This machine is absolutely fantastic. The price tag is high but what you get with this unit makes it a great value purchase. There are so many good points to mention with this machine and in all honesty i can't find a bad thing to say about it. I'll list some of the main points below.
Build Quality:
The machine is built really well, it comes permanently fixed into it's own flight case, the lid comes off and it stays in the bottom part (on the castors). The case is built specifically around the unit keeping it solid and compact. It's exactly what you expect from a case, and this comes included, there are no extra purchases for a case or trolley. The castors are just right, not cheap and sticky, but they've kept the size small to keep the unit compact. I've wheeled it over grass and rough surfaces without issue. the inner case of the unit is tough plastic, there's a nice seal around the lid to keep the fog from spilling through through the gap. all of the components of the unit have been designed with simplicity and and durability in mind from my experience.
Output:
I love the output of the machine. It's even and constant. I've not used it in huge venues but when accommodating venues with 200-250 capacity this machine fills the space in the middle quite quickly. I used it in a smaller room for a first dance, the output was at 50% and the room was comfortably filled in around 10-15 seconds. I use the machine without the included hose to create that puffy effect, and i'm yet to use the hose and nozzle, but i'm sure it will create a nice low carpet. Without the hose, it's a higher fog though, naturally, it doesn't go above waist height. I tried the same venue with 70% output before the event and the jump in output was huge. I can only imagine that 100% would be enough to fill any dancefloor or stage space. I poured 10KG of dry ice into the basket and on 50% it lasted just over 3 minutes, of course the effect lingered for a while after too.
Ease of use:
Compared to other dry ice machines, this one is dead simple. the water is pumped up to the ice rather than the ice being dropped into the water. You plug it in, fill it up with water (tap water is fine) and let it heat. It takes my machine just under an hour to heat the water to 80 degrees from room temperature. the display on the back tells you how hot your water currently is, so gives you a good idea how long you have to wait. you then load the dry ice into the basket and place it into the machine. when you want to start the machine, it's either one button press on the machine or if you're controlling via dmx, start it via that. That's it. The capacity of the basket is 12kg so if it's being used for a first dance or similar, there will be no need to refill the machine halfway through. The fact that the water is held in a seperate chamber to the ice means that you can put the ice in a while before you need to use it, and it will dissipate at a much slower rate than other machines. I operate this machine whilst announcing B&G and playing first dance and launching confetti, so this machine is a godsend.
Draining the machine is easy too. There's a little drainage tap at the bottom of the unit, flick it open and it takes probably around 5 mins to drain fully.
Just to clarify, as i was confused with watching some videos of people with this unit. The purchase of this machine includes:
The machine including it's flight case lid
The castors on the bottom
The hose and nozzle
At least 1 Powercon cable (standard job)
The unit is relatively heavy, but managable by one person, i can lift it in/out of the van without too much effort. When filled it is seriously heavy so be cautious of venues where you have to take it upstairs then fill, make sure you can drain it before taking it downstairs, your body will thank you.
Overall it's a great unit and a worthwhile investment. Talking about income per square foot, this machine earns a lot considering it's small size. It's tough, reliable and simple, which is perfect for busy wedding DJs that want to add an extra service. Would 100% recommend!
