Rollcall of all Reptipro 5000/LLL MR-148/etc users

[calico]

Roll Call on all Reptipro 5000/LLL MR-148/etc users

Ok, so there are a lot of threads regarding this type of incubator but most of them talk only of initial test results.

I'm more interested to know from longer term users how their units have performed thus far.

It would be very helpful if some of the members who gave positive feedback on this back then can give us an update now that it has been months after their purchase.

Thanks

 

[Mel&Keith]

We have an MR-148 and so far it's exactly what I thought it would be, somewhere between the Hovabator and Natures Spirit. We haven't hatched anything out of it yet but I did switch all of our (few) eggs into it from the NS when we moved a couple of weeks ago because of that super convenient carrying handle. It holds temps pretty steady and overall I thinks it's a good option for the price if you don't want to build your own incubator.

 

[Quantumhigh]

Overall pretty nice.

Few complaints I have was with my light stopped working about 5day after I got it and I wasnt going to do a return with eggs due within the same few day.

The temps on the LED read out are off generally by a few degree's I got mine set at 90f to obtain a inside temp of 85-86ish. You need a second thermometer to get a accurate temp.

Temps hold well within 1-2 degree's.

And I may be nit picking but after a months use the temps seem to of dropped by about a degree. I upped the incubator by a degree to adjust. Might be from the AC now running alot more here in Vegas.

Overall thrumbs up :main_thumbsup:

 

[gixxer3420]

I have the LLL one and it works fine. i set mine at 90 for an inside temp of 85.6, i have hatched out several geckos so far this season in it. The light option is just that an option, I never use mine. You do need another thermometer inside the incubatore but you really need that in any incubatore.

For the price it works well. I like the hova bator more but that is just my opinion.

 

[ofek]

Thank you for asking, Calico, I'm interested in such an incubator myself and waiting for as much info as I can get! (btw, those white beautiful leos on your avatar are blazing blizzards or what? they're amazing!).

 

[acpart]

I got the reptipro5000 on ebay during the winter for $175 shipped. So far I have hatched 5 AFT's and 4 leopard geckos. I have had some eggs go bad, but I can't say that this has been because of the incubator. I mostly got the incubator because I wanted something that had a cooling function so I don't have to put the incubator in the basement in the summer.

Generally I have been satisfied with the reptipro, though there have been some annoying things about it. I've had 2 extensive discussions by phone with the makers and have not been completely satisfied with their responses. Here is a summary of my concerns:

--My reptipro is set up with the SIM and with a digital thermometer with probe. The probe is inside the SIM and the thermometer is inside the incubator. I'm intending to incubate fat tail eggs at 83-84 (I've now hatched all the fat tails) and leo eggs at about 82, so the leo SIM is on the bottom of the incubator. The first annoying thing is that in order to get the temp in the warmer SIM to be about 83-84 degrees, I had to set the incubator at 88. I don't mind that, but the actual readout on the display, when set at 88, was usually 86. I don't understand why a programmable incubator doesn't display the temperature for which it is programmed. I was unable to convey this point to the reptipro people.

--This means that I have to have 3 different temps in mind: the temp for which I programmed it, the readout on the display, the actual temperature in the SIM

--Last week the temperature outside went up into the mid 90's and the temp in the house wasn't far behind. After 3 months of the 3 temperatures listed above, suddenly the incubator decided to start reading 88 (instead of 86) in the readout and the temp inside the SIM was 86! Once I turned the programming down from 88 to 86, the cooling kicked in, the readout stabilized at 86 and the SIM temp went back to 84 or so. This wasn't something that just happened for a few hours and then settled down; it went on for quite awhile. Once again, I was unable to convey to the reptipro people that it was an issue if the cooling tendency seemed to have different standards than the heating tendency.

What it comes down to is that I have to keep more of an eye on the incubator than I was hoping as the ambient temperature changes. As I have mentioned before in other posts, I'd love to have an incubator with a temperature sensor that could be placed inside the egg container and consequently would have only 1 temperature which would be an accurate reading of the programmed temp, the readout temp and the temp inside the egg container.

Aliza

 

[Northstar Herp]

I have a MR-148 from LLL that stopped heating after two months. Up until then, it worked great and I was very pleased with it. I might tear it down after breeding season and try to fix it somehow, it just wasn't worth paying the shipping both ways to get another one from LLL, plus they didn't have one when it broke and told me they had to have it back within ten days to replace it. Not a good experience, IMO, for the MR-148 or LLL either one.

 

[calico]

Thank you all for your valuable info I hope more users will chime in with their experiences.

I know it's a relatively new product, but has anyone used it for more than 6 months?

@Quantumhigh- Is it the viewing lamp that got busted? Isnt it user replaceable?

@ofek- They're Diablo Blancos, thanks

@acpart- I guess we really cant expect a perfect incubator for the price of one of these. For me having several thermometers to monitor actual temps inside is SOP, no matter what kind of incubator you're using so it's a non issue for me.

I'm more concerned with the 2nd point you raised. I live in a very warm tropical country and the ambient temps are always higher than what you want the incubator temps to be. So I'm anticipating these units to work heavily with cooling and I dont know if it can handle the pressure or the work load.

@pakinjak- wow 2 months only?

 

[Northstar Herp]

Yah, had it for four months, turned it on for two, then it stopped working. I guess I just got a dud.

 

[Quantumhigh]

Thank you all for your valuable info I hope more users will chime in with their experiences.

I know it's a relatively new product, but has anyone used it for more than 6 months?

@Quantumhigh- Is it the viewing lamp that got busted? Isnt it user replaceable?

@ofek- They're Diablo Blancos, thanks

@acpart- I guess we really cant expect a perfect incubator for the price of one of these. For me having several thermometers to monitor actual temps inside is SOP, no matter what kind of incubator you're using so it's a non issue for me.

I'm more concerned with the 2nd point you raised. I live in a very warm tropical country and the ambient temps are always higher than what you want the incubator temps to be. So I'm anticipating these units to work heavily with cooling and I dont know if it can handle the pressure or the work load.

@pakinjak- wow 2 months only?

Yes it was the viewing lights (3 white leds inside the incubator) that broke. You can open the housing the lights are in but they are led lights that are connected to small like circut board and wires making it pretty much impossible to replace easy.

Iam going to look into building my own incubator out of a winecooler and heat tape in the future. Cost and quailty wise if you can do your own; do it.

Someone pointed to geckotimes with good pictures and directions for homemade incubators.

 

[CSMGecko]

I have not been very impressed with my LLL MR-148. It doesn't seem to hold an accurate temp. I have it set at 91 to obtain an 82 degree temp. Plus it fluctuates within 2-3 degrees. I haven't had a great hatch rate either, first time I have had any defects in hatchlings. Probably use it for cold storage for mealies and get a nature's spirit.

 

[TripleALeos]

Has anybody used the new Juragon incubators?? I would like to get one, but would like to hear if its worth the money or not..

 

[snakewrangler]

I bought whatever version is sold by Big Apple Herp. It holds the temp pretty steady, but you do have to set it fairly high. I have a probe inside my egg box and the thermometer reads 88, but the incubator unit is actually set to 93. The egg boxes on the bottom shelf are even cooler, so there can really be a 7 to 8 degree range between the egg boxes and the unit setting.

I bought this thing because I needed something quick without breaking the bank. The power supply is a little beat up but it doesn't seem to affect the functionality. Overall, not too bad of a product, but its gonna be Nature's Spirit next time around. I've got 11 eggs in there now, will report back when/if they hatch.

 

[acpart]

I posted another thread asking if people are having to re-calibrate these mini fridge incubators when the ambient temp changes significantly. If people could respond over there as well (http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=63183) about this specific issue it would be helpful to me.

Aliza