Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This product is more than you bargained for. I am using it for an off the grid application. I run 750 watt hours of high intensity flourescents and a 300 watt hour kerosene heater. I was using a generator but the noise gets to you. What i didn't realize getting into this is that 12 32 watt fluorescent bulbs can only be run for about an hour + 1/2. So I attached 2 marine deep cycle 100 amp hour battery to the anderson ports on the back and now I can run three hours, But the two solar panels (boulder 30)s are only able to charge the yeti after a good day and you need at least 2 more panels to get both the yeti and the marine batteries charged up. I purchased two other real solar panels (120 watts each) (too bad goal zero doesn't have them)to make charging easier-- but these needed to go into the anderson connectors on the front. So now i can get 360 watts peak input (actually measured 330 yesterday) The tech support at goal zero is good, patient (Jacob kudos to you) and willing to recommend things that they don't sell yet. Video shows my setup and how things are hooked up. I did not know much about solar power to begin, but working with this unit has really forced an education upon me. The power plugs available are good. This unit is heavy, heavy. The capacity of the unit output wise (1250 watt continuous)is usable. The charge controller is also robust. If you are already solar savvy then you know that you can do this cheaper by buying your own high quality battery, charger controller and power inverter. If you are techno capable but not solar savvy, have spare cash to buy other parts and willing to learn new things then buying this is a gateway to solar energy. Be warned that once you get the bug you are going to want solar shingles and a south facing roof clear of obstructions. 7/2014 As a follow up, the system is still working well. No complaints. Have since rewired the battery bank to better charge it uniformly. I built a large vegetable greenhouse on a remote property and using my accumulated knowledge bought 4 100 watt 12v panels (125$ each), a midrange 40 amp mppt charge controller(190), a 1500 watt inverter (140), 4 100 + amp hr golf cart batts (140 each), stuck it in a cheaper plastic cabinet (59) inside the greenhouse and used it until the the high greenhouse humidity shorted out the charge controller (ouch). I then bought a refurb yeti (900$) and was back in business quickly. I suppose I could have built a outside shed just for the system and maybe the system would not have shorted. As a side note, 4 100 watt panels is too much watts for midday sun now but I'm thinking it will be ok when we get to our usual less than optimal sun later in the year. Now what I want from these goal zero guys is more capacity on the charge controller. 11/14 update Built another greenhouse, so another set up. This time again with refurb yeti and 160 watt mono panel. I added 3 vmax 125 amp hour AGM batteries via the chaining port. We have had a lot of poor sun days and this was not enough power to keep it running despite only needing 27 watts per hour 7/24 (648 watt-hrs/day). Added a second 160 watt panel and still getting depleted. I know that these are the short days and I am living in michigan but why are my 4 100 watt mono panels and 4 100 amp hr lead acid batteries (500 amp-hr total)+ the yeti staying 80% on a day to day basis while 320 watts panels (2x 160) and 500amp hr agm getting depleted? arh! will try adding another panel. After reading I thought AGM would be better but not so far. 8/15 Built another greenhouse and a second polebarn. Still off the grid. Moved the goal zero units to the greenhouses because they can handle the high humidity and the polebarns have 30a charge controllers and 2000 watt inverters in the pole barns. All have 5 100 amp hour battery sets (including the goal zero). Two of the battery sets are 12v Vmax 125 agm, one is 12v marine batteries, and one set is 6v Trojan golf card batteries. I still also have a backup 5000w gasoline Honda generator for running the well and when I have 2000 watt load from a lot of lights (1500 watts), refrig and tools. All of the panel angles are set for winter optimization (about 30 degrees here) (I know lazy - lazy) I can say the goal zero units educated me and still are daily workhorses with no failures. I enjoy the multitude of inputs and outputs. I have replaced the original main battery once. The original marine battery bank is showing its age but it doesn't get worked often. I melted one of the front Anderson ports by putting too high a panel load (and I knew it could cause trouble but Sun is hard to come by in January round here). The goal zero is a mobile compact heavy very usable unit and easy way to get power. A good way to try out solar and get usable results if you are tech capable. Solar equipment is now so widespread, knowledge in the community is growing and costs are much less than when I started.