srobertb
Well-Known Member
So I couldn’t find any other information beyond advertising and product shills so I ordered a pair.
I was stuck between ordering 2, MP60’s for my build (oof) or buying another pair of Gyre XF350’s.
The old ones:
Why I like my XF350’s: They’re cheap. With one on each end of the tank they managed to get good flow across a 6’ tank. They have a better footprint vs Koralia/Tunze/Wav. They can be placed close to the surface.
Why I hate my XF350’s: They’re loud. They’re louder after you clean them. Cleaning them is a nightmare. Sometimes they go back together easily. Sometimes they throw off errors and lock up. Reassembly and installation after cleaning takes 5-300 minutes. The older controller + ICV6 was awful. I say “was” because after 3 failures of the controller or power brick, twice while I was walking out the door to the airport (I swear they knew), I gave up and went with a Hydros Wave Engine. They need to be cleaned. A lot. I don’t have a dirty tank but these would degrade in flow after a month. I had MP40’s encrusted in coralline that didn’t miss a beat. I keep replacement parts for all my equipment. the expectation shouldn’t be to have to replace the motor shaft every 3 months when it gets stripped. They did improve the design slightly at some point but the problem still persists. The magnets are just ok on 1/2” glass. Snails constantly throw it off.
So…here we go. More will follow when I get them wet in a week or two. I haven’t decided if I will run 4 at lower levels to keep noise down or run 2 and keep 2 as spares (not backup parts. See below on why)
When I reached out to BRS to ask if this was actually an improved design, the response was a generic “thank you for your question! The all new Gyre XF350 are a great product!!” Great. Hooray for capitalism.
My initial impressions are they’re very similar. It’s hard to say since they’re new but they do feel may be a bit better. The guards and impellers also feel sturdier and fit tighter into the red and green socket. This meant that attaching the guards was easier since the impellers are more secure.
The impellers now rotate in 2 places on each side instead of one. Turning and adjust is easy but I have confidence they’ll stay in place. I’m not sure this was a necessary feature but some may appreciate it. By having each in a different position you will limit force and as I’m now trying to push water 7 feet, it won’t be helpful.
The deflectors now move side to side via a clever little (but cheap) ratcheting mechanism. This will get moved by snails or break. I can feel it.
The pump housing appears to be sealed. I’m going to get told I’m wrong and I’m fine with that so long as there’s a video or link showing me how to remove the shaft from the middle of the unit. It appears to be clipped in place now/ the kind of clips that will snap without the proper tool. I forced as hard as I was willing and could not remove it. This would mean the part that needs replacement 4 times a year is now not replaceable. It also means spare parts are moot.
Im going to update my review once they’re wet but as of now, without more info on replacement parts, I’d stay far away from these. If anyone has information on replacement shafts and how that works, let me know. They *really* don’t look interchangeable with the old style.
I was stuck between ordering 2, MP60’s for my build (oof) or buying another pair of Gyre XF350’s.
The old ones:
Why I like my XF350’s: They’re cheap. With one on each end of the tank they managed to get good flow across a 6’ tank. They have a better footprint vs Koralia/Tunze/Wav. They can be placed close to the surface.
Why I hate my XF350’s: They’re loud. They’re louder after you clean them. Cleaning them is a nightmare. Sometimes they go back together easily. Sometimes they throw off errors and lock up. Reassembly and installation after cleaning takes 5-300 minutes. The older controller + ICV6 was awful. I say “was” because after 3 failures of the controller or power brick, twice while I was walking out the door to the airport (I swear they knew), I gave up and went with a Hydros Wave Engine. They need to be cleaned. A lot. I don’t have a dirty tank but these would degrade in flow after a month. I had MP40’s encrusted in coralline that didn’t miss a beat. I keep replacement parts for all my equipment. the expectation shouldn’t be to have to replace the motor shaft every 3 months when it gets stripped. They did improve the design slightly at some point but the problem still persists. The magnets are just ok on 1/2” glass. Snails constantly throw it off.
So…here we go. More will follow when I get them wet in a week or two. I haven’t decided if I will run 4 at lower levels to keep noise down or run 2 and keep 2 as spares (not backup parts. See below on why)
When I reached out to BRS to ask if this was actually an improved design, the response was a generic “thank you for your question! The all new Gyre XF350 are a great product!!” Great. Hooray for capitalism.
My initial impressions are they’re very similar. It’s hard to say since they’re new but they do feel may be a bit better. The guards and impellers also feel sturdier and fit tighter into the red and green socket. This meant that attaching the guards was easier since the impellers are more secure.
The impellers now rotate in 2 places on each side instead of one. Turning and adjust is easy but I have confidence they’ll stay in place. I’m not sure this was a necessary feature but some may appreciate it. By having each in a different position you will limit force and as I’m now trying to push water 7 feet, it won’t be helpful.
The deflectors now move side to side via a clever little (but cheap) ratcheting mechanism. This will get moved by snails or break. I can feel it.
The pump housing appears to be sealed. I’m going to get told I’m wrong and I’m fine with that so long as there’s a video or link showing me how to remove the shaft from the middle of the unit. It appears to be clipped in place now/ the kind of clips that will snap without the proper tool. I forced as hard as I was willing and could not remove it. This would mean the part that needs replacement 4 times a year is now not replaceable. It also means spare parts are moot.
Im going to update my review once they’re wet but as of now, without more info on replacement parts, I’d stay far away from these. If anyone has information on replacement shafts and how that works, let me know. They *really* don’t look interchangeable with the old style.
