Farm Innovators Model 4200 Pro Series Circulated Air Incubator with Automatic Egg Turner

I put 27 blue/black copper maran eggs in the incubator. Most developed but, only 3 tried to hatch and died shortly after. I'm sticking to my broody chicken.

I have tried a couple of different brands of incubator and this one is by far better than the other 2.

I had an emergency -- mom abandoned eggs right before the hatch -- and had to rush out and grab the only incubator available in mid-October. I have not used the egg turner.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with this 'bator. I had to open it several times during lockdown to add water in bowls and paper towels, since the water trays in the bottom couldn't get the humidity high enough for hatch time. This was my first hatch, and everyone says not to open the incubator during lockdown for fear of losing humidity, but I found that by lifting the corner or edge and just making quick adjustments I didn't upset things too much. Heat and humidity came back up within a minute or two, and once they were up they stayed steady. I had to make minor adjustments a few times, but I assume that is the case with any incubator.

The gauges are worthless, as people have noted, but you can get your own cheaply and use those. I was mostly interested in having an incubator that holds humidity and temp, and this one does quite nicely once you've got everything set up. Others have noted that the temperature knob is very sensitive, but once you get it adjusted you pretty much don't have to touch it after that.

Given that I bought a relatively cheap incubator on the fly, I'm happy with this one. However, I caution anyone hatching babies bigger than chicks: the heating element is exposed, and a tall baby like a duckling can stand up and bump into it. Two of my little ones burned their faces on the heating element. Now after they hatch, I give them a couple of hours to nap, dry, and get their bearings, and as soon as they start trying to run around I whisk them out into the brooder.

I will be using this incubator again, and giving the egg turner a try. It has a few issues, but if you're reasonably attentive I think you can troubleshoot without too many problems. If I was going to hatch large volumes of chicks I would invest in a model without these issues.

I was gifted with an OEGB egg from a gorgeous splash pair on display at a fair last fall. None of my Silkies were broody at the time, so I picked up this incubator from the neighborhood TSC. If I could get this egg to hatch, I didn't want the chick to be lonely, so I put 3 Silkie eggs in the bator too. I researched hatching tips and decided to do a dry hatch and fill the outer troughs with snack baggies filled with water. I ignored the built in gauges and used a digital thermometer/hygrometer with remote.

I had to fool with adjusting the temperature knob for most of the day, but once I got it just right, it held steady for the duration. I opened it only twice for candling at 10 days and removing the turner at lockdown. The temperature quickly rebounded each time after closing. I had no problems with keeping humidity in range either. Well, to my surprise, all four of my chicks hatched out and were very healthy. Pretty good for a first timer using a cheapie bator, I think.

I bought this incubator because the thermostat went out on my GQF cabinet incubator. I had half-incubated turkey eggs and I needed something immediately. This was all that I could find locally.
I thought it might be comparable to my old Hovabator, or maybe that it might be even better since it has an electronic thermostat, but it's complete junk.
I WISH it had the old-style wafer thermostat because, despite their flaws, they could at least be adjusted.
The thermostat knob on this one is hard to turn, and the slightest hair of movement, or even a bit of pressure that causes NO visible turn will cause the temperature to change by as much as two degrees. Even after it's set it will change if I open the lid or even move it. I don't mean the normal fluctuation - I mean that it re-sets itself at a completely different level.

I think I'll be able to use it as a backup hatcher if I watch it like a hawk, but that's about all. Too bad, because the egg turner seems to be its best feature.

all the other knock off models were horrible, had to raise the temps in my house to almost 72F ! Wife and kids were upset about the excess heat but the incubators finally held temps somewhat...
This incubator worked way better, held temps and works great. Get another temp probe just like any other incubator and calibrate temps and you will have NO problems.

After some really bad luck with two different incubators I bought the Farm Innovators 4200 Pro. It holds temperature really well, it took me about 8 hours to get the manual dial set to the right spot for the right temperature, but after that everything has worked wonderfully.

I like how the outside is plastic but has an internal Styrofoam box. If you are looking to spend less than a Brinsea this wouldn't be a bad choice, plus almost all the parts are replaceable.

I am doing my first hatch in one now. I got extra thermometers and hygrometers as advised. I found the room temp, removed the large top thermometer dial and adjusted it to match what it should say. I did the same to calibrate the hygrometer. Then I switched it on and found that even then it did not stay accurate once the numbers started to climb. For the most part the temp gauge reads 5 degrees low and the humidity reads 10 degrees high. I am doing a version of dry hatching and will not have my vent plugs in at all so I run the hygrometer probe down through the vent holes. I also punched an extra hole right in the center where I was using a basal body digital thermometer and running random checks. But the batteries ran out and I nearly fried my eggs because I believed the readings on it. So far it seems to hold temp fine. I am not adding water so no idea about humidity. I am using an LG still air as a hatcher since I have a staggered hatch going. The little stick thermometer on a plastic card that came with it was way off and changed the degree by which it was off depending on how hot it actually was. I tossed it. So far I am on day 15 of Batch A and I had 20 of 24 make it this far. 2 were non-fertile and 2 had blood rings and looked like they died about day 3. Batch B was 17 eggs and is on day 12 - most were shipped Welsummer eggs. 3 were not fertile and 2 were scrambled in shipping. But right now my FI Pro 4200 is delivering 32 of 34 fertile eggs. Still have a ways to go and I am adding a batch C on day 18 when I transfer Batch A to the hatcher. So we will see how they all do! I got mine at Tractor Supply Company here in Texas for about $125.

The Farm Innovators 4200 is the only incubator we've owned and we've only run three batches of eggs through it, but we've been happy with the purchase for the price.

As others said, the built-in thermometer is not accurate. It came with a bulb thermometer that we dropped in at egg level that is much better. We later bought a $5 thermometer/humidistat to increase accuracy more. The humidity levels matched, so I think the built-in humidistat is accurate. In the future we plan to add a digital thermometer/humidistat with a probe.

It is annoying that the thermostat dial is SO sensitive. Barely a nudge at all bumps it up a few degrees. My husband's bigger fingers have a hard time not overadjusting it, but I have figured out how much (or, I should say, how little) to move it to adjust. There is no way our kids could make adjustments on their own.

This is my first incubator ,I have no experience in that

Don't use build-in thermometer/hygrometer unless you calibrate it.

I bought digital thermometer placed inside incubator
Temperature 99.5 (build-in thermometer)
Temperature 100.5 (digital thermometer)

I reduce the temp to read as follows:
Temperature 98.5 (build-in thermometer)
Temperature 99.5 (digital thermometer)

I bought also dial hygrometer
placed inside incubator
RH 50% (build-in hygrometer)
RH 42%(dial hygrometer )

readings during incubation:
Temp: 99 - 100.2 f
RH: average 43%

readings during hatching:
Temp: 98.2 - 99.5 f
RH: 65%-73%

10 of 15 chicks hatched

Hatch rate: 66.6%

Not bad for first try

Good Luck!

This is my first hatch ever but so far everything is going great! Once you get the temp set (use internal thermometers for actual temp, NOT the gauges on the incubator) it holds like a dream. I have had zero fluxes in temp and humidity holds easily as well. I also had an issue seeing the water wells with the turner in but I solved that with a few drops of food coloring in the water.

Very easy to use. I have shipped eggs in right now and I have defined development in 15 plus 4 others are likely out of 22. Loving it!