Can someone recommend a thermostat?

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Yea cause the manufacture of the companies will display how the manufacture their product so others can copy. Just buy one of each and open them up and youll see for your self.

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You seem very convinced on the Johnsons. So I take it you've already done that, right? Lets see.

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Originally Posted by LizardPants

You seem very convinced on the Johnsons. So I take it you've already done that, right? Lets see.

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Ive used them all, helix,herpstat,johnson,and the cheap ESU dial ones.

Johnsons are the most reliable ive used, the ESU i had broke lucky in the off position rather on.

Im not saying Johnsons are the best, just stating theres no need to buy a herpstat over johnson as they both do the same thing. I sold all my herpstats and helixs as i just didnt like them. Only herpstat i have no is for my incubator.

My rant was not to classify all on/off thermostats under the same roof as they are all made different. You get what you pay for.

Its personal preference, but dont sway someone away from something that does just as good a job as the proportional ones for fraction the price

this bit is gonna get me yelled at and heck, maybe even disliked here but i've been following this thread since last night and started a response to just cancel it but now i'm gonna go ahead here...

does there HAVE to be a freakin' debate on which thermostats are "the best"?
i do not recall this thread being called "name the best thermostat." in which a debate could be expected.
but no, someone is asking for advice on which thermostat they should use in which the correct response would be a list of all the choices.
you know what? not everyone can afford the same devices and not everyone is gonna like the same devices AND not every device is gonna work for the same set up since those vary wildly here too.
personal preferences do not matter, nor are they debatable.
everyone has their own ideas on what makes a good heat source, humidity source, heat control device, substrate, feeding method and set up, ok fine.
whatever works for each individual, good for them.
why argue about it?

I actually owe the op an apology I did go off topic I get caught up in technical details and allow myself to run away with them.

The real issue is tolerances. The on off styles are designed with a set of tolerances that are good for what they are met to do. It doesn't matter if it is greenhouse or small appliance whatever the tolerance is what it is, 2º. Other ones are taken from some other application and re-branded. Then there are ones designed to do the job we as reptile keepers use them for they also have tolerances based in cost I am sure Dion would love to use a thermal coupler in the herpstats but if the probes were $600 (platinum is very expensive) each nobody would buy the product.

Any can work and work really well, in the hands of someone whom has the experience to use set them up in a way that the designed tolerances are negated.

I have absolutely no doubt that RichsBallPythons has a set up that is perfect and the controllers do not allow large swings. I'd also venture a guess that the temperature of the snake room where the collection is stable.? Likely independently heated and controlled. The swing in temps under those conditions are going to be quite small. Add in thermal mass of the rack? guessing again will make it even smaller.

My set up is in an old house and the walls blow cold air, today as of this moment it is 77º the warmest it has been in 3 months. The log on my monitoring system says this week it bottomed out at 57.3º that is a lot. The Ranco I have and the johnson I tested worked fine but allowed the enclosures to vary by 5 degrees off true. I saw swings of 85-96 in a few hours as the unit struggled to keep up. It is not a failing of the unit but at all it is doing exactly what it was designed to. It is my fault that I tried to use something in my situation that was inappropriate.

I recommend herpstat (helix, ecozone or ve's) to newer keepers because they are the most likely not to have regulated rooms. These units will manage in a room heated or not they will do both a good on off will manage in a semi regulated room that does not see big swings. A rheostat work best in rooms with smaller swings again. It isn't which is best with me it doesn't matter, it is which is appropriate.

People get very defensive when others question gear they use, because if I say ___ brand doesn't work, (I am not it is just a point I am making) I am indirectly saying you whom uses ___ brand isn't keeping your animals correctly.

To my mind it isn't an argument about what is best it is what will work in a given situation. It is too bad that people new to the hobby often go to the price over the specs and buy the cheap one and expect it to do something that is beyond its capabilities.

There are no right answers in husbandry, if the conditions are correct they are correct. In a tub / tank / enclosure with, pick a heat source, and ,pick a controller, if it is keeping the environmental conditions it is correct.

kitedemon -
all in a nutshell

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it isn't an argument about what is best it is what will work in a given situation

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was basically my point.
i dont believe it matters who thinks what device is "the best" so much as the research that needs to be done on each device. the OP is gonna have to make their own decision based on what they can afford and what they thinkwill work best for their set up.
i really hate to sound like i'm saying people's opinions dont matter but i keep seeing all the crappy comments about the 500r and my thing is
just because it didnt meet someone's expectations means it's not gonna meet everyone's?
i have one and i think it works just fine. i did my research on it and i decided that's the one i can afford. i know that because it's not digital i have to be more diligent with keeping an eye on the temps to make sure they dont get too low or too high and that i'll be constantly making the neccessary adjustments to get the temp readings that my snake needs and i must be doing something right cuz my snake eats, sheds and thermoregulates like she should.
i DO have plans to invest in another thermostat but for now i'm willing and able to work with what i have.
i'm just saying that when someone comes here asking for advice they should get advice not be bombarded by a debate amongst other members, cuz i see that as a way to turn people away and make it a very uncomfortable environment, right?