Aristocrat - set and forget worth it?

[markem]

This is kind of a weird thread. I think that the set and forget is mandatory if you are willing to pay that kind of dosh for a humidor, but ...

The price Bob charges for the THC (temp and humidity controlled) units seems like a very high premium.

Has anyone done the conversion themselves and was it worth it? If you did it all over again, would you do the conversion to THC yourself or pay Bob the roughly double the cabinet cost to do it himself?

I'm looking at the mtx 26.5 in cherry (to match the rest of the custom cherry furniture in the house). Of course, those that know me know that I've been looking for 2+ years ...

[icehog3]

I wish I had got the temperature controlled until when I bought mine, but I opted for humidity controls only, Mark.

[ucla695]

The THC units are pricey, but they I left it Bob to do what I couldn't. He has years of experience on how to insulate them properly while maintaining the humidity. The next one I buy will be a THC unit too. If you can afford it, then go for it. Well worth the money IMO.

I got temp control and if I ever buy another I will get temp control again.

[marge796]

Mark, I have one of Bob's gems with humidity control only. I agree with the others, if I ever bought another humidor from Bob I would spend the extra money for the THC. With that being said I really, really love my Aristocrat!





Chris.....

[gpugliese]

I've only bought Aristocrats second hand, and both have been humidity-controlled only. In the future when I purchase one made to order, I'll get THC.

One thing to keep in mind regarding the THC pricing is that there's some additional work done to insulate the cabinets. Not sure if you've noticed, but the THC models all have an additional inch or so on the interior walls as insulation.

[bazookajoe]

I think it depends on where you live and/or where the humidor will be. I'm in SoCal and don't get the kind of temp. swings that some see, and my Aristocrat is in a cool room at the back of the house. I don't have the temp. control unit and can't see buying it for what might only be a 5-10 day stretch during an occasional really hot summer (plus I have a closet that never gets over about 65° where I can park the humidor). That being said, I'm so impressed with every product I've gotten from, and every conversation I've had with Bob, added to the glowing reviews on his temp. control system, if I needed one I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. (hope you're not an english/grammar teacher).

[JohnnyKay5]

I thought about doing the temp&humidity but Bob mentioned something that made sense.. Unless your in an extreme temp area, and your not 100% picky about the temp, generally your house temp is fine for cigars. I know my house is usually 68-72 degrees... For me it wasnt worth the extra money for temp control.

[montecristo#2]

I actually use the temp but not the humidity control (I still had Bob install it though as the price difference was only $75 or so). When I had water in the humidifiers, the RH was too high.

I wanted the temp control, so for me it was a no brainer (no way could I do it myself). We do get into the high 70s in the house during the summer. One thing I never liked about my Vino was that whenever the power would go out it would reset to 55C. So if I needed to kill the power for 5 minutes, I always had to remember to go reset the temp. That does not happen with my Aristocrat.

Are you planning on getting glass? If so, I think he recommends adding another cooling device, just something to consider.

Also, I will say when the temp control is running and the humidifier fans are running, the cabinet can be a little load.

[mmblz]

i skipped temp control.
when i bought mine i had central a/c so even in summer the humi probably never got above 80.
i'm not the type to be super-anal about temp so i guess i would only be worried if i lived somewhere that was say over 90 for months at a time, and didn't have central a/c.

now after moving, my humi is stuck in the basement - a shame since it is such a work of art, but works out great for temperature since the house has no a/c....

[markem]

Originally Posted by montecristo#2

Are you planning on getting glass? If so, I think he recommends adding another cooling device, just something to consider.

Hiya Aaron!

Not interested in looking at boxes and cabs, so no. I'm a solid cherry wood kinda guy. I may even buy the cherry from a local custom furniture builder and send it to him so that it all matches the rest of the house.

Yes, I'm anal that way.

[Ashcan Bill]

I think it depends on the conditions where you live. In Nevada, we can go over 100 for a month at a time, with swings over 110. (But it's a dry heat )

I had double cooling units installed in mine, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I keep the house at 78 in the summer. The cabinet stays at 70.

And, if I go on vacation and shut down the AC in the house, I don't have to worry about the cabinet. Also, to say it's heavily insulated is an understatement. Believe me, the unit is heavy.

For me, it was well worth it. Bob did a great job, and I have complete peace of mind.

[montecristo#2]

Originally Posted by markem

Hiya Aaron!

Not interested in looking at boxes and cabs, so no. I'm a solid cherry wood kinda guy. I may even buy the cherry from a local custom furniture builder and send it to him so that it all matches the rest of the house.

Yes, I'm anal that way.

Trust me, I know what you mean.

Mine is dark red mahogany - I wanted it to match our hardwood floor which is Brazilian Cherry. So Bob and I went back and forth with images so he could get an idea of what he was trying to match.

Then about a week and a half before it was suppose to be done, he sends me an email to let me know I would be getting a fedex package in a couple of days. He decided it would be best to send me two samples with two different stains (one lighter, one darker). He figured the ligher one would be best, but he just wanted to make sure and said the only way we would know was to look at a sample in the actual room.

The lighter one ended up being perfect.

In an age where people prefer cheaper over quality and customer service (anyone been furniture shopping lately), Bob is old school and takes great pride in his work. Seriously, one of the best purchases I have ever made.

[bazookajoe]

Originally Posted by montecristo#2

I actually use the temp but not the humidity control (I still had Bob install it though as the price difference was only $75 or so). When I had water in the humidifiers, the RH was too high...

Hey Aaron, I had the same problem - spoke with Bob and he said that for those living on the coast the humidifiers sometimes provide too much RH, even if they don't run. He suggested that I cover all but one or two of the slots, add a fan at the bottom and use beads to absorb any extra humidity. He upgraded me to the new RH control that lets you run the fans independently without running the fan in the humidifier. It works perfectly, dropping the RH from 75% to a constant 65%.

[ucla695]

Originally Posted by montecristo#2

I actually use the temp but not the humidity control (I still had Bob install it though as the price difference was only $75 or so). When I had water in the humidifiers, the RH was too high.

I had the same problem and switched to beads. The water basin makes a great bead holder.

[Parshooter]

As others have said, really depends on where you are putting the cabinet. Since the THC was double the price, I went with just the Set n Forget. My cabinet is in an upstairs room, and in the spring, when just windows are open, it can get warm in there. I bought a portable ac unit for my room and it works great.

[spizz]

Interesting thread as I am looking at getting an Aristocrat soon. Which way to got hmm.

[skullnrose]

Originally Posted by JohnnyKay5

I thought about doing the temp&humidity but Bob mentioned something that made sense.. Unless your in an extreme temp area, and your not 100% picky about the temp, generally your house temp is fine for cigars. I know my house is usually 68-72 degrees... For me it wasnt worth the extra money for temp control.

Exactly my thoughts

[spizz]

Good to know.