quick!

[breanna-banana13]

anyone have any opinions of the repti temp rheostat?? i want to buy one but if they are crappy then i'm not gonna waste my money.

 

[Sunrise Reptile]

The one negative thing I would have to say about them, is that you can't regulate heat tape any lower than about 91 or 92 degrees. So for a leo rack, it would probably be OK, but I certainly wouldn't use one for an incubator. This is my personal experience. Honestly, I'd spend my money on a thermostat. Hope this helps.

 

[breanna-banana13]

i wouldn't be using it for an incubator, just 2 tanks...i have zoo med uth that i would be using it for. is that the same...91-92?

 

[hoppslover]

I have used Repti Temp 500R Therm/Rem Sensor, ReptiTemp® Rheostat Deluxe 500, and Herpstat Proportional Thermostat. All three work pretty well. I use the third for my rack. Wouldnt use the first two for that. The next one that I buy will be Johnson Controls Thermostat A-419. That one is only about $80 plus shipping.

 

[nats]

I would not use a rheostat for a uth unless the room temp NEVER
fluctuates and stays the same day and night.

Rheostats simply increase or decrease the voltage going into the uth.
It can not compensate for fluctuations in ambient temp. and the swings can
be quit large.

You need to invest in a good thermostat :main_yes:

P.S. when I say a good thermostat, I dont mean a 29.95 special.
invest in a Johnson's or Helix. The cheap ones are unreliable and quality is inconsistent.

Like I said before, you get what you pay for, and do you really want to trust something
that costs 29.95 with the health of your pet??

 

[capoeirajosh]

I use the repti temp rheotstat and is works fine for me. I have it hooked up to 50 ft. of heat cable on my rack. Right in the beginning you just gotta monitor the temp a lot to get the right settings.

 

[thekooliest]

I use it with my UTH.
I was the same way, a little scared of the price.

 

[nats]

I use it with my UTH.
I was the same way, a little scared of the price.

Sam, I thought you said you had a thermostat for your UTH!!?? :main_huh:

I know how particular you are about getting everything perfect, so if
you dont have one, maybe your Mom and Dad will buy you a Helix 1000
for Christmas (only a few more months).

 

[thekooliest]

Nope.
I have this one.
It has worked fine.
-Sam

 

[Sunrise Reptile]

The next one that I buy will be Johnson Controls Thermostat A-419. That one is only about $80 plus shipping.

Tim - You're gonna love that tstat! I've had one for about two weeks now, and it's GREAT! Seems to work exactly as advertized, and very dependable from the write-ups I've read. :main_yes:

 

[hoppslover]

Maurice I have not ordered one just yet. Wished I knew about it before I bought the Herpstat Proportional Thermostat. I will have to build me a new rack before breed season comes back around again. I had just enough room for what I bred this year. Seems like the group keeps getting bigger. lol

 

[lytlesnake]

The Herpstats are excellent. It's a little more money, but there are so many cool features, I doubt you'll regret having it. I like the Night Drop models, and recently I got a Herpstat 2 which is awesome as well.

 

[nats]

Tim - You're gonna love that tstat! I've had one for about two weeks now, and it's GREAT! Seems to work exactly as advertized, and very dependable from the write-ups I've read. :main_yes:

They really are very well made and relieable, arent they?

It really is worth the money, and you have piece of mind knowing that your not intrusting some cheap tstat with the well-being of your leos.

I know folks will talk about how their 29.95 (insert name of mass-market brand here) is working like a charm. But, they are inconsistent, and the chance of complete failure is too high. They are not made to last, it's as simple as that!!!

 

[nats]

Nope.
I have this one.
It has worked fine.
-Sam

Sam, do you have one of those laser thermometers to spot check your temps or do you use digital thermometers w/ a prob?

 

[nats]

The Herpstats are excellent. It's a little more money, but there are so many cool features, I doubt you'll regret having it. I like the Night Drop models, and recently I got a Herpstat 2 which is awesome as well.

My friend (he has a ball python) LOVES the Herpstats.
He says he has had the same one for a few years now, and it's never off by more than a few degrees!!

P.S. if I ever need to by another tstat, I am going to try one :main_yes:

 

[Sunrise Reptile]

I will have to build me a new rack before breed season comes back around again. I had just enough room for what I bred this year. Seems like the group keeps getting bigger. lol

Shhhhhhhh - The secret is...you actually have to sell off a few. :main_laugh:

Just kidding, man!

 

[hoppslover]

Thats funny Maurice. Someone must have told my girlfriend that very thing. She tells me that too. I have been selling the babies that I dont wanna keep. I have bought a few too that I want to breed next year. I bred 2 females this year and have hatched 7 so far with 1 still in the incubator. Next year I am hoping to breed 7 females. So more room will be a necessity lol

 

[Homerx]

To answer your Q they are not bad, obviously there are better, but they do an decent job. Some have problems at lower temps, but if your handy they can be tweeked Just watch the temps alot at first to calibrate it.

I use "modiied" programmable furnace tstats. I change the acuracy to a .5 F degree swing,change to probe mode, and they have all the night drop features you need built in. Heck you can program diff temps for their Sat night Keggers They typically cost me less that 50.00 all in and they are second only to a high quality propo IMHO.

 

[thekooliest]

Sam, do you have one of those laser thermometers to spot check your temps or do you use digital thermometers w/ a prob?

Digital thermometer w/probe.
If you suggest paying a $100 laser one, I think you should be able to cover that one .