Inkbird Dual Stage Temperature Controller Heating and Cooling with AC 100 to 240V ITC-308S and NTC Probe for Grow Room Fermentation Fridge Brewing

02/2019 UPDATE: This has been working flawlessly for over two years. I still think it's the best option for what it does, and the price is totally worth it. The Inkbird models and options are still hard to figure out. They have some new models that appear to be better-looking versions of the same functionality. The one I bought looks like it's for a garage or greenhouse but the new models are more suited to inside the house. FWIW I use these as fail-safe backups for aquarium heaters (which are notorious for failing in the ON setting). One thing I particularly like about the 308S is that it has high and low temperature alarms, so in addition to providing a high-end shutoff it will also alert you if there are other problems. I'm still a huge fan of Inkbird but they have to get their models/features straight. When I bought one of these a few months ago there was better info online but it was still incomplete and the info on amazon is incomplete and inconsistent. But take the time to figure out which is best - they're worth it.09/2016 ORIGINAL REVIEW: I've only had this for a few weeks but I am very impressed by the quality and operation of this device. I got the 308S with the short probe. For the price, I was expecting something pretty mediocre, but the product is solid, the programming is easy, and overall it seems safe -- which is more than I can say for many timer/thermostat products that I've bought. I have two complaints, but neither is worth a star: (1) this is made to hang on a wall/hook but a box-like format with the cables out the back would be nice for people using it on a table or desk. (2) the models and features are confusing and the manufacturer/seller would benefit greatly with a decent description/matrix of what each model and the S and T endings mean. Explain that and get the amazon listings straightened up. This is a great product but I almost didn't buy it because I couldn't tell exactly what I was getting. It allows a narrow or wide range of operation, heating and cooling or multiple heat settings by time (different models). Has large LED readout of actual reading and set temperature, and indicates if it's sending power to the heater (or cooling if it's that model). Also has a compressor timeout feature so you can run an air conditioner on the cooling side.

Our $1.000 freezer stopped working, so had a replacement $1,000 freezer delivered the same day and saved the food. The freezer had failed due to a cheap thermostat switch that cost me $2.99 to buy on Amazon. So I later bought this device to fully control the freezer as a fridge for temperature control for making beer and cider. Works perfectly and has been now for three years.

This has turned out to be a really great thermostat for a brooder I made to hatch chicken eggs. I have the heat side attached to a heat lamp and the cooling side attached to a fan in case it gets to hot. This unit also has alarms that can be set to go off if the area you are heating or cooling gets to hot or cold. There are a few other settings that are not pertinent for my use, but I could see this being used for a variety of things. There is also a setting to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit.My only complaint is that I have had the heating relay stick a few times causing it to continue to heat even the controller shows it's not heating. I just tap the controller a few times and the relay so far has shut off. This has only happened a few times with at least a 1000 hours of use.Overall I am very satisfied with this product and would recommend it to someone who needs a small versatile thermostat.

So far so good. Cheap, and I think it's even nicer / more accurate than my JBJ Truetemp controller. I'm using it for an aquarium. I heatshrinked the temperature probe and put a rubber cap over the end so that the probe is not directly exposed to the water. Not sure it mattered for fresh water, but this was easy enough to do and it can't hurt.Love the alarm modes as well. Just need to see how long this thing lasts, but so far, 5/5.EDIT: I've since bought a 2nd one for another tank. I also heatshrinked this one but just pinched the end with pliers instead of using a cap. Worked just as well. I'm still very impressed with these. I'm using zoo med mag clips to hold the probes, the smallest clip they come with fits the probe nicely after it's been heatshrinked. Airline tubing holders would also probably work. Time will tell how these hold up...EDIT 2: Both are still going strong. Been over 8 months on first one. At least 5-6 on the second.