Breinsea all the way.!!!!!!! If you don't get the egg turner, it is very easy to raotte on your own without having to touch the eggs, it is made of plastic and therefore extremely easy to clean, and it is NOT made of styrofoam! Temps stay even, humidity is easy to control. I woul dNEVER consider an hovabator. YMMV
I love my Hovabator 1588! I've had excellent hatch rates on all my shipped eggs (never taken an egg directly from under a hen). I do use an auto egg turner with it. And you have to add water through some tubing every few days, but no issues with fluctuating temperatures.
I just set 26 eggs today. Hope I didn't just jinx myself
They both work. The Brinsea is easier to use but costs a bit more. If an egg exploded or something like that, the Brinsea would be easier to clean. With the plastic tray in the bottom, cleaning the 1588 has not been a problem, but potentially it could be. If you put the 1588 in a good place where the temperatures are stable and it is not in direct sun or in front of a vent, it holds temperature fine. At least mine does.
I got the Hovabator 1588 based on how many times I hatch a year. I only run two hatches a year so I could not justify the added expense of the Brinsea. If I were going to use it more than that, I would probably have chosen the Brinsea.
Whichever one you choose, I strongly suggest getting the automatic egg turner. It is just so much easier.