The Yeti 400 comes with a charger that allows you to plug in to a standard 110 power outlet. If you purchase the panels that are manufactured by them you can just plug them into the generator and start recharging your unit.
If you already have solar panels or don’t mind having panels that are more rigid and less transportable than you can purchase an adapter that connects to standard MC4 solar panels. There is another adapter that can handle going from Anderson Power Pole to MC4 but at 3 x the price of the regular 8mm to MC4 adapter it is an expensive adapter at $50.
This is a very easy generator to use.
When you get it, you are supposed to plug it in and charge until it reaches a 100%. Mine was charged at the 80% level when it arrived so it took an hour or two to get up to the full 100%.
The Display
Information is nice. The display on the
The USB ports are really convenient because you don’t have to fool with taking up one of your two 110 plug ins or your 12 volt and so may devices are USB chargable. The display lights up for good visibility under low light conditions. To turn on each type of outlet/plug in there is a small button above each section that you have to press. A little light will appear when you do.
Battery Charging
You can definitely plug in your battery rechargers to this device and see exactly what you are drawing.
The 12 volt charging adapter is inexpensive to buy and oh my does it ever make this generator even more useful and easy to keep topped up! If you have a UTV like our Kawasaki Mule or similar, you can put this generator in the back and keep it charged off your UTV!
We just put it into the Mule with the panel to take it out. With the Mule I have multiple charging options. With the use of an inverter or the 12 volt car charger cable, we can charge it off the Mule battery so we have power wherever we need it!
This means power wherever you need it around your place, when camping, hunting, or just when you want to have a day out and some fun! This device has honestly made me consider doing some things that I would not have in the past! How about taking some rope lights and other supplies and having a party in the woods that is a bit more upscale that the usual?
Maximum Input Of Solar Panel
The largest panel you can safely attach and charge your
Leroy Brown takes driving around for reviews very seriously. I was a bit concerned about his reaction to squirrels and rabbits but he did great!
The Goal Zero generator line makes it easier for those that want a well though out and all in one power solution, to get up and running with no hassle. Sure you could put together a similar system for less but if you don’t have the experience or want something that is put together and designed so that all parts have been tested for compatibility then you may want to spend the extra money on the Yeti.
Get the right size Yeti for your needs
There are different sizes of Goal Zero generators out there. You may even want to have a smaller one for portable applications and a larger one for back up power for your home or business.
When you start to get ihto the larger generator size ranges, they start to get heavier. For most people I would say you would not want to lift more than the 400 by yourself. Goal Zero thought about this and so they include wheels and a handle so you can move the larger units around with greater ease and less chance of strain.
The
Make sure you get the right cables
If you have solar panels, make sure that you are buying the right adaptor so you don’t get frustrated when you can’t use the solar option right away.
Fabulous choice for back up power for those short on space
When testing this unit, I thought about how the size of the generator would be great for those in even very small apartments. This generator is not much bigger than a bread box. You could even put a solar panel out on your balcony or patio if it is okay with whomever you are renting from. If not you can keep it charged via your car or electrical outlet.
Don’t lose your 110 Power Cord
While there is not much reason why you would lose your cord, if you have dogs or anything that occasionally chew things up then try to protect your cord. A new 110 power charger cord is $50 which is 1/9 of the cost of a new generator. They are made tough but no cord could ever withstand my dog if she was determined and the cord was available.
Goal Zero Accessories
Goal Zero has a lot of additional accessories you can purchase that work seamlessly with any of their other products. Lanterns, battery chargers, speakers, and more are all available and they are affordable enough that it is not a major budget blow if you find yourself wanting something to make your generator system more useful and versatile.
Customer Service
It goes without saying that customer service is exceptional at this company. They will respond if you take the time to reach out.
If you need to call to troubleshoot there is no insane hold times to deal with and they actually connect to someone that you can understand and doesn’t just work at a call center that works for tons of other companies. If you call Goal Zero you get someone that knows something about their product.
Replacement Batteries
Goal Zero offers their own brand of replacement batteries for the Yeti so you can refurbish you unit for a reasonable cost. $100 will get you a brand spanking new replacement for the 400 but if you have a larger 1250 unit then you are looking at $300. This amounts to about 25% of the cost of a new generator.
How long before you will need a new battery?
Well that depends a lot on how much you use your generator and how well you take care of your battery. You should never let a battery be drained more than 50%. The more you do this the more you decrease the life span of your battery. These are not batteries that you want to “deep cycle” like some that are used for a lot of solar applications.
The more you use your generator the quicker you will need a replacement battery. For the newbies out there, batteries don’t just stop charging all together at once in most cases. What happens is that you will notice that they begin to not hold a charge as long as when new.
When this loss becomes unacceptable to you then you need to replace the battery. This is a straight forward procedure that anyone can do. The biggest challenge is the weight of the battery itself.
Our Tests
This generator weighs 29 lb and the 100 watt solar panel I bought weighs just under 17 lbs. It is easy to move them around. My husband set it outside after we ran the battery charge down to 80% and withing a few hours it was fully charged. Not bad for a cheap solar panel just leaned against the house.
The
The Woods Office
We have some woodland that we have been getting into better shape with thinning, planting grass and grazing sheep. It is a nice place to sit and think. To test the Yeti 400 we set up my laptop, a AA battery charger and charged my cell phone.
The solar panel is 100 Watts and even under these very dark conditions I was able to put more energy into the generator than I as pulling out. This means I could sit in the woods all day with my solar panel and write and then go home with a full charge to draw on in an emergency.
It is always good to have your dog with you on a work day!
I definitely plan on doing more writing work outside when the weather starts to warm up again. With this set up I can have unlimited power for my little office set up.
The Vineyard Office
When you are sitting in an organic vineyard drinking wine you made with an outdoor office it is hard to not be grateful for everything even all the work it took to get there and make you who you are.
My husband and I after years of raising pigs, cattle, and goats, started planting grapes. It started with 110 vines and quickly got out of hand. Now we have 1600 vines, sheep, and geese. Our vineyard is organic and steep slope.
We use sheep and geese to eat under the grape vines when we can and then mow and weedeat otherwise. Our vineyard may look different than what you are used to but part of that is because we don’t spray Roundup at the base to make the ground bare at the vines.
This is family land I was given by my father who is a Vietnam veteran with lots of health issues related to the “Agent Orange” spray they used in Vietnam. We choose to have our vineyard not contribute to companies that poison people. As a result we can graze sheep and geese in our vineyards. They keep down bugs and help fertilize as well as produce meat and wool.
It is a nice place to set and it is even nicer now that I have this solar generator for a little bit of power out there. Although we have electricity at several points on the property, it is very mountainous and steep here and the vineyard areas do not have power. We plan on getting some rope lights and a few other fun things so we can spend more time out in this great space.
An office outside with a good view, the sheep around me, and my dogs was really nice. No more limits on how long I can stay out before my laptop battery is depleted! For that, I thank you
Our sheep are Shetlands and they are only about 24 inches tall. They didn’t seem that interested in the solar panel. Our ram, Harry Truman, I was a bit concerned about since the last thing I wanted was him ramming the solar panel I just bought.
He didn’t seem interested at all so that was a good thing! He is pretty good, having been raised to be a show lamb by a hight school girl for a 4-H project. He came with the name and since it was cute it stuck.
When using the Yeti 400 in the vineyard, the level of light reaching my panel was very poor due to the time of day it was and the fact that I was under a very old large Tulip Poplar tree. Even then I was still able to use my office devices without any battery depletion whatsover.
In fact, for part of the time I was putting more back into the generator than I was using. I am very impressed with what you can do with this generator without depleting the battery at all using a 100 watt panel.
The panel I use is also a very cheap panel. It was about $115 with tax.
Reducing Weight
The generator I have for review is the Lead Acid Battery Version of the Yeti 400. For a higher cost of $599.95 there is a lithium version that weighs far less and produces more amp hours.
If you are concerned about weight then you may feel that the additional investment is worth your time. Here is a break down of my higher weight set up versus what it would cost you to purchase a lighter weight version.
- Yeti 400 Lead Acid
- Weight: 29 lbs
- Amp Hours Stored:
- Cost: $460
- Panel 100 Watt HQST Rigid Solar Panel
- Weight: 17 lbs
- Cost: $115
- MC4 To 8mm Conversion Cable $15 (Only required if you are using panels that are not made by Goal Zero)
- Total Weight: 46 lbs
- Total Cost: $590+
- Yeti 400 Lithium
- Weight: 17 lbs
- Amp Hours Stored:
- Cost: $600
Panel
Flexible 100 Watt Solar Panel
- Weight: 6 lbs
- Cost: $160
MC4 To 8mm Conversion Cable $15
(Only required if you are using panels that are not made by Goal Zero. Always check panel connections before purchasing a panel or any adapters to ensure compatibility)
- Total Cost: $775+
- Total Weight: 23 lbs
$185 gets you a set up that is half the weight and with more amp hours. Is it worth that to you? I would say that if you are a very mobile person it might be. If this is just a back up for emergencies at home or at your vacation cabin then probably not.
Flexible solar panels do not have as long a warranty on them so that leads me to believe they do not last as long so that is another thing to consider when getting a set up. I really love the idea of lightweight panels for maximum portability but that is not always a concern with some set ups. You may want to have some of both if you utilize renewable energy a lot.
It is important to remember that even with the heavier set up, the most you have to lift at one time is 29 lbs since the panel is carried separately.
Maintenance
If you cannot keep it plugged in then you need to make sure to plug it in to something and charge to capacity every 3 months to maintain your unit. Failing to do so could lead to a shorter battery life and it means that your generator is not ready if you need it during an event or emergency.
Although the Yet is waterproof, you should still not just leave it outside and unprotected when you are not using. Nothing lasts as long when exposed to the elements a lot. Think of it like a car. Sure it could be outside but it is going to do better in a garage.
The Bottom Line
The
In response to those saying “I could build something for less” I have to say while you are right, there are some people that just want something that is thought out for them. The lighter weight Goal Zero Yeti 400 Lithium may be a better option for older people that are living on their own and want to be able to move it around with ease.
Another option that will reduce some weight would be to get the regular Yeti and a flexible solar panel. This would reduce total weight of generator and panel down to 36 lbs and only increase the cost $60.
There are options for everyone with the Goal Zero Yeti series. Consider your long term needs and how much weight and portability matter to you and then make your purchase.
