Brinsea or R-com?

Which one....why that one?
going to bite next spring and git one....

Brinsea. More established, FAR better reputation, good customer service, and instructions written by someone who speaks english as their first language.

I LOVE my Brinsea products! I have the Octagon 40 Advance with turner, three Eco Glows, a spot check thermometer, and the high intensity candler. They have all been terrific and problem free!

what is an eco glow?

A brooder heat device - much safer than a heat lamp and uses way less electricity.

authenticfarm wrote:Brinsea. More established, FAR better reputation, good customer service,  and instructions written by someone who speaks english as their first language.

I LOVE my Brinsea products! I have the Octagon 40 Advance with turner,  three Eco Glows,  a spot check thermometer, and the high intensity candler. They have all been terrific and problem free!

Reputation differs for both - If you search the internet (BYC for an example) there are quite a few bad reviews about them.


*disclaimer I am Rcom dealer*

I am switching to Rcom's for the farm. They are a much better price point than brinsea and the rcom's I sell come with a two year warranty, and I am going to be stocking all replacement parts for popular incubators - I belive that the Canadian Rcom dealer has told some of his customers that almost all replacement parts need to be ordered from Brinsea US. Plus I am always here if someone needs help I must say that instructions are not the best and am looking to rewrite them... All Rcom advanced incubators come with integrated humidity units (With Brinsea you need to purchase a separate unit) and I well be keeping larger models in stock. I also offer a slide version of the Rcom Maru line up that is better suited for waterfowl - these are a bit pricer and special order. I have a registered business and well not be disappearing any time soon. I am looking at building an online warranty system so people can order parts online (you would have to register for this service) something that no one in North America offers!

I understand Heda Gobbler loves her RCom. Hopefully she will chime in on the conversation.

I think for most incubators, it,s all in the hands of the operator. I personally love my Brinsea 190's and my Poly hatch by Brinsea which is superior for hatching Callducks. I would never part with my work horse GQF's. We have 2 that are at least 20years, old and my GQF (sportsmen)hatcher in acquired used 20 yrs years ago and last year was the first time we replaced parts on it.
So they all have there plus's and minuses but if you take care of them, you can have great success. We hatch lot and I think a incubator is a personal choice with much consideration must to be given by someone new to hatching what their goals are. If you think you want one for hatching 20 or so eggs go at least 1 size larger and I think the most important point is to have a separate hatcher. Don't cheap out even if it means saving a little longer. Anything is better than a styrofoam one.

Heather

Another thing to keep in mind is to always buy a larger incubator than you think you will need. Purchase price is more cost efficient and better too much space than not enough.   

Schipperkesue wrote:Another thing to keep in mind is to always buy a larger incubator than you think you will need.  Purchase price is more cost efficient and better too much space than not enough.   

*coughcoughENABLERcoughcough*

authenticfarm wrote:

Schipperkesue wrote:Another thing to keep in mind is to always buy a larger incubator than you think you will need.  Purchase price is more cost efficient and better too much space than not enough.   

*coughcoughENABLERcoughcough*

*coughcoughWOMANWITHFOURINCUBATORSPROVINGMYPOINTcoughcough*

Schipperkesue wrote:

*coughcoughWOMANWITHFOURINCUBATORSPROVINGMYPOINTcoughcough*

One incubator, three brooders (ecoglows). I'm not that badly enabled. Lol

(Next step is a cabinet.)

Ah, so you bought a 40 and it was too small? Hmmm....

Schipperkesue wrote:Ah, so you bought a 40 and it was too small?  Hmmm....

Nope. Not too small yet! Lol I don't have enough hens to be able to fill it to capacity ... yet. Next year, all bets are off!

I have a couple of incubators both R Com and Brinsea. Like them both for different reasons. They both have their problems.

Here's this week's news. The 190 does not hold 190 hens' eggs for incubation. It only holds 132 hen eggs on the turning shelves. The other 58 eggs have to go on the bottom shelf and you have to turn them yourself. Boo. I think that's a bit of misrepresentation.

For hatching the RCom is lovely. The clear lid and single level of eggs means you can watch the whole thing. But it doesn't hold that many eggs, whatever it is you are hatching. The Octogon and 190 are much harder to see - you can glimpse movement and fluff but not every crack and wave but you can fit a lot more eggs in them.

The R Com humidifier is part of the incubator. None of this tubing and separate water containers, bits of paper and plastic thingies. Also don't have to open the incubator to add water to the R Com. I think that's why for high humidity like hatching geese the RCom is better. The turner in the RCom is in the incubator, none of these cradles that fall apart when moved.

You choose the program in the RCom for whatever eggs you want to hatch - goose, turkey, quail, and the RCom sets the temperature, humidity and days of turning and hatching date. Works really well unless you want to do something different. If you want a dry hatch for example it would take a lot of messing with the buttons to avoid having the machine beep endlessly telling you to "please add more water".

But the Brinsea incubators can have eggs going in and out all the time as they can be programmed to just rock away with same temperatures and humidity. If you have a separate hatcher (that isn't rocking) and keep careful track of eggs and dates you can keep hatching all year long, not wait for one program to end.

I find the RCom easier to clean more thoroughly.

That is excellent, Heda. I have a Brinsea cabinet and your info has convinced me I made the right choice for me. It is all so relative though. My reasons for my purchase may not be reasons others may consider important. For instance, I am a person who incubates chickens and guineas and turkeys all at the same time. This might be an issue in the RCom. Also I never fill up the whole incubator as well. I add every week using one of the three trays and move last week's tray down. Helps me stay organized. By no means is it a perfect incubator, but when you have stepped up from a Hova with wafers, no fan and a finger turn for temperature change, I feel like I have hit the jackpot!

I personally LOVE the Brinsea..... It's like magic! I drop off the eggs at Fuzzy's house and tada in three weeks go for visit pick up fluffy little yellow chicks. Brinsea cabinet (and Fuzzy Little Friend) all the way.... LOL

I have the large cabinet incubators that Rcom makes (infact have a new 380 coming in for myself next month), same cradle design as Brinsea (I think they are twins in fact).

But yes with both brands they consider the number the total capacity including the hatching trays. IE. 48eggs/tray 2 trays/shelf = 288 eggs + 96 hatching in the bottom a total of 384 (that would be for the 380).

love you guys...
So, if i am looking at the 20..capacity ones... can 20 hatched chicks fit in both of them?..or when they hatch are these incubators too small?
hmm lots of food for thought here...
coughcoughthanksforenablingcoughcoughhusbandislisteningcoughcough

going up to a 40 capacity?...i can't see us ever wanting to hatch out that many...i think we are planning on keeping our outfit like the small brew beers; micro hatchery..small batches

I had heard about the method about taking the eggs out to hatch in a separate hatcher/incubator..and it seems like a good idea..but again, we are a pretty small outfit; still trying to figure out how to house all of our roosters