Industrial portable power stations

Yes, that is standard practice — and with battery storage it is the only meaningful test, because internal resistance, cooling behaviour and build quality only show up in operation. Ask explicitly whether the sample matches series condition or is a hand-built pre-production unit.

Have it confirmed in writing and record it with the sample: cell type, degree of protection, weight, connectors. Without that record the sample is no benchmark for the series, and you lose the basis for comparison if the production run deviates.

Test it on your own site, with your own equipment: your inrush currents, your dust load, your ambient temperature. Set the test duration by your work sequence, not by the quotation. Log runtime, temperature and anomalies — that becomes your basis for any later claim.

Ask about the two separately: statutory warranty and voluntary guarantee. More important than the duration is the exclusion list — wear parts, consequential damage, improper operation. Most disputes arise not about the period but about whether a particular damage is covered.

Have the process set down in writing: whom to contact, with which details, who bears transport, and how quickly you get a response. A clear process is a quality feature. If it is missing from the quotation, it will be improvised in the damage case — at your expense.

This decides your downtime. Ask whether repairs are possible in the buyer's country, whether replacement units are available, and who bears the freight. For units deployed on changing sites, downtime usually costs more than the repair itself — so the answer should be in hand before you order, not after.

That follows from the Incoterm chosen — and only from it. Clarify before ordering at which point risk and cost pass, and whether transport insurance is provided. For dangerous goods, packaging and documents must be in place before shipment. The Incoterm does not govern warranty — those are two separate questions.

Ask about the channel, not just availability: who do I order through, what is the processing time, and can parts be supplied individually. More important than today's answer is whether it still holds in three years. Units without a secured parts supply lose value in year three.

Require a written procedure: replacement unit, repair route, contact point. This matters especially if you rent units out — there the downtime is your problem, not the end customer's. A documented procedure is a tender criterion and separates series suppliers from occasional sellers.

Clarify whether it applies per model, per series or per order — those are three very different numbers. Likewise whether sample shipments and follow-up orders are treated separately. This definition decides whether a small entry is possible or not. Settle it before you calculate, because it directly drives the unit count.

Ask for the Incoterm and for the breakdown of what it covers: packaging, transport leg, insurance, export clearance. The Incoterm decides which costs you carry yourself. A price without an Incoterm cannot be compared, because material cost items may be missing from it.

Settle the roles in writing: who declares, who bears duties, who is liable for delay. With dangerous goods there are documents that must exist before booking. These points belong before the order, not after — otherwise costs appear that were invisible in the quotation.

Ask whether as one shipment, on one pallet or individually — and whether the units are separately packed and transportable. With fleets what counts is that a single unit remains deployable and does not block the whole delivery. Ask for a packing plan for your quantity.