Price doesn't equal quality/ longevity when it comes to Ecotech

[JasReef]

I have to say not always because as I am sure there are many happy vortech owners and it is usually only those with problems that speak out, naturally.

I bought my MP40QD from BRS in May 2016. Ecotech only has a 1 year warranty, which seems standard in this business. Two days ago my pump quit. I noticed the power block is not turning on the little green light that indicates that power is indeed flowing through it. I called ecotech and talked to a nice young gentleman that agreed that it is probably the power block that has gone bad and he informed me that it is 50.00 through their store to replace it.

I paid 350.00 for this pump specifically because I wanted longevity out of it. I did not do my due diligence, I should have checked the forums and I would have seen a host of issues that would have stopped me from thinking that price equals quality, especially in the case of Ecotech.

I have 2 jaebos still going strong after 4 years of service and I bought those thinking price did not equal quality but I could buy 4 more of those for roughly the same price as 1 vortech.

Furthermore, the only pumps I have ever had problems with are ecotech branded. I bought the L1 when it came out and had to have it replaced within 6 months of running it. In this case the customer service was good and I was down about a week until a replacement unit arrived. Let that sink in, an almost 500.00 pump dead within 6 months.

I am frustrated. I am let down as a consumer and in the future I will not be buying anymore ecotech branded products. This is a sad for me because I love my Aqua Illumination primes and hydras and sadly ecotech has owned this company for a couple years now. This kind of merger is not good for us as consumers because it limits competition and allows for price setting at the MAP level. It also allows for less than ideal customer satisfaction.

 

[Bradw18]

Buy a new jebco and 2 back ups for what one of them cost.

 

[Broadfield]

I have owned both an M1 and L1... they both went bad in just under a year. Customer service has always been spot on though.

 

[aquaman30k]

I’m sorry to hear of your experience and hope the Jaebo’s continue to hold up for you. My experience and several local hobbiests experience has been the opposite of yours and to date out of the past 10 years I’ve been running MP’s, only one wet side has failed, after 3 years of use.

It’s possible you had a lemon power supply. It’s also possible there was an electrical spike recently that was outside both your and Ecotechs control. $50 is little to invest in getting s quality pump back up and running.

As for the L1, that is a bit more likely since you bought it when they first came out. My M1 that I also bought when they first came out is still going strong. Not to say something could go wrong tomorrow knock on wood.

 

[Water Dog]

One must wonder if the premium price is actually justified. Sure, if you’re within the warranty period, their customer service is great, as is to be expected for the premium prices paid. But as the OP experienced, you’re out of luck once your year is up.

As far as the faulty MP40QD wetside replacements that Ecotech has been doing outside the warranty period, it seems almost like an Ecotech “mea culpa” for an internally known, but not publicly admitted manufacturing or design defect of that specific generation of wetsides

 

[JasReef]

I’m sorry to hear of your experience and hope the Jaebo’s continue to hold up for you. My experience and several local hobbiests experience has been the opposite of yours and to date out of the past 10 years I’ve been running MP’s, only one wet side has failed, after 3 years of use.

It’s possible you had a lemon power supply. It’s also possible there was an electrical spike recently that was outside both your and Ecotechs control. $50 is little to invest in getting s quality pump back up and running.

As for the L1, that is a bit more likely since you bought it when they first came out. My M1 that I also bought when they first came out is still going strong. Not to say something could go wrong tomorrow knock on wood.

Anything is possible with why it went bad. I do have it plugged into a power strip with other pumps running on it. I am not sure why an electrical spike would kill it but nothing else plugged into the same strip. I could suppose that ecotech uses extremely cheap parts to make the power block and that is why an electrical spike would only damage it but this scenario seems unlikely. It was running for 2 years so it also seems unlikely that it was a lemon.

$50 on top of the already paid $350 is quite a large investment for an MP40QD.

I do understand that there are probably way more people happy with ecotech than not. I paid the extra money for this pump thinking that the higher price equals quality and I want to be in the majority of happy owners. I suspect there is some kind of quality control issue in their manufacturing chain but I have no way of really knowing that. I can only read what other people that have had trouble with ecotech post and formulate my own opinion.

 

[stylaster]

Maybe im just lucky but ive had my two MP 40's going for over 4 years straight 24/7 never an issue

 

[Water Dog]

MP40 wetside rust issues seem to be very specific to a certain generation or production run of the QD versions.

 

[aquaman30k]

I can only read what other people that have had trouble with ecotech post and formulate my own opinion.

That’s all you can do.

 

[Newb73]

Anything is possible with why it went bad. I do have it plugged into a power strip with other pumps running on it. I am not sure why an electrical spike would kill it but nothing else plugged into the same strip. I could suppose that ecotech uses extremely cheap parts to make the power block and that is why an electrical spike would only damage it but this scenario seems unlikely. It was running for 2 years so it also seems unlikely that it was a lemon.

$50 on top of the already paid $350 is quite a large investment for an MP40QD.

I do understand that there are probably way more people happy with ecotech than not. I paid the extra money for this pump thinking that the higher price equals quality and I want to be in the majority of happy owners. I suspect there is some kind of quality control issue in their manufacturing chain but I have no way of really knowing that. I can only read what other people that have had trouble with ecotech post and formulate my own opinion.

Pumps in general just dont last.

My $299 Gyre ran 3 months and i couldn't get any service even in the warranty period (i got instructions on replacing parts which i did and still didnt work). Fq. Maxspect, i like Carlos but will never do buisness w them again.

I have 2x MP40s, replaced a wetside at 24 months....was working but noisy...no big deal.

One if my Wavs died at 2 years...thats a $199.00 pump but neptune worked with me in a discount replacement but not ideal.

My $100.00 jaebos seem to die at 10 to 12 months so after 4 years you are tied in cost with Vortech...and vortechs some times last 5 to 10 years so you come out cheaper. Plus i bought my second MP40 on sale for only $290.....

I don't buy at full retail i always but when the sales are on from now on...

A $75 wetside is far cheaper than many jaebos that break after a year costing $100

Now i do have a couple jaebos that i paid $70 each for and are goin strong after 2 years and thats a pretty good value, but from what i hear an exception.

Moral of the story...you need a steady pump budget...they are not one and done they are a continuous expense.

So far my Vortechs are still the cheapest to run if you figure the cost over a 2.5 year period...well the cheapest that do really good random flow and work w an apex.

Don't have much experience with tunze though.

 

[Water Dog]

That’s why on my new build, I sold off my Vortechs and went with Tunzes. Based on other people’s experiences, I’m expecting them to go 10+ years, sans the $75 bi-annual fee,

 

[pirate2876]

Pumps in general just dont last.

Don't have much experience with tunze though.

You know what they say? Once you go Tunze...um...man, nothing really rhymes with Tunze. How about; just buy a Tunze and forget about it..

 

[JoshH]

Ecotech should set up an exclusive part membership for buyers it seems. $30 a year and it covers replacement parts lol kidding....

 

[gar732]

I was just thinking about what I should buy for my new build. I was originally thinking another mp40 but with what had been going on with them lately, it’s off the table. I’ll have to look into Tunze.

 

[Newb73]

You know what they say? Once you go Tunze...um...man, nothing really rhymes with Tunze. How about; just buy a Tunze and forget about it..

I prefer the 24 hour control of a wxm/apex module than using vdm to a tunze.

You are actually more limited with ramp up ramp down, osc, power level code...and the coding is a pita cvompared to switching among the pre-programmed Vortech modes.

The WAV is just as good with half the outlets or less used but..

Both tunze and Wav have a tight narrow flow.....i have tried both and corals seem to prefer the wide flow of the Vortech

I can run vortechs 60% to 90% all day in a variety of modes and corals are open and happy.

More than 10 minutes of my wavs and they are ticked.

I have to run the WAVs 5 minutes each every 30 minutes in 25 second oscillation mode at 10% ppwer.....most i can do. They run a good bit at night when the lps are closed anyway as well.

Hate to say it but i couldn't run it without vortech..

Vortechs were $499 not too long ago and now you can catch them on sale for $290. I am not complaining....

If my back glass wasn't too thick for MP10s, i would have 2x im ecoback mode back there.

I wish they had an mp10 w stronger magnets.

 

[JasReef]

For what its worth I have had a gyre 150 going for 2 years with no problems at all. I like them so much I went with 2 gyre 280's with this tank and have not had any problems. I like that maxspect sends two sets of impellers, that makes it so much easier to keep them clean without being down while cleaning them.

I don't think we should accept $350-500 pumps that only last 2 years. Maybe we should expect a better warranty, especially the parts not involved in any wet activity, like a power block.

I need to do some research on the new Tunze model 3. I was using the mp40 to hit a small area in an 8 foot tank and I need to replace it. Thanks for the input.

 

[Darryl]

For what its worth I have had a gyre 150 going for 2 years with no problems at all. I like them so much I went with 2 gyre 280's with this tank and have not had any problems. I like that maxspect sends two sets of impellers, that makes it so much easier to keep them clean without being down while cleaning them.

I don't think we should accept $350-500 pumps that only last 2 years. Maybe we should expect a better warranty, especially the parts not involved in any wet activity, like a power block.

I need to do some research on the new Tunze model 3. I was using the mp40 to hit a small area in an 8 foot tank and I need to replace it. Thanks for the input.

Tunze is a great product with a great warranty and service

 

[gar732]

I love my old mp40, best pump I’ve ever had, but with all the issues with the new pumps I’m not willing to throw away $350. I’m just amazed that with all the thread that have been popping up lately they haven’t bothered to comment at all in any of them. I honestly expected more from them, I find myself disappointed.

 

[cgdcinc]

After running all Jaebo’s for the last two years on two tanks, I just can’t wrap my head around the sticker shock of the Ecotechs.

 

[Water Dog]

Both tunze and Wav have a tight narrow flow.....i have tried both and corals seem to prefer the wide flow of the Vortech

Precisely why I got the Tunze 6095s. IMO, they’re Tunze’s MP40 equivalents designed with the wide flow nozzle.