Cheap lighting HQI... to good to be true?

RuGlu6 · #1 05-29-2011, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ensquire

Im running mine Odyssea-24in-Metal-Halide-with-T5-Extendable-Serie-p/54244.htm as it came from the store. The only thing that I would change would be to put individual reflectors for the lights. Guess that could be a mod, LOL Very happy with it so far
I'll follow along and watch your progress.

They have a new model line now that comes with individual reflectors.
I will post my opinion when fixture arrives.

http://www.aquatraders.com/PhotoGall...&PhotoNumber=3

The Grizz · #2 05-29-2011, 04:24 AM

I hope they have updated the T5 ballast as both of mine fried. First on over a month ago, sent it back to them on May 5 & just received the replacement yesterday. As my tank is 8' long there was no sence running just ons fixture with T5 so I shut it down, when I got the new one yesterday I plugged them both back in and with in a few hours the second ballast fried up. I am not happy about this at all but I think I will either build my own ballast or order 2 of the newer style ballasts.

I say new style because the replacement I received is much smaller & is built different internally. I will post some pics shortly.

milano07 · #3 05-29-2011, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Grizz

I hope they have updated the T5 ballast as both of mine fried. First on over a month ago, sent it back to them on May 5 & just received the replacement yesterday. When I got the new one yesterday I plugged them both back in and with in a few hours the second ballast fried up. I am not happy about this at all but I think I will either build my own ballast or order 2 of the newer style ballasts.

You know that they say...."you get what you pay for"

Hard to expect top quality when paying next to nothing for this kind of lighting.

The Grizz · #4 05-30-2011, 12:04 AM

I don't know about you but $500+ is not cheap, I don't have jars of money hidden around the house.

milano07 · #5 05-30-2011, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Grizz

I don't know about you but $500+ is not cheap, I don't have jars of money hidden around the house.

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anybody. These 36" 2x150HQI + 4x39w T5s and LED's or 48" 2x250HQI + 4x54w T5's and LED's go for for $240 dlls and that's practically giving them away for free. When one pays $239 for one of these fixtures it's hard to have high expectations. A similar good quality fixture would cost you at least 3 times that amount but you know that you are getting a reliable product and not a cheap Chinese fixture.

The Grizz · #6 05-30-2011, 01:26 AM

No offense taken, I just think that manufactures of most SW equipment are pricing things way more then they are really worth. Take Vortec mp40s for example, as a retailer you could probably buy them in the area of $350 but Vortec demand resellers to sell them $499.99. It obvious to me they are making money off what they sell them to the store for so why do they set the MSRP so much higher.

milano07 · #7 05-30-2011, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Grizz

No offense taken, I just think that manufactures of most SW equipment are pricing things way more then they are really worth. Take Vortec mp40s for example, as a retailer you could probably buy them in the area of $350 but Vortec demand resellers to sell them $499.99. It obvious to me they are making money off what they sell them to the store for so why do they set the MSRP so much higher.

Yo do make a good point here but we usually pay a huge mark up on most items and am not just talking about reef stuff. This a bit off topic but it's just like naming corals with stu*&%id names and charging a premium for them when the store owner most likely didn't pay that much for them.

viperfish · #8 05-30-2011, 01:39 AM

Ecotech has the patent on the design so they don't have to worry about some chineese factory banging out copies. A lot of the manufacturers out there rely on their brand and the old "made in Germany" which is overplayed IMO. Not a whole bunch of innovation coming out of Germany these days. There's no disputing European craftsmanship, but with all the CNC technology today, pretty much anyone in the world can rival them.

RuGlu6 · #9 05-31-2011, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milano07

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anybody. A similar good quality fixture would cost you at least 3 times that amount but you know that you are getting a reliable product and not a cheap Chinese fixture.

No offense here either.

Well, lets see.. what is NOT made in China? A similar good quality fixture? Lets take a closer look at the sticker on back side LOL...

if we look at anything we use in this hobby... where is it made...hm?
I bet you cant name more then 10 items that are not Chinese.
Like for example SWC skimmers Canadian owned but still made in China.

So who cares if T5 ballast fries up? its cheap ($27.89) to replace locally. Who wants to pay $900+ for an empty light fixture and then buy bulbs and ballasts on top of that price?

ensquire · #10 05-31-2011, 07:12 PM

My 200.00 fixture is doing exactly what I want it to do with not one problem in the 2 months I have had it. As stated earlier my one issue is the single reflector, and as RuGlu6 stated, that has been remedied in their new fixtures. I will be buying a new one when my other tank is ready.
I have been trying to justify spending big bucks on a Reef Republic LED, but for the price difference I can buy most of my equipment and stock it with fish. (Just fish not corals, holy crap see some of those prices?)