CHAUVET DJ H1200 Compact and Lightweight Fog Machine w/Timer Remote , BLACK

This is replacing my older generation CHAUVET machine, this one is smaller and uses less juice yet puts out just as much fog/smoke. Been running it on a 2 minute timer for 9 hours a day for 14 days now and it is doing great.It is pretty compact so this will not matter to most people, I was needing this to fit inside a Cannon display so size was very important. The dimensions are not 9.3 x 8.2 x 11.3 inches as listed but in reality they are 10" Wide x 7" Tall x 14" long total with non bendable cord sticking out the back.

Honestly it worked great....once. Used it on Halloween. It pumped out a lot of fog and the continuous mode was flawless. Went to use it again for only the second time and it no longer works. Flashes blue indicating that it needs fluid but the tank is full. Followed the troubleshooting steps and called their technical support. Nothing helped the problem. In order to get it fixed I have to pay for shipping to their repair facility which I know will be expensive and generally not worth it. I don't know if another brand is more reliable or not but will not be ordering from this company again. A product should work more than once.

Disclaimer: This is the first "legit" fog machine I've ever purchased (only smaller party store units up until now). So if I sound like a noob, that's why. I'll be using it mainly for the Halloween graveyard display I set up in my front yard each year.I've tested/used the CHAUVET DJ H1200 four times now (with and without the included timer) and have cleaned the lines once with Chauvet Fog Machine Cleaner. These are the things that stood out to me:-It's far superior to the $60-70 machines sold at Halloween/Party stores.-The led light indicator on the fluid tank is a nice touch. Really helped me get a feel for how long the machine needs to prime before the next burst of fog.-I thought the smaller tank on this model would be an issue but I've found that one tankful of high quality fog juice is more than enough for a full night of use.-The remote that's included is not wireless but it is a standard timer that can be set and left to control your fogger. I *may* purchase the wireless remote in the future but I don't think it's necessary for what I need this year.-I did not use Chauvet fog fluid (as recommended), I've used two different types of Froggy's brand fog juice and they've both worked well.-The fogger did not arrive packaged in the standard cardboard boxes Amazon usually uses to protect items but was left on my porch in just the manufacturer box. It wasn't even taped shut, which worried me, but upon inspecting the boxes contents I found the machine to be well protected in a plastic foam mold.I would definitely consider buying another Chauvet fog machine. I will also update my review after the 2020 Halloween season.

When it arrived it was smaller than I expected, I was a little worried about it at first. But once it warmed up I realized I had nothing to worry about.First the body is all metal and well built. Second the variable output on the corded remote is awesome, it can be set to intervals or to put out a constant flow from a trickle to a flood. I also have a 1400 watt unit I bought from Spirit, the type that cycles on and off, when it cycles on it produces slightly more fog volume than this unit. However this unit with its constant output, puts out a lot more fog over over all. The lights in the fluid tank are also very useful for knowing when to fill it, and they are not to bright to hide it in a Halloween display with a little effort. I am very happy with this unit, I would definitely recommend this.

I bought this fogger to lay down some fog for a Halloween display and to take to a friends house who has a really large 100 person plus Halloween event every year. I was a little nervous after reading the reviews for this item but I figured I bought it early enough I could return it if there were any issues.My first impression was that it is a little bit small and light for it's rated output. I wonder if some of the failures people have on this unit is due to the high power without sufficient internal mass to help it dissipate the heat it generates. Also on the front, there is about a 1 inch diameter round fitting where the fog comes out. In the middle of this fitting is a very small diameter tube which I assume is where the steam/fog discharges and then the larger diameter ring helps diffuse the fog and heat. The small diameter tube I am sure should be centered in the ring, but it is significantly off center to the larger fitting. It does not appear to affect performance, but it does speak somewhat to the quality of assembly and machining of the unit.As to it's use, I filled the tank up with Fog Worx fogging fluid which is sold on Amazon. I do not have much experience with fog fluid to compare the performance, but it is listed as a medium density fog juice and I would say that is what I got from it. After the Hurricane 1200 cycled through it's warm up the Led colors of the tank changed as described in the manual. I tested it on manual, continuous, and timed and it worked as expected on all 3 functions of the timer remote. I am happy to report the model overall is not a lemon.At full output this unit is listed as putting out 18,000 cu ft of fog. I have seen several 400W foggers in use and while this unit lays down a nice heavy blanket of fog, it does not seem like more than 10 times the output volume of a 400W fogger which is supposed to put out around 1500 cu ft. Overall I am happy with it's output though.I tested the output knob and the Hurricane 1200 definitely responds to the output control (I understand some older Chauvet models don't respond to this control) The output knob has markings from 1 to 15. I found at 5 and below the output is very low, almost just crawling out of the nozzle. At 7 you at least get a stream strong enough that it is spraying out with some force. 7 is the highest recommended setting for continuous mode and the flow is decent at 7. I went up in increments of 2 which is how the dial is masked 1,3,5,7,9 etc. I could see the output visibly increase each time I bumped it up another count of 2.I really like the ability to adjust the output level and set timed bursts. I will likely use this between 7 and 11 depending on my needs and the wind. I don't know for sure, but my thinking is by using it below max I may extend the life of the heater block. Fluid usage seemed reasonable except in continuous which drains the fluid much quicker. The tank will empty quickly in continuous so be vigilant if using it this way. After 2 hours of use alternating between timed output and continuous on 7 the unit was quite hot in the front and bottom and took a long time to cool down.UpdateI have played around with this unit quite a bit and run several of the top brands of Fog juice such as Froggy's. I would use the higher quality fog juices if you can swing the price.. After a lot of research it seems like the higher quality juices do not use glycerin. Glycerin is a bit harder on the machine then the chemicals used in most of the higher quality juices. If in doubt ask the juice maker what is in it. I spoke with the people at Froggy's and they were very helpful telling me what juices had what chemicals and which were better for your application.I was able to compare the output of this Chavaut 1200 at 1000 watts vs the H1000 at about 750 watts, and the output of the 1200 is noticeably more dense and a larger volume of fog. With the higher density juices the extra power really helps with the output. I believe many of the high density juices recommend not to use with the smaller 400 watt units as it is harder on their smaller heating blocks. If you can spring for the larger units with more power you will be rewarded with more fog and denser fog. Overall I am happy with the output of the H1000 but the 1200 definitely fired more fog and denser fog. With the High density Froggy's juices the 1200 will create white out conditions quickly if running at too high a setting.