thermostat dilemma

ok so i bought a ranco etc thermostat for my new bps, two are using larger heat mats than the other, is it ok to just use a less expensive rheostat to fit in my budget? if not i will buy another ranco but i would like to limit spending for food for these guys and my other herps. im thinking of picking up a cheaper rheostat from zoo med instead of another 100 dollar thermostat, is this ok?

It is if you are committed to religiously monitoring their temperatures. Rheostats will not adjust themselves, so if your room temp changes at all, and chances are that it does quite a bit, you'll need to adjust your rheostat fairly frequently.

Essentially, this is a short-term solution until you have the chance to upgrade.

A thermostat is the most important thing you can buy for your collection. Buy the best you can. When you buy cheap you get cheap. Also when you buy cheap it will usually cause you more in the long run.

The Herpstat 2 is a great choice. I have two Herpstat 1s, a 2, and a 4. They have all given me great service and have yet to let me down.

Watch here, Fauna, and Kingsnake....maybe even Craigslist for them. They pop up from time to time and you can get a good deal on a slightly used one. I have bought a couple of mine used from people that got a different one or got out of the hobby.

I have a Herp 4 and it was the best investment I made for my collection. Basically set it and forget it! I do check it but temps stay steady.

Or just replace the 3rd mat with one that matches the others

The cheapest and safest long term solution would be to just bite the bullet now and get a good quality thermostat with multiple outputs. The thing with a t-stat is that its a long term investment in your animals health. A good one will last practically forever, so like good quality caging, you shouldn't have to buy one again for a very long time. And they tend to hold value well if you decide to sell them later.