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Last post 5 years ago by rfenst. 26 replies replies.
large-ish humidor under $120?
jordanjd Offline
#1 Posted:
Joined: 09-05-2018
Posts: 5
Trying to find a decent sized humidor, basing what I want around price / cigar capacity. The best I have found was something like this: https://jet.com/product/Empire-300-ct-Humidor/2d4bb84971dc47ea97eb4a53c6b82801 which claims 300 cigars ( really doubt 300 but the size: cigar capacity ratio seems standard). 18.75x11.6x10.25, "300 count" found $110 or so. Does anyone have any alternatives for me?
engletl Offline
#2 Posted:
Joined: 12-26-2000
Posts: 26,493
Save the $$$ and get a Sterilite tub or igloo cooler and line with cedar from empty cigar boxes. Then get a pound of good 65%th beads and you are set.

All the savings can then be spent overbidding dark sharks.

I have been using a sterilite for close to 15 years now and never an issue.
RMAN4443 Offline
#3 Posted:
Joined: 09-29-2016
Posts: 7,683
engletl wrote:
Save the $$$ and get a Sterilite tub or igloo cooler and line with cedar from empty cigar boxes. Then get a pound of good 65%th beads and you are set.

All the savings can then be spent overbidding dark sharks.

I have been using a sterilite for close to 15 years now and never an issue.

+1....I use a cooler and KL...same idea though...Herfing
Pudding Mittens Offline
#4 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
.
I second the recommendation of Sterilite tubs. The transparent 116-quart ones from Home Depot are great. $17 or so and it holds a very large amount of cigars, and they're stackable to save floor space. I've had them for years and have never had a problem with them. Add Spanish cedar of some sort and the humidification system of your choice. And then, read the digital hygrometer of your choice through the transparent body without having to open the tub! I recommend the Western Caliber IV, as do many other cigar guys. High accuracy, high reliability, and it can be easily calibrated +- 6% points.

When I first started, a wise man told me to forget the traditional wood humidors which are usually nothing but expensive problems, and to go with these stackable tubs. He was 100% right.
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danmdevries Offline
#5 Posted:
Joined: 02-11-2014
Posts: 17,124
Big fan of my Pelican cases
tonygraz Offline
#6 Posted:
Joined: 08-11-2008
Posts: 20,175
Tubs are cheap and if you open them infrequently humidifacatiion stays rather constant.
IronResin Offline
#7 Posted:
Joined: 08-14-2018
Posts: 189
jordanjd wrote:
Trying to find a decent sized humidor, basing what I want around price / cigar capacity. The best I have found was something like this: https://jet.com/product/Empire-300-ct-Humidor/2d4bb84971dc47ea97eb4a53c6b82801 which claims 300 cigars ( really doubt 300 but the size: cigar capacity ratio seems standard). 18.75x11.6x10.25, "300 count" found $110 or so. Does anyone have any alternatives for me?




If you want a humidor for looks; invest in a better unit. The China stuff is like rolling the dice; most dont hold humidity very well and to make matters worse, most ppl season them by wiping them down. Which ends up warping the laminate cedar wood. Go with a solid cedar humidor or coolidor if just storing sticks.
jordanjd Offline
#8 Posted:
Joined: 09-05-2018
Posts: 5
IronResin wrote:
If you want a humidor for looks; invest in a better unit. The China stuff is like rolling the dice; most dont hold humidity very well and to make matters worse, most ppl season them by wiping them down. Which ends up warping the laminate cedar wood. Go with a solid cedar humidor or coolidor if just storing sticks.


So I should be okay grabbing https://jet.com/product/Empire-300-ct-Humidor/2d4bb84971dc47ea97eb4a53c6b82801 for $110 and just don't season it by wiping?
dstieger Offline
#9 Posted:
Joined: 06-22-2007
Posts: 10,889
No
IronResin Offline
#10 Posted:
Joined: 08-14-2018
Posts: 189
jordanjd wrote:
So I should be okay grabbing https://jet.com/product/Empire-300-ct-Humidor/2d4bb84971dc47ea97eb4a53c6b82801 for $110 and just don't season it by wiping?



Yea if you want to get it. I got a China humidor that has a good seal. I seasoned it by letting a shot glass of DH2O evaporate. Every china humidor that I have wiped down has warped. The difference in my experience between a solid cedar humidor vs China 1 is that my heartfelt beads last longer in a cedar one. For what ever reason the china humidor does not hold the humidity as well (even tho the seal is good). I suspect that the spanish cedar laminate does not hold the sufficient amount of humidity needed for cigars. So it takes more work to maintain the China humidor more than my quality one.
IronResin Offline
#11 Posted:
Joined: 08-14-2018
Posts: 189
jordanjd wrote:
So I should be okay grabbing https://jet.com/product/Empire-300-ct-Humidor/2d4bb84971dc47ea97eb4a53c6b82801 for $110 and just don't season it by wiping?



Hey Jordan, I took a look @ the pic of the Empire and I would not buy it. If you look at the humidor open (image) you will find that it lacks the bottom lip for a proper seal. If you gonna buy a China humidor grab one that has a box in a box design and not just a top lid lip. The top "lip" China humidors suck ass. Those don't keep humidity in at all. Save your money and buy a good one.
dstieger Offline
#12 Posted:
Joined: 06-22-2007
Posts: 10,889
Get a nice smaller humidor from cheaphumidors dot com for your ready-service cigars, and keep the remainder in tubs or coolers. You're talking about spending over a $100....why take a chance you'll be getting a piece of crap?
I get being frugal, but this is not the time....you are talking about having a piece of furniture that can last a lifetime AND take good care of your 300 cigars, which are going to cost a heck of a lot more than $110. Get something well made or get a cooler
IronResin Offline
#13 Posted:
Joined: 08-14-2018
Posts: 189
I found a page with a pic of both types illustrating the difference. Hope this helps.

cigarpage.com/relic-series-heirloom-120-ct-humidor-reclaimed-wood.html


The heriloom has the box within a box design. And has the top and bottom lips.

tampa brent Offline
#14 Posted:
Joined: 07-21-2015
Posts: 3
I use a Coleman 28qt cooler ($15) with heartfelt beads and Western Caliber IV digital hygrometer and I couldn't be happier.

This size was great for me in the beginning b/c it's half the size of the larger full size coolers and I didn't have a lot of cigars to store. As time went on I found myself buying boxes of my favorite cigars and I had plenty of room to store them. I find boxes stack nicely in this size cooler and I just place my loose cigars in pouches and sit them on top of the boxes.

If you really prefer a wooden humidor then you should go for it. It's good you're doing some research first.

fishinguitarman Offline
#15 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2006
Posts: 69,148
Get a cardboard box n keep em on the front porch
jordanjd Offline
#16 Posted:
Joined: 09-05-2018
Posts: 5
Thanks for all the input, could someone link me some options if I were to go with a large cooler and just some beads? Not sure exactly what I need in this case.
IronResin Offline
#17 Posted:
Joined: 08-14-2018
Posts: 189
jordanjd wrote:
Thanks for all the input, could someone link me some options if I were to go with a large cooler and just some beads? Not sure exactly what I need in this case.



You cant go wrong with a Diamond Crown humidor and heartfelt beads and a small coolerdor IMHO. Frying pan
jordanjd Offline
#18 Posted:
Joined: 09-05-2018
Posts: 5
It looks like tampa brent is talking about getting:

- https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1788552/coleman-48-quart-performance-cooler.jsp
- https://www.amazon.com/Xikar-832XI-Round-Digital-Hygrometer/dp/B004167OY4
- https://www.amazon.com/Xikar-Cigar-Humidifier-humidor-cigars/dp/B000VFS3V2

Would this combination of stuff work?
IronResin Offline
#19 Posted:
Joined: 08-14-2018
Posts: 189
jordanjd wrote:
It looks like tampa brent is talking about getting:

- https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1788552/coleman-48-quart-performance-cooler.jsp
- https://www.amazon.com/Xikar-832XI-Round-Digital-Hygrometer/dp/B004167OY4
- https://www.amazon.com/Xikar-Cigar-Humidifier-humidor-cigars/dp/B000VFS3V2

Would this combination of stuff work?



Yea but throw in 2 cedar trays and dump the humdi-care for heartfelt beads.
Ewok126 Offline
#20 Posted:
Joined: 06-25-2017
Posts: 4,356
Here is what you go with, and you can get it all for around 50 bucks. FGM post #15 won't lead you wrong. Beer


https://goo.gl/aAG8B5
https://goo.gl/vDU3gw
https://goo.gl/xbZsaV
jordanjd Offline
#21 Posted:
Joined: 09-05-2018
Posts: 5
IronResin wrote:
Yea but throw in 2 cedar trays and dump the humdi-care for heartfelt beads.


link me the beads? and where do i get legit cedar trays?
Pudding Mittens Offline
#22 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
.
I use the super-absorbent polymer spheres/chunks soaked in 50/50 PG-water solution, then refill with distilled water, and occasionally more 50/50 to top up the PG because it eventually evaporates (but really really slowly). An example is the Humi-Care jelly jars, but you can make your own equivalents much cheaper with bulk super-absorbent polymer and any kind of plastic jars you like.

In the same humidors (well, Sterilite tubs actually), I also have multiple 69% Boveda packs. The way it works is, the polymer with PG and water emits and maintains approximately 69-70% RH, and the Bovedas do an excellent job of "trimming" the system, emitting when it's below that point and absorbing when it's above. I never have to recharge or even touch the Boveda packs, they stay at the proper plumpness level indefinitely, apparently because the "trimming" they do is very symmetric, so they emit/absorb about the same amount of vapor averaged over time.

The nice part is, recharging is easy and instant: just put more 50/50 or distilled in the jars. No waiting days or weeks for Boveda packs to very slowly recharge.
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lance4824 Offline
#23 Posted:
Joined: 07-06-2018
Posts: 664
jordanjd wrote:
Trying to find a decent sized humidor, basing what I want around price / cigar capacity. The best I have found was something like this: https://jet.com/product/Empire-300-ct-Humidor/2d4bb84971dc47ea97eb4a53c6b82801 which claims 300 cigars ( really doubt 300 but the size: cigar capacity ratio seems standard). 18.75x11.6x10.25, "300 count" found $110 or so. Does anyone have any alternatives for me?


I found mine on OfferUp for $100 and picked it up when I was going to see my family in SC. It had oak wine rack in the bottom-bottom but I removed it. I add a spanish cedar shelf with drawer slides in the bottom-bottom. I add a piece of spanish cedar across the bottom and top of the front door to make more air tight. Then i drilled hole in the top (where the singles are) to let the air flow.

http://www.cigarbid.com/...posts/657942/My-Humidor

I would search your area for a possible humidors on Craigslist, Letgo, or Offerup. There are so good deals but it takes time.

IronResin Offline
#24 Posted:
Joined: 08-14-2018
Posts: 189
jordanjd wrote:
link me the beads? and where do i get legit cedar trays?


https://www.heartfeltindustries.com/products.asp?cat=65%25+Rh+Humidity+Beads


and the trays are on amazon under F.e.s.s. cedar trays

Sarcasm

Google works you know
lance4824 Offline
#25 Posted:
Joined: 07-06-2018
Posts: 664
rfenst Offline
#26 Posted:
Joined: 06-23-2007
Posts: 39,112
lance4824 wrote:
https://www.cigarsinternational.com/p/escalade-humidor-humidors/1489028/#p-162622

Looks like a good value if you aren't going with a cooler for storage.
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