My 2 cents on "the best Incubator". 30 Years ago I bought a Marsh Roll X for 300.00. I still use it. It runs 6 months a year. This year I was able to get a new Roll X for 300.00. Got this on egg bid, with out the turner. I turn my eggs 2x a day manually and "if it's fertile-I can hatch it".
Over the years, I have had 3-4 styrofoam incubators and could only get one to hatch and I still use that one.
In about 1960 we started hatching eggs. Our first incubator was a "Sunbeam" frying pan. I guess that falls under homemade instead of "Sunbeam". The next few years we graduated to home built. (see homemade table top comments)
Oh and of course the best incubator... the old Bantam setting hen, always better results, and no maintenance!
Later in the 60's we splurged and bought the Styrofoam, think it is a hovabator (see hova bator comments)
In the 70's Mom picked up a Marsh Roll-X at a auction some where, and it's probably equal in reliability and humidity control to the 3 GQF's that I use now. I re-worked the thermostat control, replaced the triac in the electronic control with one which would handle the current of the heater coil, and replaced the one turn potenometer with a 10 turn potenometer, it has two different sizes for egg turners, I've hatched Duck and Chukar eggs with very good reliability. The pros over the hovabator is that it is sturdy, well built, but the cons are that last price I saw for it puts it up around the GQF 1202, with about 1/4 the egg capacity, and the electronic thermostat that comes with it is not reliable.
I currently use 3 GQF 1202 incubators for incubating and hatching. (see GQF Comments)
I have a Marsh Turn-X incubator that I ordered from Marsh Farms in California in 1977 for $29.99. The modern Lyon version of this same incubator now sells for close to $300. I have hatched many eggs in it over the years. I believe the Turn-X to be the BEST small incubator on the market. The newer model has an adjustable water bottle for humidity control and a 10-turn solid state electronic thermostat. I now have 3 of the Turn-X's. For a small home incubator they are hard to beat.
I have three: Marsh RollX, Hovabator and a Jamesway (very old, no literature available for it).
The RollX and the Hovabator are used most. Eggs are transferred from the RollX at 18 days to the Hovabator, it is an excellent hatcher. I agree with the one of the others, that sanitation is an issue with styrofoam incubators, so they have to be thoroughly cleaned after each hatch. I use common bleach. Hatches are very high 90-95%. Sometimes 100%!!! The Hovabator keeps temperature pretty well and to get the humidity up I put thin sponges under the 1/4" wire, taking care not to cover the air holes and soak them when eggs are put in for hatching. Both RollX and Hovabator are excellent for beginners.
NOTE: See "Jamesway" for comments on that brand. RollX and Hova bator comments are the same under both links.
