Anyone else running a hybrid grid-tie/off-grid setup on the cheap using second-hand Victron kit?

Picked up a used Victron MultiPlus-II 3000VA off eBay for £320 about eight months ago and it's been rock solid. Paired it with a 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 and a couple of second-hand 400W panels I grabbed from a solar farm clearance for £40 the pair. Total spend was under £900 for the whole lot, which felt almost criminal given what this gear costs new.

The setup runs in ESS mode — charges from the grid overnight on the Octopus Go tariff (7.5p/kWh), then the solar tops up throughout the day and the battery covers the evening peak. I'm averaging about 60–70% of my daily load off cheap/free energy depending on the season. Winter obviously kills the solar contribution but the cheap overnight rate still makes it worthwhile.

What I'm curious about is whether anyone's managed something similar for less, particularly on the inverter/charger side. I keep seeing Axpert/Voltronic-based units going for peanuts but every thread I read ends in someone's shed catching fire. Are there any legitimate budget alternatives to Victron that actually play nicely with UK grid regs and don't require you to sell a kidney when something goes wrong?

@Ozzy that's a decent score on the MultiPlus-II. I ran a very similar setup on my narrowboat for two years before upgrading — second-hand Victron gear is genuinely bulletproof if you check the firmware isn't ancient and the fan isn't rattling like a bag of spanners.

One thing nobody mentions with hybrid setups: make sure your DNO knows about the grid-tie element. Technically you need G98/G99 notification depending on export capacity. Most people ignore this until they try to sell their house or boat and it becomes a headache.

Also worth grabbing VictronConnect logs from the previous owner if possible — tells you immediately whether it's been abused or babied. A unit showing 800+ charge cycles at 100% DoD every day is a different beast to one used gently on a holiday home.

@Ozzy that MultiPlus-II price is making me jealous — I've been watching eBay for months and can't find anything under £450 for one in decent nick.

Running a garden office setup here and seriously considering going the second-hand Victron route. Couple of questions if you don't mind:

• Did it come with a warranty transfer or are you essentially flying without a net?
• Any issues with the firmware being outdated on used units?

@WezFisher curious what made you upgrade — was the 3000VA genuinely limiting for you or something else?

I've budgeted roughly £800 all-in for my office build and wondering whether a used MultiPlus makes more sense than a new Victron SmartSolar + cheaper inverter combo. The office only needs to run a monitor, laptop, and a small heater occasionally.

Really solid setup @Ozzy. One thing worth mentioning if you haven't already sorted it - make sure your grid input current limit is properly configured in VE.Configure, especially with second-hand units as previous owners sometimes leave odd settings in there. I picked up a used Quattro last year and it had the AC input limit set way too low, which caused all sorts of head-scratching before I spotted it.

Also worth downloading VictronConnect and checking the firmware version - older units sometimes need updating before certain features behave properly. Victron's update process is painless enough.

@WezFisher curious what you upgraded to on the narrowboat - I'm always looking at what makes sense for continuous cruising versus static installs, the use case is quite different isn't it.

Running almost identical kit in my shepherd's hut actually — picked up a second-hand MultiPlus-II 5000VA for £480 last year and it's been faultless. The used Victron market is genuinely decent if you're patient.

One thing I'd add that nobody's mentioned: check the firmware before you buy. Older units sometimes need a VE.Bus Smart Dongle to update, which is another £40-50 on top. Not a dealbreaker but worth factoring into your "real cost" calculation.

Also @VoltDai — try searching "Victron inverter charger" rather than the model name specifically, sellers often list them generically and they sit unnoticed. That's how I found mine.

@Ozzy how are you finding the Fogstar Drift after 8 months? I'm eyeing one up to expand my bank and curious about real-world cycle performance.

@Ozzy nice score on that MultiPlus-II — £320 is properly good going.

Running a similar hybrid setup in my static caravan with a second-hand MultiPlus-II 2x120V I repurposed (bit of a faff getting it configured for UK grid but worth it). Paired with Fogstar Drift 200Ah same as you — that battery is genuinely punchy for the money.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet: VRM portal is your friend for monitoring grid vs solar usage over time. Completely free, and you can spot inefficiencies you'd never notice otherwise. Took me about a week of data before I realised my fridge was hammering consumption at odd hours.

Also worth checking Victron's second-hand certification programme — occasionally authorised dealers sell refurbed units with some warranty still attached. Not always cheaper than eBay but less of a gamble.

Really interested in this thread — I'm running a Victron MultiPlus-II 2000VA in my motorhome but have been wondering about repurposing a second unit as emergency home backup.

Quick question for anyone who's done it: when you're buying second-hand Victron off eBay, what are the key things to check before parting with cash? I've seen a few listings where the seller can't tell you the firmware version or whether it's been properly configured previously.

Also @TerryScott72 — did your 5000VA unit come with a VE.Config history or any indication of previous use? Wondering if dodgy prior configuration can cause issues down the line even after a factory reset.

Got a second-hand Victron MultiPlus-II 48/3000 off eBay for £290 last year — bloke clearly had no idea what he had — now charging my EV off-peak and running the house simultaneously like some sort of budget wizard. 🧙

@JG_VanLife the 2000VA will bottle it once you start stacking loads, learned that the hard way when my kettle basically staged a coup against my inverter.

Pro tip: grab a Victron SmartShunt used too — they're bulletproof second-hand and your Fogstar Drift deserves proper state-of-charge monitoring rather than vibes-based guesswork.