500W or 1000W thermostat?

I'm looking at buying a tstat for my second tank and its heat pad... does it matter if its a 1000watt or 500watt for an 8watt pad? Biggest difference I can see is that 1000 has two outlets for pad and lamp and 500 just has one.

If you are just hooking it up to that one heat pad then all you need is the 500W even that is overkill.

The watts don't matter as long as the thermostat is rated higher than the heat source is. More watts doesn't equal better thermostat. You need to get a good quality thermostat though. A cheap poorly made thermostat is just an accident waiting to happen.

Here are some good thermostats:

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

Mid-Range: http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermos...stat-prewired/

Best: http://www.spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html (For a single heat source I would suggest the Herpstat intro + or the Herpstat 1

Get the best you can afford, a good thermostat is invaluable.

Stay away from the junk sold in big box pet stores.