look for the best kiln controller

[jake blues]

I'm looking to buy a new controller and was wondering which is the best one out there?

My unit is a 220V 30 amp
I think for my needs it would have to be wall mounted

Thanks

[Bert Weiss]

Best is a big word. What do you want it to do? What do you want to spend? What kind of relays do you want to use? Do you need a computer interface?

The "best" controller today is a Eurotherm. By next month the "best" controller will be the one offered by Arrow Springs (it is not yet on the market). I lust after one of these. It has the internal electronics to make a simple solid state relay work like an SCR.

If your budget is low, the Bartlett RTC 1000, bought as just the board, is the way to go. You need to add a power supply and a steel box for it. This controller, or one like it, are used by many kiln manufacturers, sometimes with their proprietary label.

Watlow and Digitry both make good controllers. Sometimes you can pick up used ones on Ebay.

Every company I have mentioned has a computer interface available. Some are free with the controller. Some cost extra.

Be careful of cheap controllers from China. They are not configured with art glass in mind, which means they might do weird stuff after a power outage. At my shop, many power outages last just a moment. If your controller were to reset to the beginning of a program, it could kill the firing.

[Mark Hall]

I've found the best use of a controller happens when it's designed to be portable - in it's own box. Get one with the most amps to be versatile in the future. My controller services 4 different kilns.