Should I make or buy an incubator?

I have always planned on making an incubator out of a broken wine cooler. I'm not planning on having anymore than 8-10 clutches per year for many years, so I don't need anything big. I've been seeing new lines of these small incubators popping up with built in thermostats for $125 to $250. What I'm most worried about when building my own is proper heat throughout the incubator. What are your opinions on my options? Weigh in time v.s. money v.s quality.

Have any of you tried something like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iPXnA3Z5tA

or one of pre built ones such as this...

http://www.joshsfrogs.com/exo-terra-...ore=bromeliads

I'm not a breeder, but I know they make coolers in a ton of different sizes, and I have seen people use small coolers when incubating gecko eggs and things, so that is always a cheap option, especially if you got a styrofoam cooler. Even a regular cooler you can probably get for free or cheap on craigslist or something. I know the heat thing can be regulated with a small fan!

But I have heard that small incubators are well worth the money and aren't too bad price-wise compared to the larger incubators! So it's really up to you. One is more convenient, one is cheaper.

I trust my home built incubators over one of those cheap incs any day and if you built your own you'd say the same I believe.

My first inc was a 4 cubic ft mini fridge and with 2 ft of flexwatt and a reptitemp 500R :O thermostat I had no problems hatching out a sweet group of yellowbelly's.
I don't recommend using an on/off thermostat, trust me it sucks!

A wine cooler with a fan and flexwatt and a good proportional thermostat won't set you back any more than the cheap pre-made incs and you'll have a better more stable incubator too.

I'm always having trouble finding one big enough worth while to get. I've been searching for awhile with zero luck. How are you searching for them? Craigslist never has them in Tucson for some reason.

I would say if you can to build your own also :gj:

My craigslist is always full of free coolers of various sizes, but also free mini fridges all the time and those come in a ton of sizes from tiny to pretty decent! Most people don't know you can actually use fridges that are broken as incubators, lol!

I have found a good amount free fridges but nothing with a glass front besides little wine coolers like this. I think that it would still be too small.

http://tucson.craigslist.org/app/2330663169.html

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Originally Posted by eel588

How are you searching for them? Craigslist never has them in Tucson for some reason.

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wine cooler, true cooler, commercial fridge and mini fridge are a few keywords.

This ad has a 60 bottle wine cooler for $100 :)
http://tucson.craigslist.org/gms/2326807837.html

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Originally Posted by eel588

I have found a good amount free fridges but nothing with a glass front besides little wine coolers like this. I think that it would still be too small.

http://tucson.craigslist.org/app/2330663169.html

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Buy a mini fridge or full size and cut a hole in the door and cover the hole (the hole is a window) with plexi glass :gj:

Boanerges,

What would you use to cut a hole in the front (der, a saw) but what kind? Would a hand saw work? I'm not sure how easily accomplished it is.

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Originally Posted by eel588

Boanerges,

What would you use to cut a hole in the front (der, a saw) but what kind? Would a hand saw work? I'm not sure how easily accomplished it is.

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It was easy IMO. I used a saber saw (it's electric not a hand saw though). You just need to drill some holes first with a drill bit big enough to make a hole that the blade of the saber saw can fit through in order to start cutting with the saber saw. Also, make sure the blade is a metal cutting blade and not a wood cutting one. I should also note a lot of people just leave the door the way it is. You just have to open the door to check on the eggs that way as opposed to looking through the window. But even looking through the plexi glass window does not give you a clear view of all the eggs through the steralite tubs. I just like the ability to be able to see whats going on in there (the best I can) at all times without having to open the doors a lot.

DIY rules man! Make it. I just made mine out of a dorm size fridge. It's like a half fridge. It cost me like 120-140 all together. Including the fridge getting delivered to me. It hold 20x more then any inc I've bought. And it was rediculously easy to set up. My tstat was Te hardest part to figure out. I bought a johnsons ranco and had to consult an electrician friend on it so I didn't fry myself. But I love it. It's the best inc I've ever had.

I built mine out of a full-size upright freezer (broken, aka free). Total cost = ~$200, INCLUDING Herpstat thermostat. There is more room than I will ever need. One warning about cutting windows, though, is that plexi and glass don't hold heat as well as the insulation you are cutting out. That doesn't mean it can't still work, but it's your call.

I think I will just either end up getting a dorm fridge and leave it alone or hopefully find a nice display fridge with a window. If I was still near my parents I would have access to all the tools I ever need. I am limited these days to the few I have room for in my apartment. I will definitely build my own. I started watching a lot of videos on youtube of the pre-made ones. Those little guys would be great for crestie or leopard gecko eggs. Way too small for even a small collection of python eggs. It would be worth it to just go ahead and do it myself.

What do you guys think of this? I called yesterday, he didn't answer. He called back today and said he still has it. The ad is well over a months old. If I could talk him down, I mean way down to like $50. This would be cool to have as an incubator. What do you think, how many clutches would fit in this?

http://tucson.craigslist.org/app/2253034107.html

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Originally Posted by eel588

What do you guys think of this? I called yesterday, he didn't answer. He called back today and said he still has it. The ad is well over a months old. If I could talk him down, I mean way down to like $50. This would be cool to have as an incubator. What do you think, how many clutches would fit in this?

http://tucson.craigslist.org/app/2253034107.html

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That does look pretty cool. Just remember about the insulation, and the ad says one of the glass panes is broken. One other thing, that you might not be aware of, is that it is illegal to vent freon/coolant into the atmosphere, so you should get a professional to drain it if you are planning to cut out any excess components from the fridge's cooling system.

Right on with the freon thing. You could try appliance repair shops they generally have a few broken ones laying around that they have already had the freon removed from.

Build your own. I just built one out of a really big ice chest cooler and it holds about 6-8 clutches. The cooler was 58 bucks at wal mart and the heat tape was cheap too. I think its worth it to build your own.

I snaggeda coke machine that was 100 bucks and tank of gas t oyork pa ( from beach area in DE. but it rocks for me I figure I can do 6 clutches and it never got much temp change cause I got like 5 ft of 3 in ch flex. and a cheap esu tstat . once it up I think it only really kicks on when I am in the room and opening the door to let fresh air in.
I found it by posting on my craigslist wanted coke/pepsi type cooler with glass door ( does not need to run) I think I had mine with in a week.

Ya that's what I did for my fridge. Works like a charm. It took 2 days for someone to bring me their broken fridge. I payed for their gas.

There it is, that's the idea I needed. Thanks! I'll be posting on craigslist A.S.A.P. Wish me luck. I've got until this upcoming season so I have time to spare. It would just be nice to know I have all my ducks in a row.

You can easily convert an old stand-up freezer into an incubator. All you have to do is install flexwatt down the back / inside of the freezer, and drill a hole for the cord and a thermostat probe. I use a proportional thermostat on my incubator. A glass front is not required on an incubator.

My first incubator was a small cooler, then I found a nice wine cooler on Craigslist. I really like the wine cool due to the glass front.

http://a2.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/i...aaa0c0a6/l.jpg

http://a3.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/i...99e20a0b/l.jpg

http://a3.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/i...c0849efb/l.jpg

Auletto,

How many clutches can you fit in a wine cooler that size?

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Originally Posted by eel588

Auletto,

How many clutches can you fit in a wine cooler that size?

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5 clutches - perfect for my needs

Nice, I like it a lot. Do you put water bottles in it at all to stabilize the heat when you open the door, or do you find that unnecessary?

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Originally Posted by eel588

Nice, I like it a lot. Do you put water bottles in it at all to stabilize the heat when you open the door, or do you find that unnecessary?

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No, the computer fan keeps the temps stabilize throughout.