I have not used one but my first clutch was hatched out of an home made incubator. I used an ice chest I got from good will (about $5). some flex watt I had already bought, and a Johnson t stat. I even cut a window in the lid so I could peek in. The t stat was the most expensive part (but I already had it). The one I have now is a wine cooler I scored off craigslist, flex watt, a fan I got from a local used computer store and I have a Heprstat pro so I use one of the connections. I love it as you can see the eggs and the temp stays real steady.