Originally Posted by
Ace25
I beg to differ... pumps need replacing on skimmers occasionally and the new fancy "meshwheel and pinwheel" impellers need replacing on skimmers at least once a year on my bubble magus NAC7 (they recommend every 6 months). I paid $300 for the skimmer and I know it couldn't have cost more than $20 to make, including the pump. Replacement impeller alone cost $25 for a $1 part. So besides the HUGE profit they make at the point of sale, they also make probably 5x the cost of the skimmer during its lifespan on replacement parts for it.
If a main stream Mfg made a scrubber, I would bet they would charge $20 for a replacement screen that is "pre-roughed up" and recommend replacing the screen every 6 months.