Vortech MP40w to replace existing powerheads

[Treebeard]

I located a used MP40W, about two years old. Does anyone know what the lifespan is of these pumps?

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by Treebeard

I located a used MP40W, about two years old. Does anyone know what the lifespan is of these pumps?

My first one is almost two years old and still going strong. It was originally a Gen 1 and I've done the magnet/firmware upgrade... new shaft, bearing etc. If you haven't fired it up, go for it and you'll know fairly quickly whether it needs some service. There is a ceramic bearing which is considered a wear item requiring replacement eventually. Similar to an impeller replacement on conventional powerheads. Other than that, as long as the remaining moving parts and electronics are ticking, it should run relatively trouble free for years to come. Keep the dry side dry and keep the driver away from moisture and you're good to go.

One of the bonuses of these pumps is that many components are easily replaced by you, the user. A new wetside is pretty reasonably priced, so although the initial investment is expensive, these pumps will probably save you money in the long haul.

[Treebeard]

I was asking around at a couple LFS in Calgary and was told that the failure rates of the Vortechs are over 50%. Both guys told me that they no longer sell them because so many were coming back defective in the first few weeks of use. I am not sure who to believe now. The EchoTech Marine forum on RC seems very well supported by president of the company and I don't see a lot of unhappy customers.

[dreef]

I have nothing but good to say about ecotech products and support.Mine's going to be 2 yrs. old in a few months.Zero problems, best money spent,i just ordered another one

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by Treebeard

I was asking around at a couple LFS in Calgary and was told that the failure rates of the Vortechs are over 50%. Both guys told me that they no longer sell them because so many were coming back defective in the first few weeks of use. I am not sure who to believe now. The EchoTech Marine forum on RC seems very well supported by president of the company and I don't see a lot of unhappy customers.

Wow, 50%, that's definitely not good, but as I said, mine are going strong still after 2+ years. One thing, these are not necessarily simple products to look after. You need to take care and align the wetside properly when setting them up or risk premature motor or bearing failure. It's not like with conventional powerheads where you throw them on the tank, plug them in and forget about them. The dry side needs to stay dry as does the driver/controller. You need to read the instructions well for these things before firing them up.

The company did have a bad batch of bearings go out late last year or early this year and this caused a high failure rate for the MP40 units affected. Don't recall whether it was new units or Gen 2 upgrade kits for those wishing to change out their old magnets/shafts/bearings. EcoTech have been up front about this quality issue and immediately took steps to correct things. From what I've seen on their Forum and from personal experience with a shipping issue which was not entirely their fault, they will take care of any problems you have like no other company I've dealt with. I've rarely seen their president lose patience, even with customers that appeared to be trying to take advantage.

[xtreme]

The guys at the LFS told me the same thing, they were having lots of problems with the vortech pumps. I think part of the reason they talk them down is because they no longer carry Ecotech so they try to push Tunze. It turned me off from buying another MP40 for a while because of what they said but I recently picked up my third one and all three are running fine. My oldest one is nearly 2 years old. I know run three MP40W's and 2 6105's and am very happy with both.

[Treebeard]

Exactly what I was thinking. But as I understand, warranty replacements and repairs are provided by Echotech. Perhaps a dealer must be authorised by EchoTech or the Canadian distributor.

Originally Posted by xtreme

The guys at the LFS told me the same thing, they were having lots of problems with the vortech pumps.