Incubator Recommendations, please!

[Jrose]

I have an LG styrofoam incubator, the old kind with no turner, no fan, no thermostat, etc. Just a foam box with two plastic windows and a black temp knob that you dare not bump. I've had hit-and-miss hatches in it. I just hatched the first clutch of the year and my turn out was only 50%. I've had 100% in the past in this thing, but the problem is if my house goes up 4 degrees, so does the bator. No good, even when kept in a dark, quiet closet wrapped in towels, checking on it frantically every 2 hours! I've tried it all!

So I've for $100~ to spend on a second bator. I did some searches last fall (hatching off-season) and found some forced air LG's with turners and thermostats for around $40 on ebay. No such deals this spring, alas!

So most of what I'm seeing out there looks like crap, and I've never seen these bators before. Big hunks of brightly colored plastic. Which high-capacity bators do folks have the most success with at the $50-$100~ range? I don't want less than a 40 egg bator, I've already got 60 eggs waiting in the cupboard xD

EDIT, for relevance of feedback:
I'm looking for 40+ egg capacity, auto turner, and themoSTAT. If they make one that does all that! Forced air is a bonus. I love hatching all spring but have to hire someone to come turn eggs if I want to go camping for a day or two!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

This is just my own opinion, but those newer LGs are straight up junk. I have one (and an older 9200 with the knob we dare not bump) and I absolutely despise the newer model. One thing I've found with incubators, you get what you pay for. A $40 incubator will perform like a $40 incubator. I've had my eye on a Hovabator Genesis. I found one with a turner thats forced air for about $150. Still looking to see if I can snag one cheaper though. Brinseas are great 'bators, but they're way off the $100 mark.

Good luck incubator shopping!

 

[Jrose]

This is just my own opinion, but those newer LGs are straight up junk. I have one (and an older 9200 with the knob we dare not bump) and I absolutely despise the newer model. One thing I've found with incubators, you get what you pay for. A $40 incubator will perform like a $40 incubator. I've had my eye on a Hovabator Genesis. I found one with a turner thats forced air for about $150. Still looking to see if I can snag one cheaper though. Brinseas are great 'bators, but they're way off the $100 mark.

Good luck incubator shopping!

The new ones look like total junk! I agree! If I could actually keep this bator in a fluctuation-free zone it'd be fine, but I can't keep the house from trembling + or - 4/5 degrees, which off-sets the bator in the snuggest location.

I was hoping for a full-package incubator deal for around $100. I know I've seen them in the past! But everything is a hokey plastic pre-calibrated (which means set wrong and you can't fix it) nonsense!

 

[Jrose]

I'm suddenly debating making my own out of some old coolers I have? Any thoughts on that?

Or better yet; what about an torn out old freezer?

Maybe I'll make this is't own thread, because I just had a crazy idea...

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Mine don't fluctuate that much, maybe some sterilized rocks in the bottom to act as a heat sink would help keep it stable?

I think you'd be better off making your own than buying a cheap plastic Ebay jobbie.

Something I just remembered, I believe it was in the Buy, Sell, Trade section, Reptipro was running a special for BYC members. Their newer cabinet incubator (looks like stainless steel on the outside) is $99 for members. I think the shipping was free also. You might do a search to see if they still have them available. It wasn't too long ago I'd seen them... I've never used them, but I did read through a few reviews and folks seemed to have pretty good hatch rates in them

 

[Jrose]

Mine don't fluctuate that much, maybe some sterilized rocks in the bottom to act as a heat sink would help keep it stable?

I think you'd be better off making your own than buying a cheap plastic Ebay jobbie.

Something I just remembered, I believe it was in the Buy, Sell, Trade section, Reptipro was running a special for BYC members. Their newer cabinet incubator (looks like stainless steel on the outside) is $99 for members. I think the shipping was free also. You might do a search to see if they still have them available. It wasn't too long ago I'd seen them... I've never used them, but I did read through a few reviews and folks seemed to have pretty good hatch rates in them

Alas, I've tried the little glass rock/marble thing. I even tried pennies! It helped minimally, not enough to justify the trouble or keep the eggs truly safe!

I will go look at that, thanks for the tip!