Patterson tank system 4 s**ks

kully said:
Bloody hell man - are you the incredible hulk? :)

I've not had any problems with the paterson tanks - just got some more which have been (very) used by a BBC photographer and they're fine too. The same doesn't go for the reels which will take a few aeons to clean.
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I was going to ask if you were a brother to Bigfoot. :D

Seriously, unless you were trying to pound nails or something, they should have held up better than that. I used to have a Patterson tank and it was fine. A firm tap is all any of my tanks ever get. I went back to my stainless because they survived a house fire where the plastic did not. And the reels are easier to dry if you need to do more rolls of film.

As others have said, sounds like a bad batch or just poor quality control.
 
I agree that the newer style as shown above are prone to leak during inversion, far more than the older ones with the small cap. I've found that it's fatal to press the middle of the cap as you put it on. Push down the edges only, and check all around the rim - becomes second nature after a while. The advantage of the newer style is the faster pour times in both directions.

BTW, I tap the base of the tank aganist my hand, not against anything hard. That's quite enough.
 
I've used both the old (by now very old, with the two-part lid) style and the new version of the Patterson tanks (with the one piece black lid) since around 1980 and had no problems. In that time I have got a few more reels, but just to help with 120 film (the more pristine the reel, the easier the loading). I'd say there must be a fault somewhere with the breaking tanks.

The oldest tank I have is about twenty years old now, and it still doesn't leak. Do you close it down like a sandwich-box lid, squeezing some air out ?

The problems reported in the thread could possibly be a sign that there has been a "cost-reduction" exercise carried out on the materials, but I hope not.
 
I went back to exchange both tanks this morning and was told this is not an isolated problem. In addition I was told they leak badly. I looked at several and found each one had cracks and/or rough edges where it is supposed to seal with the lid. One even had about a third of the base edge broken off in the box. I ended up getting the Kaiser tank.

Build quality between the Kaiser and Patterson is obvious. The Kaiser is far better than the Patterson.

I processed two rolls without any problems so I'll stick with Kaiser..
 
Sorry to hear that...you can replace the tanks...not so much the rolls of film.
I never had a Paterson tank crack but did have an older style lid come unglued...
I have a newer tank with the two piece lid but haven't used it...I bought it at a camera show...was more interested in the reels than the tank...I think it holds 5 reels...
To those who have used both styles of Paterson tanks...which do you like better???
 
I prefer the newer sort as you can fill them, or empty them, much quicker than the old ones. Having said that, it is easy to avoid very short dev times so the speedy pouring probably isn't a practical benefit.

It's odd that the other tanks in the shop were even damaged inside the packaging. I wonder if the type of plastic has been changed. Does anyone have both rather-old and extremely-new tanks to compare them ?
 
I feel your pain. I was fortunate though in that mine cracked when I was cleaning it out, and not in mid development.

That said, however, it pushed me into using SS for both 35mm and 120. Haven't looked back since.

Kent
 
MartinP said:
I wonder if the type of plastic has been changed. Does anyone have both rather-old and extremely-new tanks to compare them ?
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I own and use older "new" type Paterson tanks (bought circa 1993) and Paterson tanks bought in the last 2 or 3 years. No obvious difference in plastic type or build quality. Don't know if there's been a more recent manufacturing change.
 
I have a two-reel tank of the new design bought less than 6 months ago, and it hasn't given me any trouble.

Ian
 
Jonathan R said:
I agree that the newer style as shown above are prone to leak during inversion, far more than the older ones with the small cap. I've found that it's fatal to press the middle of the cap as you put it on. Push down the edges only, and check all around the rim - becomes second nature after a while. The advantage of the newer style is the faster pour times in both directions.

BTW, I tap the base of the tank aganist my hand, not against anything hard. That's quite enough.
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The trick to avoid leakage with this tank is to avoid positive pressure inside - you need a slight vacuum. To achieve that I fit the cap and press all around at the edge, than apply light pressure in the centre while I gently lift the cap at one point only, just enough to allow the air to escape - you will hear it escaping. Then press all around at the edge again to seal. I neve have any leakage using this technique.
 
I once got so frustrated with the plastic reels in this system that I went into a rage and smashed everything.

Now that says a lot more about me then the Patterson system -- but I also think that it s**cks. Big time.

Metal tanks/reels are the only game in town as far as I'm concerned.
 
back alley said:
bummer!
i've been using patterson tanks for almost 30 years and never had that happen.
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I've been using them for over five years, and still going strong. I think Patterson's tanks are the best in the industry, outside the metal tanks, of course. Their loading reels are wonderful, far far far better than Jobo, or actually any other plastic alternatives out there.

Hopefully, Patterson tanks are not to be labeled a POS due to one user's experience.
 
Agitator am I...

Agitator am I...

back alley said:
i use the agitation method with that stir thing.
i never invert or even put the cap on the lid.

no leaks...ever!
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That's the way I've always done it...still get good results.
 
I have had several Paterson System 4 tanks.
The reels must be completely dry to load smoothly,
but other than that I have no complaints.
Certainly nothing ever broke.

As suggested it is a good idea to "burp" the top
to avoid leakage during inversion.

Chris
 
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