What(low end) Thermostat works best?

For those of you that use small scale thermostats to control your heat source, which do you think is best? The 3 main ones i have seen are the Alife 1000watt , zoo med 500r, and the zoo med rheostat 150 watt. The reason i ask is because i am new to ball pythons(don't have one yet :() and want to get as much information before i set up the enclosure. I have read all the guides i can find, and have talked to some people, about setting up a good environment, but just want to see would some people think that have experience with these say?


Thanks Tim

Ok, for those of us who are too poor to afford the better stats such as Johnson or Ranco, there is an alternative. :)

Rheostats are junk UNLESS you can keep your room temperatures within 1 degree at all times, and your amperage doesn't fluctuate.

Alife have been said by many to be total crud that breaks at the touch of a feather.

ZooMed stats work fairly well after some tweaking, since they're dial type without numbers. To use one you have to have a reliable thermometer and preferably a temp gun. They are the best choice of the three 'cheap' alternatives. However, do make sure you're saving up the money for a better stat while using a ZooMed, and keep a close eye on the temps controlled by one since they ARE cheap and have been known to break down.

I have been using Zoo Med 500Rs quite successfully, and am really happy with their performance.

i WILL be upgrading to Herpstats though, because the things are amazing! There is NO better!

I use Helix and so far so good. It is worth the 150.00 bucks. You can find them in classifieds all the time for a hundred. that is how i got mine. plus it is proportional, so it stays on all the time instead of shutting off when the temp you desire is reached.

For the past year ive been useing an Alife thermostat and it has worked quite well for me, it just takes ALOT of messing with. I like my Helix beter, but the alife currently is used on a 18 tub rack and the temps have been staying at 92 degrees as planned.

Thanks for all the advice everyone, sounds great. And i realize that which ever one i get will eventually be upgraded to a better one such as the Helix. I may just pony up for the good one to begin with...:)

tim

Don't waste your money on the Rheostat. I paid $19.99 for the Zoo-Med Rheostat and got a Zoo-Med Theromstat online for $23.00

The Rheostat was not low enough even on the LOWEST setting. I had to put cardboard between the UTH and the tank to get the temps down to a reasonable degree. Good thing I did not stick the UTH to the glass. It's not a good deal at all.

Ranco is as low as I would go. Its alot cheaper(and stressful) than treating a sick/damaged snake.

Well of course... the Johnson and Ranco stats are the 'worry free' stats, but they cost $80. Some of us just don't have that money, especially when we start out. The ZooMed ReptiTemp stat is TONS better then a rheostat or (Gods forbid) nothing. And that tides you over until you can save up for the 'good stuff'. :)

At least, that's the typical reason one would get a cheaper stat. There are always those who are too cheap to buy anything better even if they have the money to spare... :)

I would buy an $11 Lutron Credenza rheostat from Home Depot before I bought ANYTHING Zoodead. Pet store stuff is crap and may fry your snake or burn your house down. I have one of those Lutron dimmers running some flexwatt and it's just fine. Plus, they can carry up to 300 watts.