The BN-LINK Reptile Thermostat Temperature Controller works exactly as expected. Setup was straightforward, and the display is easy to read. Once the desired temperature is set, it maintains it consistently without big fluctuations. I’m using this with a reptile heat source, and it gives me peace of mind knowing the temperature stays safe and stable. The probe is accurate, and the unit switches power on and off smoothly. It’s also versatile enough to be used for other applications like seed starting or incubators. Overall, this is a solid, dependable thermostat for reptile enclosures. Great quality for the price and highly recommended. Read more
Let me tell you, i was skeptical of how cheap this was at first. After using it for nearly two months though, i can say with certainty, i do not regret my purchase! I use this to keep my pacman frog warm, it works exactly as intended and gives me such piece of mind. It keeps the tank within 1-2 degrees of the set temp, (example, i have it at 83F, I've noticed it shuts off at 83 and turns back on at 82, dipping to 81 before warming back up. Not a big deal obviously) nd is incredibly accurate in detecting temp. It's detector cord and outlet a good length. My one issue is the suction cup it came with is not really string enough. It's fell off a few times, replacing it fixed the issue. Seems pretty durable as falling didn't faze it at all. Either way i highly recommend this as a good cheap option to keep your critters warm and nd not roasting lol Read more
We raise chickens, and I have often wished there was a way to regulate the brooder temperature automatically. With baby chicks, it's critical to maintain high temperatures the first 4 weeks of their lives. Especially critical is the first week, as one day old chicks need to have temperatures between 95 - 100 degrees farenheit to survive. Mama hens allow their babys to warm up in their feathers, venturing out for periods of time, and the chicks scoot back in the feathers to warm up. It's up to us to replicate that if we don't hapen to have a broody hen handy around the farm. When I found the BN-LINK product, I thought that it could be perfect for what we do. So I set it up in one of our coops along with one of our brooder boxes, running the probe along the side and securing the wire with eyelets. You can see the setup in the first photo. I have three lamps in the brooder, one the main heat lamp with 250 watt bulb and the BN-LINK product attached, a second heat lamp as a backup and auxillary heat source, and a regular LED white bulb to simulate daylight. Even though we are in Central Florida, we are in the Osceola Ridge region, with hills and valleys, and we get frosts that the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg do not typically get. The BN-LINK product worked to perfection. I just set the desired temperature, and the thermostat turns the lamp on when the ambient temperature fell two degrees below the setting. When the temperature hit the desired setting, the lamp shut off. SO - the first day I wanted 100 degrees, and set the thermostat for 102. It worked perfectly, and I had healthy and happy chicks. For the first time in years, none of them developed pasty butt, they chirped and moved around happily, and didn't huddle under the light complaining about the cold. During the night, when temps fell below 40, I turned on the extra light, and all worked well. In the second photo you can see the happy, warm, chicks. I had one problem, and that proved to me what a great company BN-LINK is for their customers. One night the forecast was for temps in the 40's, so I turned on the auxillary. The problem was, a fog rolled in from the Gulf, and the temps did not fall below 55 degrees. When I got up at 5AM, I noticed that the BN-LINK controlled light was not shutting off. I turned off the auxillary, and raised up the main light higher to lower the temps. Then I emailed BN-LINK support. After getting an auto response email, I quickly received an email from Allen in their tech support. I supplied more information, and Allen offered to send me a new unit immediately. I decided to wait a while and see if the unit reset, and it did. I realized that I was to blame, as the combination of the two lamps cause the eyelets to overheat the temp probe. The chicks had been trying to roost on the wire, and yanked it out of position. I reran the line, and never had another issue. Since then, the unit had functioned perfectly, all chicks are alive and now ready to be taken out of the brooder and into the Main Coop, asyou can see in the third picture. I plan on rolling out this system into all of our brooders. I know I can trust it, and I can trust BN-LINK to back up their product and their customers. If you are thinking of using this product, don't hesitate. My one piece of advice is that the placement of the temperature probe is critical. Do NOT bury it someplace where it can overheat, or place it against anything metallic, or somewhere where your critters can play with it. Otherwise, your lamp or mat will overheat. But that isn't the fault of the BN-LINK product. That's what we called "Operator Head Failure" in the computer business! I rate this product 5 Chicken Wings up. Update May 25 ------------------ My Brooder Coop BN-LINK stopped working this week. I have a new flock of chicks for retail sale in there, and it was critical to get everything working again. I blame myself for this, as we had cool weather two days after they arrived, and I hung an extra light in the coop. The new coop is smaller, and better insulated, than the large coop that I initially systems tested my setup with. It wound up overheating the sensor with the 250 watt Heat Lamps, and most likely blew out the fuse on the unit's board. The thermometer reading worked fine, but the unit was stuck "ON", and never shut off the outlet. I reported the issue to the Support desk, and they sent me a new unit, no charge, with a Priority Delivery status. I cannot speak highly enough of my opinion on their customer service- it's the best of ANY of our vendors. Again, I highly recommend their product, based on the way it functions, and on their service department. Do not hesitate to buy this unit - I have no reservations in trusting it to keep my brooding chicks warm during that critical first three weeks of life. RATING is 5 beaks up! Read more
UPDATE: After being contacted by customer service about my review, I was kindly offered a new Thermostat to replace the apparent defective one I received. The new Thermostat I received works like it should and keeps my snakes warm at the appropriate temperatures! I bought this because of the positive reviews and for my reptiles. However, I have difficulty getting the Thermostat to heat up and stay at a certain and higher temperatures. When I check the temperature of the heat mats with my temp gun, it reads the high 70s even though I set my Thermostat to 88 (or 84 for my other reptile). That's nearly a 10F degree difference. 70Fs is not really a sufficient or ideal temp for my reptiles when it comes to their warm spot. I guess this is fine for reptiles that do not necessary need higher heat temps, but if they do, this is very unsatisfactory. Disappointed in this investment, I will definitely switch out these Thermostats for something more reliable in the future and I won't be buying more of this product. I almost thought about giving this a 3/5 since it is easy to use and affordable, but 2/5 is more accurate. This product states it can reach and sustain temps up to 108F but so far it's failing at its main purpose and design: not getting or staying warm enough, not staying at a consistent temperature, and inaccurate temperature reads. This product isn't really reliable or sufficient when it comes to to animal care. I suggest looking into other products. Read more
