If I had the money for a cabinet incubator - the big guys Dickey (my preference) or Sportsman but wanted a small easy to use, clean, accurate and simple incubator I'd buy the BRINSEA, the big one, the very automatic nice one.
But I discovered a number of things. Sometimes 40 is too few. Larger eggs mean a 40 limit can mean hatching far fewer eggs, often the smaller incubators don't handle BIG eggs well - ugh.
I went from a foam incubator - an LG I did learn to work well. To homemade ones. While a hovabator genesis works well - it has a PRIMARY few things I didn't like about all foam bators - the dumb lid comes off the top and isn't hinged. The element is on top and if you hand turn - and I LIKE to, you get burned. Taller, larger eggs or hatching in cartons gets the eggs up wayyy too close to the element for comfort and the whole thing is just CRAMPED.
The Hovabator has much better quality of foam, than the LG despite appearing similar. But still, foam and small and cramped and lift off lid, all on my yuck list.
So I built one out of a mini-fridge - instructions right here on byc and saved toward a cabinet model, then found an antique cabinet bator on craigslist for 75.00 and voila 600 egg capacity and it works.
I still use the mini-fridge. Dead reliable temps, nice size, easy visibility, front opening door fits next to my computer.
But if I were buying something to put next to my computer and tiny batches - the brinsea, automated, easy clean, easy view, no foam - can even get one to plug into the computer! All good.
But I discovered a number of things. Sometimes 40 is too few. Larger eggs mean a 40 limit can mean hatching far fewer eggs, often the smaller incubators don't handle BIG eggs well - ugh.
I went from a foam incubator - an LG I did learn to work well. To homemade ones. While a hovabator genesis works well - it has a PRIMARY few things I didn't like about all foam bators - the dumb lid comes off the top and isn't hinged. The element is on top and if you hand turn - and I LIKE to, you get burned. Taller, larger eggs or hatching in cartons gets the eggs up wayyy too close to the element for comfort and the whole thing is just CRAMPED.
The Hovabator has much better quality of foam, than the LG despite appearing similar. But still, foam and small and cramped and lift off lid, all on my yuck list.
So I built one out of a mini-fridge - instructions right here on byc and saved toward a cabinet model, then found an antique cabinet bator on craigslist for 75.00 and voila 600 egg capacity and it works.
I still use the mini-fridge. Dead reliable temps, nice size, easy visibility, front opening door fits next to my computer.
But if I were buying something to put next to my computer and tiny batches - the brinsea, automated, easy clean, easy view, no foam - can even get one to plug into the computer! All good.
