Question about diy fridge cooler

I just aqcuired a broken mini fridge that I plan on turning into an incubator. I've watched people make theirs and they cut the wires in the back and drain the cooling fluid, my question, is do I HAVE to do this? Or can I just set it up like I was planning without having to cut those things?

Not required to drain the Freon. Besides being a huge health risk if inhaled, it is actually illegal to release Freon into the atmosphere. The breakdown of Freon creates Phosgene- a chemical warfare agent. Not exactly what you want to be messing with :O

If you need the compressor drained take it to a professional and pay a few bucks ;)

Beside not having the potential for any leak in the future, another plus to draining the Freon and removing the compressor is that the weight of the compressor is much heavier then you would imagine. By removing it you'll lighten the unit by a lot.