Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am in the process of building an incubator and just wanted to get some opinions on thermostats. It needs to be accurate and keep the incubator at a consistant temp. It also needs to be affordable (though I certainly understant that i'm not going to get something for nothing) just reasonably priced Thanks
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2.5.0 norway rats
2.0.0 cats
0.1.0 german shepherd/lab mix
1.1.0 yellow ackies
0.1.0 leopard gecko
1.0.0 quarter horse

I've had the best luck with Helix. Big Apple Herp makes a decent cheper one, but its not as accurate. Ranco makes an inexpensive one, but the technology is a little different and they won't keep as constant a temp as a proportional Helix. The A-life ones at pet stores aren't worth the cardboard they're wrapped in.
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Joe

i would go with herpstat. i just got a herpstat 2 for 2 racks and absolutely love it

I have used the Helix, the Big Apple, and the Herpstat. I feel that they all held the temperature very well. I personally like the Herpstat the best for the simple reason that you can go up and down when selecting the temperature and it goes up by a tenth of a degree. I find the Helix a little frustrating because you have to go up when selecting a lower temperature and go all through all the upper temperatures and at around 110 degrees it goes back to 65 degrees and then you have still go up until it reaches the desired temp (sorry if this does not make sense). I find that the Big Apple proportional holds the temp very steady but is a little harder to dial in because of its analog selection knob. All three thermostats are all around a $100. Hope this helps.

I thought about Helix several years ago, but opted for the herpstat; made in the USA, not Indonesia like Helix.
Have the $109 model for my incubator and got the $135 model recently for my BP rack with night drop variant. Add $10 shipping for ea. Like them both.

Mike