Do I really need the testing kit?

[dmanb2b]

Yup...if you look at all my posts I'll state the TF100 or the Taylor K2006. My opinion is that the TF100 is a better value, but that up to you to decide

Dave (aka Duraleigh) owns both TFP and TFtestkits.net. TFtestkits used to operate completely seperate from TFP, but the original owner of TFP sold it to Dave so he could spend more time with the family. TFP is funded by memberships and managed by the forum admin.

We do not get a commission from Dave and have yet to see anyone complain that the TF100 is somehow inferior to the k2006 and when there have been minor cust sat issues, I have always witnessed Dave go above and beyond to correct any issue and ensure the customer had a positive experience. That has my business and I'll gladly support a stand up business, free of charge

Here is a link back to when the original owner announced the sale of TFP to Dave...crazy part is I rarely see Dave push his own product...his service sells itself.

new-admin-and-new-owner-t10340.html

 

[poolgirl22]

I read this forum from time to time and do find it informative. I am curious about one aspect of this forum. It seems to me that the moderators and site administrators may be tasked with selling the site owners test kits. Is there a commission involved? If this is the case, its pretty slick. I don't begrudge anyone the opportunity to make a profit. I just haven't seen anyone asking for information not being pitched a "TF test kit" If I have offended anyone by asking, I apologize in advance and if I get booted, I will know my suspicions were true.

I truly think your question would have been better posed in a private message to Dave (duraleigh).

I will just say that to question the integrity and motivation of the volunteer moderators and the countless members who also volunteer their time to assist them and the TFP membership as a whole could fall under the 'offensive' category. If this statement confirms your 'suspicions' in your own mind then so be it. Those of us who believe in TFP know the truth.

I would offer that you keep in mind that the vast majority of people who come here seeking help are in a hurry. They want help NOW or yesterday and they don't want to search the internet for tests they don't even understand yet. They want the easiest, fastest, cheapest, least troublesome way of getting to the end result. So the admins and mods make it easy for us. I'd venture a guess most folks welcome an easy place to find what they need and for a decent price because the so called experts they've been dealing with at the stores have no clue. Also, the Taylor kit is recommended right alongside the TFT. No one HAS to order from TFTestkits. They choose to do so.

People asking for information are told they need a quality test kit for one reason and one reason only.
Because they do.

 

[thepiratemorgan]

Yup...if you look at all my posts I'll state the TF100 or the Taylor K2006. My opinion is that the TF100 is a better value, but that up to you to decide

Dave (aka Duraleigh) owns both TFP and TFtestkits.net. TFtestkits used to operate completely seperate from TFP, but the original owner of TFP sold it to Dave so he could spend more time with the family. TFP is funded by memberships and managed by the forum admin.

We do not get a commission from Dave and have yet to see anyone complain that the TF100 is somehow inferior to the k2006 and when there have been minor cust sat issues, I have always witnessed Dave go above and beyond to correct any issue and ensure the customer had a positive experience. That has my business and I'll gladly support a stand up business, free of charge

Here is a link back to when the original owner announced the sale of TFP to Dave...crazy part is I rarely see Dave push his own product...his service sells itself.

new-admin-and-new-owner-t10340.html

Just got mine today and I can attest that this is a VERY nice and complete kit, and an excellent value. Mine had two business cards in it (which I WILL pass to friends), and a checklist with a link to an e-mail if anything was missing. Shipped so fast, it made the USPS look good ... but we know it's because the shipper moved his product :-D . The BBB Method WILL save you time, money, and sanity. Get informed (a proper test kit and Pool School), instead of someone informing you. And believe you me, I noticed the relationship between TFP.com and TFTest.net ... pretty obvious. But it's no different than that pool guy informing you of your "problems" and selling you overpriced chemicals. And they didn't push me to get any certain kit here, they said an extended test kit is a must. And it is, for the safety of you and your family.

 

[chem geek]

I read this forum from time to time and do find it informative. I am curious about one aspect of this forum. It seems to me that the moderators and site administrators may be tasked with selling the site owners test kits. Is there a commission involved? If this is the case, its pretty slick. I don't begrudge anyone the opportunity to make a profit. I just haven't seen anyone asking for information not being pitched a "TF test kit" If I have offended anyone by asking, I apologize in advance and if I get booted, I will know my suspicions were true.

In this post I wrote about how this forum is different than other forums in terms of not being tied to sales and not banning people who don't promote a particular product or who reference other pool forum sites and how purchasing product is more than just an economic decision. I wrote this post about the lowest price for the Taylor K-2006, though Amato has much slower shipping than TFTestkits (that post is now out-of-date since the current TF-100 has even more volume of the chlorine test reagents than before). I also wrote about an alternate source for the magnetic stirrer in this post.

Though I am not a moderator, I was not banned for writing such posts and though some may not be happy with such information, at the end of the day one must choose between freedom of unbiased information vs. personal economic gain. It's TFP vs. TFTestkits with the same owner for both and though the path to the appropriate decision may be rough with fits and starts and difficult examination, ultimately one has to decide which is more important. So far, freedom of unbiased materially important information in order to help the most people to be able to make informed purchase decisions is the winner.

Richard

 

[Isaac-1]

Jimbo, I can understand the way all these newcomers and yourself feel being told to go buy some expensive test kit, particularly after spending lots of money trying to clear up a swamp with no success. Before you start to think there is some conspiracy here with kickbacks going on, remember that many experienced people here donate their time to help these people that are in trouble, and one of the few things they request in exchange for this time is to be provided with reliable test information. From the general group experience we have found that, test strips are nearly useless, and unreliable regardless of the manufacturers claims, pool stores are at best hit or miss, mostly miss, and that the only way most people can take over control of their pools is by doing their own testing.

Do I think the TF-100 is a perfect test kit, the answer is no, I feel I can say this with no fear of being moderated, kicked off the board, etc. Do I think it is the best one available, then the answer is yes. The Taylor K-2006 is also a good kit, but I don't think it is a good value given the TF-100 is only a few dollars more, and gives you much more of the reagents that gets used the most. I also think the TF-50 was a good idea for those that need a good kit, but just can't spend the money on the TF-100, and I would even like to see Dave come out with an ultra-light "TF25" kit. In my opinion this "TF-25" should be targeted at the seasonal and small pool owner, as an ultra-light add on kit like the TF-50 that assumes the pool owner already has an color match chlorine test and pH test, but should do away with the CH and the TA test.

 

[duraleigh]

Originally, I was not going to post in this thread but I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I appreciate the candid comments everyone has made.

I'm sorry that some see subterfuge in that I own both TFP and TFTestkits.

I have always felt that an adequate explanation was the objective (at least to me) and sound advice provided by the responders here.

Secondly, the merit of the testkit and the service we provide has always been able to stand on it's own.

 

[tim_pool_newbie]

Allow me to add one more comment to this conversation and then perhaps we can close out this thread, as I think this horse has been beaten to death quite enough!!

I don't think the poster was trying to pick a fight, but rather just trying to understand the nature of this site and the relationships with other sites. I'm new to the site and had the same initial feelings/suspicions as the original poster, not begrudging someone for making a living, but at the same time wondering if the answers I was receiving to my questions were in fact being posted by folks who had no vested interest in selling me something to take care of my problem (the "pool store syndrome"!!). But the more I've participated in these discussions and watched closely, the more I see that there is honest to goodness sincere and helpful information to be found on this forum. Information is given in a very unbiased and professional manner and I've never seen anyone push any particular product on me.

Finally - open any other forum or website and you're apt to be bombarded with web page banners and/or popups with advertisements to all sorts of products their advertisers want you to purchase. Take a look at the top of this forum - see any ads? Didn't think so!!! 'Nuf said.....I'm heading outside to go take care of my pool that is inflicted with a really bad case of sparklyitis!!