Opinion needed on temp controller

anyone had any experience on the Zilla brand temperature controller? This is the link to the product I am talking about. Any input on that would be greatly appreciated. I am looking at if for a temporary use until I can get a better thermostat.

http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/...controller.htm

I didn't know that Zilla made a thermostat like that. It looks pretty legitimate. I simply use a lamp dimmer ($10), but that one looks like it would work quite well although those run for ~$40. If you don't feel comfortable using a lamp dimmer I think this will be the next best thing.

it looks like an alife thermostat i am using one on a rack without problem. I does take alot of fine tuning to get it just right but its been fine since i tuned it all in. Im actually afraid to move it because i don't want the headache of tuning it in on another cage or rack. It took me 4 days to get the rack tuned in when i first got it. My suggestion if you do get one is to adjust slowly and get an accurite 24 hour thermometer to observe temps. After all my complaining if you still want one i would suggest spending a little more money up front and buying a johnson control or ranco thermostat atleast those you can adjust temps easily without a twist knob style adjustment.

I agree with the previous post...I use Ranco's and love them, but will upgrade to Herpstats when funds permit...I've heard the Zilla's are hard to dial in the temp and for a little more you can get a Ranco or Johnson...If you don't feel comfortable hooking up the t-stat to the powerstrip, Rich from RBI sells them pre-wired...

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Originally Posted by shadi11

it looks like an alife thermostat i am using one on a rack without problem. I does take alot of fine tuning to get it just right but its been fine since i tuned it all in. Im actually afraid to move it because i don't want the headache of tuning it in on another cage or rack. It took me 4 days to get the rack tuned in when i first got it. My suggestion if you do get one is to adjust slowly and get an accurite 24 hour thermometer to observe temps. After all my complaining if you still want one i would suggest spending a little more money up front and buying a johnson control or ranco thermostat atleast those you can adjust temps easily without a twist knob style adjustment.

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My plan is getting the herpstat II when I get my tax returns on the 20th and put my current snake on that one and when the new guy gets all cleared through a vet then they will both be on the same thermostat. I just want this one to last me with getting the new snake set up and away from where he is currently. It ran about 50 bucks at petco which I can fork out now.

I didnt want to do the dimmer as I am new to having a correct setup and having snakes period. I thought that with the zilla I could put the dial at the temp I want it to be at. It says it automaticall shuts off at 111 degrees too which I thought was good.

Thanks for the info!

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Originally Posted by pitsandpythons

I agree with the previous post...I use Ranco's and love them, but will upgrade to Herpstats when funds permit...I've heard the Zilla's are hard to dial in the temp and for a little more you can get a Ranco or Johnson...If you don't feel comfortable hooking up the t-stat to the powerstrip, Rich from RBI sells them pre-wired...

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Do you have a link or more info on the Ranco one? How about the one that you said Rich pre-wired?

I use 2 of those... one on each of my cages. Its like a 3rd the price of a herpstat or helix and it does a good enough job. I haven't seen any spikes or drops in temp that could be unsafe. They did take a bit of fine tuning but they get the job done a million times better than a rheostat.

I have a couple of those thermostats for my corn and hognose. They are on/off so the temps do fluctuate about plus or minus 5 degrees from what you have it set to. Other than that I've been using them for around a year and haven't had any problems once I got the intial temp set. But it's really not that much more to get a Johnson/Ranco as been stated.

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

My plan is getting the herpstat II when I get my tax returns on the 20th and put my current snake on that one and when the new guy gets all cleared through a vet then they will both be on the same thermostat. I just want this one to last me with getting the new snake set up and away from where he is currently. It ran about 50 bucks at petco which I can fork out now.

I didnt want to do the dimmer as I am new to having a correct setup and having snakes period. I thought that with the zilla I could put the dial at the temp I want it to be at. It says it automaticall shuts off at 111 degrees too which I thought was good.

Thanks for the info!

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I have only a Ranco in the last few months. but it only runs around 60 bucks. compared to the fifty your willing to spend I would add on the ten dollars or so and get yourself a Ranco instead. The price difference isnt that great for the better quality thermostat

Do you have a link for them? And can someone give me some info about setting them up? I know one probe goes down on the hot side right about the UTH. But as far as pluggin everything in and getting it started. i guess it will make more sense once I get one and see it in front of me.

You can get it pre-wired or non wired. If you get the one you have to wire then you'll need a $1 ext. cord and the ability to read a diagram. My sister did my first one, but I did the 2nd one without a problem.

Here is the link to the Pre-Wired, it'll run about $80
Pre-wired Ranco

and the link to the unwired Ranco, about $60

Self Wire Ranco

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

anyone had any experience on the Zilla brand temperature controller? This is the link to the product I am talking about. Any input on that would be greatly appreciated. I am looking at if for a temporary use until I can get a better thermostat.

http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/...controller.htm

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I am currently using one on my 20gL tank. I was on a budget(I am a broke college student) and I got it from a friend for free so I figured why not, better than my dimmer... its an on/off style tstat and with a little fine tuning it holds my temp at 92 +/- about 1 to 2 degrees. it will get two 92 or 93 then shutoff and drop to 90 or 91. I cant complain about that!

I was using a dimmer prior to getting this zilla tstat and my temps would fluctuate way too much for my liking, so no I have my Infrared Bulb plugged into the dimmer and I can tune the hot side exactly to 90 +/- 2 to 3 degrees.

I hooked up a Ranco to a power strip using this link.

http://www.rcreptiles.com/blog/index...1000_thermosta

It's great because I run 2 CHE's off the same power strip as the UTH


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...size_thumb.jpg

i dont like that zilla or the zoomed thermostat.why?
well all the others are proven and fairly durable.
they can be adjusted without need to check the temp at the probe.
you can also adjust how many degrees before it turns on.
some can be later expanded with night drop.
some just have everything and can also be used on an incubator at a later time(proportional ones).
some you can replace the probe if something should go wrong with it(rodent bite, broke wire, random stupidity pulled probe out)

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

anyone had any experience on the Zilla brand temperature controller? This is the link to the product I am talking about. Any input on that would be greatly appreciated. I am looking at if for a temporary use until I can get a better thermostat.

http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/...controller.htm

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i have been using them for a while now and have had no problem. the temps stay constant. only thing make sure you put the probe on the heat pad not inside the enclosure. it took me a while to figure that out but now that i put it on the actual heat pad itself my temps stay constant. good product.

Thanks for all the feed back. I think we are ordering the Ranco this week.

If I hook it up to a power strip I can run more than one UTH on the same thermostat?

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

Thanks for all the feed back. I think we are ordering the Ranco this week.

If I hook it up to a power strip I can run more than one UTH on the same thermostat?

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Yes. I am not sure about the Ranco, but I have a few Johnson Controls thermostats, and each can run up to 1500 watts. Just make sure that each mat is the same size and wattage.

Awesome! Thanks so much!

Awesome ty for this post. Was wondering about this myself.

I got my Ranco in last night. I dont have an extention cord so I cant do the wiring. I just got the power strip and thought that would be enough. So I will go to the store after work and wire it then. Right now the temps are being held with a dimmer switch for right now.