Anyone else get a wp40 wave maker yet?

[Willistein]

I wonder if these chinese knockoffs will be in anyone's "regrets thread" in a year or so... I'll wait and see. Still wishing I could get an mp40, but haven't been able to justify the cost yet when there's so much else demanding my $ right now...

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Sometimes you get what you pay for . Sometimes you just pay more

Amen to that. This hobby is rife with "premium" marketing and people paying for a name.

If this pump had showed up a few years ago I'd be all over it. A cheap, hackable DC pump is a game changer for people who like to tinker.

 

[blanden.adam]

The way I'm looking at it is the WP40 costs about 1/5 that of a MP40, so even if the WP40 breaks after a year or so, you are still money ahead for at least 5 years, provided that if/when it breaks it doesn't leak electricity into your tank, which admittedly is a concern. Apart from that, there are loads of threads on the MP40's wearing out after a year or two and require replacement of certain parts (e.g. the bearings or even the whole dry side), so you have to pay to replace those periodically as well, which is really just kind of ridiculous IMO for a $465 piece of equipment. If the MP40's were quiet and were really a bullet proof piece of equipment that would last forever, I'd probably just pony up the cash and be done with it, but the fact of the matter is they aren't. They're awesome, but at this point idk if they are $465 awesome.

 

[Conesus_Kid]

The way I'm looking at it is the WP40 costs about 1/5 that of a MP40, so even if the WP40 breaks after a year or so, you are still money ahead for at least 5 years, provided that if/when it breaks it doesn't leak electricity into your tank, which admittedly is a concern. Apart from that, there are loads of threads on the MP40's wearing out after a year or two and require replacement of certain parts (e.g. the bearings or even the whole dry side), so you have to pay to replace those periodically as well, which is really just kind of ridiculous IMO for a $465 piece of equipment. If the MP40's were quiet and were really a bullet proof piece of equipment that would last forever, I'd probably just pony up the cash and be done with it, but the fact of the matter is they aren't. They're awesome, but at this point idk if they are $465 awesome.

^^^This.

I've had my MP40's for a bout four years now. I've had to replace a wet end magnet, o-ring, and wet side screw/nut on one of the pumps.

The other pump is getting a bit noisy, so I'm sure it'll be due for a wet side maintenance kit, an o-ring, and possibly (likely) a new magnet. Those items shipped will cost me $82.50.

I'm seriously considering buying a WP40 for <$100 shipped instead of going through this again. If it lasts, I would sell my MP40's and most likely come out ahead.

I'll be keeping my eyes on the reports of these things and will make a decision in the next month or two.

 

[tmz]

It's more like a tunze than a vortech from what I can gather. The motor mounts in the tank. Prsonally, I never got past the price point on the vortech or the tunze. I use quite a few powerheads.

 

[SkiFletch]

A cheap, hackable DC pump is a game changer for people who like to tinker.

Bingo. I've been looking for one for years...

 

[octopus737]

This pump it uses 0-5 vdc. I got an adapter that was a direct fit and can convert my apex 0-10 to 0-5 vdc. I only wish i could figure out how to work it on a spare Vortech controller and sync it to my mp40.

 

[blanden.adam]

are you sure it works 0-5V? The variable power supply they sell for it goes from 12-24?, and the one from amazon people on the forums have been using is 15-24?. Could you please clarify?

 

[octopus737]

I am not sure how to explain it correctly but, i will try. I understand that 0-5 vdc is for the control of the variable rpm speed from the factory controller or otherwise(Apex, RA, DA, Profilux). 24 volt or less on the power supply will decrease maximum rpm. Power supply feeds controller with voltage and controller regulates it? Its a three wire signal to pump, 24volts+, 0-5vdc, and a common ground. Please correct me if i am wrong.

 

[SkiFletch]

Perhaps it's a 0-5V PWM signal for motor speed control, but the actual motor is a 24VDC motor?

 

[Stusdesktop]

Perhaps it's a 0-5V PWM signal for motor speed control, but the actual motor is a 24VDC motor?

This seems to be the consensus, Roberto over on the Reef Angel forums is actually selling the wire which will allow the pumps to use the Reef Angel's PWM signals. I believe one or two others have used something similar and have them running on Apex and Profilux controllers too. Using a controller does away with the WP's control box on the Reef Angel.

The variable power supply keeps the WP's control box and modes but reduces the power and GPH of the pump itself.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

I'll stick with my Vortech over a cheap chinese knockoff

Funny u say that. I have a Vortech, a Tunze, and this "cheap Chinese knockoff"... and im considering selling my Vortech. I paid way too much money for it, and it is 10x louder then my WP40. For less then $100, this outperforms the Vortech and does it with virtually no sound.

I'm all about American innovation, but Vortech is not keeping up. Talk to anyone that has had an MP40 for more then a couple years. They have probably already replaced the wet side once, if not more (at $100 a pop). They will also tell u that their pump HUMMS all the time. (I am one of these people). I usually stand behind American design over Chinese, but it's sad that Jebo makes a better product then Vortech.


Hot Dogs are Good!

 

[SchnitzelReef]

I prefer to buy made/assembled in USA . Let's keep the jobs here if we can. I do understand there is a premium associated with that. I would not pay double for the same product however, that's too much of a premium.
Now, this power head doesn't even come close to vortech mp40. In terms of Functionality and support. Ecotech doesn't speak or write Cheng-lish, all the modes of operation are explained properly. Still today poeple don't know what some of the modes are of this pump.

Waffleman

That's not true. The modes are explained thoroughly on the website.

Saying this power head doesn't even come close to the mp40, obviously means u have not used one of these pumps. This thing blows away my mp40 and my Tunze 6105. If it breaks every year and a half, I'm still light years ahead of dropping $480 on a mp40. That's not including replacing the wet side every year and a half and the dry side every 3 years. Lol


Hot Dogs are Good!

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

American

Chinese

I'm not sure how these labels are relevant given the way supply chains work for commodity electronics and the fact that we pretty much don't know, for a fact, where either of these products or their various components are actually made.

 

[reefboarder]

I'm going to be trying one of these in the very near future. I have always wanted a vortech but haven't had that kind of extra cash to spend on a power head. I would like to use it to break up the flow in my tank. I am currently running three koralia 4's on one side of the tank, so putting this opposing and having it disturb the linear flow in my tank is my objective. In the future im thinking maybe two on wave mode for a change every once in a while.

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, I know I'm excited about this option as I really just wanted a hackable pump

 

[Conesus_Kid]

While listening to my aging MP40W rattle this morning, I ordered one of these instead of a getting a new wet side from Ecotech.

I'll give my full report as soon as I receive it and set it up.

 

[AmherstReef]

I've had my MP40 for a few years, never had to replace anything and IMO it's very quite.

I just doubt that in a few years we will be talking about how the WP40 had supplanted the MP40 as the premier power head for reef tanks. We probably won't even remember its name.

 

[blanden.adam]

Alright, took the plunge and ordered a pair of WP40 from fish-street.com along with a pair of 15V-24V universal power supplies from amazon.com (instead of the one form fish-street.com -- didn't want to have to ship a stupid 10 dollar part back to hong-kong if it breaks). I wasn't quite convinced the wp25's would be enough flow when they came out, and running the pump at lower than maximum will keep it quieter anyway. Gonna put them on my new 75 in else mode and see what happens!

 

[jaybfresh]

I have a cobbled together MP40 from spare and repaired parts that I suppose wouldn't surprise me if it just stopped one day.... hopefully it will last long enough for the longevity of these wp40's to be determined.

I'd probably be on wp40 ship already if I didn't get away with piecing together the vortech for $100