If you talk with anyone who owns one of these they'll tell you it was one of the best investments they've ever made. Whether this is because they want to feel good about spending as much as $2,000 more than most people who purchase a top of the line water ionizer, because they are sold on and selling Enagic's MLM opportunity or because they really love their SD501 is something you may not know unless you invest in one for yourself. Before you decide to drop a quick $4,000 on a water ionizer, let's review the facts on Enagic's Leveluk SD501.

We've already said that the SD501 has great plate surface area, wattage and ORP outputs. The plates themselves are flat, where most other top of the line water ionizers are mesh. Mesh plates are a way of increasing total surface area, which is not an issue with this machine's 245 inches of surface area.  When you factor in the mesh texture, the Tyent 7070's plate surface area is equal to that of the Enagic SD501.  The Watershed/Goldfox comes in a distant second with 159 inches of surface area. One of the benefits of flat plates over mesh is efficient drainage and cleaning. Mesh plates have more potential for build up and can require more frequent cleaning where flat plates drain and clean smoothly and more effectively.   Build up on plates, whether mesh or flat, can be deterred by using Ionizer Armor.

The SD501 also comes with a cleaning cartridge that is used every 4 - 6 months to remove any leftover sediment or particles. This helps maintain the effectiveness of the single filter. All Enagic water ionizers are single filter products. As discussed in other reviews, while dual filter systems can be more effective at filtering out particles, they are also higher in maintenance time and cost. Along with the higher initial price tag you can expect to pay more for your Enagic replacement filters. Filter life is approximately 11,000 liters or 9 to 12 months. Standard Enagic replacement filters are $90 or you can step up to their high grade filter for $120. Replacement filters for most other single filter water ionizers run $59 - $79 with some offering higher grade filters at $89. If you were looking at a single filter water ionizer for savings on filter replacment costs, you won't get that much of a break with Enagic products.

The expected lifespan of an Enagic water ionizer is 15-20 years. Jupiter is the only other water ionizer on the market that makes the 15-20 year product life claim. All others claim product life cycles of anywhere from 8 to 15 years. Along with all the other "top scores" for the SD501 we also found that at 5 years parts & labor, it also has the longest warranty available on the market right now.

What "don't" we like about this product? Mainly the price. As an MLM, no matter how many "wins" it has in the product comparison charts, there's always the question of how much of the cost is product related vs how much of that goes to pay the "upline." Again, you'll find that most people who buy the SD501 primarily as a water ionizer, not as the "Enagic business opportunity" are happy with their product and their investment.

Maintenance and cost of maintenance in time and money are other issues to consider with the SD501. While it is a single filter machine, meaning only 1 filter to change every 11,000 liters, the two greatest benefits of single filter machines (cost and maintenance) are somewhat moot with the Enagic products. You'll pay more for your Enagic replacement filters than many other single filter machines, and using the cleaning cartridge every 4 - 6 months is a an additional maintenance step - similar in time and effort to replacing the 2nd filter in the dual filter machines - not  to mention the additional cost.

• View the Enagic Leveluk SD501 Product Page