Vortech Tunze and Jebao

rog2961

New member
Have used all three at this point and they all have their good and bad.

Vortech - loud as hell, good wide flow, small form factor
Tunze - reliable, super narrow flow, silent
Jebao - very good flow from any model, silent, hit or miss reliability

So take your pick, Ive had mostly Jebaos throughout the years. After getting the more expensive powerheads, I do not see the need for them. The same can be accomplished for a much cheaper price. While the vortechs are good, they cost too much to rebuild them, and the cost of parts are much higher then a rebuild from jebao and tunze. Why pay $75 for a new wetside instead of getting a new impeller for less than $10 from tunze or jebao. Have used, wp40, wp25, rw4, rw8, rw15, mp40, tunze 6125. If you keep up with maintenance on the jebaos, they will last. The wp40 ive had for 4 years now still runs, but needs new ceramic bearings. The rw15 is the only one that has completely failed on me and it is the newest one, purchased last year. All other are chugging along.
 
Have used all three at this point and they all have their good and bad.

Vortech - loud as hell, good wide flow, small form factor
Tunze - reliable, super narrow flow, silent
Jebao - very good flow from any model, silent, hit or miss reliability

So take your pick, Ive had mostly Jebaos throughout the years. After getting the more expensive powerheads, I do not see the need for them. The same can be accomplished for a much cheaper price. While the vortechs are good, they cost too much to rebuild them, and the cost of parts are much higher then a rebuild from jebao and tunze. Why pay $75 for a new wetside instead of getting a new impeller for less than $10 from tunze or jebao. Have used, wp40, wp25, rw4, rw8, rw15, mp40, tunze 6125. If you keep up with maintenance on the jebaos, they will last. The wp40 ive had for 4 years now still runs, but needs new ceramic bearings. The rw15 is the only one that has completely failed on me and it is the newest one, purchased last year. All other are chugging along.

Just got my first two Jebao pumps. I am incredibly impressed with the amount of water these things can move. I only have 1 running in my tank because if I run both, there will be water everywhere. That pump is set at 2 of 10. We will have to see how long they last.
 
Did you try the Quiet Drive from Vortech? The one I had was dead silent. I couldn't believe the difference between the ES and QD.

I have had many Tunze over the years and they are bulletproof IME. They are quiet but they are also insulated by water so that helps quiet them down.

Never owned a Jebao pump of any kind. I can find used Tunze for roughly the same price and I would much rather support them if I need new parts. With that said, my buddy is setting up a 180 and we are looking at the Jebao pumps for him since budget is very strict. So I will finally get to see them in person and check them out.
 
Try them out, they really aren't as bad as some of the elitist make them out to be. Theres only so many ways you can make a pump. I think youll be surprised by the flow because the wp40 or rw20 whatever they are on now, is comparable to mp40. The fact that the jebao lasted this long and only now needs a bearing is pretty good in my book. Haven't tried the new qd yet, but im not too keen on spending all that when they should of had it right the first time. Also cant rebuild. I agree on the tunze but your comparing used to new prices. i got a 6125 for 80 but brand new its 200. A comparable jebao would be around 70.
 
I currently have the Mp10 and the Jebao PP4. Both are great pumps. The pp4 is less than 6 months old and if it holds up.. This would be my favorite pump. Just can't justify the cost of the Mp10 again.

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people quickly forgot about the tunze flow rate fiasco from a few years back.

I've used all 3 also, and also koralias. I've been running just jebao pumps for at least 2 years now.
I have switched to jebao return pump and now thinking of getting a jebao/coral box skimmer.
 
I own 2 MP10QDs and 2 Tunze 6040s. My next upgrade will have 1/2" thick glass so the MP10s won't work. They will be replaced by 2 Tunze 6095s which supposedly have a wider flow pattern. Although I do like the form factor for the MP10s either side of my Biocube currently, the look will be diminished with the wires and wire support sticky if I put the Vortechs on the 2 ends of my next tank which will be rimless.
 
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You can support a Chinese company that simply copies things, or you can support product engineered and owned by a German or US company. Your choice.
 
I've used all the above pumps.

Vortech - Strong, wide flow, easy control, work even after a year of not cleaning - The new quiet drive is quiet. My tank was close to the wall so I couldn't use them on my current tank. Great support.

Tunze - strong, narrow flow - easy to control, still works after a year of not cleaning - the new rubber mounts are quiet - my current pumps of choice - great support.

Jeabo - good value pumps - require more maintenance than the others, more than what I'm willing to invest. If you care them they can last for years. terrible customer service, good luck if you need warranty repair.
 
people quickly forgot about the tunze flow rate fiasco from a few years back.

I've used all 3 also, and also koralias. I've been running just jebao pumps for at least 2 years now.
I have switched to jebao return pump and now thinking of getting a jebao/coral box skimmer.
Isn't that the fiasco that was funded and done by a competitor? Then when the experts chimed in they found serious flaws with the way everything was tested?

Yeah, that fiasco?
 
Just a heads-up if have Jebao power heads, take a look at the JBwave controller for them. It gives control of a lot more parameters than the stock controller--max, min, ramp rate to max/min, durations... and you can program/operate it from your phone or USB. I've had one for a couple months now and it is great.
 
Soapbox coming...

Tunze/Vortech - RD costs, employ Americans and have US (and EU) patents. Took risk by starting a small business to make something to be proud of and earn a decent living.

Jeabo - Patent stealing, design stealing Chinese company that does care at all about US or EU. The exact opposite of making American great again - if you believe in this sort of thing.

I guess that none of this matters if you save a few bucks, right? After all, it is somebody else's company and job, right? Nearly everybody in the US is going to have somebody very close to them lose a job due to a Patent or IP theft from China, if they have not already. When you are cussing out this situation,, just remember that if you own a Jeabo pump, you contributed to this in a different industry.

If you need cheap, at least try an EcoDrift. They aren't that much more than a Jeabo and AquaMedic has US support and has to honor a patent.

/Soapbox
 
i have garbage cans full of every make of "cheaper" pumps and heaters and lights stacked in my garage so i can see them when im going to go get something new for my reefs. to put it bluntley, if it aint german, italian, or ecotech it doesnt come to my little oceans anymore. good luck with your pick, i hope someday you will prove me wrong, even so im so stubborn i wont go back to the take a chance mode again zsu
 
one other thing that burns my bisquits is i have apex on my reefs, and should have waited for the german vertex cerebra or tunzes controller because a thousand bucks for a controller is crazy when you have too write code like in a dos system just to run the thing. thats a joke in this push button day n age
 
Soapbox coming...

Tunze/Vortech - RD costs, employ Americans and have US (and EU) patents. Took risk by starting a small business to make something to be proud of and earn a decent living.

Jeabo - Patent stealing, design stealing Chinese company that does care

Bad Soap Box Bad Soap Box! Now go sit in the corner and think about what you wrote!

Competition is good for the marketplace and Japan only made Detroit work better and make a better product.
 
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Tunze, designed in Germany, made in Germany
Maxspect, designed in China, made in China
Ecotech, designed in America, made in China
Jebao, designed everywhere else, made in China

The reality is, we live in a global economy, where do we draw the line with our moral outrage?
 
Try this with ANY other pump.. 3 years no maintence. These were taken just before a thorough cleaning. Tunze for the win! There is NOTHING that can handle the abuse a Tunze can! 7 years of abuse on the 3 Tunze's in my main display and still going despite turning on and off every fraction of a second.

That is over 1" thick coraline and the pump was still producing great flow.
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I had to soak them in vinegar for over an hour just to get them apart. LOL
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Tunze, designed in Germany, made in Germany
Maxspect, designed in China, made in China
Ecotech, designed in America, made in China
Jebao, designed everywhere else, made in China

The reality is, we live in a global economy, where do we draw the line with our moral outrage?
Well said.

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