Is there a difference between the makers of clones as far ad quality, dependability,( i.e. is ehpro better than hcigar) etc.
Of course. In ALL manufacturing, there is always a difference between different manufacturers/companies.
There are TWO things you can do:
1) Ask around for the overal consensus on the best clone manufacturers. Personally, I think EHPro and Infinite are fantastic. I think many will agree.
2) Try a few different clones from various manufacturers yourself, and see if you can determine which are top notch, and which aren't.
Personally, I don't care much for fast tech clones. People here, and on the other blog RAVE about FT...mainly for its price...but I find most of the quality from FT to be lacking at BEST, complete CRAP at worst.
If I want a clone, as I said, I generally go EHpro, or Infinite.