In that case, why is there more complaints on forums about ecotech wave makers than the cheap Jebao? I would also suggest Jabo sell more pumps than Ecotech and then we even have rebadged Jebao pumps like the TMC ones. The old saying you get what you pay for is far from always the case.
For starters this thread has so many arms to it that it is all just discussions within discussions. I think the first thing you can do is split this hobby into two categories. The nano or small tank world vs the larger system world. Both these users are likely to have different experiences and deal in different equipment.
To your question as why you don’t hear about a Jebao pump failure as frequently as an Ecotech? For one people that buy cheap, expect cheap. If your cheap pump cashed out you were probably already anticipating that at some point. If you buy quality and it fails at any point you likely were expecting almost bulletproof, that’s what you paid for in your mind.
Forums are filled with obsessed expert level hobbyist. These people tend to go all in on what they are doing so most likely a vast majority will be higher end equipment, these people have been around the block a time or two. Timmy at home buying a Jebao on
Amazon for his Petco 20 gal and his 2 clowns you’ll likely never cross his path or hear about his Jebao experience. The whole tank likely folded in a month and a half and back to basketball practice he went.
A brand like Ecotech fetches the price they ask because they just work. Period. Everyone has a personal opinion as to what they feel is value for their money but facts are facts. You see it daily here the hate for Ecotech lights and the only reason ever stated is because they cost too much lol. I never hear a concrete reason why they are actually bad light, besides, they just cost too much for what they are lol. What they are is proven and just flat work.
Back to your magnet comment. Sure you will hear about a few out of the hundreds of thousands sold and in use, that will happen with any product. Again you’re on a forum where most own said product and having something expensive fail hurts most anyone so you’ll likely hear about it. Most of those situations always go deeper into other factors, but some don’t. Everything mechanical or anything around this hobby is going to only function so long, neglect and a whole host of other factors will severely diminish your returns and experience.
Last you have the cost argument. This is just basic common sense. Anything 100% Chinese made is going to beat the brakes off any other country lol. If you want to support that, that’s fine. Are their products better? No. Do their products satisfy most people in getting the job done for their cost? Yes.
Another arm into this conversation is just comparing this product vs this product, and their prices. Price aside, let’s look behind behind the curtain at some stuff. How available is it? Are there parts for it? Is it serviceable? How readily available are the parts? How available is the product? What’s the Warranty like? Do they back their warranty? What’s the customer service like? What’s the company like? Where is the company located? What are the quality of the parts? What are the first hand real world experiences like? Will they or have they been in business long term for foreseeing ongoing support? Overall track record? Resale value? Dependability? How compatible is it for connecting into other systems? What’s the user interface like? What styles and models do they offer for what range of situations? Is it a company constantly developing and progressing their products or innovating new products?
This can go on and on but the short answer is you truly get what you pay for. If something fits your wallet and needs that’s what should matter. There will always be high end, middle ground, and cheap. To put Ecotech in the same conversation as Jebao is laughable. You can’t even start to have a fair comparison once you pull the curtain back, there is a lot that goes into how they got to that price.
Overall everything in the world is decreasing in quality, service, experience. We as people have changed and our products directly reflect that.
The real elephant in the room is thinking anything about this hobby is cheap. You see it all the time as being peddled budget friendly lol. HGTV ladies show you how to cheese a house together from Home Depot over a weekend as well. Anything can be budget friendly and your experience and outcome will likely follow over time. Most in this hobby are wadding around in multiple thousands of dollars invested. Expensive hobbies usually have expensive products, i mean that’s why it’s an expensive hobby to begin with, right? Lol
