Had this happen today

[Paul Taylor]

Was flying and right after the inside squares the motor spun down. Landed and it was running very slow before I disarmed it.
I checked the battery right before flight and it was 100%. I check it after I got it out and it was showing 1%. Two cells were 3.16, one cell was 3.30 and one cell was at 3.01. I 86’ed it.

This was a Hobby Star 4s 3000 mah and fairly new.
I purchased this battery a year ago to the date. February 4th I just checked my logs.
I haven’t been flying these batteries for a while, so I say this set ( I bought 4) is just getting broken in. I always balance charge and put them in storage as soon as I get home from the field.

I know Hobby Star isn’t much better that Hobby King but I have a few hobby king batteries that lasted longer than a year.

[Dan McEntee]

Was flying and right after the inside squares the motor spun down. Landed and it was running very slow before I disarmed it.
I checked the battery right before flight and it was 100%. I check it after I got it out and it was showing 1%. Two cells were 3.16, one cell was 3.30 and one cell was at 3.01. I 86’ed it.

This was a Hobby Star 4s 3000 mah and fairly new.
I purchased this battery a year ago to the date. February 4th I just checked my logs.
I haven’t been flying these batteries for a while, so I say this set ( I bought 4) is just getting broken in. I always balance charge and put them in storage as soon as I get home from the field.

I know Hobby Star isn’t much better that Hobby King but I have a few hobby king batteries that lasted longer than a year.

  How charge/discharge cycles or flights in that time? If you really haven't used it that much, then it existed in your possession for a year, but you didn't get a years worth of use out of it, in my estimation. Could there have been a bad connection in how the batteries were connected or in your circuit to the speed controller? A bad connection that suddenly increased in resistance somewhere might cause this. Your low voltage cutoff must have been seeing adequate voltage since it didn't shut down? Anything get hot or start smoking? Did you try another battery right away and  if so, what happened? Just curious.
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[realSteveSmith]

Was flying and right after the inside squares the motor spun down. Landed and it was running very slow before I disarmed it.
I checked the battery right before flight and it was 100%. I check it after I got it out and it was showing 1%. Two cells were 3.16, one cell was 3.30 and one cell was at 3.01. I 86’ed it.

This was a Hobby Star 4s 3000 mah and fairly new.
I purchased this battery a year ago to the date. February 4th I just checked my logs.
I haven’t been flying these batteries for a while, so I say this set ( I bought 4) is just getting broken in. I always balance charge and put them in storage as soon as I get home from the field.

I know Hobby Star isn’t much better that Hobby King but I have a few hobby king batteries that lasted longer than a year.

Last I heard, there were only 3 factories making Lipo cells.  This means that companies making 'bargain' packs are often getting their cells from the same factories as the companies offering 'premium' packs.  The price difference in packs is often due to cell testing/culling and also to cover any warranty offered on the premium packs. 

With this in mind, your experience is exactly what I would expect from bargain packs....i.e. some are good...some aren't.

[Ken Culbertson]

I can back up what real Steve is saying.  Back in the 80's I had the misfortune of auditing a battery factory.  They made three brands.  As each battery was tested it got moved to one three lines.  Same battery but different standards determined the brand.  I was told that all of them were good at first just the warranty was different.  Then the moved to Mexico.

Ken

[Motorman]

Did you store them in temp controlled room?

[spare_parts]

I'm sure there are plenty of factories making cells. Even in the early days 20+ years ago, we would get samples from a variety of sources in China.

Battery life is part of quality. Some just aren't great.

[Paul Taylor]

Did you store them in temp controlled room?

Yup.

Sounds like Ken has a good answer on this one.