I purchased my 1st EcoTech MP40 new in 2008. Picked up a few more (used) in subsequent years, upgraded magnet on the original, replaced a few normal wear items. I have some hungry snails that periodically climb on the intake cage in search of food & their shells contact the propellers, so I've had to replace them as a result. Yes, perhaps the novelty has worn off & yes the initial investment was a bitter pill, but these pumps have been doing a great job for 8 years, 7 years, 6 years.... Have yet to experience any 'shaft split'. One of the advantages of the VorTech is that virtually every part on the wet side is easily replaced, available & reasonably priced. If the dry sides on mine were all to fail tomorrow, they would owe me nothing based on the number of years of service they've provided.
A photo of the hardware to show it's been in the system for a while... (I've since cleaned them up in a vinegar solution)
A few of the dynamic components subject to wear that are replaceable on the wet side. Sure beats having to toss the entire power head in the trash for want of replacement parts.
I've also made upgrades to drivers over the years, but cost spread out so not a big deal. My first MP40 is a gen 1 which I was able to easily upgrade to the latest configuration once the redesigned parts were available. The gen 1 was fitted with a poorly designed wet side magnet but EcoTech quickly came up with the redesign without folks having to spend a fortune for an entirely new power head.
The gen 1 wet side magnet after 6 months in the tank. I think I purchased mine about a month before they did the redesign, bad timing for me, but hey... it got fixed for about $10 at the time.
