Proportional Thermostats

Besides the price, are there any major differences / pro's or con's between the Helix DBS-1000 and the Herpstat proportional thermostats? Anyone out there have more success with one versus the other?

I'm planning on purchasing the STC-410 rack system from Reptile Basics but cannont decide which thermostat to go with.

Any suggestions? :confuzd:

They're both good thermostats and you won't go wrong with either one. The big breeders seem to prefer Helix, but they've also been around longer. Herpstat is cheaper and has more features, but the extra features aren't necessary.

I think it really comes down to preference. Some people may claim that Herpstat or Helix has a higher failure rate, but without statistics it's impossible to say. Personally, I have three Herpstats and a Herpstat II. I did have a problem with the Herpstat II, but the manufacturer was great in getting it fixed. I've also heard great things about Helix customer service, too.

The one negative thing I have to say about the Herpstat II and Herpstat Pro is that they use a fan to cool off the internal electronics. I'm not sure what the life of those fans are, but I imagine they would eventually give out after a few years. :2cent:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rockrgrrl

Besides the price, are there any major differences / pro's or con's between the Helix DBS-1000 and the Herpstat proportional thermostats? Anyone out there have more success with one versus the other?

I'm planning on purchasing the STC-410 rack system from Reptile Basics but cannont decide which thermostat to go with.

Any suggestions? :confuzd:

---

Both are very similar to each other and it is more preference between the two. The HS tells you temp to a .1 of a degree. I am not sure if Helix can, but HS has a cooling mode as well and can be used in on/off mode if you wanted.

Good thread.. Go on im listening, I too have plans on purchasing a proportional thermostat

I'm picking up a Herpstat for my new rack tomorrow at the local show.

Has anyone found a deal on Herpstats online? Everyone seems to sell for the same $109.

I can't really give you pro's and con's on both of these, but can say that I use and love the Helix with my rack.


Jamie just switched from Herpstats to Helix, perhaps he can chime into why he made the switch.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

I can't really give you pro's and con's on both of these, but can say that I use and love the Helix with my rack.


Jamie just switched from Herpstats to Helix, perhaps he can chime into why he made the switch.

---

I have used Herpstats for a couple years and have NEVER had an issue with them. I purchased a Helix recently to try it out and I loved it. For me, it just felt more sturdy and there is no arguing that Helix have been around longer and are time tested by most of the top breeders. Dion does a great job with the Herpstats and his customer service and quick shipping is second to none. I will probably continue to use both.

For the money, the herpstat pro is the best. 4 stats in one. Far better if you are planning on running more cages in the future. Some will say not to use one stat for for multiple racks because if the one stat goes out all the racks go down, but if you have a climate controlled rep room, a HS pro can easily run 4 racks perfectly(50+/- individual slots). If you are running cages in a room below 75 where there an actual danger to the animals with a stat failure, then I might agree that it's a bad idea, but having cages in a room lower than that is a bad idea anyways.

Plus with the pro, and acc cables/software, the stat will text message your cell phone if there's a problem, and the alarm and actual alarm clock is sweet, and exceedingly helpful.

300 clams is a small price to oay for my piece of mind :carrot: But, with anything, personal needs vary and one peice of equipment won't be the best for anyone.

Thus far, I have had equally good results with Herpstat & Helix. If I had to choose one over the other at this point it would be Herpstat, if for no other reason than ease of contact when it comes to customer service.

Just my $.02...

K~

I can't really compare and contrast, either. I've only been using my Herpstat for a short time (2 months now)--but it is very first-time-user friendly and has been keeping my temps stable consistently.

Hey, im not to familiar with the thermostats but i had a question to add on, not to sound like an idiot but, the way they work, you just plug in the heat source(flexwat, bulb, heatpad) into the thermostat and the proper probe on the specific heated area, and i gues it just cuts off the power when it gets to hot?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bonez

Hey, im not to familiar with the thermostats but i had a question to add on, not to sound like an idiot but, the way they work, you just plug in the heat source(flexwat, bulb, heatpad) into the thermostat and the proper probe on the specific heated area, and i gues it just cuts off the power when it gets to hot?

---

The on/off type of thermostat turns the power off when it gets too hot and then back on again when it gets too cool.

The proportional kind acts more like a choke--increasing and decreasing the power to the heat source to keep the heat steady.

oh ok, so they would prob work better with like flex watt rather than heating pads? or same thing?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bonez

oh ok, so they would prob work better with like flex watt rather than heating pads? or same thing?

---

It works the same with heat pads, flexwatt or even light sources, as far as I know. Though don't quote me on that, I've only used mine with flexwatt. Others on the site have probably used their thermostats with other sources and could give you a better comparison.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bonez

oh ok, so they would prob work better with like flex watt rather than heating pads? or same thing?

---

Same thing. Proportional tend to keep temps more stable whereas on/off usually have a wider temperature range.

cool, thanx for the info, do you personaly use 2 seperate heat sources for each side of the enclosure(cold and hot) and since your useing flex watt do you even use a light?