Pricing

newkie

Premium Member
Everyone complains that Tunze is too expensive. I agree, but I don't complain I simply don't buy. It did get me wondering, is it the import duties which drives up the price? Or is it considered expensive even in Germany? Also, I know many people defend their expensive purchase by saying that its very high quality. Well, I own a Jaguar so you'll excuse me for being skeptical... things can cost a lot and still be medium to low quality. What kind of warranty is offered on the Tunze Stream product? If superior quality is the the justification for the price I would think a 5 year warranty would be fair.

Thanks
 
Compared to the only other wide flow pump offered in Europe- the ATK Black Devil, the price is half. Tunze is priced the same every where in the world. The price is a result of making a pump for a limited market, only maybe 20,000 people will ever have the need for such a pump, these 20,000 people have to pay for R/D, injection molds at 10's of thousands of dollars a piece, the molding machines at almost a million dollars a piece. It is one thing for a Maxi Jet which will sell millions of units freshwater, saltwater, reptiles, fountains. It is quite another when production is from scratch for a limited market. The 6100 broken down by parts is a $60.87 transformer, a $69.14 motor block, a $1.49 O ring, a $79.07 circuit board, a $21.30 drive unit, a $12 propeller assembly, and a $30 face plate with a $7.35 holder system. No one has duplicated this system and beat the price, Aqua Bee makes a similar pump to the Turbelle Electronic, it still costs $200. It is technically impossible to incorporate all the elctronics and features for less. Now on the other side of the coin- Red Sea Wavemaker $150- 4 Maxi Jet 1200 at $25 a piece, $250 same price as a 7410/2 that gives the same flow at less than half the power consumption and a third of the heat production. Europeans have a different consumer mentality- buy it once and be done with it. Drive a $30,000 car for 20 years instead of $15,000 car for 5 years. Buy a $1000 dishwasher that lasts 10 years and doesn't make you feel like an idiot washing the dishes first instead of buying a $300 dishwasher that falls apart and makes a racket. You are paying for skilled labor and quality, if we were willing to pay more maybe we would actually all have jobs, everything wouldn't be some crap made in Taiwan. Germans buy German first the way it should be here. Mechanics always use Snap On, they buy the best because their living depends on it. Why does Snap On cost 5 times what a regular socket set costs? Same reason limited production, exacting standards, their is no play or margin for error. Our warranty is 2 years. Warranty is not much of an issue relative to quality- Hyundai 10 years, Mercedes 4 years. If a Tunze pump is cared for it should last 10-20 years without anything but an occasional drive unit replacement.
 
Just want to add my 2 cents: Im in the hobby for 5 years and (like almost all of you) spend lots of money in my tanks and used lots of pumps with diferent results. Yesterday I received the kit 24 (two 6100 pumps plus 7094 controler) all that I can say is I'M TOTALLY IMPRESSED by the quality, design ideas, etc. ; I know that Im paying several times the cost of a regular pump but what I have here is THE BEST THAT I'VE EVER SEEN. If you have the money, go for it, you can't be dissapointed.

In line with what rvitko said, 3 years ago I bought my first Mercedes after Toyotas Camrys and Honda Accords; paid 2.5 times the price of the japoneeses but all that I can say is: mercedes is not expensive; japanesse car are!. I learn (hard way as use to be) that all the products that I need and are use-intensive, have to be the best and the only way to have them is paying for them but . . .in the long run . . .they are cheap, VERY cheap.

Just my opinion.
 
The law of supply and demand is not at work here. There's high demand for Tunze Stream pumps, but the price is still the same. If anything, the U.S. retailer should jack their price up to meet the demand. I wouldn't pay for price that are higher then MSRP(by selling through Ebay,) but there are cracker jacks out there that would be willing to.
 
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