the current usa prime chillers are pretty common. though cheaply built...the plastic parts are total crap. and its mostly plastic.
however it does work well, its very easy to service should anything go wrong. the condensor fans get wet and seize up...i imagine this could be an issue with any chiller. luckily the fan is easy to replace or you can bring it back to life with some penetrating oil and patience.
so its up to you. the pump in chillers require you to buy a sub pump, one more thing to buy and worry about failing.
the drop ins dont work as well...but they still work. and are much easier to get setup....however they have to sit very close to the tank they are cooling. which makes heat management from the chiller itself an issue {my chiller is set to 64 and i notice no extra heat in the room from it. it sits with the back facing my carbon filter so hopefully mos the heat gets sucked right out.}
that thread pesci linked you to pretty much answers every question about chillers. scroll down to greendragons post, he pretty much lays it out for you right there. |