Maxi-Jet 1200 problems?

[firefightered]

I had a problem with 4 MJ1200s leaking electricity in my tank. I pulled each one out 1 at a time and put them in another bucket of water. Each one read between 3.5volts and 11 volts. I called Marineland and asked them of the problem and asked if they had a recall like the stealth heaters. They told me they did not but if I were to send them back to thier comp. they would fix or replace the power heads. I told them I could not send all 4 at the same time because I still had to have water movement in my tank. I removed 2 of the higher voltage power heads while the sent me 4 new ones in the mail. When I get the new ones I'll send the bad ones to them. That is what you call GREAT customer service.:bigsmile:

If you have the same problem, and your MJs are about a year old or less, PM me and I'll give you the # to call.

 

[mcarroll]

I had a problem with 4 MJ1200s leaking electricity in my tank. I pulled each one out 1 at a time and put them in another bucket of water. Each one read between 3.5volts and 11 volts. I called Marineland and asked them of the problem and asked if they had a recall like the stealth heaters. They told me they did not but if I were to send them back to thier comp. they would fix or replace the power heads. I told them I could not send all 4 at the same time because I still had to have water movement in my tank. I removed 2 of the higher voltage power heads while the sent me 4 new ones in the mail. When I get the new ones I'll send the bad ones to them. That is what you call GREAT customer service.:bigsmile:

If you have the same problem, and your MJs are about a year old or less, PM me and I'll give you the # to call.

I'm glad they worked it out with you!

(Someone should only have to call their main 800#, shouldn't they?)

I don't really know how wide spread either of our issues is and I've generally had great experiences with Marineland across the board...Penguin pumps and Visitherm heaters are/were the best built products in their class in my experience. I've still got a Penguin 550 on active duty that I bought back in the mid 90's. One P660 that I got back in the 90's didn't work after a few months, so they sent be a three pack of impellers for free...two more than I ever ended up needing. :) But....I guess things change and nothing good lasts forever, as I'm losing a little confidence in them regarding these new Maxi Jets. For reasons that are lost to me now - probably a temporary bout of cheapness/brokeness - I have, in the past, purchased two of the new hybrid models for in tank water movement - a 900 and a 1200. Both of the ball-joint mounts were so loose once in the water that they couldn't hold the pump up....saggy pump! I reached out to Marineland and I was told to "wiggle the ball joint around underwater a lot to rough it up a little". Feeling foolish, I tried it anyway....as anyone might guess I tired of wiggling my chinese pump part before I saw any effect. These brackets are worthless, which make the pumps worthless to me. (I only need so many salt mixing pumps and I don't really prefer Maxi Jets for that anyway!) I may eventually reach out to them again and even if I have to press a little I'd bet on them doing the right thing, but after that experience (tweaking my gullibility and all) I've placed the pumps in a bucket and have more or less forgotten about them where flow pumps are concerned. That's bad for Marineland, IMO.

-Matt

 

[GratefulReef]

I use 2 MJ 1200s. They are about 2 years old maybe a little more than that. I love them, have never thought to test for voltage being leaked but ive never felt even the slightest shock when my hands are in the water. Is that enough to feel?

 

[Newb73]

I have 3 pretty new models. 2x1200s and a 400. The suction cups are worthless. I adapted one with a magnet that although fickle, will hold the pump long term. Another is positioned resting on a rock aiming up...the third is in a QT tank and its sort of held by having the cord attached to a light bracket using a twist tie.

I hear lots about how the koralias have better flow and thats frankly hogwash. i have put the 1200 side by side with a Koralia 1400 and the flow/patter/power etc are for all intensive purposes identical.

However when i pulled all the parts out to adapt the 400 back to power head mode, it would not go together, even took the impeller apart and tried it with the shorter length magnent (on of the magnets that comes with it..wont even fit in the pump....i wondered if it was just as an assembly to hold the spar parts??)...thats when i gave up put the flow equipment back on and threw it in the QT tank.

At any rate, these would still be great flow pumps (and way cheaper than koralis) if only the magnent mounts weren't so difficult to find and over $20 bucks themselves.....once you factor all that in though...the Koralia 1400 is a smarter buy then a maxi-1200s. Maybe they will figure out the magnet situation one day and be able to compete again.