Re: LaMotte Test Kits

["James Purchase" <jppurchase at rogers_com>]

Lyndle has expressed his opinion about LaMotte test kits:
"However these things cost over $25 each.  It will be a VERY long time
before I buy another LaMotte kit considering the quality has taken such a
decline."

From what you have said, it appears that you don't like the new packaging.
The actual test kit remains the same, and they are still as accurate and
economical (over the long term, considering that you can get reagent refills
for a lot less than the price of the whole kit) as they have always been.

You have also expressed the fact that you (like a lot of folks) have some
price sensitivity. Perhaps LaMotte decided to cut corners on the packaging
rather than raise the price of their products because of that. All of my
LaMotte test kits have the old style boxes with the nice inserts but what is
really important to me are the results of the tests, not how luxe the box it
came in is.

The LaMotte website has full information on all of the kits that they make
and it ought to have been an easy thing to contact your retailer to confirm
the exact model number they were selling before you bought. Pet Warehouse
was always more than helpful to me in that regard - a quick email to their
service department confirmed that I would be getting exactly the kits I
wanted. When I wanted anything that was not in their regular product line,
they were more than happy to place a special order for me. Pet Warehouse has
done this for me a number of times over the years - with products from both
LaMotte and Eheim. If they'd do it for me, they'd do it for anybody who
cares to ask.

Additionally, if you have a number of test kits, and find all of the
separate boxes a pain, have you ever considered getting either a toolbox
(from a hardware store) or a tackle box (from a sporting goods store) and
making a custom insert out of dense foam to hold ALL of the little bits and
pieces securely and in logical order? That way, all of the reagents and test
apparatus are in one fitted case that is a lot more convenient than a half
dozen separate boxes. Dense foam can be cut and drilled with ordinary craft
knives and drills, and you can design the interior of the box to meet your
particular needs.

James Purchase
Toronto