Hatch newbie-need info on Brinsea Octagon Eco 20

[Gypsy07]

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Yeah, I've read that a couple of times here on BYC. Seems like a few people have had issues with the bator's fan drying their chicks out and getting them stuck inside the shells just before they finish hatching out. I don't have an Eco, I've got an Advance (digital readout of temp and humidity) but apart from being a little bit fancier, it's basically the exact same bator. I've never had a problem using it for hatching as well as for incubating. I get consistently high hatch rates with it and I've never had to help a chick out.

I think maybe some people have had problems with them due to using the same humidity that worked for them in a different bator, and then discovering too late that it just wasn't high enough for THIS particular bator. I'm not sure, that's just my idea about it. All I know is, I love mine.

P.S. Hawkeye95 - A Mini is just another size of Brinsea bator. The Mini Eco is the basic one, and the Mini Advance is the fancier one with digital temp and humidity readouts, and the option to add the EX pump for full humidity control. A Mini holds 7 chicken eggs with the automatic turning ring in it, or maybe 9-10 if you remove the ring, cram the eggs in tight and them turn them manually. I think they're pretty good bators too. Anything made by Brinsea is, really...

 

[Angiebubs]

Are the coupons usually posted just on their wall or where on their Facebook page?

 

[jmc]

People, you need to be with us here!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=579490

 

[kathyinmo]

Thought I would share this with you..............
We were just talking about incubators on another thread.
I do not like the Brinsea, and never have. I really love my HovaBator Genesis.

Here are some of the posts....
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Lots of things I disliked about it. They are notorious for not holding a temp. I have had to mess with mine every time I use it. I have still never hatched a whole batch in one. I ended up moving them out. It is small and very crowded. If you do hatch in it, you have to take the wet chicks out and put them somewhere else to dry and fluff. (Well, I did anyway). The turner is not really a turner. The whole unit tilts. I don't like the "wires" that hold the eggs in place, if you can get them to work. Many just use egg cartons to remedy that though. I do not like the black color of the "basket" that holds the eggs. I like white, so when I clean I know I got everything good and clean. The top of the unit gets full of dust and dander and you have to unscrew the whole thing to clean it up. There is no hand grip and it is hard to take the top off without it slipping out of my hand. I'll be darned if I can get the humidity up in that thing either. I do not have the humidity pump (expensive).

 

[georgiagail]

I have two Brinsea Mini Advanced so I can't speak about the Eco versions. I like mine very much and have had excellent hatchings with it.

Gail

 

[gryeyes]

I have several Brinsea incubators: one Mini Advance, one Mini Advance EX, four Octagon20 Advance EX.

My very first hatch EVER was in the MiniAdvance, as were the next two hatches. Then I started upgrading.... I love them. They are stupid proof, better than idiot proof. I needed the stupid proof models.

 

[Hawkeye95]

It sounds like most people do like the Eco 20!

Kathyinmo, thank you very much for copy/pasting those comments here! I like to be aware of both sides of the reviews. It sounds like most of them were for the larger incubators? I feel bad for the people that had such bad luck with them. Hopefully the smaller one I'm looking at will be fine. I'll cross my fingers! I looked at the Hovabators, so I guess I need to take another more serious look at them again. Thank you for the recommendation!

Angiebubs-- go to Brinsea's Facebook and sign up for their newsletter (on the left hand side) and then they will give you a coupon code for 10% off. Be ready to write it down, they don't send it in an email, but just give you page with the code on it. But at least you can get it!!

 

[Glenmar]

I love my ECO 20. I am very much a novice, but have had great hatches. I have 6 duck eggs going in lockdown tonight.
You will not be sorry with that incubator.

 

[Gypsy07]

Gosh, I'm really surprised at all the negative comments about them. Especially the comment about having to tinker with the temperature every time it's used. I set the temp on mine at 99.6 when I received it, and I've never had to adjust it, not once. And I didn't even buy mine new! I suppose there was maybe just a bad batch of them from one of the factories...

I'm also very surprised at the comments about poor customer service, because here in the UK, Brinsea's customer service department is excellent. I had a faulty Spot-Check thermometer, and they took it back and exchanged it without question. They were also happy to answer questions about the age of my bator and humidity pump - I read out serial numbers down the phone and a very nice lady on the other end typed them into her computer and told me exactly how old all my second-hand kit actually was, which was very helpful.

Maybe Brinsea's US customer service department just isn't as good. That would be a real pity...