MidNite Solar MNBRAT Brat Charge Controller

I bought a bunch of these from Amazon for use as 30A solar charge controllers. Basically a 5-star quality product, as is true of almost all products from MidNite Solar, but sadly, it is saddled with a wire terminal block for all the primary connections (i.e., to battery, to solar panels, etc.) that can accept only very small sizes of wire. While the mfr. specs state that the terminal block can accept wire sizes of up to 10 AWG, the reality is that this is likely true only if using solid 10AWG wire, and it would take a lot of work to get stranded 10AWG wire to fit in the incredibly tiny holes provided, and thus, for all practical purposes, one is forced to use connecting wires -- particularly if stranded -- in sizes of 12AWG or 14AWG, which, in my estimation, is seriously undersized for the maximum current/amperage capacity of the device and the system in which it will be installed.For the life of me, and I am writing here as a scientist and engineer who has wide experience with solar PV and battery systems, and with solar charge controllers, I cannot understand why this manufacturer chose to use a terminal connector block such small wire size limits -- it renders the device practically useless, and turns what could have been a 5 minute task of initial installation into a 3-hour chore of trying to find a suitable wire of small enuf size to even fit the terminal block, and then running those small wires out of the BRAT housing to a nearby external mounted dual-entry cable/wire connector block (aka electric barrier strip block) where you can finally splice the wires to the wire sizes normally used in REAL-WORLD solar PV/battery systems at this power level (that is, the 30A to 50A range) namely, wires in sizes of 6AWG down to 2AWG.Before I close my post, let me offer you some real-world comparisons to other well-known solar controller products in the solar industry in the same general power/amperage range:In my extensive off-grid always-on 100kW (12V) solar PV-assisted battery backup emergency AC power system, I have 5, and sometimes up to 7, battery sub-banks (aka strings), and the other solar controllers that I have used in this system have always featured terminal connector blocks that accept a far large wire size. For example, my Morningstar PS-15 Solar Charge Controllers have a terminal block that is rated by the mfr. as accepting 6AWG, and which easily accepts even stranded 6AWG wire, due to generous sizing of the holes in the connector block. And my Morningstar TriStar TS-45 Solar Charge Controllers nominally accept 2AWG wire size according to the mfr. specs, and in the real world, these terminal blocks easily accept even stranded 2AWG wire with no problems and no complaints. So, the bottom line is that I was very surprised, and disappointed, when I discovered that my four newly-purchased Midnite BRAT Solar Charge Controllers each sport a terminal connector block that can accept what, to me, is only a very tiny wire size.Other than that sole issue, this is a great product!

Excellent product. This controller withstands harsh weather and keeps on going. I really like the light controller. It's a perfect fit for the off-grid lighting I installed.

Great solar controller for timed outdoor lighting. Very high quality....

Unfortunately, when I received this item, it had a defect. Midnite Solar was great about replacing it (that's why 3 stars), but the new controller had the same defect. Don't buy this until they figure it out.

as expected

Very poor customer service