Inexpensive thermostat?

I'd love to drop 100+ on a herpstat but at this very moment I can't. I just got my AP rack and I wanna consolidate my snakes. Is there a first step thermostat that's plug-n-play that's not too expensive that I can use for a few months? Or is anyone looking to sell a herpstat they're not using? :)

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The hydrofarm or hydrostat is
A great thermostat for a cheap price. Look it up on amazon


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Just got the hydofarm off amazon myself , works great , and for $30 I don't think it can be beat .

You can afford to buy an AP rack but cant get a quality t-stat? Im not trying to be critical of you but you could have planned that out a little better imo. A t-stat is the most imortant thing to keep your snakes alive and healthy. What are you using now for them? Why not just keep using the t-stat you have now while you saveup for a quality one. $30 for a hydrofarm is already 1/4 of the money you would need for a good one.

For a budget, a hydrofarm works great. I've used one in the past and hasn't given me any trouble. However, it's not as precise or accurate as a Herpstat.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

You can afford to buy an AP rack but cant get a quality t-stat? Im not trying to be critical of you but you could have planned that out a little better imo. A t-stat is the most imortant thing to keep your snakes alive and healthy. What are you using now for them? Why not just keep using the t-stat you have now while you saveup for a quality one. $30 for a hydrofarm is already 1/4 of the money you would need for a good one.

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IMO on/off is perfectly fine for racks. They get the job done. Proportional is a luxury for racks, not a need. I would only say a quality proportional is needed for incubation since eggs are more sensitive than the snakes.

Please keep in mind that a $30 thermostat will perform exactly like a $30 thermostat. It will not be very accurate and the failure rate is high compared to a better model.

My advice would be to hold off moving your snakes to the rack until you can afford a good thermostat.

i agree with slim i am currently doing just that myself i am half way to a herpstat

You get what you pay for. Before deciding on a cheap thermostat id check how much your vet is gonna charge ya for respritory infections

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Originally Posted by Slim

Please keep in mind that a $30 thermostat will perform exactly like a $30 thermostat. It will not be very accurate and the failure rate is high compared to a better model.

My advice would be to hold off moving your snakes to the rack until you can afford a good thermostat.

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Don't take this an attack but I'd like to see some data to back that up. I've been running on/off stats for years now without issue. Ironically, my first proportional tstat that I paid 4x more for failed after 4 months and had to be replaced.

Whatever you use you should always spot check temps regularly with other devices such as a temp gun.

I will say though that if you can afford a better one then go ahead and get it. But if he's go all his snakes in seperate locations now (like they're in tanks?), I'd go ahead and drop the $30 and get them moved in the rack and upgrade the tstat later.

EDIT: Double Post

lol, inexpensive thermostat will be a headache

IMO the hydrofarm t-stat is much better than the $30-$35 you pay for it! Yes, it is an on/off thermostat but it does exactly what it is supposed to do and very reliably. Plus it has a current temperature readout. I would not reccomend the zilla or zoo med thermostat. I have personally had problems with both of them, and they cost more!

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Originally Posted by snake lab

You get what you pay for. Before deciding on a cheap thermostat id check how much your vet is gonna charge ya for respritory infections

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Agreed

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Don't take this an attack but I'd like to see some data to back that up. I've been running on/off stats for years now without issue. Ironically, my first proportional tstat that I paid 4x more for failed after 4 months and had to be replaced.

Whatever you use you should always spot check temps regularly with other devices such as a temp gun.

I will say though that if you can afford a better one then go ahead and get it. But if he's go all his snakes in seperate locations now (like they're in tanks?), I'd go ahead and drop the $30 and get them moved in the rack and upgrade the tstat later.

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I agree with mason, there is not any data to back this up that I can find. Balls need a gradient between 80 and 90. Proportional thermostats are higher tech but i don't think they are less likely to fail. Either type will give that gradient if set up properly.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

I'd like to see some data to back that up.

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Originally Posted by coolballsdave

there is not any data to back this up that I can find.

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If you Gents want me to produce a study, then sorry, there are none that I'm aware of. If you'll accept anecdotal evidence, then just do a simple search on the subject and you'll see cases of failure, and just as importantly, you'll see instances of wide temp flux with the cheap on/off thermostats.

If you have no worries trusting your collection to a $30 thermostat, then I also have no worries trusting your collection to a $30 thermostat. For my collection, I want better quality and function than what $30 gives me. That doesn't mean you're doing wrong, but, the OP did ask for opinions.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

I will say though that if you can afford a better one then go ahead and get it.

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This statement seems a little incongruent with the picture you've painted about inexpensive on/off thermostats being all that is required for a rack system...

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

I'd go ahead and drop the $30 and get them moved in the rack and upgrade the tstat later.

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Wouldn't this course of action eventually render the initial $30 spent as useless? Wouldn't it also further delay the OP from purchasing an upgraded thermostat?

We have a herpstat on our rack. I am to worried about my snakes to put anything else on there. Just ask my husband, lol. I am totally paranoid about stuff when it comes to my animals.

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Originally Posted by Slim

This statement seems a little incongruent with the picture you've painted about inexpensive on/off thermostats being all that is required for a rack system...

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Not really. Maybe I didn't express myself clearly. All I am saying is that cheaper on/off tstats will do fine. I never said there weren't advantages that come with the more expensive models. I know first hand the benefits. So if you have the cash to put down on it then go ahead. But those advantages aren't crucial needs IMO. And regardless of what tstat, I don't trust any of them fully. I check temps with a temp gun regularly to make sure everything is still working.

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Originally Posted by Slim

Wouldn't this course of action eventually render the initial $30 spent as useless? Wouldn't it also further delay the OP from purchasing an upgraded thermostat?

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The answer to this is dependent on the situation. Let's assume he has 5 snakes all kept in 5 seperate containers. Let's also assume he has no tstat at all right now (which is implied for the OP's statements). If it were me, I'd go ahead and consoldate those animals into the new rack with the hydrofarm now as opposed to leaving them all on unmanaged heating elements for the 3 or 4 more months it's going to take for him to save the money to get a higher quality tstat.

If the situatio nwere different then the answer may be different.

I'm pretty sure the OP is a she, and we have not established that her snakes are currently residing over unregulated heating elements.

-___-;

Really? :confused:

Now.. to the op...

A good t-stat IMO is the Herpstat. I have no trouble and love it.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

You can afford to buy an AP rack but cant get a quality t-stat? Im not trying to be critical of you but you could have planned that out a little better imo.

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My original question was about an inexpensive temporary thermostat, not the planning of my finances. I'm not trying to be critical of your statement but it's just none of your business. I currently have my snakes in tanks, regulated for temperature in case anyone was wondering, and I'm simply eager to put them in my new rack. I am also starting a new job, which isn't pertinent to my original question either, but it means at the moment my finances are diverted elsewhere. And a "but" doesn't make you any less critical.

Thanks to those of you who answered my question.

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Originally Posted by zeion97

-___-;

Really? :confused:

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Not sure I'm understanding what you are trying to communicate...Care to elaborate?

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Originally Posted by moonlightgdess

My original question was about an inexpensive temporary thermostat, not the planning of my finances. I'm not trying to be critical of your statement but it's just none of your business. I currently have my snakes in tanks, regulated for temperature in case anyone was wondering, and I'm simply eager to put them in my new rack. I am also starting a new job, which isn't pertinent to my original question either, but it means at the moment my finances are diverted elsewhere. And a "but" doesn't make you any less critical.

Thanks to those of you who answered my question.

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If you are regulating the snakes currently just move one of the regulators (rheostat?) to the rack and use that same method you are doing now. Remember racks really do best in regulated room temps if the room is stable a rheostat will work fine and not need massive adjustments. An on off will also work with indirect heat and a proportional will work too. I would suggest that a proportional unit is better but regulation can come in a lot of guises. I would always suggest that a back up system is wise failure can occur with any regulators.

So, with proportional, i know dimming is best but there's also pulse... what's the difference between the on/off therms and the pulse? And for the higher end, herpstat or Vivarium electronics?

A on off is exactly that it turns on and allows full power to hit the heating element. It shuts down when the probe runs over the set temp and back on again when under it. Pulse proportional is the same in fast motion. It runs power to the heating element and shuts down the power on and off rapidly, many times a second. The element is not allowed to get over the set point and not allow under it by flipping the power on and off the element never heats fully or cools fully.

proportional dimming units regulated the amount of power adding and dropping the power amount to regulate the temps. Pulse is usually on the higher end units and the lower end use dimming. The dimming will prevent the buzzing that is sometimes associated with some elements .

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Originally Posted by moonlightgdess

My original question was about an inexpensive temporary thermostat, not the planning of my finances. I'm not trying to be critical of your statement but it's just none of your business. I currently have my snakes in tanks, regulated for temperature in case anyone was wondering, and I'm simply eager to put them in my new rack. I am also starting a new job, which isn't pertinent to my original question either, but it means at the moment my finances are diverted elsewhere. And a "but" doesn't make you any less critical.

Thanks to those of you who answered my question.

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I wasnt trying to be personal with you. Youre correct, I have no business to be getting into your business. I apologize if thats what you felt i was doing but i figured using the phrase "not trying to be critical" showed i wasnt. My first question was just meant to be rhetorical. I know what AP racks cost and i know what a good tstat costs, thats the only reason i made the statement in my first post. When you ask for an opinion im gunna give you my honest opinion. Its just my personality, im not trying to attack you personally or anything :P
With that said, if all of your other snakes have their own controlling devices now then why not just use one of them for the rack until you have the money to get a proportional tstat? They would basically do what a hydrofarm would. Like i said the $30-40 you spend on a hydrofarm is like 1/4 of a VE or herpstat.

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Originally Posted by moonlightgdess

So, with proportional, i know dimming is best but there's also pulse... what's the difference between the on/off therms and the pulse? And for the higher end, herpstat or Vivarium electronics?

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I have a VE-200 and love it! It does exactly what i need it to and has always been very accurate. Eventually when i need another t-stat ill probably get a herpstat or helix just to compare with my VE. Plus blue is a nicer color for the screen so thats kinda why i want a herpstat too lol