I don't have experience with Tsurumi pumps, but I have installed many others and I have found a few that I would highly recommend.

First though, full disclosure, as I am new to this group. I'm a professional pond builder, but I have no relationship with any pump manufacturers (besides the fact that I buy their pumps). If being in the business disqualifies me from participation in this group, I will of course bow out.

That said, I have found the Savio Water Master and Savio Solids handling pumps last a good long time and actually deliver the flow rates that they promise. The Calpump PW series are also excellent and long lasting.

There are a couple of brands that I have had terrible experiences with, but I don't know if it is okay to name them. I don't want to offend anyone on my very first post.

Jeff

I had to return a Tsurumi a couple of years ago and they honored the warranty without a receipt. I just gave them the serial number. Have you contacted Tsurumi directly? Their customer service dept. was very helpful.
I am very happy with the Tsurumi. I did buy it before Aquascapes became the sole US distributor for it.

Tsurumi at one time produced some of the best submersible pumps in the industry but like some other companies went to making there products cheaper with parts from China. I would guess that your first pump was part of the OMU series of pumps that would last a long time but they did away with this series and replaced it with the PU series. They are not as good as the older line. With this line I have seen a failure rate of about 25% in the first year of use. With the older OMU series I saw a failure rate of less than 1%.
Yes the Savio pumps are good pump. The failure rate that I have experienced with these pumps is running about 5%. I don't know about Calpump PW series but I seen a lot of Cal pumps fail. But the pump that I am moving my costumers to is ShinMaywa. It uses the same motor frame as the old Tsurumi OMU series and I have yet to one failure.
Mike

Thank you Jeff and 1sst for your responses.

I called Tsurumi and spoke with Charles at their customer service dept. and unfortunately the date they have is the date that it was sold to the online store I had purchased it from and not the date I bought it, so I need the receipt to have it replaced since it is over 24 months, but if I could find the receipt they would replace it, but not after the 30 month period, which the pump falls in that time line. Yes, it is a little confusing. I guess they extended the warranty another 6 months for one reason or another, but you need the receipt.

Close but no cigar as they say.

The question remains... do I buy another Tsurumi...Forum opinion???

Thank you Mike

That explains why this pump went so quickly and yet the previous Tsurumi lasted 7 years. I was about to buy another tsurumi pump, but now I realize it is not the same as my first pump. I guess I will check out the Savio and ShinMaywa pumps.

Let me set people like Mke_IL straight. The Tsurumi OMU and PU are not a series, they are models in the Tsurumi VANCS line. There are no parts made in China. All VANCS pond pumps are made in Japan with the highest quality materials. The only reason a Tsurumi Pond pump will fail is due to improper sizing or improper maintenance. The true failure rate for a Tsurumi pond pump is less then 2%. If anyone has questions and wants them answered by a professional in the pump industries for over 15 years, please visit: www.TsurumiPumpSales.com. When properly sized and maintained, a Tsurumi Pump will out last the competition easily by 2 to 1.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tsurumi Pond Pumps

Verom173
It appears that you probably work for Tsurumi so maybe you can answer some questions. I have used and sold Tsurumi pumps for about 12 years. The old OM pumps that I use to get would last for a long time. I have some out in the field that are 7 or 8 years old. The failure rate that I listed here was based on the hundreds that I handled. They were one of the best out there. That model was was the same pump that Aquascapes sold with their name on it. But that model was removed from the market and I was forced to use the PN and PU's. Granted I only handled about 50 of these pumps but it became quite clear that these were not as good or the supplier that I was getting them from got a bad batch. But that was the failure rate that I was seeing and because that I started asking questions of contractors around the country and I was told that they also had seen very similar problems. I don't know if they told me the truth or not or if they knew. I also asked questions of people selling pumps, yours and others. I don't remember who told me that Tsurumi was was either getting bearing or seals from China. I am not saying that things from China are not as good as things from other countries as in a lot of cases they are but what I am saying that something changed in Tsurmi pumps and not for the better. I got the same comments from a lot of the contractors that I talked to. So my questions I have are as follows. Why did Tsurumi do away with their old pump that was by far the best submersible pump on the market? I still use some of these pumps for pond clean outs and I do abuse the heck out of them and they keep right on going. The one new PU pump that I used for that purpose didn't last long. Granted it was misused but no worse than the old ones. The second question than is what has changed with these pumps?
Mike

Hi Venom,

Thank you for posting.

In your post you wrote: "The only reason a Tsurumi Pond pump will fail is due to improper sizing or improper maintenance". I disagree with this statement. I have a 11'x16' pond. The pipe going to the biofalls is 2" flexible pipe. The water has to travel up to the bio-falls about 7'(head). I purchased the same size pump with the same flow rate. The previous pump (sized by Aquascapes) lasted over 7 years (tsurumi pump) and the current tsurumi pump was not even hooked up to the pond for 2 years. When we bought the pump the old one was still working, so I did not replace it until it failed. As for maintenance, I certainly did not bang it around (that would be dumb) I hooked it up and ran the pump 24/7 summer and winter. There is matting in the skimmer to prevent large debris entering the pump. The pump ran for a year+ and was fine until it began a high pitched squeal and after running a bit it would shut off the power (GFI). I checked for debris in the impeller and turned the impeller to make sure it is moving freely. I believe the pump is making this noise because the bearings are shot.

In my opinion this model vs. the older model is junk!!

bob

The seals & bearings that Tsurumi uses are from Eagle seal and Natchi bearings, both made in Japan. As far as pump trouble, the proper sizing of a pump is not GPH or GPM (gallons per minute/hour)I have been selling Tsurumi for over 15 years and have had a failure rated of less than 1%. My company is the largest stocking distributor in the county. We handle thousands of pumps a year.

Venom

The proper sizing of a pump is important,but I get the feeling that you think I have the wrong size pump. How do you figure that? The pump I purchased was around 3000 gph.,the flexible 2"piping shoul be right, 7'head on the waterfall,and I did say the pump was sized by Aquascapes. I think that there would have been a lot of screaming if this company was selling the wrong pump for the 11x16 foot pond kits they sell. The tsurumi pump model is 50pu2.155s-63 on the failed pump. The 2" pipe has sweeps three times form the skimmer to the biofalls.

If you need more information to figure out if this is sized properly, just ask me, but saying so, is just a statement and not a fact.

It is true that gph and gpm are not the only factor to size your pump, but it is vital that I have a certain amount of water flow for my pond in order for the biofilter to work properly with the fish load in the pond.

I believe my pump was properly sized and that the Tsurumi model pump I bought is junk.

Vernom173 If what you say is correct "My company is the largest stocking distributor in the county." than you work for Aquascapes or are Greg Wittstock as Aquascapes is the largest distributor for Tsurumi in the US. This being the case than would you mind sharing with us what your failure rate is with your Aquascape 4500 and 7500 pumps. I don't believe that Tsumuri pumps are junk but I think they have gone from being the best to a so-so pump.
Mike

I do not work for Aquascape. I work for Air Flow Pump Corp. in NY, our website is: www.TsurumiPumpSales.com. And yes, we are the LARGEST STOCKING DISTRIBUTORS IN THE COUNTRY.

As for bob, yes your pump was sied correctly. Why the pump failed, I can't tell you over the internet. Did you send your pump back for warrantee? What did they tell you happened?

Mike from illinois

I am looking at the ShinMaywa model: 50cr2.155 pump for $244.95 with free shipping. Do you think this is a good pump for my pond at a good price?

Hi Venom

The second post I made on this thread explains what happened when I called them. There was an extension on the warranty but the last 6 months of the warranty require a receipt for some reason.

bob

Bob,
That is an excellent price for that pump. The contractor price for that pump is $245.00 not including shipping.
Mike

Bob,

Could you tell us what company or website you got that price from? Thanks.

JeffM

GOOD NEWS!!!

The company wrote to me:

Dear Tsurumi Customer:

Your warranty request has been approved by Tsurumi Pump. A factory
reconditioned unit will be shipped via Ups in 1-2 business days. Your
original Tsurumi pump is warranted for 2 years, the warranty on this
replacement pump will expire on the same expiration date from your
original purchase.

Your replacement pump will be shipped via Ups Ground Service with a
prepaid Ups Return Service label enclosed. Please use this pre paid,
and pre-addressed label to return the warranted pump to Schaaf Equipment
Co. You can hand deliver the return package to any Ups driver or
facility.

Dan Schaaf

Jeffm, it was aquatic ponds

bob

Great Bob!
Hopefully this one will last longer.

Thanks for the help everyone.

1sst, I would have never thought to call the company since we had lost the receipt. They did end up saying they will replace it, so that will save us $250.00. Great Advice, thanks!

Bob

I should make a correction on one of my posts that said: " that the Tsurumi model pump I bought is junk". To be fair I should not have put the word model in that sentence. I am no expert on these pumps.

I need a impeller for a Tsurumi VANCS 50PU2.15-61. Does anyone know why I can order this on the web?

I have search through google with no luck.

My impeller sucked up a rock and broke the impeller. The pump is still good.

Dave

I have a Vancs Tsurumi Model 5-PL and the impeller is broken and the plastic housing around it. I would like to repair it and need some advise as to how to remove the impeller. There doesn't seem to be a way to hold the shaft! Anyone familiar with this pump?