Advice to Newbies
Here is some simple advice for those new to glycol foggers:- The higher the wattage, the better.
The wattage rating of the fogger indicates how much power it consumes, which translates directly into how hot it gets. The hotter the fogger, the more fog, and the longer the fog burst before it must stop and reheat.
As of Halloween 2003, there are foggers commonly available with as few as 200W. I would prefer 700W as a minimum.
- Get a fogger with a timer (or that has a timer available).
Most foggers come with a simple remote. As long as you push the button, fog comes out. You will soon tire of pressing the button and wish the thing had a timer that could be set to shoot out a puff of fog every few seconds.
- Make sure you can find fog fluid.
Glycol foggers consume a liquid "fog fluid" sometimes called "fog juice". Make sure that you have a supply of fluid that will work in your fogger.
You can't run the fogger without fog juice. You can't substitute water or any other common household product.
A brief history of foggers for sale
Here are some attractive deals through history, for those seeking glycol foggers on a tight budget. This information is for historical purposes only - I doubt that any of these are still available. Be aware that small foggers like these are not capable of continuous fogging, and must pause to reheat between bursts.
Nice Radio Shack fogger
Radio Shack sells a small fogger that has gotten good reviews in the Halloween community.
[info circa 2001]
![[photo]](fogmac_RS.jpg)
Cat.#: 42-3058
700 Watt Fogger (2500 cu./ft. per minute), with timer/remote
Regular price $99.99
This is one of the best low-end foggers on the market. When I first wrote this section, I don't have one of these particular foggers, but numerous people on the Halloween e-mail list have bought them, and they all like them. In late 2001, I bought one on sale and agree with the other folks. It's a really nice package.
The thing that makes it such a good deal is that it comes with a quart of fog fluid and the remote with timer. The remote/timer allows you to set periodic small bursts of fog to keep an area covered. Sooner or later, you will want a timer; pressing the "fog" button every minute or two gets tiring. For most foggers, the timer as an accessory that costs another $40.
It might help that this fogger is carried in-stock by Radio Shack stores across the country.
This package is usually on sale for ~$90 in September.
WARNING - The instructions packed with the fogger recommend cleaning with vinegar solution after use. Several contributors to Halloween-L report that they have damaged the pumps in their foggers by following these instructions. This is one case where I recommend ignoring the manufacturer's instructions - don't use the vinegar flush as a part of routine maintenance.
Radio Shack also sells:
1,000 Watt Fogger (5,000 cu.ft. fog/min), with remote Regular price $199.99 Cat.#: 970-1267
Cheap MCM fogger
In the fall of 1999, MCM Electronics made the news on the Halloween-L mailing list
by offering a "$49 fogger". Haunters who were watching the cheapest foggers nudge the $100 price barrier were
pleasantly shocked by this, and ordered the unit in droves. They soon sold out, but the deal was repeated in 2000.
One reader bought three of them.
In spring of 2001, the price went up to $70, but it might come on sale again.
The fogger that crashed through the price barrier is:
| company: | MCM Electronics |
| part number: | 555-3210 |
| description: | $49.00 Party Fogger 700W 2500 Cubic Ft/min, manual (push-button) remote control, fluid not included |
Internally, this fogger appears to be exactly the same as this better-known unit:
| company: | Antari Lighting Ltd. |
| model number: | F-80 |
The Antari FC 4 timer remote should work with this fogger. Rumor has it that this remote is available for $29.99 from http://www.coolstuffcheap.com/coolstuff/adjshadfogma.html
This unit is a very basic 700 Watt fogger, with dumb remote. The thing that makes it exciting is the low cost. All of a sudden, haunters who were kludging up foggers out of clothes irons, Mr. Coffee machines, and soldering irons had a cost-compatible alternative, of commercial quality.
There is no guarantee that, at the time you read this, MCM will still be offering this deal. But it does prove that glycol foggers can be made and sold at a very attractive price-performance point. And if you look hard enough, you will find them.
Note - When the $50 fogger went up to $70 in spring of 2001, purchaser Robert Benfield reported that he was shipped a model other than the Antari. He reported getting the MBT Brute II Fogger (MSRP $172). So, you better see what you get before buying accessories for it!
The year 2001 saw increased emphasis on higher-budget Halloween props and effects.
Is a $40 fogger good enough to be worth buying?
Foggers are extremely variable in price. I have three of them.
I paid $500 for the nicest one, about one third the MSRP. It is equipped with DMX control, a timer, and 1500W heater.
It is the size of a duffel-bag, and heavy. It pumps out fog like there is no tomorrow.
You are not coming near that for $40. The question is, "do you need to?"
I think that many of the low-end foggers will be "good enough".
There's a down-side to this, though...
A glycol fogger isn't the same as a plastic skeleton.
With simple props, even a novice knows what to expect - "hang skeleton in window".
But foggers are more complex.
People won't read enough of the instructions, and the instructions probably won't cover all their questions.
I predict a large number of disappointed newbies.
Sad, really.
K-Mart carries a nice package from Lighting F/X that includes
both manual remote, and a timer remote.
I tried one of the 200W units in a store and it actually did make fog.
But the reheat time is long.
I would avoid all low-wattage units unless you have a special need that requires one.
It is a 50W thermal glycol fogger,
built into a plastic cauldron.
It has a built-in non-settable timer that squirts a little fog into the cauldron
every few seconds.
A pair of green lamps illuminate the fog.
A switch selects no sound, bubbling sounds, or assorted spooky noises.
This is actually nice gadget.
Although the fogger output is small, it is well-matched to the cauldron and timer.
Don't use it indoors - the hot fog rises and may trigger some fire alarms.
Outdoors, keep it shielded from wind.
See the Gemmy fogging cauldron
in action (2+ meg).
Other stores offer 400W foggers for similar prices.
My local Party City has a 400W fogger on sale for $14.99 (normally $24.99).
www.cheaplights.com has a "Halloween Fogger" on sale for $15.99 (October 1 thru
November 1 2005).
By the year 2002, the glycol fogger market was reduced to $20 comodity units during Halloween.
Some manufactures turned to units carefuly designed to service specialized needs.
Others continued to manufacture high-end professional machines that offer
performance levels that were never approached by mass-market fog machines.
These guys intend to be in it for the long haul.
This unit has lots of high-end features, including:
This machine is quite heavy and strongly built.
The heater core is designed to be easily removable for cleaning.
In DMX mode, this unit listens to channel number, which simply specifies the amount of fog to put out.
The timer is not available in DMX mode.
If I had had one of these, I could have mounted it inside the gargoyle's head
to make a gargoyle breathe smoke without
fancy interior ducting.
Normally, power is provided by an internal rechargeable 2 amp-hour lead-acid battery,
which can produce up to 10 minutes of continuous fog output.
The unit is microprocessor-controlled, with programmable fog burst duration.
The Tiny Fogger fogger will operate in any position, at any angle.
It comes with several accessories.
Optional accessories include:
Notes:
For more information, please see
www.tinyfogger.com
It comes with a wired analog remote; wireless remote is optional.
I would prefer to use the included
DMX
interface and control it from the lighting console.
Basic specifications:
Options:
For more information, please see
www.viperfogger.com
Here's what their web site says:
Wow! A fogger with a tunnel effect light built right in! 450 watt heater core; wired remote for fogger only; mounting bracket; separate on/off switches on rear of unit for tunnel and fogger; 3 way switch for tunnel: sound active, continuous, and static. Comes with 1 BRL 12v 50w bulb and a sample of Fantasia fog fluid. Size- 9.5 x 8 x 5. Weight- 7 lbs. Current draw- 5 amps.
2001 - First year of the cheap fogger
In previous years, a glycol fogger was an esoteric bit of machinery not commonly seen.
Long used in movies and theatre, these gadgets never had a reason to enter the home.
The closest they came was dance clubs.
Haunters depended on the DJ supply chain to furnish foggers.
And since not everybody in the country is a DJ, quantities stayed relatively low, and prices high.
Once China, Inc., starts making something in quantity, the price plummets.
A lot of lighting and DJ gear is made in China, but now they are consciously tapping the Halloween
Market for even greater volume.
Expect prices to continue to drop.
2002 - Competition forces diversification
For Halloween of 2002,
Gemmy
has redesigned their skull-face fogger so that
the facade is easily removed and replaced.
At least three variations have been sighted: skull, pumpkin, and witch.
The Gemmy units all seem to be 400W now.
2003 - Year of the bare-bones fogger
For Halloween of 2003, Wal-Mart carries a 400W
Gemmy
fogger
and Jo-Ann's has a 200W Gemmy fogger.
Both come in a box that is stripped of all accessories (no timer or fluid).
The cute faces that snapped on the front of Gemmy foggers are gone.
This is a 2003
Gemmy
product, sold through
Costco
(~$25).
It is a departure from the 2003 trend, trying to capture what's left of the market
with a very specific product.
![[movie]](../_aCommon/icon_Movie.gif){kind=icon}
2005
For Halloween of 2005, Wal-Mart carries a 400W Gemmy fogger for $19.87.
Special Fog Machines
I'm not an economist, but I keep seeing the same
commercial life cycle
again and again.
At first, a gadget is rare, then competition sets in and there are many,
finally, companies strive to distinguish themselves from the competition with unique offerings.
Master Blaster 1500
Here is a nominal example of the difference between a mass-market fogger and a heavy-duty commercial unit.
![[Master Blaster 1500]](fogglb_mb1500.jpg)
This is the ADJ Master Blaster 1500.
It is currently being manufactured under the Elation brand with a blue paint job.
Tiny Fogger
In December 2002, Nathan Kahn of
Theatre Effects
wrote to me about their FG90 "Tiny Fogger", a teenie, tiny, battery-operated fog machine.
![[photo]](fogglb_Tiny.jpg)
Yes, it's sitting on a pen to give you an idea how small it really is.
Viper II
In December 2002, Nathan Kahn of
Theatre Effects
wrote to me about their Viper II, a powerful DMX-controlled fog machine.
![[photo]](fogglb_ViperII.jpg)
This fog machine is microprocessor controlled, and adjustable to produce anything
from a wisp of smoke to London fog.
The Viper will never go into reheat when the output is set to 40% or less. At 100% output, the maximum continuous burst is 40 seconds - which is a lot of fog!
1 fluid ounce per minute at continuous output
Pump - Thermal Switch
Tunnel Fogger
In August of 2004, I was browsing the web site of
cheaplights.com
and found a fogger with a built-in tunnel light effect.
Z2-E118 - $55
![[photo]](fogglb_FoggerWithTunnel.gif)