Cabinet incubator Shopping - Looking for reviews

[Chickenbrainiac]

I have a Dickey. Never tried the GQF, so I don't have any point of comparison. Mine has 3 turner trays, and one hatcher. Usually, I set a tray each week, so it works well for me to have a continuous flow of chicks hatching every week. The 2x2 setup could work well if it matches your hatching schedule.

https://barncoop.com/best-cabinet-incubator-for-sale/

 

[mandelyn]

LOVE my Sportsman 1500, the side controls aren't that big of an issue since I have just the one and it's up on a table. I have the controls facing the open part of the remaining table top and that's my candling spot with a stool to sit on. As soon as I walk into the hatch room I can see the digital display, since the side of it faces the doorway.

I wanted the matching hatcher too but I couldn't justify the price when I still had the table top incubators, so I use them for the hatching and I can sort the eggs into different units to keep them organized. It's worked out to be one tray from the cabinet hatches in 2 tabletops. 2 trays (1 shelf) would need 4 tabletop units.

We're not big into selling though so I only hatch about 1 tray every 2 weeks. If the girls are laying good though I can do settings 7 days apart and not get bound up on hatch times.

Without the added humidity pump I do need to add a jug of water about every 3-4 days.

That little humidity pump for the tabletop unit worked for about 3 days and then I threw it away after it started leaking. I also pitched the Farm Innovators and swapped them out for more Genesis 1588, far more reliable and they've improved the humidity options with the new bottom tray design.

After hatching they drop to the brooder, I have 2 of them. They crash there until 2 weeks old, when they go outside to the brooder barn. Two weeks is the cut off age for the hatch room, after that they do the explosion of dust as the feathers start coming in.

 

[Gray Farms]

I've got a pair of GQF 1202s. They are the older models "predate the 1500 & 1502". One is an incubator and the other is a hatcher. Both have the acrylic doors. I just love them! My hatch rate doubled when I switched from styrofoam table top incubator up to the GQFs. I actually got a great deal on them. I bought them used off of craigslist. They were only a few years old and only used one time. They were practically like new, not even any chick dust in them.

I highly recommend GQF and like @R2elk said, parts are readily available and easy to fix. I put a new fan in a 1202 for one friend of mine and a control panel/command center in a 1502 for another. The parts were very reasonable and easy to install/replace.