by Susan Carter |
Last Updated: January 18, 2018 When you buy something using the links on our posts, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more.
An incubator that tries to meet all your needs in one box – and nearly succeeds! With a large capacity and great hatching rates, it’s easy to see why the Digital Sportsman Cabinet 1502 is becoming an industry favorite.
Specifications
- 110-120V/50-60HZ; 325W
- Comes with a US plug
- High-strength plastic board construction
- Includes 3 turning racks, hatching tray, thermostat
- Capacity: 1368 quail/354 pheasant/270 chicken/198 duck/36-45 goose
- Dimensions: 301/4″ x 153/4″ x 313/4″ (L/W/H)
Features
One Stop Shop – Complete system for raising chickens! There are 3 racks that turn automatically and after the right amount of time you transfer them to the in-built hatching tray.
Large Capacity – Raise up to 270 chicken eggs at a time!
LCD Display – Shows you a very accurate temperature and humidity reading. The computer system monitors and updates these readings once per second.
High Hatch Rates – Used properly, with possibly some hacks needed to get the right humidity, you will get stellar hatching rates with this. Eggs love the warmth and stability it provides.
Pros
- Easy to Assemble – Putting it together is a breeze, and the instructions provided are really clear.
- Easy to Clean – The shell is made from modern, wipe-clean plastic.
- Capacity + Performance – It stores a lot of eggs and the results are really unsurpassed.
Cons
- Pricey – Might be out of reach for a lot of people.
- Packaging – More could be done to protect the incubator during shipping.
- Noise – It’s not noisy, exactly, but does generate more noise than other incubators.
Who the 1502 is Best For
If you’ve been dabbling with lower-end models and are ready to invest in something that will make your life MUCH easier, this is a great option.
Conclusion
The Digital Sportsman Cabinet 1502 is a top, top product that performs exactly as promised. There’s still some room for improvement in terms of offering greater control in the humidity department, but no-one who buys this and uses it with a little common sense will be disappointed. Recommended!
Bonus Review – An Educator’s Viewpoint
One of our readers bought one of these units for his college students to use. Here are his thoughts:
Looking to invest in a chicken incubator for your classroom, or maybe even for your own house? Then you’ll want to check out this Digital Sportsman cabinet incubator. An incredible product that doesn’t take out a great deal of space while providing you with a viewing window, an on-board computer for monitoring, and an LCD display of humidity and temperature.
Being able to monitor these so quickly is incredibly important when you’re trying to incubate properly. If you’re curious, this incubator is also a hatcher, so you don’t have to worry about the steps not being included and having to complete extra steps.
For those wondering about the capacity, you’ll be able to fit up to 1368 quail eggs, where you can set and hatch up to 250 per week, with a capacity for 354 pheasant eggs, 198 turkey or duck sized eggs, 270 chicken eggs, and up to 45 of the larger types of eggs, like peafowl, goose, and emu.
The option to make room for many different types of eggs is also incredibly useful, especially for those in the line of agriculture work or education. There’s also electronic egg turning control, allowing you to have full use outside of this incubator and hatcher.
My First Impression of the Product
We can’t say too many good things about this product. It’s been fantastic in the classroom, and as an agriculture teacher at a vocational school, it’s helped quite a bit in allowing incoming freshmen and women to see the processes that occur – but I’ll also say that it’s great for the younger kids in lower levels of school to get an idea of what happens when these birds lay eggs.
I would easily say that it’s ideal for any lower level science classroom, and not limited to an agriculture high-school.
Advantages
- Completely electronic process
- Can fit up to 1368 quail eggs at once
- Can also fit emu, goose, chicken, turkey, and other eggs
- Also acts as a hatcher for complete automation of the process
Disadvantages
- Price is a bit steep, might not be approved by schools
Who is this Product For?
As you’ve heard, I’m a teacher in the agricultural section of a vocational school. This product has become a mainstay in my classroom. While this area is not my main focus as an agricultural teacher, I do like to teach my kids smaller things that may come handy later – I like to teach life experiences.
Those that teach lower level science classes can also use this with ease, but of course if you have a farm or a large garden you’ll get the most use of this product.
The Final Verdict
The Digital Sportsman Cabinet 1502 is an incredible product that has so many uses for a simple concept, while allowing you to implement electronic features for most of the process. The price isn’t too bad, but it’s an investment you’ll need to be dedicated to make.