Dickies Incubators Help Me Decide

Marysgoats · #1 05/01/11, 09:55 AM

Has anyone had one of these incubators? If so can you tell me how you like it? I have been looking to add another incubator. Have run up on the Dickies an they look like a nice one. I already have 2 GQF 1202A but, I am in need to get another. Forgot to say the GQF 1201A is $554.90, where the Dickies in $594.50. What would you do? I'm undecided but, so has anyone seen a Dickies?

Cyngbaeld · #2 05/01/11, 12:52 PM

I have one but it sure didn't cost that much. IIRC it was about $200. That was about 2004 or 2005. It is a really good bator, but I can't see paying as much as they are asking now for it or the GQF.

Oxankle · #3 05/01/11, 01:50 PM

Cyngbaeld:
That price is about what I recall; something between $200 and $300 at the time I was looking at them. They were then made of plywood whereas the GQF appeared to be chipboard. That may still be the case as I see that they have interior corner blocks.

In the GQF the hatcher tray sits on the bottom of the cabinet, usually atop a removable aluminum sheet that comes with the incubator. In the Dickey the tray slides in atop the corner blocks. Plenty of room under the tray to place a sheet of galvanized metal or cardboard, newspaper, etc to catch bits of shell and droppings.

The Dickey also had a small viewing window where the GQF offered a plexiglass door. At the time I was looking at them they had a significant price advantage over GQF. Not so much now.

I cannot tell from the internet pictures where the fan is positioned on the Dickey. My GQF's have all had fans inside the box. I find this objectionable because the fan motor contributes heat to the box. In hot weather the thermostat will cut off the heating element but not the fan; as a result eggs get fried. This galls me as I will not have the incubator in the house and must have hatching done by May 15 or the barn gets too hot for eggs to hatch.

oregon woodsmok · #4 05/01/11, 02:56 PM

Gee, I'd be happy to buy anything for 2004 prices.

Shipping is probably the expensive part. I don't have either, but hear lots of people say they really like their Dickie incubator, so that one should be good.

Delinda · #5 05/01/11, 04:22 PM

I have 2 of the Dickeys and 8 of the GQF's. They are both excellent incubators but each one has a few flaws in my opinion. The older sportsmans are my favorite with the toggle switch to turn the trays, the new digital control ones have buttons instead of toggle switches and they tend to get stuck at times, and these incubators do not come with the slide out trays to put the eggs in like the older ones do, and they come with a cheap cardboard hatching tray on bottom. The main complaint I have with the Dickeys is the space underneath the hatching tray, the chicks sometimes crawl under it and they are sprattled legged because of this, I have resorted to rolling up a newspaper and blocking off the space in the front and back of the tray. It should just set on the bottom of the incubator and this would not happen. I would look for an older 1202 sportsman, absolutly the best in my opinion.

Oxankle · #6 05/01/11, 04:45 PM

I contacted Dickey about the construction.

This is the reply I got concerning material and fan position:
"Our cabinets are made of plywood with the cabinet framed outside and inside with cypress lumber. The fan is mounted inside the cabinet. I use them in a shop building to hatch with no climate control. all summer will put a box fan to circulate air when temperature get over 95. Dickey's"

I asked about the fan motor location because my Sportsman cannot be used in a hot location. The fan motor is inside the cabinet and contributes heat. When the box gets too hot the thermostat cuts off the heating element but not the fan, so the cabinet just gets hotter and hotter until the eggs cook.

I will not use an incubator in the house because the fan exhaust puts chick dander and egg detritus in the air unless vented to the outside. I hatch in the barn and have heavily insulated the incubators I had. This works in cold weather but by May l5th I have to have everything out of the incubator.

I once used an old wafer-type Sportsman to hatch guinea eggs in July in my garage where the temp came up to nearly 100. Cannot do that with the newer ones.

I agree with Delinda on the space beneath the hatching tray. I have had chicks get behind the hatching trays in GQF's too. I solved that by using screens on the top of the hatching trays. A simple rim of wood with some quarter inch hardware cloth. Nothing escapes until I open that lid. Edit to add: Dickey's sent me a picture of their incubator and the trays. The hatching tray has a cover.

Also since I detest having to scrape and scrub incubator bottoms I use liners; the aluminum ones GQF furnishes do not go wall-to-wall so I use cardboard or sheets of plastic cut from dog food sacks.

Marysgoats · #7 05/02/11, 07:38 AM

Thank you so much for the information. I guess I have not seen the Dickies incubator cause I just wasn't looking for a nother incubator. I have several things to consider now about which one to pick.

Cyngbaeld · #8 05/02/11, 08:04 AM

Frankly, I'd look around for someone who does cabinet building and have them make me one if I couldn't do it myself. The turner and trays are the most expensive component and the turner isn't essential. When I've had goose eggs in the bator I turned off the turner and still had a good hatch from the other eggs in there. You need a fan and heat source and a good thermostat. I bought an external thermostat but it also shuts off that big fan so I added a computer fan on a separate plug.

#9 05/02/11, 10:55 AM

I have a Dickey 2x2 (two turning, two hatching trays) and I like it right well.

If you are going to hatch with the tray lids off I make a small collar of aluminum foil to go around the back of the tray so they cannot fall out the back. I then pull the trays forward to just shy of touch the door so they cannot fall out the front. No more chicks getting stuck where they should not. If you're not going to use the carton method as I do then just keep the lids on the hatching trays and the problem doesn't occur.

I bought mine with the plexiglass door and electronic thermostat. The plexiglass is really worth while.

cybercat · #10 05/03/11, 06:36 PM

I am just getting into incubating. The 2x2 will be my next one. I just went small for the first one. The 2x2 with plexi door and Et runs over $700 all total. Do not forget to add in your shipping some place are higher than others. The only way to get cheaper than $500 is buy a used one or build one for a cabnit incubator.