Which incubator is the best? 7 Choice with comparasion table. Brinsea,Bobmail,MATICOOPX...

[Ricky Jehen]

Hello fellow chicken enthusiasts!

I'm trying to decide which incubator would be the best investment for my hatching journey. I've narrowed it down to 7 different models, and I'd love to get some input from experienced hatchers.

Here's a comparison of the models I'm considering:

Brand	Egg Capacity	Temperature Control	Humidity	Display	Price
Brinsea	24	±0.3°F	Outside Add water	Temp & Humidity	$249.99
Harris Farms	22	±0.5°F	Outside Add water	Temp, Humidity & Hatch day	$179.99
MATICOOPX	30	±0.5°F	Outside Add water	Temp, Humidity & Hatch day	$119.99
ZOHOKO	24	±0.6°F	Outside Add water	Temp, Humidity & Hatch day	$119.99
Bobmail	21	±0.4°F	Outside Add water	Temp, Humidity & Hatch day	$105.99
Kebonnix	12	±0.4°F	Outside Add water	Temp, Humidity & Hatch day	$89.99
Onsju	18	±0.8°F	Outside Add water	Temp & Humidity	$89.99

What I'm looking for help with:

1. Has anyone used any of these models? What was your experience?
2. Is the Brinsea worth the premium price?
3. The MATICOOPX seems to offer good value with 30-egg capacity and good temperature control - any experience with this brand?
4. Should I avoid the cheaper models (Onsju) due to their poor temperature control(But still in ±1°F)?
5. I noticed the Bobmail comes with a smartphone app for monitoring and control. As a beginner, this seems appealing - has anyone used this feature? Is it actually helpful for first-time hatchers?

My priorities are:

• Reliable temperature control
• Easy to use
• Good value for money
• For the new guy like me

I'm leaning towards either the MATICOOPX (best value?) or the Brinsea (best quality & it's the BYC sponser), but I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

Thank you in advance for any advice!

 

[SweetieChicken234]

I have hatched chicken eggs several times in the Nurture Right 360. Great hatch rates and super easy to use. I just put my quail eggs in lockdown today in it. I prefer to wrap a towel around it to keep the heat steady. I don't add water until lockdown so that's not a problem for me. I bought it on sale and so I feel especially good about value for price.

 

[Slothinc]

I voted brinsea simply because I have had good hatches in my tiny 7 egg brinsea models. I have owned 3 different ones over the years and all 3 were purchased used.

 

[nuthatched]

Moonshiner has been testing off brand incubators for a while, I'd read through that thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...eg-incubator-reviews-and-discussions.1586872/

 

[Fallenone05]

I personally love my Brinsea. I started off with a smaller one and bought the 24 egg count a couple of years ago. I love it.

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

We purchased the Maticoopx in April and used the dry hatch method with an 80% success rate. We did our second hatch in July with a slightly higher success rate. The dry hatch works for us and less mess from our experience using an old styrofoam incubator.

 

[Ricky Jehen]

I have hatched chicken eggs several times in the Nurture Right 360. Great hatch rates and super easy to use. I just put my quail eggs in lockdown today in it. I prefer to wrap a towel around it to keep the heat steady. I don't add water until lockdown so that's not a problem for me. I bought it on sale and so I feel especially good about value for price.

What was the price range when you got it on sale?

 

[Ricky Jehen]

We purchased the Maticoopx in April and used the dry hatch method with an 80% success rate. We did our second hatch in July with a slightly higher success rate. The dry hatch works for us and less mess from our experience using an old styrofoam incubator.

Oh wow, 80%+ success rate sounds amazing! I'm really curious about this dry hatch method you mentioned - I'm new to this and haven't heard about it before.

 

[Ricky Jehen]

I personally love my Brinsea. I started off with a smaller one and bought the 24 egg count a couple of years ago. I love it.

Thanks for sharing your Brinsea experience! As a beginner, I'm wondering - is 24 eggs too ambitious for a first-time hatcher? What would you recommend as an ideal batch size for someone just starting out? I'm a bit nervous about managing too many eggs at once!

 

[Ricky Jehen]

I voted brinsea simply because I have had good hatches in my tiny 7 egg brinsea models. I have owned 3 different ones over the years and all 3 were purchased used.

I hadn't even considered looking at used ones. It sounds like they're pretty durable. Would you mind sharing what kind of prices you found for used 7-egg models?