Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I use Rancos, need to get another thermostat and I'm thinking of trying a Johnson.
I looked up the details on the Johnson Thermostats, but I'd like to hear from people who have experience using them as to whether one is more reliable, etc, etc.

Thanks

I have several johnson A-419 thermostats and have been using them for about three years with no problems ever. They are very similar to rancos in appearance and size they also handle the same wattage. I chose the johnsons because you can do a night drop with them where the rancos cannot. However, I am not using the night drop as of yet. I figured for the same amount of money as a ranco, the added ability of night drop was a good enough plus. I buy mine raw, and wire them myself. Doing this I can make the wires as long or short as I need for a given setup to keep things tidy. I also prefer to not wire a powerstrip directly into the unit. I wire up HD extension cords, and plug a powerstrip into it. Powerstrips have a knack for going bad, and I dont like rewireing my thermostat when the strip goes out. I use these with flexwatt, and radiant heat panels.
Hope this helps
Chris

Yes, the night time drop feature is what attracts me to the Johnson brand. Do they come with that feature built in and ready to use or is it an add on? You make a great point regarding the powerstrips failing. I like the idea of the HD extension cord wired into the unit.

Thank you!

The night drop software is buit in, however you must find a way to jump 2 terminals together to initiate the drop, and then disconnect them when you want day time temp to come back. You can buy a gadget for this from RBI, or you could make one. It would consist of an appliance timer, a 12 volt automotive relay, and a 12 volt ac to dc transformer. Im going to try making one because I have all that on hand. I have not tried doing this yet, so my idea might not work, but I am fairly certain it will.

Or you could just buy a herpstat

Chris

Both are very reliable units.
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Mark

Thanks for your response.