Incubator Reviews: Brinsea
First, thank you to the lovely people who loaned me incubators so I could try them out. Kristy Thom, Allexia, Mel Cooper.
I have now worked with:
Brinsea Mini, Brinsea Maxi, and Brinea Ovation Advance, Brinsea Ovation Ex, Brinsea Ova-Easy 190
Hovabator
Incuview
Janell
Nurture Right
Handles that fold out of the way would be so very handy.
Handles:
A complaint common to all is the difficulty of opening or holding open the lid with one hand. I want to open it the least amount possible and grab an egg for candling or remove a chick that is dry. Every one of these incubators requires two hands to open which leaves me precariously gripping the top with one hand while my other hand does the grab. If I drop, chicks die (except for the Little Giant and the Hovabator). It would have been so easy to attach handles, especially to the Brinseas and NutureRights. The sort of handle on this craft storage box would be perfect.
What it gets right
Can add water without lifting the lid, which seems like a no-brainer but not all incubators offer this.
Easy to clean. Very few pinch points.
The part you should not get wet is in the lid, separate from the part the hatchlings dirty.
Easy to see inside and cheer on the hatchlings.
Great hatch rates.
What it gets wrong
Dark low-contrast tiny display panel that I have to get right on top of and use a light to read. This drives me crazy. Product designers should all give things to their grannies to get input.
Can you read this? Neither can I.
2. Mini model: Humidity goes up when they hatch, which is normal, but there is no way to vent the excess.
3. See above complaint about handles.
Ovation Advance 28 & Ovation Advance 56
What it gets right
Fabulous hatch rates.
The part you should not get wet is in the lid, separate from the part the hatchlings dirty.
Easy to see inside and cheer on the hatchlings.
What it gets wrong
1. Dark low-contrast tiny display panel that I have to get right on top of and use a light to read.
2. Cannot add water without lifting the lid unless you use a syringe and drip the water into a hole in the lid.
3. Really difficult to clean. I have to unscrew the lid components to get all the fuzz out after a hatch. For this reason, I don’t hatch in my Brinseas; I move all the eggs to my HovaBator for hatching.
4. See above complaint about handles.
Ovation EX 28 & Ovation EX 56
What it gets right
Automatic humidity control. I set it up and other than candling on Day 10 and moving to the hatcher on Day 18, I don’t have to do a thing (swoon).
Fabulous hatch rates.
The part you should not get wet is in the lid, separate from the part the hatchlings dirty.
Easy to see inside and cheer on the hatchlings.
What it gets wrong
1. Dark low-contrast tiny display panel that I have to get right on top of and use a light to read.
2. Really difficult to clean. I have to unscrew the lid components to get all the fuzz out after a hatch. For this reason, I don’t hatch in my Brinseas; I move all the eggs to my HovaBator for hatching.
Ova-Easy 190
This is the ultimate incubator. Combine it with a humidity pump for a near set-and-forget incubation. You do need to keep an eye on the humidity water pump level, but that’s it.
I love that there are three trays, one for each week, as I set every Monday. I love that the trays are set up so that I can adjust for any size eggs. Most of all I love the amazing hatch rates. If it is fertile, it will hatch.
What it gets right
Automatic humidity control. I set it up and other than candling on Day 10 and moving to the hatcher on Day 18, I don’t have to do a thing (swoon).
Fabulous hatch rates.
What it gets wrong
1. Dark low-contrast tiny display panel that I have to shine a light on to read.
2. Really difficult to clean. I have to unscrew the lid components to get all the fuzz out after a hatch. For this reason, I don’t hatch in my Brinseas; I move all the eggs to my HovaBator for hatching.
Summary
The Brinsea Ex 28 and 56 with Automatic Humidity control are my favorites of all small incubators. The Ova-Easy 190 Cabinet incubator is my favorite overall incubator. All these incubators hold humidity and temperature at the levels I set them to and turn the eggs on schedule. I get fabulous hatch rates and have slowly sold off all other incubators and upgraded to the Ex models.
That said, I don’t hatch in them as they are a PITA (Pain in the A**) to clean. I move all chicks into my HovaBator as described in my Hatching Tips post.
You may also enjoy the many Incubation tips I share at Incubation & Hatching Tips: Incubation and the companion post: Incubation & Hatching Tips: LockDown & Hatching