Thread: Which is a better fog machine?

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Would anyone happen to know which 400watt fog machine is of better quality....the one from Wal-Mart or from Spirit? Also what about the 400 watt low laying fog machine from Spirit? I would be using it for a graveyard scene on our campsite.

Thanks,

Bill

I really don't think it matters. It's preference, price, and also how you take care of it. My 1st fogger was from Spirit and I still have it today and it works. Keep it cleaned after using it and use quality fog juice (froggy's swamp juice). I've purchase other fog juice from walmart and target before and it works too when I've run out.
If you want lower fog I suggest low lying fog machine or build yourself a chiller or cooler to cool the fog before it goes out. I built my cooler last year out of a 150 can cooler. It's huges but works well IMO. I upgraded my fog machine last year to a monster (Antari Z-1500II) and it works awesome and fogs the entire neighborhood!!! heh heh. Went overboard but I wanted auto timers so I didn't have to keep pressing a button to have the fog go off in my graveyard. Expensive but worth it and plan on having it for decades. I still use froggy's swamp juice tho.

The one from Wal-Mart is probably a Gemmy one; the one at Spirit I forget who the manufacturer is...

You won't get low-lying fog if your air temp is cold (below 60 degrees). Foggers work by heating and then spraying out the heated juice... so even using ice or a fog chiller, you're probably not going to get fog that stays low if you have cold temps... heat rises, cold sinks. If you're going to be at a campsite, that also would be a major factor. Wind is the enemy of fog, so if you've got even a tiny breeze, it will destroy your fog... so I wouldn't be looking for a low lying fogger at all - a fog chiller might help. BUT you will not be able to achieve the cool movie version of knee-high fog under those conditions (outside, small fogger, cool/cold ambient air temp).

I've never cleaned any of my foggers; I store them with juice in the reservoirs and so far so good.... One died (suspect the compressor) after 2 years (purchased at WalMart). Two others are going strong after 3-4 years (one Spirit, one Gemmy). I think it's sort of a crapshoot on whether the under $50 models last or not. If you go with the more expensive ones, they generally tend to last a while, but then again, I've had one cheapy $20 one for over 6 years and it still works.

All of my foggers have been 400 watts. That is plenty for what I do, and personally, I feel like if they last 2 years, that's a decent investment for $20-25. Anything past that is gravy.

I agree with that. I view my foggers as dispencible. For a 400 watt, get it the cheapest you can, that's all. You can get much bigger and better foggers for lots more bucks- nothing wrong with that if you need it. But at 400 watts, it's all about best price. I get them the day after halloween at half price and just have backups if one craps out. Funny thing is, only one has ever crapped out. The others are still going strong. Good luck.

Do either have a metal housing? I think most do these days, but that is something I would look for. My plastic Lite F/X unit is falling apart (after 10 years) but still works great.

I had a 400 watt and a 1000 watt fogger. I went and upgraded the 400 to a 1000 watt. Big is better over here. I also built a fog chiller......Its a MUST for any large scale haunt.


Everyone takes a turn in the box....

Thanks everyone for the help.