to those looking at cole parmer pumps for calcium reactors

[lordraptor1]

here is some onformation for those looking into cole parmer pumps to feed their calcium reactors. first and i have to say most importantly look for the deals, the deals can be found if you open yourself to parts or repair units but with a caveat ( do NOT buy any brushless or digital unit used)

look at OLDER units ( you know the brushed models) and the reason i say this is they are older, cheaper and actually are easier to work on and repair/replace parts. another thing is they are indeed made in the USA whereas newer digital and brushless units are only ASSEMBLED in the USA ( basically every part is made in asia/china then assembled here in the usa.

now i know people will say but they are great quality well this may be but i can tell you i see more parts or repair digital brushless units than i do brushless units and that is saying something, i know of several people still rocking cole parmers from like 1984 and havent even had to change the motor brushes on them yet so in my honest opinion they older brushed units are where it is at, also search online for deals on parts do not go to cole parmer directly unless you have no other choice because you will definatley pay a huge premium.

now i can say cole parmer customer service is top notch, i myself have contacted them regarding manuals and they have some old photocopy scans of units discontinued/replaced in the late 80's and early 90s and were also able to confirm SOME of the parts for the old units was still available however an anecdote revolving around uranus and shards of glass popped into my head when they quoted the prices for such items LOL.

in conclusion, if you see someone selling an older cole parmer masterflex in good working order i can say it is definatley worth the price especially the old brushed motor units but i will say this, from what i have seen is that teh more expensive ones have been gone through checked out and repaired and the seller is trying to recoup at least some of the moeny they put into the unit and to me i say that is fair but if you arent willing to pay extra buying from someone that has done the work and repaired it to make sure you are getting a good working unit, just stick with the fixer uppers but at the end of the day a non working unit in really rough shape could set you back up to $150 + shipping and then probably tax as well depending on the site/seller. on the other hand a good working units in nice lookign condition with an easy load head on average will set you back up to $350 + shipping and tax form sites, $350 plus or minus shipping ( dependant on seller and buyers location) so a good rule of thumb is to find a local seller to you if possible and a reputable seller will gladly show you the unit in operation prior to you buying it.


what brought me to make this topic was the fact that i have been looking at these for months now on ebay and seeing the condition of units, descriptions of units and then communicating with the sellers ( on ebay of course) and i have found most of them really dont know if the units actually work or not, they merely plug them in, see it has power and says it works however there are a few that will say it powers on but that is all they really know about it.


anyway, hope this info helps anyone that may be looking into getting a used cole parmer pump for feeding their calcium reactor/denitrator/whatever. and again, regardless of what you might think the older analog brushed units are actually the way to go as there is far less that can go wrong with them and if something does you can repair most of the unit pretty cheap without paying a huge markup on parts there are some exceptions to this but the main thing would be if a motor fails although i have yet to see a cole parmer brushed motor fail in a saltwater application, i have seen circuit componants go bad but some basic soldering skills and a visit to a place like mouser will get you back up and running unlike digital brushless units which are usually sm componants on the circuit boards and humidity ( like under our tank stands) will get into a brushless motor and fry the motor.

 

[Bluedore]

Wish this infor was available when I was looking for one about 1 1/2 years ago. LOL! I’m one of them that got the digital brushless one‘s and the unit die after in use for about 7-8 months, repair quoted from Masterflex was around $600-$700 not including back & forth shipping and repair guarantee is only 90 days.

 

[lordraptor1]

Wish this infor was available when I was looking for one about 1 1/2 years ago. LOL! I’m one of them that got the digital brushless one‘s and the unit die after in use for about 7-8 months, repair quoted from Masterflex was around $600-$700 not including back & forth shipping and repair guarantee is only 90 days.

yeah this is something i just learned for myself after a few days browsing ebay, i also called cole parmer and spoke with them on some things. anyway if you look all newer digital and brushless units say ASSEMBLED in usa NOT MADE in USA and i also noticed that the cheapest prices are actaully for non functional units and those being sold by people that have no idea what they actually have ( IE, those that buy at auctions for resale or buy storage units). i know i have to older brushed units on the way that were listed as non functioning which im going to try and get workign, both require parts off the bat and interesting enough is that the white easyload heads heads are almost as expensive or more expensive as a non functioning unit and the black II easyload heads are more expensive than the white ones ( which is why you ALWAYS look for the Stainless steel ones i mean if you have to pay $60 up to $150 just for a head might as well skip the cold rolled and get the stainless).

with that having been said i bought 2 non functioning units that i intend to get working and looking good with easy load heads one of which i will keep for a future calcium reactor setup as soon as i can afford a dual stage regulator with solenoid and a reef octo CR140 ( which will be a while LOL), the second one im up in the air on what i will end up doing with it because of certain factors that will include if i can get both working, and how much total cash i will be out once it si fixed and lookign decent LOL. but based on sellers descriptions i know both need heads, one needs fuse and fuse holder cap which i have 1 of the easyload heads and the fuse and fuse cap on order but until it all arrives i wont know if that is it or if it will need more stuff checked out, teh other one the seller claimed it powered up but head didnt work which i am confused on and waitign for a reply from seller because there was no head pictured in his add so i dont know if he has a head that is broke, or if he is refferring to the pawl on the front of the motor that engages the pump that is not spinning ( i hope it isnt the pawl not spinning as that will be a major setback when i dont have any more cash to spend this month and im not sure if the gear kits i have found will last till the first of next month or not or if the sellers will use covid and jack prices way up again ( i bet prices will go up again as they went up over a few hours just today after i ordered the one head ( there is "cheap" one but it is beat the F up and the next price up is double the cost.

anyway, the one i have a basic idea thanks to the seller might need a gear set, or a motor, or a circuit board repair for all i know BUT none of those outside of replacing the entire motor should be a problem seeing as i havent been able to find a replacement motor for the unit or if there is a compatible replacement for the original motor.

what i do know is that based on researching parts cost for repairs, i know why there are basically 3 camps of sellers ( parts or repair as-is which seller just gets it and flips it for some profit, those that are just flipping something they know nothign about ( lumps in with parts or repair as-is in most cases so lets just say 2 camps LOL. the other is those that you see that look decent and are in good working order cause seller took the time to check them out and correct inefficiencies which are also the units you see listed for around the $350 mark if it says working order and it is under the $350 price i would suspect it is a seller that plugged it in and it seemed to work 100% correctly so they marked it up.

anyone that is spending money to fix somethign isnt ( or rather shouldnt in my opinion) take the hit on it, i mean after all they are takign the time to repair the units and make sure you are gettign a good working unit

but maybe im just different than most when it comes to buying and selling but i can tell you that comes from losing money over a decade because i have basically not been able to sell anythign in non working condition myself and when i take the time and spend the money to put somethign in working order i get all the somethign for nothing dollar store shoppers and usually get put into one of those hard times moments and end up having to sell to get out of the hole as it were. i decided some time ago that i would destroy somethign and throw it out on the curb and lose money that way before i ever lost money sellign something for less than a break even price ( matter of fact i smashed and tossed out a fully refurbed NCR commercial point of sales system 4 months ago one of those big boy dollar tree, walmart family dollar units) needless to say the people that were trying to buy it decided to make snide comments like why didnt you sell it to me i made you and offer, and my rebuttal was simply well maybe next time you will pay my asking price or at least make an offer that isnt insulting like yours was ( context: the person in the scenario offered $50 for an item i refurbed added OS, and the point of sale software where all that was need was to purchase the point of sale software licsense, also important to note teh unit new was over $5,000 before the added point of sale software cost and i was askign $450.00).

 

[ca1ore]

I bought an older brushed economy drive 5 or 6 years ago for not a lot of $$. Not particularly quiet, but it has worked flawlessly to this day. One of the better 'investments' in my tank.

 

[jda]

If you really are handy and can work a soldering iron, Kangaroo pumps. They are super high quality continuous duty, just older. You can usually get them for less than $100, but they need a jumper soldered, but if you ever find one that a hobbyist is selling the mod is likely done already. There are old posts on RC about how to do all of this.

 

[csb123]

here is some onformation for those looking into cole parmer pumps to feed their calcium reactors. first and i have to say most importantly look for the deals, the deals can be found if you open yourself to parts or repair units but with a caveat ( do NOT buy any brushless or digital unit used)

look at OLDER units ( you know the brushed models) and the reason i say this is they are older, cheaper and actually are easier to work on and repair/replace parts. another thing is they are indeed made in the USA whereas newer digital and brushless units are only ASSEMBLED in the USA ( basically every part is made in asia/china then assembled here in the usa.

now i know people will say but they are great quality well this may be but i can tell you i see more parts or repair digital brushless units than i do brushless units and that is saying something, i know of several people still rocking cole parmers from like 1984 and havent even had to change the motor brushes on them yet so in my honest opinion they older brushed units are where it is at, also search online for deals on parts do not go to cole parmer directly unless you have no other choice because you will definatley pay a huge premium.

now i can say cole parmer customer service is top notch, i myself have contacted them regarding manuals and they have some old photocopy scans of units discontinued/replaced in the late 80's and early 90s and were also able to confirm SOME of the parts for the old units was still available however an anecdote revolving around uranus and shards of glass popped into my head when they quoted the prices for such items LOL.

in conclusion, if you see someone selling an older cole parmer masterflex in good working order i can say it is definatley worth the price especially the old brushed motor units but i will say this, from what i have seen is that teh more expensive ones have been gone through checked out and repaired and the seller is trying to recoup at least some of the moeny they put into the unit and to me i say that is fair but if you arent willing to pay extra buying from someone that has done the work and repaired it to make sure you are getting a good working unit, just stick with the fixer uppers but at the end of the day a non working unit in really rough shape could set you back up to $150 + shipping and then probably tax as well depending on the site/seller. on the other hand a good working units in nice lookign condition with an easy load head on average will set you back up to $350 + shipping and tax form sites, $350 plus or minus shipping ( dependant on seller and buyers location) so a good rule of thumb is to find a local seller to you if possible and a reputable seller will gladly show you the unit in operation prior to you buying it.


what brought me to make this topic was the fact that i have been looking at these for months now on ebay and seeing the condition of units, descriptions of units and then communicating with the sellers ( on ebay of course) and i have found most of them really dont know if the units actually work or not, they merely plug them in, see it has power and says it works however there are a few that will say it powers on but that is all they really know about it.


anyway, hope this info helps anyone that may be looking into getting a used cole parmer pump for feeding their calcium reactor/denitrator/whatever. and again, regardless of what you might think the older analog brushed units are actually the way to go as there is far less that can go wrong with them and if something does you can repair most of the unit pretty cheap without paying a huge markup on parts there are some exceptions to this but the main thing would be if a motor fails although i have yet to see a cole parmer brushed motor fail in a saltwater application, i have seen circuit componants go bad but some basic soldering skills and a visit to a place like mouser will get you back up and running unlike digital brushless units which are usually sm componants on the circuit boards and humidity ( like under our tank stands) will get into a brushless motor and fry the motor.

I’ve found old Masterfex pumps are great. I’ve purchased 5 off of eBay for cheap. They just keep going! Ignore surface rust as these things last for years. They do make some noise, but I’m fortunate to have a fish room.

 

[Bluedore]

It seems that a lot of Reefers are moving away from Masterflex since the Introduction of kamoer & Versa Pumps came out.

 

[lordraptor1]

If you really are handy and can work a soldering iron, Kangaroo pumps. They are super high quality continuous duty, just older. You can usually get them for less than $100, but they need a jumper soldered, but if you ever find one that a hobbyist is selling the mod is likely done already. There are old posts on RC about how to do all of this.

i looked into the kangaroo pumps and i contacted tyco ( whom is the maker of the kangaroo pumps) and according to tyco the kangaroo pumps are not rated for continuous duty.

 

[lordraptor1]

It seems that a lot of Reefers are moving away from Masterflex since the Introduction of kamoer & Versa Pumps came out.

cant speak for versa but as far as kamoer goes i looked into those myself and when i read that they require head replacements every 6 to 12 months i lost interest. now as far as versa goes i look at all these brands like ecotech with contempt. i mean lets just be honest here, they are outrageously overpriced and not being manufactured in the USA. a simple look on google earth of their address will show you their facility is not a manufacturing facility and no where near large enough to be used as one. instead the physical location of ecotech is conveniently located next to an international airport ( HMMMM INTERNATIONAL). i mean if people want to waste money on overpriced asian made goods then fine but i really feel sorry for those that are buying based an a brand name, that is like people buying gibson guitars because of past reputation ( FYI i own a gibson les paul but it was because the store owner adn i worked a deal to have part of my funds go as store credit each week and my gibson was used) but, i got it because i know that some fool down the road will see that "Gibson" on the headstock and will pony up big bucks to buy it based on brand name ( again similar to people today with ecotech, AI, etc.).

at the end of the day my point is a used older brushed masterflex that needs repair provided you can do the repairs yourself and source parts somewhere other than the manufacturer is better a better deal than anything else. main example is once the product is discontinued brands like ecotech, AI, etc. will drop parts for discontinued units, while cole parmer still carries some parts for units made back in the 1980's and i have to say that to me that peace of mind of being able to get replacement parts that long is better than anything. also if you factor in another point is that cole parmer masterflex units were made for labratory use and some models of the easyload heads are cold rolled steel while others are stainless steel, what are versa and dos?, plastic?

 

[lordraptor1]

I’ve found old Masterfex pumps are great. I’ve purchased 5 off of eBay for cheap. They just keep going! Ignore surface rust as these things last for years. They do make some noise, but I’m fortunate to have a fish room.

my tank is in my living room and so far the loudest thing on my system is the reef octopus regal 200 INT skimmer. the silencer thing is useless and that is saying a LOT considerign my previous skimmer was a coralife super skimmer 220 which was silent with the stock silencer and still silent when i lost the orignal silencer and had to DIY my own. however that is really my only complaint with the ro skimmer is it is a noisy thing, compared to cheaper units. with that said i am overlooking the noise on the ro skimmer mainly because i only paid $75 for my ro regal 200 int LOL

 

[jda]

The kangaroos need modified to work continuous duty. Used one for a decade and would still be using it if I was not too lazy to go and get new tubing.

Kaomer and Versa might be fine, but have not been around long enough to know if they are reliable. It will take almost a decade to know for sure like you do some other types.

 

[ca1ore]

It seems that a lot of Reefers are moving away from Masterflex since the Introduction of kamoer & Versa Pumps came out.

Are they .... I wonder? I'm sure there's some of that, but I also think those new pumps have expanded the addressable market.

 

[Bluedore]

Are they .... I wonder? I'm sure there's some of that, but I also think those new pumps have expanded the addressable market.

A lot have moved toward those pump In our side of the reefing community, they are designed to address reef use 24/7 and of course they are still in the learning curve.

 

[X-37B]

Here is one I stold on ebay for $45.
You have to be on them quick.
I missed a few for under $100.
This one works well too.

 

[lordraptor1]

Here is one I stold on ebay for $45.
You have to be on them quick.
I missed a few for under $100.
This one works well too.

that is a 7520-25 isnt it? i have 2 of the older blue housing units in route myself, same old pump but with a different look. i have an easy load head coming in also, but thought id wait on ordering a second easy load head till i was sure i can get both working. anyway, i think that if people are abandoning masterflex it would be for 2 reasons 1, they want a "brand" name associated with the hobby, and 2. is lower cost i mean kamoer inital cost is cheap and $200 but the savigs arent really there if you follow the head replacement recommendations of 6 months to 1 year. also, paying high dollar for a "name" brand IMHO is a very bad move these days considering 99% of "usa" companies are outsourcing parts and manufacturing to asia basically meaning you are paying big bucks for a chinese made product, even the new cole parmer pumps say "assembled" in the USA not made in the USA like the older units. therefore i will take the old analog DC brushed jobs over a newer unit myself. basically as long as i can find a good deal within my pitiful budget on the first of every month i will go with the cole parmer units, if i cant then and only then would i go with a kamoer. and flat out even if i did have the money i woudlnt touch one of the "name" brands from a company like ecotech as somone who dabbles in electronic repairs and build guitar tube amplifiers i know where all those capacitors, resistors, circuit boards, etc are being made and i can tell you it is NOT the usa ( try china, and in some cases mexico). the exception to this is sprauge which i dont think are used in the peristalic pumps even mullard is made in china these days ( also not relevant to our application as far as i am aware.

 

[ca1ore]

A lot have moved toward those pump In our side of the reefing community, they are designed to address reef use 24/7 and of course they are still in the learning curve.

If you say so. None of the reefers I know who MasterFlex have swapped. I tried the versa and concluded it was a significant step down.

 

[X-37B]

that is a 7520-25 isnt it? i have 2 of the older blue housing units in route myself, same old pump but with a different look. i have an easy load head coming in also, but thought id wait on ordering a second easy load head till i was sure i can get both working. anyway, i think that if people are abandoning masterflex it would be for 2 reasons 1, they want a "brand" name associated with the hobby, and 2. is lower cost i mean kamoer inital cost is cheap and $200 but the savigs arent really there if you follow the head replacement recommendations of 6 months to 1 year. also, paying high dollar for a "name" brand IMHO is a very bad move these days considering 99% of "usa" companies are outsourcing parts and manufacturing to asia basically meaning you are paying big bucks for a chinese made product, even the new cole parmer pumps say "assembled" in the USA not made in the USA like the older units. therefore i will take the old analog DC brushed jobs over a newer unit myself. basically as long as i can find a good deal within my pitiful budget on the first of every month i will go with the cole parmer units, if i cant then and only then would i go with a kamoer. and flat out even if i did have the money i woudlnt touch one of the "name" brands from a company like ecotech as somone who dabbles in electronic repairs and build guitar tube amplifiers i know where all those capacitors, resistors, circuit boards, etc are being made and i can tell you it is NOT the usa ( try china, and in some cases mexico). the exception to this is sprauge which i dont think are used in the peristalic pumps even mullard is made in china these days ( also not relevant to our application as far as i am aware.

7553-50. I have another in a box somewhere.
I will see if I can dig it out. Dont remember the model number.
The one in the pic was noisy, probably why it was so cheap.
I used a couple drops of kroil on the rollers and it is pretty quiet now, lol.
When I worked in Silicon Valley many just threw them away when they upgraded.
We used alot in the lab and I think most older ones come from lab upgrades.
Taken care of they can go along time.

 

[Bpb]

I’ve got a old brushed unit that works well, but it is just too noisy. The 60 hz hum is so resonant I can hear it in every room of the house. Switched to a kamoer about a year ago. Kept the masterflex just in case

 

[spscrackhead]

I picked up a 7520-40 and was curious what everyone has done for maintenance on these?

 

[jda]

Take a shipping box that you got some corals in, cut off one end and put it over the unit like a doghouse. Plenty quiet, but it does take some room.