Review: Mag Drive (Danner Supreme) Return Pumps 5 and 7

[Drez]

Too often we hear posts when things go wrong and forget to tell when things work right. Mag Drive pumps are one of the latter and deserved a shout out in my eyes, thus this short review.

 

My current return pump is a Mag 7 which replaced its slightly smaller mag 5 brother before it. Basically just wanted to ramp return flow up a notch, nothing was wrong with the 5. Have essentially no complaints. Construction is bullet proof. So long as it not rattling against something its fairly quiet and requires essentially no maintenance. My Mag 7 has run for two years non stop aside from cleaning, feeding and power outs. That amounts to over 17000 hours of problem free operation. The May 5 before was the same case before being sold. I don't baby my return pumps, as you can see from the pictures, they're not easy to get at so they get neglected. Fortunately the Mag 5/7 don't take offence to this. I can't say how often they were cleaned, that's probably testament to the fact it wasn't often. I would say no more than twice a year, possibly only once a year and even when that was done I never felt there was any significant wear or reduction in function. I've even let them run dry, no problems.

 

If your looking for a bullet proof trouble free pump, I think these represent a good value. Are there better out there? Maybe but these certainly are a good value if nothing else and I can speak only praise at this point in recommending this product to others.

 

 

 

[JSVAND5]

I have used many of these over the years, and the price is nice and they do put out good flow, but I have never had one last more than 1-2 years. I have had a Mag 9.5, 18, and a few of the 36's when I used to have my shark pond. I thought they were a little loud compared to some other pumps as well.

[yardboy]

My first pump, a Mag 7 purchased 8 years ago, is still humming along on my RO/DI system. It was on a 65 gallon tank for 5 years, but occasionally it would lock up if the power went out so I replaced it. turned out the shaft bearing wallowed out the depression on the back of the pump, nothing a little epoxy didn't fix and it's still going. 5 years ago some online company (Foster and Smith, I think) had a fantastic sale on them, half price, so i bought an array of 3,5,7,9.5 and 18's. I've still got them all. The 18 powers a mega skimmer with double beckets venturi's on it, for going on 3 years now, after being used in a cls for it's first two. I've bought other pumps, I'm an experimenter and if all the pumps are occupied, I buy another, some were good and some not so, but day in and day out I'll take the Danner Mag-Drives!

[B.C.]

Im not a fan.

I had two mag 5 both installed externally,one locked up on a power outage and melted the case.This was replaced by Danner.

They are not very quiet, and i feel the impeller and o ring needs to be replaced too often.

They just seem to rattle not to long after replacing the impeller.They are a little pricey for what they are.

My Quiet-one cost me less uses less watts and runs Quiet.It been running for two years and it could use a new impeller and shaft soon.

That is my experience.