, and never run out of power. The 1400 is great, especially with the optional fast charge controller. We get a lot of overcast days here near the coast, but if there is a bit of sun this unit is charging. On a less than stellar day, it may be inputting only 25 watts, but that is when I transfer the workload. Now, I am, by definition, a minimalist and am willing to depend on solar for all my needs while keeping those needs down to basics. For those who live in more normal situations, the Yeti 1400 is the perfect backup for emergencies, but don’t let it sit in a closet waiting....lower your electric bill and carbon footprint by letting it earn it’s keep. This system can easily run a game room, a home office, a workroom, etc. when it comes time to save the day, just move it wherever you need it. One hint : All inverters use power, so when not in use, turn the ports off, remember, this is a battery, you wouldn’t leave your parking lights on, right ?Very simple unit, simple to hook up, simple to charge from wall if need be. Well constructed and long lasting.Cons: Still a little expensive, but you get what you pay for and tech is still evolving. Maybe won’t t pay for itself in utility bills very quickly, but will pay for itself in peace of mind immediately.

Goal Zero Yeti products are not built for emergency use over the long term. In 4 years I used my Yeti 1400 a handful of times. I always kept it charged and one day it just stopped working. I contacted support and they said the product is discontinued and it cannot be repaired. It is not worth buying their products for emergency use only. I paid $1800 plus tax in 2019 and now all I have is a worthless brick. They offered me a 5% discount to purchase a new product. That was unacceptable. If you are having a similar issue I am preparing a class action lawsuit against Goal Zero. Give me a month and then google “Goal Zero class action”.

I love this. I’m not a stranger to this type of technology and have had inverters many years back when I was living on a ship. Products like Trace Engineering, Victron, Mastervolt, I’ve had them all. But these required external batteries. This GoalZero product is amazing, I added the fast charger, that’s a must, it will charge in 4 hours from empty to full. The charger that comes with the product only charges 65 watts, so that takes 20 hours or so to fully charge. That’s ok if you have time. I often don’t, and if I am off grid I can use my Honda 2KW whisper generator to charge it quickly if needed. I bought the Solar panel as well for quite charging in the Sun. The product is not light, but that’s to be expected with the lithium cells in there. The Yeti keeps my Dometic fridge cold for 5 days without charge, it even has no issues using the Instapot for cooking if needed. Even thought that’s maximum discharge, but it is only a few minutes. All in all very pleased. This product is a must have for those who camp and also a great backup power pack in California when PG&E turns the power off due to forest fires or earthquakes. A Must to be prepared.If you use it too long above 1.5KW, it will turn off or reset, which is to be expected it can do a peak of 3KW, but a peak never lasts longer than a few seconds.

Mainly I got this to run power tools and it does so with out an issue. I even ran a 40 gallon shop vac with out an issue. However the 12v section is a fail. The battery used in this device doesn't produce the same voltage as a traditional car battery nor the same amp. It says it's 20amp 12v but every time I try to fire up Ham radio gear on it it failed. You'll need a buck converter or some some type of regulator that provides constant 12v for some devices. Goal zero makes one as well. The only fail in my opinion. otherwise a solid device.

Honestly it is a great battery, but the connection to the app sucks, which really taints the product experience. Also the 12v connnections do not support enough amperage to work my ARB cooler, wich was extremely disappointing.