How important is a warranty to you?

BullyBee · May 24, 2020

Hey now. I’m just curious how important a warranty is to you guys? For me it’s very important.

Right now I’m looking to get a return pump and my mind is literally blown because ecotech only has a 1 year warranty!!! SICCE has 5!!!!

I really ecotech had more of a warranty,

Gablami · May 25, 2020

You see a lot of “new in box” items that are selling for maybe 10% less than list price. I guess that’s around the price people think a warranty is worth. Plus taxes.

BullyBee · May 25, 2020

Good point

Blue Spot Octopus · May 25, 2020

Honda do not have a long warranty, they usually don't need it. Some pumps last the time, 10 years easy, some not. Eheim 1250, 1260, 1262 all will last forever. Iwaki externals will last forever as well. There is a bigger list if people would like to add to it.

Copingwithpods · May 25, 2020

I don't care much for warranties or the claims some companys make about them. Most of the time it's easier to just buy a new one than pull your hair out with customer support or have them tell you that you did one little thing that disqualify you from getting a replacement.

Like neotherms warranty around here is no dealer authorized or not is allowed to do a return or refund. You have to mail your broken heater in, they'll evaluate your claims and send you a replacement unit, new or refurbished. So if you have 1 heater you are screwed for 3 weeks, are forced to buy another and wait and see if the claim goes your way.

To me if a warranty isn't no questions asked its worthless.

atoll · May 25, 2020

For me a warranty is only as good as shop or manufacturer is prepared to honour it otherwise it's not worth the paper it's written on.
As for Echotech and a few more so called top end equipment manufacturers, the length of their guarantee tells you all you need to know about their faith in their own products and for a premium price at that.

jda · May 25, 2020

In general, all of the stuff with the long warranty periods will not need them. Ehiem, Laguna, Mag Drive, Tunze and Fluval all have nice warranties, but rarely fail - when they do, they are easy to get replaced or fixed. Sicce is a better pump than EcoTech - period. EcoTech pumps get purchased for the features and coolness, not for the longevity. If you want the features, then get an EcoTech, but you get a "tech" type of warranty. If you just want a pump to work for a long time, then get the Sicce.

atoll · May 25, 2020

jda said:
In general, all of the stuff with the long warranty periods will not need them. Ehiem, Laguna, Mag Drive, Tunze and Fluval all have nice warranties, but rarely fail - when they do, they are easy to get replaced or fixed. Sicce is a better pump than EcoTech - period. EcoTech pumps get purchased for the features and coolness, not for the longevity. If you want the features, then get an EcoTech, but you get a "tech" type of warranty. If you just want a pump to work for a long time, then get the Sicce.

You seem to be suggesting you can't have features with reliability no matter how much you pay for a pump. If so why not? After all you are paying top dollar for what is supposed to be quality as well.

I am not brand snob but I do have 2 x MP40s I bought very cheaply secondhand. Would I buy a new one? Probably not.

I also have a couple of Jebao pumps which are good enough for me and so far they have been reliable at less than half Ecotech stuff. No need to wear the badge and the old saying buy cheap buy twice is often not the case.

jda · May 25, 2020

I think that you are wrong here... you are paying for tech, not quality, with that high price from EcoTech.

Jebao is different because they steal the patents and IP of the other companies to produce them cheaply (physically and economically), so hard to compare these patent-stealing Chinese companies to a real company that works on a level playing field.

There are quality with tech return pumps. Abyzz and Red Dragon... at over $1000 each. This is truly what it takes for tech and reliability... which also leads to a good warranty.

andrewey · May 25, 2020

I think it's important to distinguish the difference and sometimes mutual exclusivity of a piece of equipment having longevity, features, technology, quality, etc. Some items have multiple aspects, and certain combinations are easier than others (e.g. longevity and quality), whereas certain combinations are difficult (e.g. technology and longevity) due to the increasing number of points of failure.

atoll · May 25, 2020

jda said:
I think that you are wrong here... you are paying for tech, not quality, with that high price from EcoTech.

Jebao is different because they steal the patents and IP of the other companies to produce them cheaply (physically and economically), so hard to compare these patent-stealing Chinese companies to a real company that works on a level playing field.

There are quality with tech return pumps. Abyzz and Red Dragon... at over $1000 each. This is truly what it takes for tech and reliability... which also leads to a good warranty.

I understand you think am wrong but I also think the cost of Ecotech equipment should carry more than a 1 year warranty which is the same as Jebao.

We will just have to agree to disagree but for the money a warranty of 1 year to me and many more it would seem is little short of scandalous. This esp with the regular issues that come up with their products from rusting magnets in pumps to poor quality, as in frames cracking and Mobus issues with XR15/30s.

Yes I know many will say but Ecotech have good customer aftermarket care, well let's be honest will all the issues they need to be.

BTW do you really think Ecotech consider themselves as anything but selling quality products even though they don't back it up with a decent guarantee.

SammieT · May 25, 2020

Honestly, warranty doesn't always affect me. It always break after it expires or I change my mind and put it in storage and run into it eventually and end up selling it barely used

when this hobby comes to things like this, we all do it
always upgrading or changing our minds

there will always be something better next year as i always say when it comes to equipment

TheHarold · May 25, 2020

I absolutely recommend Sicce for that reason. Their 5 year warranty just shows how confident they are in the pump's quality. The SDC even has a really nice Wifi app, WITH temperature monitoring of the pump etc.

Tunze and Reef Octopus have 2 year warranties I believe, also great products.

jda · May 25, 2020

I agree that EcoTech should have a longer warranty. You can also bet that they have worked any/every possible scenario and have figured out that they cannot offer a longer warranty to be financially feasible. Every tech company does this. Some of it is that they want more frequent purchases from fanboys and loyalists. Some of it is that the hobbyists do not force them to build higher quality and have a better warranty or else they would. I once owned and sold a tech company and you can bet that they have an equation for all of these things and the warranty and every other pieces is carefully crafted.

I think that EcoTech is in the business to make money. I do not get any indication that they care about reefing, the hobby or anything else. This is more of a feeling that I have from seeing them at booths, fairs, etc. Just my own two cents which are not even worth that.

Their warranty speaks to me about what they think of their products (and me as the consumer)... which is why I do not choose to use any of their stuff.

I did not mean for this to turn this into an EcoTech thing, but i guess that it works for all tech in a hobby... you pay for the tech, not for what the tech is supposed to be doing. We are more alike than different on this...

BullyBee · May 26, 2020

jda said:
I agree that EcoTech should have a longer warranty. You can also bet that they have worked any/every possible scenario and have figured out that they cannot offer a longer warranty to be financially feasible. Every tech company does this. Some of it is that they want more frequent purchases from fanboys and loyalists. Some of it is that the hobbyists do not force them to build higher quality and have a better warranty or else they would. I once owned and sold a tech company and you can bet that they have an equation for all of these things and the warranty and every other pieces is carefully crafted.

I think that EcoTech is in the business to make money. I do not get any indication that they care about reefing, the hobby or anything else. This is more of a feeling that I have from seeing them at booths, fairs, etc. Just my own two cents which are not even worth that.

Their warranty speaks to me about what they think of their products (and me as the consumer)... which is why I do not choose to use any of their stuff.

I did not mean for this to turn this into an EcoTech thing, but i guess that it works for all tech in a hobby... you pay for the tech, not for what the tech is supposed to be doing. We are more alike than different on this...

Lolol i still bought an ecotech Vectra today. The S2is like a Mini tank.

Hugh Mann · May 26, 2020

Warranty, or reputation for being indestructible. If I have to depend on it, gotta have a good warranty and that goes for parts, supplies, boots, everything.
Depending on the terms of the warranty, I'd pay 10-20% more.

Copingwithpods · May 26, 2020

There's also the issue of having a warranty for the sake of sales. I have a flashlight with a 5 year warranty but these things are so bulletproof I'll never need it, so in cases like that the warranty only serves the purpose of making the sale.

Like warranties on AC pumps, those things even the cheap ones last forever, wouldn't matter if the warranty was 1 year or 5 years you won't need it, it's just advertisement we pay extra for.