|
|
|
|
|
#1
12-11-2007, 04:52 PM
|
||||
|
||||
TOP NOTCH:
Bubble King - Fantastic build quality, insane performance, unmatched silence and efficiency. Smallest model is, more than likely, too large for your tank (130 gallon min w/ BK Mini 160). $850+ Deltec - Aggressive skimming, trusted brand name, but I don't like them very much. Seems to me like Deltec USA (the master distributor in North America) is gouging the crap out of everyone, considering that these things are cheaper than H&S in Europe/Asia and more expensive than H&S here. $600+. H&S - Aggressive skimmer. Never heard a complaint about these things, though I've never used one myself. Identical performance to Deltec, cheaper, built like a tank. You probably can't go wrong with H&S if you can find one used. $500+ ATI Bubblemaster - Good skimmer, but requires heavy bioload to operate. Junky build quality (thin plastic), poor product support, but fantastic price vs cost/performance ratio. $500+ GOOD SKIMMERS: EuroReef - You simply CANNOT beat the price vs. performance ratio on these skimmers. Construction quality is decent, efficiency is very average, the filtering capacity is very good, noise levels are on par with a medium sized air pump (quiet enough for under a cabinet, but don't expect to sleep beside the unit). I use a lot of these, I've also sold a lot of these and I've had no complaints. $240+ Elos - Decent performing skimmer, but WAAAAAAAAY to expensive for what it does. Definitely well constructed though, mine looks like a work of art. $600+ ASM - I dunno, EuroReef's have way better construction and are cheaper to get new (yes, ASM has raised their prices, EuroReef has lowered theirs). Don't bother with these unless you can get one super cheap; like your mom wants to give you one cause she's moving to Montreal to join the circus cheap. $300+ PM Bullet - I don't have any personal experience with these, but a few of my customers use them and they like them. I'm just not a huge fan of injection style skimmers. $400 w/ pump JUNK STUFF: SeaClone - Don't. $90+ Coralife Super Skimmer - These are fine if you're a dirt poor, starving college student or a parent with a family of seven. If these don't apply to you, stay away. $120+ Aqua C Urchin - I use to sell these. They worked, but for the price point, EuroReef's definitely are of better value. $190+ All the misc. Chinese made copy products - Most of them are either sub-par to okay skimmers for low prices. If you have the money, dont' waste your time with these things.
__________________
This and that. 
|
|
#2
12-11-2007, 06:08 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Good review Albert.
__________________
If you see it, can take care of it, better get it or put it on hold. Otherwise, it'll be gone & you'll regret it!
|
|
#3
12-11-2007, 06:36 PM
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
I have to ask, what makes a skimmer soo damned expensive? I mean, I have never seen a junk one yet, let alone a good one, but by looking at pictures, some acrylic tubing and a pump? I am an extreme DIY person and hate overpriced things(the if you need it, your gona pay attitude) with a passion, guess I just need some explanation why they cost so much.
|
|
#4
12-11-2007, 06:51 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Consider the prices on cast acrylic tubing ATM: http://www.polymerplastics.com/trans...acrylict.shtml - play with the prices (8"diameter, 1/4" thick @ $110.88/ft!!!) http://www.professionalplastics.com/...c-Tubes---Cast - $115.41 for 8.5"!!! Additionally, many of the pumps are further modified from their stock versions. Royal Exclusive goes as far as to have Askoll custom manufacture motorblocks to their exacting specifications. Toss in rising wages, import costs, wholesale distributor markups, retail markups, and boom, there's your skimmer price. By no means are the people at the manufacturing end making a KILLING off each individual skimmer. Edit: Let's imagine what it would cost to build a BK 250 with some inferred and some arbitrary numbers... Cast acrylic tubing 12" diameter @ 3/8" thickness = $1155.49 (source: http://www.polymerplastics.com/trans...acrylict.shtml) PVC Sheet 3/8" = $68.57 (source http://www.professionalplastics.com/...-Sheets-&-Rods) Red Dragon retails at $830. Let's be conservative here and assume it costs the manufacturer about 40% of this value to custom order this from Askoll, then perform further modifications such as the anti-calcium bypass and CNC'd impellar = $300.00 Labor (I'm going to assume a decent wage since these things are manufactured in Germany, not China, so how about $35/hour? Let's go with a conservative two hours per unit) = $70.00 I'm not even going to include the price of rent, utilities, interest rates, blah blah blah... Total costs to produce (estimation) $1594.06 - 25% just to account for anything I might be missing like wholesale discounts, etc $1195.55 Manufacturer's markup @ 15% (conservatively speaking) $1374.88 Wholesaler's markup @ 5% (again, conservative figure) $1443.62 Retail value of the unit $1824.99 Hope that makes sense. Edit #2: All that said, I absolutely CANNOT figure out where Deltec gets off charging what it does. The construction is skimpy, the materials are just kinda okay (extruded acrylic on some models as I recall, ABS neck, Uniseal grommets vs. bonded bulkheads or PVC joints, the list of where they cheaped out goes on and on), and the customer service is non-existant (this may have changed recently, so don't hang me for it), OMG... And for the record, YES, I do have experience with Deltecs.
__________________
This and that. Last edited by albert_dao; 12-11-2007 at 07:19 PM.
|
|
#5
12-11-2007, 07:02 PM
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Ouch, never thought tube would be that expensive
|
|
#6
12-11-2007, 08:21 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
__________________
60 Gallon rimless, internal Herbie overflow, ATI Powermodule, Eheim 1250, 2X Tunze 6055, Tunze ATO, Euroreef RS100, Profilux controller, TLF Reactor.
|
|
#9
12-11-2007, 09:04 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Thank you so much for all the replies. It can be so hard to get a sense of what is good and what is bad reading all of the forums as everyone has different experience based on so many things, not just quality of product, but customer service, price...
Thanks again, really gives me a better idea of what's what
|
|
#10
12-11-2007, 09:28 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
__________________
This and that.
|
Hybrid Mode
