Question for Sportsman Incubator Owners...

[KZ]

I really like what I have read and heard about Sporstman incubators and have my eye on a 1502 model. I am just not sure about the size and the amount of electricity it might use. I would like to have the egg room just in case.... but if I dont want to hatch 100's of chicks, will I be paying huge electric bills? My electric is pretty expensive where I live. I seriously considered one of those RCOM models, but tops is 20 eggs, unless you buy the $800 model. I want to hatch chickens and peafowl..... maybe some other fowl as well.

 

[Teach97]

electricity ain't cheap anywhere....I would get it...then if you don't like it you could always let me borrow it! That is how me and my buddy work it out...he owns it I use it and keep it going whenever I need more room I go get his dads and run both and if they need anything hatched I hatch it

 

[mississippifarmboy]

I've used most models of the sportsman's including one right now that I think is pre-1200 series. No noticeable change in the electric bill. Have run as many as three incubators and a hatcher at the same time, 24/7 for most of the year. I know they do use a bit of electric, but as I said, I've not noticed any great difference in our electric bills when the incubators are going and when they are all off.

Just my experiance, your milage might vary.

 

[gumbii]

my advice, have one built that will hold in the heat better that won't hold as many eggs, but will use a heating element smaller, or around the same wattage... if it's smaller, heats up faster, and keeps the heat, it will be low wattage than a sportsman...


i built one for 100 bucks and it holds 60 eggs... but i also hatch eggs for my neighbor and friend next door to him... if i needed money, i can easily charge them for the electricity used, or even a third of what the bator cost me... they offered to do so at first... maybe find someone in your area that is willing to do so... also, for the brooder, use heat tape... i'm using two 2' strips of 4" flexwatt heat tape under these thin tiles... they get up to 115° and i'm only using 32 watts... pretty good IMO... beats a 250W bulb...

HTH...

 

[La Mike]

I have 3 of them and they dont use the electric you would have to run to use any where close to the capacity of the smaller bators
The ease of use and reliability are very well worth a little extra cost
Mine on 1 runs about the same as 3 lightbulbs so not really that much compared to the smaller type incubators versus the use factor