Customer Reviews

Pondmaster PMK190 190gph Pump and Filter with Bonus Fountain Head

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Pondmaster PMK190 190gph Pump and Filter with Bonus Fountain Head is exactly what I needed to clear that funky split-pea soup (algae-ridden) water in my Shubunkin, Comet and Koi ponds! Simple to use..., Has a very sturdy handle (convenient for lifting the unit out of the pond for cleaning). Takes about 2 minutes to hose off the 3 (very thick) filters and put the unit back in pond. The 190 gallons per hour "pump-suck" is quite powerful and quiet. My ponds were crystal clear in two days. I don't use the optional fountain head because I have spitters and waterfalls, already -- not using it creates a very nice rippling agitation effect on the surface of the pond. Your neighbors will be in total awe. :) My fish are quite happy now that they can actually see me coming to feed them -- and see their food pellets floating on the top of the water. Perfect! --Katharena Eiermann, 2007, the Realm of Existentialism -- Presidential Hopeful

I bought this for our small outdoor fish pond. I don't know the exact size or volume, but it's about 3' x 4'. Our previous pump/filter had given out partly because it was too powerful for a tiny pond. This seems to be just right. It makes a nice little fountain & filters the water really well. (We used the fountain nozzle from our other pump/filter because we wanted a more traditional tiered fountain, but this kit includes the basic bubble and waterbell type water pattern.) We had clear water again after just one day. It has been a little over a month since we installed, and no problems. It's easy to clean, and at this price is such a great value.
UPDATE: It has now been a year and this pump is still working great. We kept it running all winter without the fountain part attached and it provided enough movement that our little pond didn't freeze solid and it kept our comets happy and healthy during this unbelievable winter! Now that it's warm out, it continues to keep the water crystal clear, doesn't clog over-easily and is easy to clean. I have not had the problem that others spoke of with the tab of the cover breaking off, but I also don't just try and rip it off. Very satisfied with this product! SECOND UPDATE: It has now been almost 2 years (and a very rough winter in the northeast!) and this pump is still working beautifully! My fish survived the winter as this kept the water moving even in the deep freezes we had. Great product!

This is the best price I found for this product, which is still sold in stores. Functions as it should. Arrived as promised in new condition.

The pump works quite well and does create a nice spherical pattern. The head is adjustable so you can make different patterns. For example, it can also shoot jets out perpendicular to the head. There are no instructions for how to change the pattern and it's definitely not obvious, but you just have to rotate the very top of the head. The filter is very large and easy to access for cleaning.

I've tried to use solar-powered pumps and filters in my pond, but they're not powerful enough and tend to get clogged easily and break quickly. This is a much more powerful and sturdy pump with a far larger filter, so it should do the job much better. Definitely a good pump for the price.

We are using this for a pond that contains several Comet Goldfish, one Red-Eared Slider Turle, & one Softshell Turtle. We've had it a month now and love it. It's easy to clean and works great so far.

This works well, but I have to clean it weekly or so. I have about a 300 gallon pond with about 1000 tadpoles (green frogs). It doesn't bother the tadpoles, but the snails do occasionally plug the pump inlet.
It's been working for about 4 months and it's still going!

After more than a year, it's still running almost 24/7 in my pond. I've had to take apart the pump a few times to clean out debris that gets in, but it usually is only when the filter is really dirty.

The screws that hold the actual pump chamber strip very easily, as they are only in the soft plastic. It needs to fit tightly, and you must be careful!

we have a smaller pond - about 75 gallons with just a few small Koi. This was the perfect size and seems to be doing a great job of keeping the pond clean and healthy for the fish. The fountain offers a very serene sound when we sit out on the patio. Perfect!

I purchased this thru Amazon about 3-4 months ago....and it suddenly quit.
Worked great until then. Not sure who to contact......
UPDATE:
Contacting the company and found out that Amazon is not a "designated distributor" for their product so they won't take it back!!
I tried to take apart the pump as per their suggestion and found out the pump impeller was Broken!....and the whole thing is now good as a door stop.
I don't have the money to waste.
And this was definitely a BIG WASTE.

I don't know if this is a good pump or not. I ordered it based on previous reviews. Some of the reasons I purchased: pump is designed for smaller ponds, the pump has a handle for easy removal from the pond, and the cost. The pump was shipped well and the pump itself was made sturdy. However, you need to be careful removing the lid. I can see if someone was in a hurry they could easily snap the side brackets. I returned it because, on this particular model, you cannot add a diverter control valve. Pondmaster doesn't make one and you cannot outfit it yourself using supplies found at Home Depot. So keep in mind what you see is what you get!

Also, returning has some draw backs. You will need to call for RNA. Bic Supply will not give this number over the phone they will email it to you. Not sure why, as most other companies give it out over the phone. I found this annoying. If this product had a diverter control valve I would have kept it.

I received the item and when I tried it ----- The unit ran for approximately 2 minutes and then stopped ----- It was a defective unit which I am unable to return for exchange. I have to return it and repurchase the item. I am sure the item is generally a good because I had the same model a few years ago and was very satisfied with the performance of the unit ---- I am very disenchanted with the lack of cooperation in replacing defective items without having to go through the purchase procedure again.