Cheap Fog/Smoke Machine

[steviobee]

So, after my recent move to Australia I am after a cheap smoke machine just for home use really.

I had a cheap soundlab one back in the UK which was fine but am not bringing it out here. And also I now have some outdoor space which would be great to use but will need a bit more smoke output.

I have seen this:http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/251342786...84.m1423.l2649

It is very cheap but I wondered what people thought of it before getting it?

It will only be used on the odd occasion in the backyard and am not going to buy a super dupa one but also don't want one that only last 10 mins!

[Insanity]

Cheap smoke machines usually end up expensive in the long run...

I had a few cheapies in the past, they have real narrow pipework which gets clogged, heaters and pumps that die as soon as you look at them and generally don't last too long, so you end up buying loads of them and spending a fortune...

If you are looking at something around 1500 watt, make sure you can vary the output, some are 'all or nothing' and 1500 watt in a house will probably choke you...

[White-Light]

I'd be very careful of cheaper machines that claim steady smoke. I bought one that claimed the same and in the end had to send it back, partly due to unrelated remote problems, but also because contrary to the claims, it had a warm up time of around 3 mins between output. Inside that's fine, outside thats 3 mins of no smoke when in all probability its blowing away in seconds.

The 10 minute warm up time on the heater of the machine you've linked to rings warning bells for me.

You're best cheap machine would probably be a fazer although then you still need to check for someone who can tell you 1st hand it fazes continuously at high output and isn't a smoke up machine with a reheat period + fan.

[loopee]

Hey Steve

I just bought a new Unique 2 Hazer the other day and therefore don't need my old smoke machine, it's an Antari F80Z "Alpha" smoke machine http://www.lightsounds.com.au/antari..._5497_prd1.htm

You can have it for nothing along with the 2 litres of juice for it

Troy

[The_Doctor]

When I looked at a range of cheap new ones, I got slightly depressed! I'd repaired a big one for a guy in Bristol, it used an oscillating piston pump, but that's not the one that really impressed me (it needed an entire refit of heating cylinder, pump, tubing, and the brass fittings had perished too!). He also had a small Martin 700 fogger. Get it if you can. I've never seen one fail. When I wanted a Martin 700 fogger, I bought one used. It's never needed spares other than fluid, and never needed repair. Its motor sounds a bit naff as it shoves fluid through the hot cylinder, unlike the piston pump which sounded like a Rolls Royce engine in comparison, but don't let it fool you, it works, and it stays that way, for years. It draws fluid back after each chug to keep the tubing clear, and sometimes needs a repeat trigger to get it starting again fully (push airlock through the pump), but I've never known it block. There is a (fairly disgusting) recommended procedure of cleaning the tubing with dilute acetic acid, which I did when I first got it just in case it needed it. It didn;t, and I've never had to do it since, which is just as well because the stink of hot dilute vinegar is truly vile. The build quality is amazing, and the safeguards against overheating are good, I think there are three different ways it is protected. It's rated 700W, uses a PWM burst to heat very fast, then idles very efficiently. Whether it will smoke continuously I don't know, but I have never seen it stop before I wanted it to. It's a small machine that genuinely does behave like a big one. One reason I bought mine was because the guy who had the first one I saw never sold it. This is the main reason you might not find one, but if you're lucky enough, grab it.

[Shawnb]

cheaplights.com jungle series have lasted me years and disposable if anything does go wrong with them

[Galvonaut]

I recently bought my little LeMaitre minimist + a small 1kVa 110V transformer for less about £150 from fleabay.

The aerosols work out at about £6 each and at my last party I used about 3 from between 10pm until 4am in a draughty warehouse with a very high ceiling.
It is manual push button (valve - no pumps involved at all) and has highly variable output, from a trickle to a hefty blast.
Mine is pretty old but has lasted long enough to re-sell (a lot longer than a cheap smoke machine) and I expect it to keep going and going.

[steviobee]

Hi Troy,

That would be great, of course I will give you something for it - at least get the beers in!

I have been sorting loads out this week and can meet up next week sometime, whenever suits you?

Unique 2 is nice machine!

Thank you!

Steve

Hey Steve

I just bought a new Unique 2 Hazer the other day and therefore don't need my old smoke machine, it's an Antari F80Z "Alpha" smoke machine http://www.lightsounds.com.au/antari..._5497_prd1.htm

You can have it for nothing along with the 2 litres of juice for it

Troy

[LaserCo]

"Cheap" is in the subject line.. Hoping that somebody finds some value in this tip! - I know a lot of you are pro's and need foggers of high quality and reliability, yet I have a "plan B"

I now have 3-4 foggers that I assume were from Target and turned over to the Goodwill where I know I bought one of them at.. I do not remember where I bought the others.
I have read that you can go to Wallgreens on the day after Halloween and buy them for greatly reduced price... from what?? $20?
I have never had them all running together and if I can round them all up (I have recently moved and it is still a disaster here!) I might put them in various spots around the yard for Halloween coming up
I should start thinking about making remote controls for them!.. Even a slow PWM timer would be nice

[hakzaw1]

^^^^ LaserCo beat me in posting that--If quality and performance are not high on your list.
BUT low cost is these can be the cheapest-One friend found at a major Drugstore(USA)on the day AFTER Holloween small party fogger marked down 75% so he was able to buy two of them for 14$ so at $7 each who cares how long they last??- if flushed with distilled water they can have a fairly long life span.

By checking before the sale and asking a few question you may be able to get one of these but I think you had better be AT the drugstore when they open. These kinds often do NOT come with juice which IMO is good as it will not be the kind you really want-bid low at Feebay on 'Froggies' while not the very best it IS much better than the the cheaper brands.

GOOD LUCK---hak