First Impression Vortech MP40wES - thumbs down?

[rhwimmers]

LOL @

I tried to watch the video but could not hear anything, but then again I am in the same room with my 2 vortechs
JMO

I think am going to contact the manufacturer and see what I can do about the noise. I would classify it as a loud pump right now. Its a pretty prominent hum, CAN be heard from upstairs in my bedroom (no, its not that I have a cheap house and paper thing walls). Its comparible to having someone using a leaf blower outside your front door. And when the "wave making" option is set its like having them turn the leaf blower on and off repeatedly, which in my opinion is very annoying. The pumps ARE amazing, they do a LOT of really cool things. I was most excited to get a Vortech after being out of the hobby for about 7 years (2nd to LEDs of course!), so just a little disappointed that sound is one of their downfalls. The WAF (wife acceptance factor) is very low with the MP40, and we all know what that means :uhoh2:

 

[RubberFrog]

If it's that loud, something is definately wrong.

 

[Faye]

I can think of two possible issues. Either your pump truly is abnormally loud, or you have very poor sound isolation in your walls. Do you hear conversations between rooms with doors closed as well?

I can't here other peoples conversations. Every vortech I have ever owned has been like that. Especially when making a wave. HMMMMMMMM HMMMMMMMM HMMMMMMM.

 

[mcrist]

I guess if we want total silence there are goldfish bowls...

:lolspin:

 

[JasonD]

My Vortechs are a couple of years old and their not louder then the fan on my Gorman Rup pump.

 

[level65druid]

That's exactly my point. You went with it for aesthetic reasons. As you said, "Tunze puts out amazing flow". But you still went with a Vortech because you didn't want the wires.

Anybody buying a Vortech, and expecting it to do something other pumps can't/don't do, is going to be very disappointed when they turn it on.

How can people say vortechs look so much cleaner in a tank. I can't get over that dry side wire wrapping around the side of the tank look. Some people like to look at the whole tank and set up not just inside
The tank. Couple that with the noise and price and I don't see what the big deal is about this pump.

 

[RubberFrog]

Again, there you go. This pump is not aestheticaly pleasing to you, and it's noisy. So it's not the right pump for you.

 

[homegrownREEFER]

^^Yeah, funny, when I broke down my 180g and went tankless for a few months, it was the silence that killin' me!LOL
I guess if we want total silence there are goldfish bowls...

They aren't quiet, but they really aren't that loud. I know what your talking about, the sound of silence freaks me out too. Besides the Vortech are kinda soothing to me, I guess in a sick kinda of way...

 

[level65druid]

Sheesh. Bunch of complainers. Here. Let's have vortec say that these pumps are LOUD.... That's not true. If you align everything correctly and have a NEW pump (not a potentially 3 year old motor and complain of noise) then it should not be any louder than a normal fan in a lighting fixture. If it is, that's when you call the fantastic customer service and complain. Not come on a forum and rant and rave. You DO know there are warranties, and you DO you know customer service still exist in the year 2011 and ecotech proves this.

Now, if you are whining about a pump you bought used (don't care if it's "one week" old) then you PAID LESS for a reason. I have 4 used mp40's, and one never used mp20 I upgraded. The new upgraded 40 is a million times quieter than my older pumps... Both wet and dry sides. You gotta pay full price if you want to get a quiet warrantied pump. Otherwise it's like complaining that your used car isn't as reliable as a brand new one. Uhhhhhh DUH, you paid 3/4- half the price as new, what did you

Hmm the tunzes I previously purhased "used" at a fraction of the price of the original ones were dead silent even after six years. Going by your reasoning, no one should ever by used vortechs but how about all the people complaining about there brand new vortechs?

 

[level65druid]

Again, there you go. This pump is not aestheticaly pleasing to you, and it's noisy. So it's not the right pump for you.

Again? It's my first comment on this thread.

 

[Amoore311]

How can people say vortechs look so much cleaner in a tank. I can't get over that dry side wire wrapping around the side of the tank look.

I would assume your only option then is closed loop. If you can't stand a little dangling wire outside the tank, you most assuredly couldn't stand a wire inside the tank right?

Some people like to look at the whole tank and set up not just inside
The tank.

And a rather LARGE amount of people would say the vortechs are the best powerhead you can buy as far as aethetics go...... what's your point here?

Couple that with the noise and price and I don't see what the big deal is about this pump.

1000's of people own and love these pumps. If they didn't Ecotech wouldn't in business.

If you don't like the product, don't buy it. No one here honestly cares why YOU don't like vortechs.

I'm not trying to sound snotty here, but it's true. If YOU don't like vortechs, don't buy them. Let those that love them enjoy them.

I for one don't like Tunzes. They are bulky and obtrusive, and I hate having power cords in my tank. Combine that with the fact they are not wirelessly controlled and I honestly have no use for the things what-so-ever.

That doesn't mean I'm going to come here and cry about how Tunzes suck b/c they don't fit MY needs.

Tunzes and Vortechs are both great pumps, as are koralias or whatever other main stream popular pump you want to mention. They each have their advantages and disadvantages, and as such will cater to different people.

 

[James77]

If you don't like the product, don't buy it. No one here honestly cares why YOU don't like vortechs.
I'm not trying to sound snotty here, but it's true. If YOU don't like vortechs, don't buy them. Let those that love them enjoy them.
.

Ummm, ALOT of people may care about others opinions of Vortechs or Tunzes. If others find them noisy or do not like them for whatever reason, some may want to hear of it so they can make their own call on if the pump would suit them.

I for one don't like Tunzes. They are bulky and obtrusive, and I hate having power cords in my tank. Combine that with the fact they are not wirelessly controlled and I honestly have no use for the things what-so-ever.
That doesn't mean I'm going to come here and cry about how Tunzes suck b/c they don't fit MY needs.

....and there are your reasons for not liking Tunzes. Great, someone may find that useful.

Not too many people come on here and say Vortechs suck. I never have. I will say every time that i find them noisy as anything. Doesn't mean I should be pounced on by a handful of vortech fanboys claiming I am whining or cannot align a pump properly. Alot of people find Tunzes bulky, I never accuse them of whining either. Either pump can be criticized in a constructive manner.

Tunzes and Vortechs are both great pumps, as are koralias or whatever other main stream popular pump you want to mention. They each have their advantages and disadvantages, and as such will cater to different people.

Yes. A fantastic way for people to learn of each pumps pros and cons is for other people who have used either or both to share their likes and dislikes. Does not mean they are whining or bashing. If you do not like seeing others commenting on a pump you like, ignore the post. But experiences people have with them do serve a purpose.

Both pumps are excellent and efficient. Both have great service and great flow. Each has different flow patterns that benefit others differently, and each has cons that are real and can be a deal killer for someone.

 

[James77]

If it's that loud, something is definately wrong.

No, there was nothing wrong with ANY of them. It might just be possible that others have more sensitive hearing, or lack other white noise around/from their tanks to mask the noise that the pumps make. Even Ecotech will state they make noise. Is it like a jackhammer? Of course not. The VCR rewinding is a fantastic description of it, which a sound level of that of a moderately loud PC.

My problem with it lies in it ramping up and down, it can never fade into white noise for me if it is always changing. I have heard this same noise on every single tank I have seen them on. Sometimes I cannot hear them, usually in a "noisy" area like a LFS. But if I get close I can hear the same sound that I would be able to hear much farther away were it not for the noise drowning it out. Fans, skimmers, water gurgling, pumps humming, all will help maks its sound as it is a fairly easy sound to drown out. But with nothing making noise, they can be a nuisance.

Again, there you go. This pump is not aestheticaly pleasing to you, and it's noisy. So it's not the right pump for you.

That is all that is usually trying to be said. Some people may find them noisy. No big deal, just something to consider when comparing them and Tunzes.

 

[davocean]

Yes. A fantastic way for people to learn of each pumps pros and cons is for other people who have used either or both to share their likes and dislikes. Does not mean they are whining or bashing. If you do not like seeing others commenting on a pump you like, ignore the post. But experiences people have with them do serve a purpose.

Both pumps are excellent and efficient. Both have great service and great flow. Each has different flow patterns that benefit others differently, and each has cons that are real and can be a deal killer for someone.

Totally agree, I'm not sure why some people get upset over discussing pro's and cons of gear, that's how we learn, or how these company's gain feedback that may help improve their products.
I don't know many pieces of equipment that couldn't use some sort of improvement or makes us compromise one way or another, and this is a great way to give others a heads up on what compromises they may expect to deal with.

 

[rhwimmers]

Thanks James and davocean... I was starting to question my return to reefcentral after so many years! It is, after all, a "discussion" board, right!?

 

[davocean]

Thanks James and davocean... I was starting to question my return to reefcentral after so many years! It is, after all, a "discussion" board, right!?

There are reasons I take breaks from this place, and each time I return it's w/ a thicker skin!LOL

 

[D-Nak]

I think the OP's title of this thread caused a bit of a stir.

Maybe go from:

"First Impression Vortech MP40wES - thumbs down?"

to

"Is there a problem with my MP40? Too loud?"

It's like saying "I'm going to give yo mama a thumbs down" and people respond with "whatchyu say about my mama???"

Maybe moving into the Ecotech forum would help too. But I personally don't mind the banter, just seems like some folks are getting pretty worked up.

 

[Amoore311]

Ummm, ALOT of people may care about others opinions of Vortechs or Tunzes. If others find them noisy or do not like them for whatever reason, some may want to hear of it so they can make their own call on if the pump would suit them.

Yes! Absolutely I want to see others experiences that have purchased a specific item and have actual experience with it.

The problem with the post I originally quoted, is that poster does not own, nor ever has owned a Vortech.

I think you would agree there is a ton of this type of thing that goes on here at Reef Central.

You have people that spend large amounts of money on their equipment. Then those people log on to Reef Central and fight to the death to prove their stuff is better than anyone elses.

It happens all the time here. Tunze v. Vortceh, AI v. Radion, Glasscages v. Deep Blue.... w/e.


Basically:

If you have experience with the pump, awesome.... post away, we are all here to learn. If you come here to whine about why your "X" item is better than a comparable item you've never owned.... your whining and your "opinion" is basically useless.

The above was a generalization, I was not and have not been mentioning you specifically in any of these posts.

 

[rhwimmers]

Yo mamma so stupid...she tried to drown a fish :spin3:

Good point though - I guess why I had a ? in the title, trying to find others experiences with them. Will choose wiser when titling my threads # ; )

 

[James77]

Yes! Absolutely I want to see others experiences that have purchased a specific item and have actual experience with it.
The problem with the post I originally quoted, is that poster does not own, nor ever has owned a Vortech.
I think you would agree there is a ton of this type of thing that goes on here at Reef Central.
You have people that spend large amounts of money on their equipment. Then those people log on to Reef Central and fight to the death to prove their stuff is better than anyone elses.
It happens all the time here. Tunze v. Vortceh, AI v. Radion, Glasscages v. Deep Blue.... w/e.
Basically:
If you have experience with the pump, awesome.... post away, we are all here to learn. If you come here to whine about why your "X" item is better than a comparable item you've never owned.... your whining and your "opinion" is basically useless.

The above was a generalization, I was not and have not been mentioning you specifically in any of these posts.

Ok,then I agree with you. Well, for the most part....there are a couple of pieces of equipment or vendor that people shold run screaming from, like AquaCon and SeaClone.