By this point, we’ve actually reviewed quite a few different power stations from Pecron. While their power stations practically look identical, they differ in size and features, which is why we have made such an effort to test and review each one separately.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at the Pecron E2400 Power Station. Even though Pecron has emerged as one of the top brands we recommend for budget-friendly power stations, we’re going to discuss why this particular model gave us some unexpected headaches that set it apart from its siblings.
So, let’s break down the specs, assess its design and performance, and explain some of the quirks we found with the E2400. We’ll also compare it with other Pecron models, like the cheaper E1000LFP and the much larger E3600, so you can decide which unit is actually worth your hard-earned cash.
The Pecron E2400 Power Station comes equipped with a fairly large 2,048Wh battery bank, as well as a 2,400W inverter.
For a power station that passes the “Tiny Baby Lift Test” with flying colors, these are some really solid numbers. At just 45 lbs, Tiny Baby claims he could squat eight or nine of these units at the same time, but we’ll just have to take his word for that. Either way, it's fairly light, but still packs a punch.
In terms of the physical design and appearance, it’s pretty much exactly what we’ve seen from other Pecron units. It has that familiar, no-frills look, as well as the same orange and black color scheme. The rugged appearance is enhanced by rubber corners, which actually help protect it as well as give the unit some extra stability when it’s on a flat surface.
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As for the rest of the specs, here’s a quick breakdown:
Overall, the build is really familiar and it’s one that we find a little ugly, but generally pretty decent. We really love the expandability and the fact all of the ports are front-facing, but we also ran into a few issues that we will discuss later.
While the specs looked pretty solid on paper, especially when you factor in that very reasonable $768 price tag, we wanted to see how this thing actually held up in the real-world, so we put it through all of our standard tests. Here’s what we found:
During our efficiency test, we loaded our E2400 with a 2,275W load, which is just under its 2,400W inverter’s limit. We like to test efficiency by running a demanding load because this is when a power station is going to be at its least efficient, as the inverter, cooling fans, and other internal mechanisms need to be running at full capacity to meet those power demands.
In theory, the E2400’s 2,048Wh battery should be able to power a 1,000W load for about two hours, but that would mean it was running at 100% efficiency, which is never going to be the case. So, the real question is, how close to 100% efficient can it get?
With a full charge and running that 2,275W load, the E2400 should have been able to last for about 54 minutes. In practice, it only lasted an underwhelming 36 minutes before overheating and shutting off. As the battery ran low, the fans kicked in hard and we could tell the inverter was struggling to maintain performance.
Eventually, the output dropped as the unit pulled voltage to prevent further overheating, shutting off with about 15% battery power remaining. We didn’t expect this to be the case, as previous Pecron units all seemed fairly capable during our efficiency tests. Sadly, we’d have to say the E2400 failed.
Still, we wanted to give Pecron the benefit of the doubt, so we attempted to troubleshoot the issue by phoning up Pecron and following their advice. According to them, the issue would rectify itself if we fully charged the unit and let it rest for a few extra hours to calibrate its sensors prior to running the test a second time.
Our follow-up test improved the runtime slightly to 40.5 minutes (75% efficiency), but we ran into the same issue where the unit would overheat when sustaining a heavy load. A 75% efficiency rating isn’t that bad, even matching what we’ve seen out of similarly sized units from some of the more well-known brands, but it’s also not impressive, especially when you also consider the overheating issue.
In comparison to other Pecron models, like the E3600, E1500LFP, and the E1000, which consistently delivered efficiency ratings in the 80-90% range, the E2400 is disappointing. On top of that, none of the other units showed any signs of serious overheating issues. When we brought this up with Pecron, they suggested that we may have received a dud, but that seems like a bit of a cop out.
The charging speed for the E2400’s AC input is decent, with Pecron advertising a full charge from 0% to 100% in an hour and a half.
When we plugged our fully drained unit into the wall, we recorded a charge time of about 1 hour and 21 minutes. Not only is this excellent for a 2,048Wh battery, it beats Pecron’s own advertised charge time. Well done, Mr. Pecky!
On the solar input front, solar charging does work, but the design leaves us scratching our heads. The E2400 comes with a 700W proprietary solar input plug that only works with Pecron solar panels. It also features a separate and dated MC3 input port that can support an additional 100W solar input.
Keep in mind that Pecron advertises this with an 800W solar input, but this complicated and convoluted design makes it really hard to achieve. From our perspective, it’s almost like Pecron is trying to mimic Apple’s “walled garden” approach to accessories, where only solar panels with their unique cable are compatible. We’d much prefer a single, standard input, like you see on most units. The fact this already has an XT60 port, which is what we see other brands use for the solar input, makes this whole thing even more confusing.
We’ve recently started to make an effort to test idle consumption whenever we get our hands on a new power station. It’s a critical, yet often overlooked aspect of a power station’s performance. This is particularly true when you consider the fact that a lot of people run their power stations when they do not have access to grid power, so squeezing every single watt out of their battery is important.
If you’re unsure what idle consumption is, here’s a quick breakdown: even when no load is connected to your power station, the unit will still consume power if the inverter is on. In fact, with something like the E2400, you can actually hear the unit humming as it converts DC power to AC power and readies its ports for use, even when you don’t have anything plugged into it.
To help you visualize idle consumption, let’s say you wanted to run a 10W load on a 2,000Wh battery, so you might assume it would last 200 hours. However, if the unit consumes a significant amount of power just to stay on (idle consumption), that theoretical runtime can drop dramatically. So, the question becomes, how much power is being drained from the battery to run these internal processes?
In our idle test, we turned the AC inverter on at 98% battery charge and left it running for 24 hours. When we checked back, the battery had dropped to 82%—a loss of 16% or about 327 Wh, which works out to roughly 13.6 watts per hour in idle consumption.
This means that even without powering any devices, the unit is using about 13.6W just to stay on. This is an important thing to consider when you’re planning your system and budgeting your remaining battery power, especially if you intend to run critical loads like a fridge continuously.
For comparison, the even cheaper Pecron E1000 has an idle consumption of around 18 watts per hour, while larger units, like the Anker SOLIX F3800, consume about 70 watts per hour idling. So, while 13.6 watts per hour isn’t actually that bad, but it’s an important number to consider when calculating how long your power station will last under various loads.
Now that we’ve covered the results of our main tests, let’s take a look at the pros and cons for this unit:
Let’s start out on a positive note by looking at the main things we liked about the E2400.
We already discussed how impressive the AC charging was for this unit. Having the option to fully charge the battery in under an hour and a half is really convenient. It’s even more handy when you consider the fact that you have the option to expand the total battery capacity all the way up to 8,200Wh if you choose to invest in two of the compatible expansion batteries.
Speaking of which, expandability is always something we get excited about with power stations. Even if you only have the budget for the power station itself right now, you can expand your system as your power needs and available funds grow by adding solar panels and expansion batteries.
It’s something we think is usually overlooked, but having front-facing ports is such a beneficial design choice. This layout is ideal for tight spaces, like RVs, tents, a crowded shelf at home, or just if you have it pushed up against a wall to save space. Rather than needing to ensure you have clearance behind the unit for cables and wires, everything is just right there, making it easy to plug your appliances and devices in.
Speaking of plugging stuff in, we also like that they chose to include a 12V car socket, which is really practical for camping and mobile applications. It may seem obvious, but a lot of power station companies, including EcoFlow, are starting to cut it from their units. It’s a weird decision that we really don’t like, as plenty of camping accessories are designed to run on DC power, meaning you need a 12V plug.
While the listed retail price isn’t anything to write home about, Pecron has a tendency to advertise their units with inflated price tags, then list them “on sale” pretty much permanently.
If you ignore the retail price and just focus on that so-called sale price, it’s a really good deal, especially when you also factor in our discount code (THESOLARLAB5), which shaves a bonus 5% off the “sale” price.
On top of all that, Pecron now offers free shipping on all of their power stations. In an age where free shipping has become a standard offer for most purchases, it’s important to remember that power stations and power station batteries are really heavy, making them expensive to ship. Because of this, a lot of brands don’t offer free shipping, but Pecron does on all of their power stations. As if that wasn’t enough, they even offer free shipping on returns and exchanges for a full year, with that time limit extended to two years if you follow them on social media!
Now that we’ve covered a few of the things we liked, let’s jump into those gripes and issues we mentioned earlier in the article.
It may sound like a small issue, but the lack of a dedicated power button is actually really annoying. While the E1000 includes a power button, this model requires you to switch the inverter on via the app, which then drains the battery to boot up the system. Not only does this make it harder to get a grip on idle consumption, it’s just a bit frustrating not knowing if the unit is on or off without having to use the app. It would just be so much easier if you could just push a single button.
This issue is pretty much inexcusable. While Pecron did say we may have been sent a dud, that’s what a lot of brands say when we reach out with a major issue. Basically, we just don’t believe them, so we’d have to assume that overheating is always going to be an issue if you push this thing hard and get it down to less than 20% battery power.
We mention this in almost every single review, but the lack of a built-in light is always going to irritate us. It’s a small feature, but also one that can be a real lifesaver when you’re camping or in a blackout situation. Even just having a single LED light that makes it easier to see the ports is going to be incredibly helpful if you’re trying to use the thing in the dark.
We already discussed this in detail, so we won’t keep going on about it, but it’s worth mentioning again how weird and annoying the solar input situation is. We don’t understand why they went this route, and we doubt any of their customers are going to be happy about the solar plugs they chose.
We weren’t sure if we should include this as a pro or a con, but Pecron has recently added a dedicated customer support phone number. This is awesome, and we’re really happy to see them offer this, rather than just email support, but it still leaves something to be desired.
Sure, it’s American-based support, which is always nice, but whenever we’ve called, it’s like their staff still need a lot of practice. They don’t really seem to know what their products can do, or how they work.
For example, we asked if we’d be able to use this unit to run a fridge, which should be a pretty standard “yes”, but the customer service rep wildly exaggerated how much power a fridge takes to run for a day, claiming it would pull 8,000W in 24 hours, then suggested we upgrade to a bigger unit. We don’t necessarily think they were trying to upsell us, so they probably just guessed because they aren’t familiar with the more technical side of how this stuff works.
Even compared to other Pecron units, the E2400 falls a bit short. The E1000 is a more compact and efficient option, while the E3600 or even the E1500LFP offer better overall performance without the overheating issues we encountered with the E2400.
It’s true that the E2400 is dirt cheap when you consider its permanent sale price and add our discount code. However, when performance and longevity are considered, spending a little more on a higher-performing unit might be the better bet.
If you’re a fan of Pecron and are on a tight budget, the E1000 is cheaper, but if you can stretch your budget even a little, opting for a bigger unit with a proven track record, like the E3600, we think it would be the better choice in the long run. Outside of Pecron, something like the Anker C800X or even the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus would be solid alternatives.
At the end of the day, the Pecron E2400 Power Station is certainly attractive from a price perspective, but its performance issues, especially overheating under heavy loads, raise concerns about its reliability.
The design choices, like the weird solar input, lack of a power button, and even the absence of a built-in light, also detract from an otherwise promising unit. We love Pecron’s budget-friendly approach, but in this case, the E2400 doesn’t quite live up to the high standards set by its siblings.
For us, a slightly higher investment in a unit like the E3600 or even saving some cash and going with the compact yet efficient E1000 would provide a better overall experience.
Get 5% Off Your Order with Discount Code THESOLARLAB5
The Pecron E3600LFP: https://www.pecron.com
The Pecron E1500LFP: https://www.pecron.com
The Pecron E1000LFP: https://www.pecron.com
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