Wondering about Flow and Maxijets vs Tunze

[4everwet]

It just seems to me that taking a MJ designed to push 295gph and throwing a propeller on it and expecting it to push 2000gph is just eventually gonna burn up the little motor. I considered the MJmod but instead I went Tunze! IME you get what you pay for! JMO

[JagerEinheit]

Originally posted by xtrstangx
How about we get an accurate non-biased flow rate from a typical MJ mod? Then we'll be able to make an informed decision whether to get one of those or a Tunze.

I personally think MJ mods are hideous.. First because the shroud never matches the pump body, second because theres no "clean" way to mount them.


Most people that I know that own both Tunzes and MJ mods say that the MJ don't perform nearly as well as the Tunze... for me the price difference is well worth the performance difference and appearance difference.

well the hitchhikers guide to the MJ mod has actually done just that and a 1 gallon bag fills too fast to actually time it accurately every time, but rounded down they have said its at least 2400gph. ive got 1 in tank one being built, its probably a bit more than that, but its variable depending on the age of the MJ you use. newer puts out more power. mines close to a 1 gallon bag in a bit over a second so roughly a gallon ever 1.25 seconds ish

60sec/1.25 = 48seconds 1 gallon x 48 secondsx 60minutes = 2880gph (roughly figured)

can you actually show any data on the tunze preforming better or quatify how your making that call? ie flow, power use long term use, etc? not arguing, here just wanting all the facts out so we can really see whats what

as for clean ways to mount, theres everything from the tunze magnets to the locline swivel posts to swirler steins (DIY wavysea rotator) basically however each person wants to mount it , it can be mounted.

color is a 5 buck can of krylon fusion black paint.


as for performance. i did this in another thread, but wattage flows and longevity all point to the MJ mod being as viable as the tunze.
tunze 6080 is closest competitor at 17w, mj is 18-23w average as reported in the other thread so 20w is a rounded number to work with. mj is smaller , but not by much.

dhuygen and others have had their running a year or so now, and the thread is the largest on the forums that i know of, issues yes, but alot of happy customers and DIYers .

I mess with tunze on customers tanks and at my LFS so i know about them and i like them, if i wasnt a DIYer id buy them.
however i use mjs on my own tanks and we are converting the stores tanks to MJs due to being cheaper to get en mass.
i personally went with the mj cause i like to DIY and i liked the extra theoretical 60 bucks i saved when i got two mjmods for the price of 1 tunze non controlled.

(i got the mj1200s from a marineland rep for free so i saved 40 bucks off the standard price for everything needed. my savings is based on the mj1200 costing 20 bucks on mjmods.com and id need 2 plus 2 kits at 50 bucks, then my time at 20 min a pop added in for around 120 total cost)

it comes down to aesthetics, and if you dont like the look thats ok, i dont like spending 19 bucks to fix a propeller :P i can deal with ppl not liking my tank flow choice because they think its ugly its my tank i gotta love it.

I really enjoy the ability to have two mjmods on DIY wavyseas and still have spent only around 50-100 bucks more than 1 tunze 6080. it might not look pretty on the back of the tank, but no one will see the boxes, they will just see the pipe and the mj, for what it gives me its worth the extra work versus the amount of money id spend on tunze.

Originally posted by aquadebt
It just seems to me that taking a MJ designed to push 295gph and throwing a propeller on it and expecting it to push 2000gph is just eventually gonna burn up the little motor. I considered the MJmod but instead I went Tunze! IME you get what you pay for! JMO

as for this, if you took the propeller off the tunze and put a impellar on it, it would only put out a few hundred GPH as well. its a very simple change in the way the water is moved

basically its changing the pump from a higher head pressure pump with lower volume of water moved to very low head pressure pump with very high volume of water moved. the pump is doing the same work regardless, its not having to work harder or under stress any more than standard operating as it did before.

Hope this helps put facts out that ppl can think about, not starting a flamefest.

[drummereef]

Originally posted by RichConley
Thats interesting.

My local club has like 5 pages of the clips on them breaking, and them seizing up.

Simply not the general consensus around here. Interesting how the quality of Tunze's products come down to how many posts we have in our forums.

[namsupak]

I love DIY projects especially since it gets me working with my hands, however in the aquatic realm I like the idea of a clean look and also I want to be sure that all the livestock are getting what they need. I don't want to spend thousands on livestock and then lose them over not getting good flow from my DIY mistake. I have always been happy with the tunze product but I was just concerned with some of the posts I have read about the clips breaking.

[MiddletonMark]

Originally posted by JagerEinheit
can you actually show any data on the tunze preforming better or quatify how your making that call? ie flow, power use long term use, etc? not arguing, here just wanting all the facts out so we can really see whats what

I agree.

But, I would want to see at least a couple other `known' powerheads tested using this system [perhaps a vortech, seio or two, tunze or two] to see how the #'s line up. Perhaps that's how these other companies test their output ... but we should be positive that all gph #'s are generated with comparable tests.

Sanjay's light tests are a good comparison IMO ... all fixtures/bulbs are tested, so that everything is given a fair shake. I also highly value the independent nature of his tests - he has zero agenda to prove, just data to share. Having the mjmod sellers giving the claimed #'s out puts my BS-o-meter on high.

[DSMpunk]

60sec/1.25 = 48seconds 1 gallon x 48 secondsx 60minutes = 2880gph (roughly figured)

Hey look MiddletonMark, that number went up again.

Sorry I couldnt help myself.

[jmkins]

Has anyone done tests using a larger water volume than 1 gallon? Or for longer than a second?

I have two mods running now for about 6 or 8 months and I doubt that they push more than 800 or a 1000 gph. Thats fine with me, they push well more than the stock mj1200 did. I just would like to see someone perform say a minute long test with a 55 g drum before I could be sold on more than 1500 gph.

[JagerEinheit]

well i dont doubt you could try, but you have to remember the pump is converted to push alot of water, but at almost no head pressure at all. the bag doesnt stress the pump, trying to route it into a 55 gallon drum might be trickier.


:P everyone talks about that number being all over the place. if you own a tunze and put you hand in front of it, then in front of an mj, my 1200 modded is stronger then the 6080, but i dont have the bank for a vortech or a seio. to just toy with. hence running the mjmods :P

im sure between the people here on RC we can come up with a viable testing platform the issue is that i seriously doubt any company will support it. no one wants to haev egg on their face if they get beat by a mj :P

ill see if i cant get some sort of unti that can read current ( thinking of a modified wind speed calculator or something) just not sure how id water proof it.

[jmkins]

How about using two drums, one with a hole the size of the pvc used on the mod at the bottom and the second with the same sized hole towards the top. Raise the first until the hole on the bottom is at the same level as that of the second. Put the mj mod into the first put the output into the second. Silicone the two holes and let them dry. Fill the higher drum, containing the mj mod, with water. Start the pump and stopwatch, repeat a couple times and give me everyone an average.

Doesn't have to be a 55 drum even 10 - 20 gallons would be much more convincing then the one gallon plastic bag. I just cannot see how anyone could fill a one-gallon bag, let alone make an accurate measurement of time well doing so. Are they holding the bag above the water level and tieing it to the mod? Is it submerged?

The hand test is another thing in general. An unmodded mj1200 feels strong as well, maybe even stronger than the modded ones because the flow is focused and not dispersed. I can feel the mod across a three foot tank though and not the flow from the stock maxi. That would also be interesting to test is how well dispersed the flow is at different distances between a maxi mod and the other prop pumps. Outside of some type of pressure sensor I couldn't think of a simple home type test to determine that.

[zemuron114]

I personally think the tunzes are built better. There have been many MJs that die in a short period of time (i've had a few die within the year mark - but also have had a few for 3 years... weird?) but not to many stories of tunzes randomly dying or freezing up. In the end, Tunzes are much better built then maxi jets.

I like both. but have fallen victim to the tunzes.. lol they are just a great powerhead and move sooo much water!

I dont think you can go wrong with either. If you dont like the MJ mod you can always just get the tunze after. MJs dont cost that much...

[msman825]

Originally posted by RichConley
Thats interesting.

My local club has like 5 pages of the clips on them breaking, and them seizing up.

I glued mine. want break any more

[Beenalongtime79]

Vortechs... I also wrangled between Tunzes and Vortechs and finally decided on the Vortechs after seeing what they are capable of in terms of control, although the Tunzes come in at a close second.

The remote control will be out soon, but if you don't want that you can get a single controller for 50 bucks more.

Anyways, I have a MJmod and its large and obtrusive and noisy. Otherwise, it's great. Does move lots of water. Takes time to mod it and depends on user skill level to get it to an acceptable performance level.

The vortechs have a low profile and man are they cool. Go for the vortech. They've ironed all the kinks and the controllers are coming! Oh yeah, not to mention battery backup for those bad boys.

Peace,
John H.

[mk2flip]

I agree with rufio. I use tunze for the control (and quality). Everyone is always so concerned about power, power and more power. But the power is nothing unless it is controlled. Yes the mjmods can be cycled on and off. Creating drastic shifts in direction of flow(i.e. making waves) instead of pulsing, is hard on the pumps, i'm also sure it doesn't help the tank.