# Which thermostat brand is best ?



## l morgan (Sep 5, 2011)

Just checking what thermostat is the best and most popular ? With forum user's
I want a dimming stat and using a bulb no ceramic 

It's for a bearded dragon


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## Mattbarrett (Feb 27, 2012)

I use a habistat dimming stat, it's been perfect for me. I've not used other brands as this is what I was recommended


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## plaiceandchips (Jan 18, 2011)

habistat : victory::no1: without a doubt


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## zzxxy (Aug 28, 2011)

I prefer Habistat and micro climate in that order. I'm not sure what the lucky reptile or Komodo ones are like as i've never used them.


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## robbh1987 (Apr 4, 2010)

Have only used habistat matstat and microclimate dimmer stat and had no problems with either brand.


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## hatleopard (Mar 1, 2012)

Habistat all the way


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## The Happy Hornet (Feb 17, 2012)

Habistat every time :no1:


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## white (May 16, 2009)

habistat.


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## tallulah500 (Nov 12, 2011)

*thermostat*

I agree with everybody else, Habistat is good. I have a Habistat dimming thermostat for my American Green Tree Frogs. I haven't had it very long but I am very pleased with it.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Habistat all the way :2thumb:.


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## Redhog (May 18, 2011)

*Habistat*

Got to be HABISTAT, why anyone would use anything else is beyond me :no1:


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## Willz0r2010 (Oct 6, 2010)

Redhog said:


> Got to be HABISTAT, why anyone would use anything else is beyond me :no1:


'Cos they're overpriced, unreliable, impossible to repair when they go wrong and overpriced. Yeah, overpriced is twice, because they're REALLY overpriced.

Then again, that goes for Habistat and Microclimate, tbh. People are far too scared to look around for brands that don't have pictures of lizards on the box.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Habistat are impossible to repair? even when they're out of warranty you can send them back and they repair for the cost of postage. Don't think i've seen anybody complain about their service.


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## Redhog (May 18, 2011)

*Habistat*



Willz0r2010 said:


> 'Cos they're overpriced, unreliable, impossible to repair when they go wrong and overpriced. Yeah, overpriced is twice, because they're REALLY overpriced.
> 
> Then again, that goes for Habistat and Microclimate, tbh. People are far too scared to look around for brands that don't have pictures of lizards on the box.


I'm not sure what your talking about??
I have had many thermostats repaired within days of sending them.
And as far as the price is concerned, habistat are a quality product and you can't be tight where your animals are concerned!


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

Willz0r2010 said:


> 'Cos they're overpriced, unreliable, impossible to repair when they go wrong and overpriced. Yeah, overpriced is twice, because they're REALLY overpriced.Then again, that goes for Habistat and Microclimate, tbh. People are far too scared to look around for brands that don't have pictures of lizards on the box.


Would be nice to hear some points of fact that support this ridiculous statement!


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## Sykeologi (Jul 10, 2011)

habistat


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

I'd really like to see someone (perhaps one of those who complain about the price of stats?) design and manufacture, market, package, and distribute, a reliable stat for significantly less than those currently on the market. You can buy a brand new mat stat with a 5 year warranty for less than £18 which is next to nothing, can you imagine what percentage of that is profit for the manufacturer, and how many they have to sell to make it a viable business?

Some people are clearly living on a different planet to the rest of us!


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## Willz0r2010 (Oct 6, 2010)

Graham said:


> Some people are clearly living on a different planet to the rest of us!


Not really. I've had habistat mats before, and eventually every one of them has gone wrong. Whether you can send them back or not is irrelevant to me, if they constantly fail from brand new. The stats I use now have never failed and more importantly have never . fluctuated in temperature, something that I've yet to see with habistat. plus habistat mats don't have built in digital thermometers, built in lighting sockets with their own timers and everything else that the stats I use have, for the same price as a normal habistat dimming stat, and I can't see why on earth anybody would choose habistat, other than they're too easily led.

Its the same as buying ceramic heat bulbs - exo terra charge insane prices for theirs and most people blindly buy them because they can't begin to imagine getting something that isn't sold in their reptile shop. However simply shopping around you can pick up reliable, longlasting ones for a fraction of the price.


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## Willz0r2010 (Oct 6, 2010)

Redhog said:


> I'm not sure what your talking about??
> I have had many thermostats repaired within days of sending them


That's what im talking about! Why be content with a product that you have to send back for repair so often?! Seems mental to me. If I buy something I don't buy it with the intention of looking forward to sending it back when it breaks :lol2:


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

Habistat thermostats have been market leaders for so long because they are reliable and because of the after care we offer.
I have no idea why you feel they all fail as this is very far from the truth as I am sure many thousands of users will testify on this open forum.
Would be interesting to hear what heaters they were controlling as 99% of thermostat failures are caused by the heaters short circuiting. 
Had this been the case we would not still be in business after 20 Years!
Mat stats are no less relaible that any other units despite their low cost.
The units you refer to are Chinese made and we were offered to distribute them many,many Years ago from the manufacturer.
I could have made a whole bunch of money selling them as Habistats but chose not to because of their build quality and unreliability.
And they are only on/ off devices controlled with a relay that does have a finite number of on/ off cycles before failure. Dimmers are completely different and all Habistats are run by triacs.
And just because a unit has a digital read out, does not make it more reliable or indeed accurate!


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## violentchopper (Jun 20, 2008)

Only used habistat and will only use habistat. I have not had one break in the 5 years I've been keeping reptiles. I use dimmer stats and I have my original mat stats for back up. I don't like the dials on the mat stats though. I end up destroying them with knives, screwdrivers or whatever I can find. I should have the right screwdriver at hand really but how hard is it to put a little knob on it.


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

violentchopper said:


> how hard is it to put a little knob on it.


It's easy!
We use to have an adjustment spindle on them but had many people ask if we could make them tamper proof to avoid kids adjusting them, so thats how we ended up with the little recessed adjustment pot!
Violentchopper, if you have any that you can no longer adjust, send them back and I'll put new adjustment pots on for you.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

I'm the same as Chopper. I've not killed one yet but I never have anything the right size to hand so I try anything... a lizards ear, turnips, keys, anything that looks like it might work.


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

Meko said:


> I'm the same as Chopper. I've not killed one yet but I never have anything the right size to hand so I try anything... a lizards ear, turnips, keys, anything that looks like it might work.


Meko- anyone want to set up a poll? Should Habistat Mats stats have the existing tamper proof (and some would say unadjustable!) knob on or should it go back to a small protruding spindle adjuster?
I will change it if the outcome is for change!


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## Willz0r2010 (Oct 6, 2010)

peterf; said:


> I have no idea why you feel they all fail as this is very far from the truth as I am sure many thousands of users will testify on this open forum.
> Would be interesting to hear what heaters they were controlling as 99% of thermostat failures are caused by the heaters short circuiting.QUOTE]
> 
> Obviously I can only speak from personal experience, but I have a cupboard full of stats that I bought new, plugged into heat mats (made by popular brands) and protected by a surge protector and they've all eventually gone wrong. Mainly mat stats but also pulse and dimming stats. I have 4 mat stats that just gave up and stopped within one year. I was going to send them back for repair but figured it was pointless when other, less known brands make reliable, better value stats that quite simply don't break.
> ...


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## Hashcake (Nov 23, 2011)

I really can't comment as I only own one habistat heat mat 
However, I did initially find the idea of the recessed pot a bit annoying (only because I had to dig out a small phillips screwdriver) but I've not had to adjust the temperature since setting it up.
I also assumed that a recessed pot was used rather than one with a spindle as an anti tamper device.
My only criticism is that the plastic boxes look like the ones I used to buy from Maplins a long time ago to build electronic projects into


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

Ive used a number of different ones over the years but always perfer microclimate. If you have small children within reach of a habistat you can 100% guarantee that at some point they will turn that knob either up or down and your not going to notice for a few days! I use the microclimate b2 and b2me, and the even better dl2me which are pulse stats. surrey pet supplies are by far the cheapest place to buy them as they sell then at a trade price to the public. I have 5 habistats that are in use and over 10 years olds and approx 28 microclimate (some which are also over 10 years old). the micro climate have an alarm on them which sound it the temp drops 5 degrees or raise more than 5 degrees - this has been very helpful a number of times.


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## JamesJ (Apr 12, 2008)

Habistat here, I have got some that are 11 years old now and still working perfectly. Never had one go wrong :2thumb:


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## violentchopper (Jun 20, 2008)

peterf said:


> It's easy!
> We use to have an adjustment spindle on them but had many people ask if we could make them tamper proof to avoid kids adjusting them, so thats how we ended up with the little recessed adjustment pot!
> Violentchopper, if you have any that you can no longer adjust, send them back and I'll put new adjustment pots on for you.


Ok thank you. It's not that bad yet but I can see it may be a problem in the future. I'm not currently using them so it should be ok. 
Maybe there is a way you can have a removable knob so people can have the choice.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

> The stats I use now have never failed and more importantly have never . fluctuated in temperature, something that I've yet to see with habistat. plus habistat mats don't have built in digital thermometers, built in lighting sockets with their own timers and everything else that the stats I use have, for the same price as a normal habistat dimming stat


Can I ask what stats you're talking about and what you pay for them?


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## hogboy (Aug 22, 2006)

Habistat every time here :2thumb:
Been using them for well over 10 years, never had an issue with any of them.
Same goes for the heatmats, very reliable.


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## Willz0r2010 (Oct 6, 2010)

Graham said:


> Can I ask what stats you're talking about and what you pay for them?


Forttex ATC-120 dimming stat for around £35 to £40. They have all the features I mentioned, plus alarms for temps that are too low or high, and separate day and night time cycles for both the heat and light controls. The one I use for my B.c.c has been at exactly 88F for over a year, and I mean exactly - not a degree change during freezing winters or roasting summers!


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

Willz0r2010 said:


> Forttex ATC-120 dimming stat for around £35 to £40. They have all the features I mentioned, plus alarms for temps that are too low or high, and separate day and night time cycles for both the heat and light controls. The one I use for my B.c.c has been at exactly 88F for over a year, and I mean exactly - not a degree change during freezing winters or roasting summers!


do these have a safety cut out. there are very much like the lucky reptile pro 2 which dosent.


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## Willz0r2010 (Oct 6, 2010)

animalstory said:


> do these have a safety cut out. there are very much like the lucky reptile pro 2 which dosent.


As fair as I'm aware, they don't. But then, neither do Habistat ones IIRC.

The ATC-120's do have alarms that goes off if the temp rises or falls outside a parameter that you set yourself.


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

Willz0r2010 said:


> As fair as I'm aware, they don't. But then, neither do Habistat ones IIRC.
> 
> The ATC-120's do have alarms that goes off if the temp rises or falls outside a parameter that you set yourself.


I had a pro 2 go faulty on me and when i got home the temp was stuck at 50c!!!! sadly it resulted in snake that needed medical attention to be put to sleep. Micro climate that cant happen. Theres the alarms that sound and if something goes completely wrong the heat source can come on. thats why i use MC.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

I have a couple of LR ones on my snake vivs, I do like the digital display, and the lighting function is handy too, I use them to control LR Pro heatmats which have a built-in thermal cutout.h


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

Graham said:


> I have a couple of LR ones on my snake vivs, I do like the digital display, and the lighting function is handy too, I use them to control LR Pro heatmats which have a built-in thermal cutout.h


hope the mats work better than the stats then.


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## Marti3P (Sep 5, 2010)

Digital Dimming Thermostat ATC-210 - £30.00 : Forttex

I'm with Willz0r2010, I've just ordered the above as I can can control the heating system for a planted Viv, lights heating & a heat mat with one stat instead of 2 & it's only £30. Also had night and day with timers. 

:no1:

Phil


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## copey1975 (Mar 29, 2012)

Marti3P said:


> Digital Dimming Thermostat ATC-210 - £30.00 : Forttex
> 
> I'm with Willz0r2010, I've just ordered the above as I can can control the heating system for a planted Viv, lights heating & a heat mat with one stat instead of 2 & it's only £30. Also had night and day with timers.
> 
> ...


I take it's one socket for Mat and one for light??


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

one for the heat source and the other usually used for the light but could be for a fan or waterfall.


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