Quick stethoscope question

[Medicus2013]

Does anyone have experience with Magna Fortis, MDF, Riester, Heine, or the Kamed Insigne stethoscopes? I've searched quite a bit for reviews or user impressions of these brands but I haven't found much. I realize they are all used much less frequently than the Littmanns or WA's, but perhaps someone on here has used one or known someone who has....

Thanks in advance

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[thechad]

Just buy a cardio III like everyone else

 

[TexasPhysician]

I love my Harvey Elite!

 

[Medicus2013]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. I don't want a Littmann, although I know they are fine scopes with a huge user and fan base. TexasPhysician- Thanks, I've heard many great things about the WA's both the Elite and the DLX. Again, if anyone has info about the particular brands I posted that would be wonderful.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I have a DLX. Be prepared to get teased about the crazy mace-like 3-headed set-up it has, but I've been pretty happy with it. I'm incompetent with a steth and have no basis for comparison to other models, though, so take my experience with a slab of salt.

 

[MossPoh]

You can get the welch allyn with just two heads as well. The one thing I wondered about is why it doesn't have any kind of ring to put on the bell side. That thing always looks so cold. My classmates all have them. Is it in there and they just didn't put it on?

 

[MilkmanAl]

Oddly enough, I was browsing the WA site yesterday for some new tubing (22" is nowhere near long enough, for the record) and noticed that there are "non-chill" rings for the Elite (or whatever is one step below the DLX) but not for the DLX. I wonder if you can use them for the DLX?

 

[username456789]

Oddly enough, I was browsing the WA site yesterday for some new tubing (22" is nowhere near long enough, for the record) and noticed that there are "non-chill" rings for the Elite (or whatever is one step below the DLX) but not for the DLX. I wonder if you can use them for the DLX?

You can't, it won't fit (I have both . . . one was a gift after I had already bought the other).

Also, I'm not sure anyone has actually read the OP's post clearly. But I know I'm not helping out here by contributing to the digression . . .

 

[MilkmanAl]

You can't, it won't fit

Suck.

I'm not sure anyone has actually read the OP's post clearly.

I did, but I've never even heard of any of those brands, much less experienced them. Might as well offer advice on what (little) I know.

 

[username456789]

Suck.

Yeah it's too bad, I really like the DLX (I have the double head), but I'm hesitant to use it often because of how cold it must be for the patients (both sides, really, since the diaphragm has no non-chill rim).

 

[Law2Doc]

Oddly enough, I was browsing the WA site yesterday for some new tubing (22" is nowhere near long enough, for the record) ...

Somebody doesn't like getting close to patients. Cross primary care of your list.

 

[MilkmanAl]

No worries, I did that long, long ago. It just seems like I'm up in patients' faces, even when the tubing is taut.

edit: Just for ****s and giggles, I went to measure my tubing, just to make sure I wasn't being crazy, and it turns out it's actually more like 16-17". I'd just never heard of a length other than 22" and 28" and assumed that's what it was. No wonder.

 

[bassfishindoc]

To the OP, what do you have against littmann? There is a reason they are the most widely used stethoscope on the market, they work, REALLY well, and they have a history of reliability as well as being quite affordable. Just curious.

 

[deleted87716]

Does anyone have experience with Magna Fortis, MDF, Riester, Heine, or the Kamed Insigne stethoscopes?

Magna Fortis has its fans, primary in the pre-hospital field. Many of their models use the same binaurals as Welch-Allyn, although (IMO) they don't sound as good.

MDF is pretty much the same quality as most of the other Asian-made Littmann/Sprague knockoffs. You get what you pay for.

Heine, Riester, and Kamed are primarily marketed in Europe. I've only seen Heine in the U.S. Decent stethoscopes, with a novel metallic diaphragm. Pricey, though, and not particularly better-sounding than W.A. or Littmann. The metallic diaphragm will dent, and is expensive to replace.

Given their scarcity of these imported makes, service and parts availability could be a problem.

 

[TexasPhysician]

To the OP, what do you have against littmann? There is a reason they are the most widely used stethoscope on the market, they work, REALLY well, and they have a history of reliability as well as being quite affordable. Just curious.

I think WA makes better and cheaper scopes. Just my opinion though.

 

[Medicus2013]

I have nothing against Littmann. As I said in a previous post I know they are the most widely used scope in the U.S., and they have a huge fan base- they are fine scopes. I was hoping for a reply from Blue Dog, and indeed his post has provided me with just the information I was seeking. Thank you everyone for your time, and keep on auscultating...with whatever particular brand makes you and your ears happy.