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Boaphiles Thermostate- worth the price?

Hypancistrus

Hypancistrus

New member
Boaphile Thermostat

I was going to get a Zoo Med Thermostat, but I've heard they tend to crap out and fry your snake. So I was looking at this one. $100 is a bit steep, especially since I am looking to buy a house soon and paying off grad school along the way, so I want to make sure it'd be money well spent.

Any thoughts or opinions? Has anyone used Boaphile's thermostats before? Has anyone ordered from them? Good service, bad service, or what?
 
look around

you will definately find that thermostat for about $25 cheaper

dont know the rules on this board yet so i wont post links unless im sure i can
 
Try mgreptiles.com, I couldnt recommend Matt enough. He is extremely helpful. I bought a ranco thermostat and its working great, and it wasnt as expensive as the one shown on Boaphile. The Johnson Controls thermostat is supposed to be pretty good too. Not sure if I would spend $100. These ones are around $70.
 
The one on Boaphile seems to be the "heavy-duty" type, for running multiple cages. It had industrial grade wiring and connections, and I only have the one cage (for now). I will check out MGReptiles.

NYCrestie, please post the link- it's definitely allowed! :)
 
Hypancistrus said:
I was going to get a Zoo Med Thermostat, but I've heard they tend to crap out and fry your snake.
Click to expand...

I've done a couple searches and could find no reference to this supposed problem except as mentioned a few times by you. Mind telling me where this info came from? I use 3 of the zoomed 500R thermostats and have had no problems in over 8 months so far.
 
Yeah, I read it on here early this summer in a post- a bunch of the more seasoned members referred to problems and issues with the ZooMed thermostats. I have not been able to find it again, either, but it has stuck in my head ever since. I don't want my snake to fry in the event that the thermostat quits working.

Then again, I am one of those that believes "If it's that cheap, there's a reason for it." I will check around again and see if I can find the thread, but I tried a few weeks ago, and couldn't.
 
Just spent 45 minutes searching here, and haven't found the reference. I even checked FaunaClassifieds and the Bearded Dragon site I used to frequent, to no avail. I guess if I hear no more bad things about the ZooMed's... I could try one. I don't HAVE the money for the higher end model right now, but I'd find the money somehow if it would protect my hatchling.

Anyone else have ANY opinions on the matter??
 
i hear the zoomeds ones are fine, just as long as you hook the thermostat to a rheostat, that way you can set it so the temp can not get higher then 90*F then set the thermo where you want.
 
cornsnakekid92 said:
i hear the zoomeds ones are fine, just as long as you hook the thermostat to a rheostat, that way you can set it so the temp can not get higher then 90*F then set the thermo where you want.
Click to expand...

I could do that...

Can you explain the sequence a little more??

Would the heat mat plug into the thermostat, which plugs into the rehostat/dimmer?? Or is it reversed... heat mat --> rheostat --> thermostat?

(I am DIY challenged- which is why I will be buying a rack this spring! :( )
 
plug the rheostat into the wall then the thermostat into the rheostat, then the heat mat into the thermostat, set the thermostat to as high as it goes then ajust the rehostat until you get a little over 90*F then set the thermostat to like 84*F or whatever you want ti at, that way if the thermostat fails, the rheostat will let it get to maybe 95*F but not 125*F
 
Ibe heard complaints about the other cheap thermostats, the round top black ones that are sold under various labels, ESU , Big Apple Herp, all are the same and Ive heard of THOSE breaking down and frying snakes. Never anything about Zoo Med thermostats. People have complained aboiut the Zoo Med Rheostats not getting cool enough.
 
Hypancistrus said:
The one on Boaphile seems to be the "heavy-duty" type, for running multiple cages. It had industrial grade wiring and connections, and I only have the one cage (for now). I will check out MGReptiles.

NYCrestie, please post the link- it's definitely allowed! :)
Click to expand...

ok, well one of them was mgreptiles.com like posted earlier
and the other is reptilebasics.com

both are very comparable in prices

i actually came across those 2 web sites while reading horrible reviews about the cheap thermostats on a ball python website
it was either the esu or the zoomed, cant remember off hand
 
Well I bought the ZooMed 500R. I had to buy it at PetCo- my first purchase from them- which really galls me, but I want her heat controlled NOW, not next week when the order arrives. I am going to use CSKids suggestion as an extra measure of safety, in case the thermostat were to stick "on," which seems to be the greatest risk (with any of them, too, not just ZM). That will provide the extra margine of safety that I want.
 
NYCrestie said:
i actually came across those 2 web sites while reading horrible reviews about the cheap thermostats on a ball python website
it was either the esu or the zoomed, cant remember off hand
Click to expand...

Probably the ESU cheap thermostat. There's a big sectrion on MGreptiles about how bad it is and why he won't sell it./ The ZooMed 500R he sells and gives a 3 out of 5
 
I have had cheap thermostates. I currently have several BAH-1000's and they are all sitting in my closet. I have eight of the Ranco thermostates that Jeff sells, and while the Helix equivalent looks like it is less bulky (the rancos are huge and heavy), they work extremely well. I will probably continue to buy them.

Chris
 
"round on top that means stop" Thats what I always go by.. If you would like to se the insides of one of the el cheapos, check out the link below.. You cannot go wrong with a ranco or a johnson controls. They both do exactly the same thing but the johnsons are alittle smaller in size but still handle 1500 watts...
http://www.mgreptiles.com/thermoguts.html
 
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