Reef Factory - NOT WORTH IT! TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

[caller89]

I don't normally post negatively about manufactures , however reef factory have drove me warn others of the terrible company they are.

I have spent thousands on reef factory products purchasing almost its entire product range.

If the products are not breaking down every other month , the smart reef app if far from safe. It just doesn't work.

I have had 3 level keepers that keep failing, the 230v output sticks, even without a demand from the floats dumping RO water into my tank crashing my salinity multiple times. They are now refusing to replace my unit under warranty.

Non of the products work if you loose Internet, iv had multiple WiFi outages for weeks at a time , actions become obsolete, no way of controlling any of the equipment. KH Keeper or dosing pumps would not run to there programmed dosing unless they have Internet connection.

I purchased a 5G router , impossible to change the WiFi without resetting the devices to there factory setting , many of the products would not connect to any other network after factory reset.

Non of the calibration solutions reeffactory provide work, iv sourced many other solutions, which provide accurate readings.

Interference on PH probes , you can't have any power cables near or move the probe without it giving false readings , so you calibrate the probe using other solutions not RF, all good , if you move the cable to the probe a few mm then it jumps all of the place and doesn't settle again. For example it will jump from 8.2 to 8.9 and stay there. This includes the probe on the KH keeper.

Level sesnor take ages to react to any action set up in the smart app, I use the level sesnor to switch off my slimmer for example when on feed mode to prevent my Skimmer overflowing as sump level rises , takes about 5min for the smart app to recognise the float is hight before it switches my smart power devices.

The KH keeper is far from accurate, but manageable using the offset , I test with my hannah marine tester everytime I changed the reagent and add an offset , not ideal for such an expensive product.

The light units are designed poorly and have alot of light spill, like no other lighting unit iv seen before , I had to design an build shades , which many on R2R are aware of that I have shared my STL file on.

The build quality of all the products are poor in my opinion, especially the dosing pumps.

Reef factory charge more for there products than any other manufacturer, but the truth is they are just homemade arduino devices with a heavy price tag.

The only products I have from reef factory that I don't have issues with is the TDS meter and thermo controller.

To top all this off , I have been trying to purchase a few smart testers to go with my KH keeper , however your local fish store now has to order through whats app , they read the messages and just ignore them. So my LFS has now stopped selling RF products.

I'm not even going to get started on the new smart app from RF, if tbey had any sense they should chnage back to the previous version that had alot of issues but miles better than the current update.

Hope this helps people make a decision before purchasing any RF product and make the same mistake I have.

Reeffactory you know how to contact me , still waiting on faulty replacement level keeper (4th unit) and not had any responses to my emails sent months ago with issues of products accuracy, calibration issues, WiFi issues , etc , etc , etc

 

[spsick]

Thanks for this. Very little feedback to be found on them and their KH Keeper and x4 doser look very appealing to my needs.

 

[caller89]

aleksanderalski

 

[exnisstech]

Interesting timing for this post. I had never heard of reef factory until brs sent an advert on their products 3 days ago.

 

[caller89]

Interesting timing for this post. I had never heard of reef factory until brs sent an advert on their products 3 days ago.

Iv been running RF for over 12months , nothing but complications , I think RF need to test there products more before introducing into the market.

Especially the price they charge

 

[exnisstech]

Iv been running RF for over 12months , nothing but complications , I think RF need to test there products more before introducing into the market.

Especially the price they charge

I appreciate your input.

 

[merkmerk73]

I wanted to like Reef Factory because the PH meter looked slick but it's just awful.

For one, it leaks significant voltage.

For two, it has accuracy and calibration issues where the readings are all over the place.

For three, it has an extremely bizarre setup process.

I was able to get it set up once, but after having major accuracy and calibration issues, I went to do a reset - which requires you to use a little magnet that they include.

BIG mistake

Now I can't get the device connected properly.

You have to use this weird process of resetting, connecting to the device, then going to a router-like page - but when you try to connect to your wifi, it just spins forever

I'm on Attempt #24 or so trying to get this thing hooked up.

AVOID.

edit: also, they only allow you to calibrate at 4.00 and 7.00

Why the hell would we want those low ranges? Wouldn't 7 to 10 make more sense? Or a 3 way calibration?

And as above poster works, I haven't been able to get connected properly after a factory reset even using same wifi networks.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I don't normally post negatively about manufactures , however reef factory have drove me warn others of the terrible company they are.

I have spent thousands on reef factory products purchasing almost its entire product range.

If the products are not breaking down every other month , the smart reef app if far from safe. It just doesn't work.

I have had 3 level keepers that keep failing, the 230v output sticks, even without a demand from the floats dumping RO water into my tank crashing my salinity multiple times. They are now refusing to replace my unit under warranty.

Non of the products work if you loose Internet, iv had multiple WiFi outages for weeks at a time , actions become obsolete, no way of controlling any of the equipment. KH Keeper or dosing pumps would not run to there programmed dosing unless they have Internet connection.

I purchased a 5G router , impossible to change the WiFi without resetting the devices to there factory setting , many of the products would not connect to any other network after factory reset.

Non of the calibration solutions reeffactory provide work, iv sourced many other solutions, which provide accurate readings.

Interference on PH probes , you can't have any power cables near or move the probe without it giving false readings , so you calibrate the probe using other solutions not RF, all good , if you move the cable to the probe a few mm then it jumps all of the place and doesn't settle again. For example it will jump from 8.2 to 8.9 and stay there. This includes the probe on the KH keeper.

Level sesnor take ages to react to any action set up in the smart app, I use the level sesnor to switch off my slimmer for example when on feed mode to prevent my Skimmer overflowing as sump level rises , takes about 5min for the smart app to recognise the float is hight before it switches my smart power devices.

The KH keeper is far from accurate, but manageable using the offset , I test with my hannah marine tester everytime I changed the reagent and add an offset , not ideal for such an expensive product.

The light units are designed poorly and have alot of light spill, like no other lighting unit iv seen before , I had to design an build shades , which many on R2R are aware of that I have shared my STL file on.

The build quality of all the products are poor in my opinion, especially the dosing pumps.

Reef factory charge more for there products than any other manufacturer, but the truth is they are just homemade arduino devices with a heavy price tag.

The only products I have from reef factory that I don't have issues with is the TDS meter and thermo controller.

To top all this off , I have been trying to purchase a few smart testers to go with my KH keeper , however your local fish store now has to order through whats app , they read the messages and just ignore them. So my LFS has now stopped selling RF products.

I'm not even going to get started on the new smart app from RF, if tbey had any sense they should chnage back to the previous version that had alot of issues but miles better than the current update.

Hope this helps people make a decision before purchasing any RF product and make the same mistake I have.

Reeffactory you know how to contact me , still waiting on faulty replacement level keeper (4th unit) and not had any responses to my emails sent months ago with issues of products accuracy, calibration issues, WiFi issues , etc , etc , etc

I have their KhKeeper+ and dosing pumps on my main DT.

No problems with the accuracy of the khkeeper, provided it is calibrated correctly and used with correctly mixed reagent it is more accurate and reliable than the Hanna checker.

You are correct that it fails into a nasty heap if it loses internet connectivity, the khkeeper stops making measurements and the doser stops dosing. Fortunately for me that is not a regular occurrence and most internet outages are scheduled overnight when I don't measure or dose anyway.

Having said that, it is a major bug that their support refuses to acknowledge.

The software updates have broken the UI, and I have not updated the software on the devices themselves as for some stupid reason they removed the local WiFi, which I rely on if the internet is down.

I don't have any other of their products and have no intention to buy any more of them as they appear to be continually adding new devices without fixing bugs that already exist.

 

[Naturalreef]

I wish I would have seen this thread before investing in Reef factory. I also purchased a bunch of equipment from Reef Factory. The kh keeper was the worst out of box experience I have had with an automated tester. I’m coming from Focustronic equipment, so it’s not my first rodeo. I’m very handy operating and maintaining my machines.

i have mesh 2.4ghz wall to wall coverage and it still took half a day to get the kh keeper to connect. It also drops the connection throughout the day. Next hurdle was connecting the hoses.

The Luer connectors are horrible. They don’t provide an airtight connection no matter how many times you try. They have no tactile feedback showing a good connection. They also don’t come off easily. When attaching a hose, the connection just spins. So you have to hold the connector from both sides to get it to even connect. Alkatronic and Mastertronic Luer connectors are effortless and solid!

So I can’t calibrate the pumps and move on to actually using the unit. I log in to Facebook reef factory page and voice my concern and displeasure with the whole experience and they won’t release the post. If you can’t handle criticism with your product, you don’t need to be in the game. You should be able to stand on your two feet if you believe in your product.

I file a support ticket with reef factory and at least initially get a prompt reply the next day. I explain my issues and the agent says to send pictures of it not working. I reply with I can send you a picture of the connectors and the pumps, but how is that going to help with no water coming into the glass beaker? There is nothing to take a picture of. But I realize there are steps to take with CS and I get another reply that they can send me a new Luer connector. Mind you, we don’t know if it’s tubing, pump head, Luer connectors etc. I’m not willing to go step by step replacing and troubleshooting a brand new product which can take weeks or even months depending where they are shipping from.

I try calling and sending a email to where I purchased it from to give them a heads up and still no reply from anyone. It’s been a week of trying to troubleshoot and get support for a machine that is fresh out of the box. What happened to quality control before it’s boxed up?

These machines are thousands of dollars when you get the necessary parts to test and dose. I expect “premium” service!

Reef factory doesn’t want to hear criticism and support will stop responding. I’ll give it a few more days. If I hear nothing, I may have to get my CC company involved. Sad

 

[DeesReef]

I have there doser x3 n x4 flare pro blue L few problems here and there but nothing major

 

[MauritsB]

It seems that the more "advanced" things don't seem to work, but I read few bad things about the lights. Do you still recommend this or not? Because I hear great reviews about the nice colours it "gives" your corals.

 

[CasperOe]

I don't normally post negatively about manufactures , however reef factory have drove me warn others of the terrible company they are.

....

I just came across this post from three months ago; first I want to offer you my sympathies and ask if you ever managed to get your issues sorted out. When equipment doesn't work, it's frustrating to say the least when Support doesn't manage to sort it out within the time frame we're expecting.

Now, to "balance" this thread, allow me to share my experience with Polish Reef Factory.

I have been a customer of RF pretty much since they entered the UK market and as with any other maker (.. and new start company!) I have experienced ups and downs as well. However, as a general, while issues have been had, I have had nothing but support when any issues have arisen.

Lukasz and Maksym with support are both knowledgeable and helpful. What I have seen though over the past 12-18 months is that response time has gone down quite drastically as RF have expanded their business to cover the Australian- and now the US market. This needs to be addressed - and Marek (one of the founders) are aware of this already.

I would recommend RF! You can always find the bad reviews; just go on Trust Pilot. No-one writes a long post like this just to tell other reefers how awesome a brand is.

Here's a short unbiased opinion on all the products that I owned (.. and the ones that I have sold!):

KH Keeper Plus - Has been solid for me for almost three years. Within the first two months I had the PH probe changed under warranty. Towards the two years mark, the reading started to drift so I changed the probe myself to the new glass-type. It is worth noticing that I change all my PH probes every two years. I calibrate the unit every three months (.. or when I remember). I would say that it's a bit cheaply build with flimsy plastic and acrylic and that it can be a little noisy - but it does what it's supposed to do.

Smart Tester - I have two unites; one for PO4 which works flawlessly and just does what it's supposed to do - and one for Mg. The Mg reagents does not seem to work properly which is a shame. I have tried four batches and I have yet to make it work properly.
Now, I don't worry too much about that - I will not be using the unit for Mg but for NO3. Needless to say though, RF should ensure that working reagents are supplied to their customers.

Power Switcher - I use three. They work. No issues to report.

Thermo Control - I use three. They work - and they look awfully slick on the wall. One issue I have with these is the price point. They are too expensive for what they are; yet I bought three anyway. Supply and demand I suppose. RF can charge what people are willing to pay.

Smart Roller - An absolute work horse. I tried it out for 6 months from release and I had no issues. Again, it feels a little flimsy, but it does what it is supposed to to. It is not as well build as the Red Sea one though. I bought it to try it- then I sold it when again. If you're invested in RF then get it. If you don't care about brand, one app for all etc. then get the Red Sea.

Smart Feeder - I have one! It's basically an Eheim autofeeder in fancy clothes which is not necessarily a bad thing! RF chose to rebrand one of the most solid units on the market and add their own touches and smart-functionality to it. I approve! And it is somewhat reasonably priced considering other "smart" options on the market.

Smart Wave - Ah, another rebrand; this time a Jebao powerhead! As with the Smart Feeder, RF has gone with a rebrand-approach to one of the most solid units on the market and add their own touches and smart-functionality to it. Now, this one is (in my opinion!) too expensive! I got one to try it out. I am happy with it and I will keep it- but you'd be just as well off with a Nero 3 - or simply a Jebao!

Dosing Pump Pro X1/X4 - Hands down the best dosing pumps I have ever used. Build like a brick house, silent AF and so, so easy to mount, set up and calibrate. Over the moon for these ones, would recommend anyone to buy them ASAP.

Dosing Pump (the old one!) - Cheaply build, flimsy, plastic - Not worth it! Sorry RF, this was a terrible product! The housing cracked, WiFi didn't work, calibration would last a Sunday morning etc. Nah, this was an own goal!

Salinity Guardian - Had the probe changed three times under warranty, when the fourth probe arrived broken in the mail, I wanted my money back. I never got this unit to work properly. Now; what I will say is that I got a steady salinity reading, it just wasn't the actual salinity. I have the same issue with the Neptune Apex - so I think it's down to the fact that it is just very, very hard to make conductivity probes work properly.

PH Meter - Well, it works! Nothing to say.. Changed the probe after two years to the new glass type. As stated above, I would change my probes after two years anyway!

- - - - - - - - - -

Now, for the things I havent tried yet - the lights! While I have no intention of buying the Reef Flare Pro lights as I already have a handful of Radion G6's (unless someone wants to swap me??) - I do intent to purchase the new Reef LED bars once released in the UK.

I am choosing these over the AI Blades as I have seen really, really good results with the G1 at one of my local shops here in Glasgow. My experience with them once they arrive will be covered in my build thread

Thanks for reading along - While OP is completely entitled to his views and in many ways are not wrong, I felt this thread needed a second opinion!

 

[CasperOe]

Thanks for this. Very little feedback to be found on them and their KH Keeper and x4 doser look very appealing to my needs.

I have offered a significantly different opinion in my post in this thread!

 

[CasperOe]

It seems that the more "advanced" things don't seem to work, but I read few bad things about the lights. Do you still recommend this or not? Because I hear great reviews about the nice colours it "gives" your corals.

I sadly haven't tried the lights myself - but I have seen enough good results to be convinced that they DO work- and work very well!

You always see the bad stuff- you have to look for all the good stuff! Follow the Reef Factory Family group on Facebook, there you will see what people achieve with the Reef Flare Pro lights..

Once the LED bars are released in the UK in v. 2 I will be adding two of them as supplementary lights to my Radion XR15s..

 

[BeanAnimal]

I think the issue for me is hard reliance on an internet connection for things to work. It sounds like these devices don’t hold their own programming and are not available locally and everything is controlled from the cloud, that is a deal breaker for me.