Thanks Josh!
In a way, it is my own fault too. It was indicating to me that it was 'acting up' and I almost took it out but... imagine this, I got distracted with something! And further, I believe their higher end pumps haven't nearly had as many problems. To that end, I haven't heard online the ranting of the Rio Failures for over a year now. Maybe all those people learned or were too ashamed to mention it.
Like I said I've had that TAAM Rio HF20 as my sump return now for what a year, almost two. It stops for feeding when I want it and restarts everytime. No problem. Great pump for the cost and how much it pumps for the watts.
Occasional vinegar baths to a PH are like an oil change to your car IMHO. The more you take care of them the longer they will last. Plus they always seem to kick out about 10-25% more flow once cleaned. That being said some are just expected to have a longer operating life compared to others. (i.e. toyota)
I too had a Mag 9 that I ran outside for a closed loop with SQWD until the Mag casing broke. It put out A LOT of heat but then again, this was the first PH I ran outside of water. As far as quality cheaper internal (wet) pumps, I think Mag's are one of the best.