Bad Hova Bator incubator

[catjac1975]

I know many of you have animals particularly chickens. We have always had chickens, hatching them at least once a year. We often would have a hatch coincide with a family gathering for all the young children to see. Lat summer my 25 year old Hova Bator incubator died in the middle of a hatch. I purchased a new one and in a year have had at least 6 terrible hatches. Of course Jeffers, where I bought it, and Hova Bator blamed me. After 25 or more years suddenly I did not know how to hatch chicks. I was 1 day out of warrantee when I contacted them. After much frustration with the manufacturer and Jeffers, Jeffers offered me an upgraded Hova Bator at a reduced price.

So the new one is not working properly. I called the manufacturer and the women I spoke to was very tight lipped. I had to pry information out of her. My Hova bator 4200 is a replacement for the cheaper model that I struggled with for a year which kept killing my chicks near hatching time. I have a digital thermometer that reads lowest and highest temps. This morning the range went from 103 to 97.4 . This has been happening for the last 12 days. Their website guarantees the incubator for 1 year and a paper that came with it says it is guaranteed for 30 days. The woman verified that the new guarantee is for only 30 days. She said there should not be any fluctuation in the temp. She also said that's why we say to run your incubator for 8-10 days before adding your eggs. The directions that came with it said to run it for 6-8 hours before adding the eggs. I would say if I run it for 10 days then hatch for 21 days my guarantee is invalid. So. I am surmising they are having trouble with their thermostats and want to unload them. I am going to ride it out and return the incubator. I am going to try a Brinsea. Seems like they are going to ruin a formally good company. I posted on the Backyard chicken site, but, it is so large I think my warning will get lost.

So what are your thoughts?

 

[Kassaundra]

I have a brinsea eco 20. The temps are rock solid no fluctuations at all, they are easy to turn the eggs w/o uncovering which is great and easy for lock down just quit turning the incubator no egg turner to get in the way. .............................................................. However mine shrink wraps my eggs everytime, no matter how much water you add, no matter how many soaked sponges, no matter where you keep the vent. If I allowed the incubator to just hatch my chicks I would only get one maybe two per batch, I have had to help all my chicks out they have all been shrink wrapped. I just hatched today, and discovered not only are they shrink wrapping at external pip, which I knew, but also at internal pip. I had been keeping an eagle eye out for the pip and immediately opening the eggs to allow the chick out, but this time I had a "hinky" feeling and opened a few that had not pipped externally, when I opened them I saw they had internally pipped and had shrink wrapped, some were alive and just to weak to make it, others are still fighting.

The other thing I would say is it hatches early, every hatch from it has hatched early. I keep temps as 99, and it is solid never fluctuating, this batch was scheduled for lock down on Sund and hatch Tues, but the first chick hatched Sat morning. (and I use lock down as a term in time when the turning of the eggs stops b/c w/ a brinsea if you do real lock down they will all die)

Just thought I'd share the good and the bad. If you get (at least the eco 20) be prepared for hands on hatching or have a hatcher.

 

[baymule]

catjac, that is so wrong. Wonder if it is made in China like everything else is? Maybe it is too far to send it back for repairs, so they just deny there is anything wrong and it is all your fault. I hope you finally wind up with a good incubator. Please post your search results here so we can learn too.

 

[catjac1975]

I can send it back for a new one but, at 2 for 2 bad incubators I am considering returning it for a refund. My old one was so easy to use. I am especially mad at the change in the guarantee policy. I think their China made heaters (only guessing) just are bad and they are trying to pass the incubators along. Why else would they change their guarantee? One reason I went with them was the one year policy.When I first contacted the seller and the manufacturer they of course said I was at fault. I knew that would be the case.

catjac, that is so wrong. Wonder if it is made in China like everything else is? Maybe it is too far to send it back for repairs, so they just deny there is anything wrong and it is all your fault. I hope you finally wind up with a good incubator. Please post your search results here so we can learn too.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

my first was a hovabator and i didn't like it much either. got rid of it because i only had 1 decent hatch during the entire time i owned it. i still can't figure out what i did right that time and couldn't the rest of the times i tried with it. i've let my hens hatch instead since i don't have to worry about the household dust from the chicks or keeping a light on them till they are old enough to go out with the adults. i do have an incubator but it is one that i got from ebay almost 2 years ago and only used it twice since then with minimal luck. my cat decided the cord was a nice chew toy and left his 'mark'.

 

[catjac1975]

This does not sound very good either. Which Brinsea do you have?I like the automatic egg turners. They seem to be much more expensive but I am so tired of disappointing hatches.

I have a brinsea eco 20. The temps are rock solid no fluctuations at all, they are easy to turn the eggs w/o uncovering which is great and easy for lock down just quit turning the incubator no egg turner to get in the way. .............................................................. However mine shrink wraps my eggs everytime, no matter how much water you add, no matter how many soaked sponges, no matter where you keep the vent. If I allowed the incubator to just hatch my chicks I would only get one maybe two per batch, I have had to help all my chicks out they have all been shrink wrapped. I just hatched today, and discovered not only are they shrink wrapping at external pip, which I knew, but also at internal pip. I had been keeping an eagle eye out for the pip and immediately opening the eggs to allow the chick out, but this time I had a "hinky" feeling and opened a few that had not pipped externally, when I opened them I saw they had internally pipped and had shrink wrapped, some were alive and just to weak to make it, others are still fighting.

The other thing I would say is it hatches early, every hatch from it has hatched early. I keep temps as 99, and it is solid never fluctuating, this batch was scheduled for lock down on Sund and hatch Tues, but the first chick hatched Sat morning. (and I use lock down as a term in time when the turning of the eggs stops b/c w/ a brinsea if you do real lock down they will all die)

Just thought I'd share the good and the bad. If you get (at least the eco 20) be prepared for hands on hatching or have a hatcher.

 

[Kassaundra]

Eco 20