Lipo Shootout 3 – Final Results!
BigSquidRC Lipo Shootout- Final Results
Our scoring system works like golf, the lower the final score, the better the finish!
Hours upon hours upon hours of testing went into this shootout. Boxes of tires were worn out and the midnight oil was burnt on numerous occasions. From our very first shootout, our goal was to make up a set of test criteria that we believe to reflex what most consumers want out of their batteries, then perform those tests of accurately and bias free as possible. We use as many objective tests as possible, tests that are not based on our opinions, but rather on data gathered by the West Mountain CBA Discharger, Bushnell radar gun, and Pelouze scale. When we did conduct subjective tests, we went to great lengths to eliminate brand bias, for example using a blind testing method during on our track driving sessions. So here we are, at the end of the best shootout we’ve ever done, we hope all our long hours and hard work help you determine the best 4S Lipo for your car, buggy or truck.
5. Venom 50C 4S 5000 mah (21 points overall)- Upsides for the Venom were its light weight and top speed. On track the Venom put out good power, more than you can use on looser tracks. While it may have finished 5th, it’s a solid performer. Of note, the Venom connector that came with the pack caused us a lot of problems, we ditched it and soldered on a Traxxas, connection problems solved.
4. Turnigy 30-40C 4S 4500 mah (20 points overall)- So just what do you get when you pay under $40 for a 4S Lipo? The Turnigy was the lightest of all the packs tested, making it a good choice for some applications. We didn’t have any problems with the Turnigy, it didn’t overheat during any of our testing, but it was down on raw power compared to the rest of the field. The CBA discharge graphs speak for themselves, but the general consensus from the testers after the on track driving session was the Turnigy was noticeably slower, lacking yank from a dead stop and down the straights compared to the other packs.
3. CheckPoint 35C 4S 5400 mah (17 points overall)- If you are looking for the most run time, the CheckPoint is the battery you want. In addition to having the longest run time, the CheckPoint was also a beast in the voltage under load test, coming in second while putting up some very impressive numbers. On track, the CheckPoint had excellent rip, putting out more than enough power to make the largest jumps, and ripping lesser packs down the main straight.
2. Thunder Power 65C 4S 5300 mah (16 points)- Is the Thunder Power the horsepower king? Well, it topped arguably the toughest test we performed, the 30 amp voltage under load test, putting out higher voltage than any other pack in the field. The Thunder Power also proved its real world horsepower by winning the top speed test outright, posting a speed none of the other packs could reach. When driven on track, it’s power out of corners and down the straight was brutal. The Thunder Power is an elite race pack no doubt.
1. Ace 40C 4S 5000 mah (15 points overall)- This is BigSquid, and unlike some of the mags, we actually have winners to our shootouts. So cue the drum roll please- the winner of the BigSquidRC 4S Lipo battery shootout was the Ace 40C. The Ace is a great all around pack, and the first battery to ever unanimously win the on track driving category in one of our shootouts. On the racetrack, the Ace had power galore, giving our test machine incredible punch out of the hole and wheelie popping power down the main straight. It wasn’t a problem making huge jumps with the Ace, it was a problem not to over jump them. Combine the Ace’s phenomenal on track power with a very attractive price point, and you’ve got our winner.
The top three were only separated by three points!
| Place | Manufacturer/Battery | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ACE 5000 | 15 |
| 1 | Thunder Power 5300 | 16 |
| 1 | Checkpoint 5400 | 17 |
| 1 | Venom 5000 | 20 |
| 1 | Turnigy 4500 | 21 |
Make sure to check out each page for more details.
O-Overall Points
C-Capacity
S-Speed
V-Voltage Under Load
W-Weight
P-Price
DT-Drive Testing
F-FitTesting
| Manufacturer/Battery | O | C | S | V | W | P | DT | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACE | 15 | 5050 | 44 | 3 | 563 | $66.46 | 1 | 1 |
| Thunder Power | 16 | 5305 | 45 | 1 | 583 | $259.99 | 2 | 1 |
| Checkpoint | 17 | 5340 | 44 | 2 | 617 | $174.99 | 3 | 1 |
| Venom | 20 | 5001 | 44 | 4 | 562 | $179.99 | 4 | 1 |
| Turnigy | 21 | 4580 | 44 | 5 | 530 | $39.99.00 | 5 | 1 |
Another awesome shootout! Thanks to all the fans for reading, and their suggestions!
Very special thanks to all the companies that support the shootouts!
Team Checkpoint
ACE Acepow Electronics
Thunder Power RC
Venom Group RC
Turnigy
You can head back to the beginning of this shootout HERE.
Don’t forget to check out our other shootouts!
FIRST Li-Po Battery shootout.
Second Li-Po Battery shootout.
First Li-Po Battery Charger shootout.
First Transmitter shootout.
