Help purchasing a cigar cabinet.

[TexasDude]

Guys, my wife gave me the go ahead to purchase a humidor for Christmas. I'm looking at something free standing in the 300 to 500 count range. I'm going to humidify it with a Hygro humidifier and a few fans.

Can you gents recommend something that is well built but won't break the bank?

What are your thoughts on this bad boy? Is there something better out there?

http://www.cigarhumidors-online.com/cigar-humidors/enlarged/oxfordenlarge.htm

Thank you so much in advance,

Martin

 

[Stogie ZM]

That was actually one that I was going to recommend. I have that humidor in my living room now and I like it. It holds the humidity well, I can see inside, and it has the external hygrometer which makes it easy for me to check up on the humidity levels. I did upgrade to a Paradigm humidifer and a digital hygrometer (just to make sure the analog stays accurate).

Some assembly is required, you have to screw on the legs of the piece when you take it out of the box. I've never dealt with that company so I'm not sure how their product/customer service is. The price they advertise is really awesome too. I'm actually surprised it's so low. I would be wary of any hidden fees.

Good luck!

 

[ilikefishes]

The only thing I would not like about that cabinet is that there is no box storage. I believe that with that capacity you would get into more box purchases. Having to take everything out of the boxes might not be a great idea. JMHO, hope it helps.

 

[BlindedByScience]

Might be a decent answer, might not. Do you know anyone that has one..?? Doesn't appear to have much in the way of box storage, though.

Personally, if you're trying to keep the costs down, I'd get a nice desktop and a cooler. That way you'll have a nice looking humidor to keep in the house / your office / etc. and plenty of solid, reliable storage for boxes, etc. You can use HeartFelt beads for both, which is a reasonably priced answer, but provides a lifetime of proven reliable humidification.

JMHO - B.B.S.

 

[Rod]

$199 is very cheap.

I see a few potential issues:

1. Like BBS said, there isn't much storage for boxes. You'll have to unbox everything and store singles.
2. Looking closely at the door, not sure how well it's going to seal. You may have an issue with humidity escaping.
3. You're going to need to add a humidification system. Probably beads will do and won't take up much room, however will still take up some room. It looks like the humidifier is in the drawer; you'll want to make sure the cigars above are also properly humidified. I would add a small PC fan or two...

I would recommend going with the cooler method. It'll cost you around $65 for a good setup, and spend the rest on cigars...

By the way, that thing looks like it could start walking around...

 

[4cbln3]

I'm looking at something free standing in the 300 to 500 count range.

By this, you mean how much cigars you plan to have on stock? That equates anywhere from 12 to 20 boxes worth. A humidor count is measured way differently than a regular box of say, 25/ct. robustos.

 

[Chemyst]

That's a handsome piece.
Looks like a lot of wasted space between drawers.
If you could move the bottom drawer above the top drawer, then
you might get room for some boxes on the bottom.

I wouldn't worry about the door seal. If it won't hold rh, it's easy to
make a gasket for the door with silicone bathtub caulk. (that's what
I did with my desktop, which is built similarly - no probs for 5+ yrs.)

I think with some mods, this would be an excellent choice.

Chemyst

 

[BSchmidt1981]

When I first started looking into getting a humidor I too had thought about a furniture piece. I thought about this model as well. The more I researched I kept coming back to this one. These ended up being the same price as many of the desktop models that I had been looking at. I ultimately ended up going with a "reputable" brand desktop humi. Something in my gut kept telling me that these were just to good to be true. Hopefully you find something that works for you. Keep us updated if you buy this how it works out for you. Good luck!

 

[TexasDude]

Thank you so much for all your help. I've finally grown accustomed to the idea of making a coolidor. The wife is still pushing the cigar cabinet. I'll have to work on her a little.

On a side note, I really want to go active humidification set up. I don't mind spending the extra money. However, I've done a ton of research and I can't seem to find a definitive answer on the Hydra vs Cigar Oasis debate. I'm leaning a hair more towards the Cigar Oasis in that it seems to run a little quieter and is made better. The quality issue is from the little I can find on the internet. It may be that the Cigar Oasis people are more vocal. The one thing I like about the Hydra is that it has the ability to calibrate the hygrometer.

Do any of you gents have a preference Cigar Oasis vs Hydra?

Again, thank you all so much in advance,

Martin