Victor VTS400

[PlantFan]

i know the Victor VTS400 is an older model and am just wondering what you guys think of its quality and value for the purposes of a planted tank. where would it fall on your lists of potential regulators? what would you pay for one in used condition? if you wouldnt buy a VTS400 what would you look for as an alternative? FYI, I did try a search but couldnt find alot about the VTS400.

http://victortechnologies.com/IM_Uploads/DocLib_2296_56-0220%20VTS%20400%20Series%20Safety%20Regulator.pdf

thought i would start here as the regulator can be, depending on how good a deal you get, the bulk of the cost of a CO2 system.

thanks for reading and hopefully replying, just trying to get a decent regulator right off the start to avoid having to upgrade to far into the future.

Thanks
PlantFan

 

[Matt F.]

The VTS400 series is rather big, so unless you have a 10# co2 tank or larger you should be okay. If you are using a 5 or 10 lbs co2 tank, the VTS400 might be too big.
I suggest looking for a VTS250 series or HPT500. You can always buy a new unit and have a worry free build. New VTS250s are around $245. You can get used ones, but it's really a gamble.

 

[Left C]

The VTS400 model is discontinued and replaced with the VTS450. As you said, they are big and heavy. Here is a VTS403B-320: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338187531&icep_item=330825860893

 

[PlantFan]

That the exact one I was pondering

 

[PlantFan]

So are we saying its best to move on to the next one?

 

[Darkblade48]

I think it would be fine; as Matt F. mentioned, if you are using a smaller cylinder, the regulator weight might topple over the cylinder (dangerous!) so if you decide to use it, you would best strap the cylinder to the wall, or some other sturdy surface.

 

[kevmo911]

If you like the look, grab it. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't. This applies to any regulator you buy from Ebay.

I have a 450 that works great. And yes, it, and its predecessor, the 400, are massive. However, not strapping a cylinder to a wall (or something stable) for safety is a braindead move, regardless of cylinder or regulator size. So, as long as you have a cylinder that's anchored to something, size of the regulator is only about aesthetics.

For our purposes, if it works, a dual-stage regulator is, functionally, pretty much identical to any other dual-stage. They will all, generally speaking, last longer than your interest in the hobby, given our minimal abuse of them.

The BIN price is a good bit more than I'd ever pay for a used reg (my opinion, clearly not shared by all), but it's all about what you think.