ATB FlowStar 1500 or Laguna Max-Flo 1500 ?

OffDaHook

New member
I am in the process of building a 120 48x24x24 Bare bottom and am looking for a quite return with lots of flow and low energy consumption. I have boiled it down to the



Laguna Max-flow 1500 ($125.00) on ebay and a custom stand $20.00 at

http://socaltropicalfishoutlet.com/store/laguna-custom-stand-for-model-1500-p-1068.html

and the luguna Click Fit connector with thread fittings.

or

ATB Flowstar 1500 for $270 is the cheapest I have found.



The return will be hard plumbed with PVC into a TEE that splits to two 3/4" return fittings. The over flow are two 1" drains. I will add a gate valve to adjust the flow if need be.

I guess my question is that I am looking at over $150 extra for the ATB and want to ask is the price difference worth it and why?

From what I gather they are both the same pumps the Askoll 1500.

Does anyone have experiences with the two were they can justify the extra cost?
 
I use the Laguna on my 240. It is super quite. All I hear is the water rushing not the pump. I'm still amazed that it is only a 100 watt pump.
 
i use both it the same pump in my eyes except for the union on the flow star which makes it better for my application
 
I have the Max-Flo 1500 and for the money it is tough to beat. They occasionally drop to $90 on Amazon. I used a silcone trivet thing as a cushioned base and glued on my own union but since I did that they started offering a threaded click-fitting which would make it easy to just screw onto a PVC fitting.
 
I have the Max-Flo 1500 and for the money it is tough to beat. They occasionally drop to $90 on Amazon. I used a silcone trivet thing as a cushioned base and glued on my own union but since I did that they started offering a threaded click-fitting which would make it easy to just screw onto a PVC fitting.

Do you have a link for the exact click-fitting for the 1500 to be able to screw on 3/4 pvc fitting?
 
What did you decide to go with?

I went with both. Gonna take them apart and compare them to see if anything is different other then the ATB coming with a union on the outlet side and already coming with the stand.

If that turns out to be the only difference then going with the Laguna is way cheaper.

I will keep you posted.
 
I got the ATB Flowstar 1500 in the mail today. It seems that ATB is also using the Click Fitting instead of the Union that I saw in many photos of the pump.

IMG_1371_zps4a9d4540.jpg
 
Hello,
I just bought the 4200 MaxFlow and need to build the base like yours could you post a pic or two of the top and bottom of base please? And how it is held on to pump looks glued from the picture?
Thanks for any information OTH:)
 
Hello,
I just bought the 4200 MaxFlow and need to build the base like yours could you post a pic or two of the top and bottom of base please? And how it is held on to pump looks glued from the picture?
Thanks for any information OTH:)

Sure. It looks like some pivots of some sort that are holding the stand in place. Hope that the photos help.

IMG_1374_zps6c66c6da.jpg


IMG_1373_zps3e276786.jpg


IMG_1372_zpsad707dca.jpg
 
Thank you very much that was really nice of you!:) They only make a stand as an additional option for the 1500. I will build one's to match since i will be using several different sizes.
This is the 4200 model:
IMG_0351.jpg
 
I just got a Laguna MaxFlo in, and was wondering if the metal piece on front of this impeller is aqny cause for concern? Is it titanium?

D4AFBF8A-C00A-4F13-A5AC-D47C439E8959-1835-000002327527A8BF.jpg
 
Thought I posted back on this, I called Laguna and any metal on the pump is stainless steel and was also told this pump is 100% saltwater safe if anyone had doubts on it. The pump comes with a quick snap fitting that fits 1/2-1" (maybe 1.25"? ) tubing.

I also plugged this in......WOW, what a quiet pump :). This is replacing a Sicce Syncra not-so-silent, arguably the most obnoxious sounding POS pump I have ever used. This Laguna is far quieter than either of the 2 larger (1260, 1262) Eheims I have used. It is also brand new so it will quiet from the faintest little hum it has now. The only other pump I have used quieter than this is the Velocity external pumps. As far as internals, especially with this high flow, this is by far the quietest internal I have used.

If ATB is simply slapping the FlowStar sticker on there and jacking the price to the obscene $290, that is despicable. The pump has a 3 year warranty from Laguna and the seller also provided a 4 year warranty.
 
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They really are great pumps at a great price. The first time I tested my 1500 I put it in a brute filled with water 3/4 of the way up and when I turned it on it was shooting water out of the can. I think they are actually more powerful than rated. Is the custom base from SoCal nearly the same as the ATB one? I might pick up the base as a gift for my Max Flo as a reward for good service ;)
 
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