Xantrex SW3012 good option?

[boaterholic]

Hello everyone.
I need to replace an old Freedom 30 inverter charger and it looks like the SW3012 would be a direct replacement in Terms of size and wiring.
Otherwise looking at Victron.
Are Xantrex inverter chargers good quality or should I stay away?
Thanks

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Good for what they are, but dead end technologically. My SW3012 does a great job, but keeps most of what it's doing secret and what it does share is on a tiny, non-networkable screen. That's my only complaint. Compared to other offerings have bluetooth interfaces, the Xantrex is pretty backwards.

 

[boaterholic]

ok thank you

 

[Mischief Managed]

I have that Xantrex and it works fine, but I have installed two Victron Multiplus IIs for friends since installing my Xantrex and the Victron stuff is a better choice IMO, especially if you have 50 amp shore power (the Xantrex will only switch 30 amp one phase and the Victron will switch 50 amp two phase).

 

[READY]

The Victron is head and shoulders better in terms of flexibility, diagnosis and ability to integrate. So unless the price difference is huge and you really need to save the money I would go Victron Multiplus

 

[DDW]

Unless there is some really compelling reason, ditch the Xantrex and get a Victron. Better in pretty much every way.

 

[boaterholic]

Thank you everyone. Victron for the win!

 

[dutch-barge]

Remember Victron gives 5 years warranty, and you can buy 5 extra years 10 years total for 10 % of the purchase prices !

 

[SeaGator]

Hello everyone.
I need to replace an old Freedom 30 inverter charger and it looks like the SW3012 would be a direct replacement in Terms of size and wiring.
Otherwise looking at Victron.
Are Xantrex inverter chargers good quality or should I stay away?
Thanks

If you want to be a lemming, go with Victron which is a good brand but has a lot of failures no one wants to admit because of the money they spent.
I have been using the Xantrex SW3012 without issue for well over 5 years living aboard fulltime. It replaced an older Xantrex freedom that worked fine but was not lithium compatible. Xantrex also makes other models that are more intelligent with regards to communication if that's what you want or you can spend top dollar for Victron's bells and whistles.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Pretty sure my SW3012 can be configured to charge lithium batteries. You may have to get into the voltages for each stage of charging, but it can be done. That does not change the relative lack of information provided by the SW3012 though. That's where more modern inverter/chargers have improved.

 

[SeaGator]

Pretty sure my SW3012 can be configured to charge lithium batteries. You may have to get into the voltages for each stage of charging, but it can be done. That does not change the relative lack of information provided by the SW3012 though. That's where more modern inverter/chargers have improved.

Yes, my SW3012 is being powered by 2 X 460Ah lithium Li Time batteries. The SW3012 replaced an older inverter charger that was not lithium compatible. Very, very happy with my setup.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Doh! Sloppy reading on my part. Have you added a shunt or some way to better track battery condition than the simple data on the Xantrex panel?

 

[SeaGator]

Doh! Sloppy reading on my part. Have you added a shunt or some way to better track battery condition than the simple data on the Xantrex panel?

Yes, I have a shunt that shows the status on the battery bank. Call me old fashion, but I have too many Bluetooth apps on my phone and it's so much easier to just glance at the mounted meter/gauge. We often get weighed down with information overload. All I need to know is what SOC the batteries are at. BTW, we have solar panels as well.

 

[tiltrider1]

If you want to be a lemming, go with Victron which is a good brand but has a lot of failures no one wants to admit because of the money they spent.
I have been using the Xantrex SW3012 without issue for well over 5 years living aboard fulltime. It replaced an older Xantrex freedom that worked fine but was not lithium compatible. Xantrex also makes other models that are more intelligent with regards to communication if that's what you want or you can spend top dollar for Victron's bells and whistles.

This sure is not my experience. My experience with Xantrex is very poor. I feel they make the cheapest product out there and you get what you pay for. My experience with Victron is it’s a much higher quality build which naturally costs more to achieve.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Sounds like a Ford-Chevy thing, though Victron definitely holds a technology edge over Xantrex when it comes to communication and integration.