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Bluestone Hatchery™
Field-Tested Review

Six Cheap Incubators Later… I Finally Switched to the CT-180

Plug and Play. Set it… and finally stop babysitting your incubator.

Are you tired of constantly checking temperature and humidity like your incubator depends on you every five minutes? I know I was.

Before switching to the CT-series, I made the mistake a lot of people make—I bought several lower-end incubators thinking I was saving money. In reality, I wasn’t saving anything. I ended up investing in six lower-end incubators, and every one of them created more work than they saved.

Most didn’t come with rollers—you had to buy those separately. Even after getting everything set up, temperatures were never truly stable. I kept several temperature gauges inside because the actual temperature rarely matched the set temperature. That alone caused stress every time I set eggs.

It’s frustrating to spend $150 or more on an incubator, then turn around and spend even more money on extra gauges just to double-check whether your machine is telling the truth.

At one point, managing those cheaper incubators started feeling like a second full-time job. I found myself jumping up out of my chair saying,
“Hold on—the incubator needs me!”

My family got a good laugh out of that… but it stopped being funny to me.

When I finally decided to try the Hatching Time CT-180, I noticed the difference right away.

First thing I appreciated—everything came with it.
No chasing accessories. No guessing what else I needed to buy. No frustration trying to make pieces work together.

Setup was simple and straightforward.

Plug it in. Add water. Set your values. Done.

That’s when I realized what people really mean when they say “automatic incubator.”

The temperature and humidity control worked the way it should—from the start. No constant adjusting. No hovering over it every few hours. No wondering if the readings were actually accurate.

For the first time in a long time, incubation felt manageable again.
Less Stress, More Confidence

One of the biggest benefits I noticed after switching to the CT-series was peace of mind.

Instead of constantly worrying about temperature swings or humidity problems, I could trust the machine to do what it was designed to do.

That meant:

✔ Less daily stress
✔ Fewer adjustments
✔ More stable incubation conditions
✔ More confidence in every hatch
✔ Less time babysitting equipment

And honestly, that last one matters more than people realize.

When you’re running hatches—or even just trying to enjoy the experience—constant monitoring wears you down.

With the CT-180, I wasn’t jumping up every few minutes anymore yelling,
“The incubator needs me!”

Most of the time… it didn’t.

If you’re just starting out and thinking about buying your first incubator, or if you’ve already struggled with cheaper models, this is something worth considering.

Especially if:
• You’re tired of temperature swings
• You don’t trust your current readings
• You’re constantly adjusting humidity
• You feel like incubation has become stressful instead of enjoyable

Automation makes a difference—and once you experience it, it’s hard to go back.

Looking back, I wish I had started with an automatic system like the CT-60 or CT-180 instead of spending money on several cheaper units first.

What I thought was saving money actually cost me more—in time, frustration, and extra equipment.

Switching to the CT-180 didn’t just improve my setup—it reduced stress and simplified my daily routine.

And that alone made it worth it.

If you’re tired of babysitting your incubator and ready for something more reliable, going automatic might be the best upgrade you make.

This is legit !
It’s makes my coop smells amazing and keep it also bugs free

I haven't gotten to lockdown yet but just like all the HT products I have used so far I love them. It's keeping temps and humidity very well. Seems to have good air flow and circulation

Great incubator

This brooder has changed my chick experience for the better. No more dust!

Please, see my video, where I review the 15" Chicken Cage. You can also check my YouTube video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/kF8IZVfSafM?si=9V_b_wewrVrsXQUS

This cabinet incubator has been an absolute game changer. The temperature and humidity stay steady, which makes hatching so much less stressful. The capacity is amazing compared to smaller incubators, and everything feels well built and easy to manage. It runs quietly and holds conditions exactly where they need to be. If you’re serious about hatching chicks, upgrading to a cabinet incubator is 100% worth it. Highly recommend! 🐣🥚

We have been very happy with our incubator going on 4 seasons now. Especially for our goose eggs and the special feature APC. Also, have hatched chicken and duck. This year we will be trying turkeys.

The only part we have had to replace is the EMI Filter. We have decided to order an extra one to have on hand since this effects the power supply.

Customer Service is Top Notch. Thank you Hatching Time, Keep Up The Great Work!

Excellent accuracy and speed of reading!

We got this for our teen daughter and she loves it. She has hatched a full batch from our farm already and getting ready to do another batch. Count down was perfect, humidity kept well in a warm room, plenty of space for lock down.

Excellent incubator! I bought the quail egg racks for it and they fit well within the egg turners. The incubator is very consistent with its temperature and out of 20 quail eggs that went into lockdown, 18 hatched within the same 24 hour window. I did have some trouble building up the humidity (I couldn’t get lockdown humidity above 65%, but that was the minimum needed so it was fine). Egg candler works well even with quail eggs

As described, quality construction, prompt delivery

As described, quality construction, prompt delivery

I love the simplicity of this brooder. It is easy to clean and makes my job of taking care of the babies much easier

I was having a lot of issues with chicks pipping at the wrong end and being mispositioned. The CT 180 incubator and hatcher solved that issue! Not even one was pipped wrong and the hatch rate was amazing!