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HALLOWEEN
PROPS & SPECIAL FX |
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VEI FOG MACHINES
What would any Yard Haunt,
Graveyard Display or Halloween Party be without a thick layer of fog floating ominously
through the night air?
But
which fog machine to buy?
 One of our goals while attending the Halloween and Costume Convention
in Chicago this year was to locate a Consumer Level fog machine that we could recommend to
our readers. It had to be well built, meet the demands of the general Halloween consumer,
but be relatively inexpensive. The machine would have to be capable of producing generous
amounts of fog yet be easy to operate and have accessories available such as a
timer-remote.
What we mean by "Consumer
Level"
In general, most people don't need a fog machine that costs hundreds or even
thousands of dollars. While professional class fog generators are great, they are also
very expensive. For the general Halloween consumer their fog machine(s) will only be used
one or two nights a year, for five to ten hours. This means that its running time will be
no where near that of a professional machine that might be used hundreds of hours per
year. This doesn't mean we were looking for cheap fog machines, but inexpensive ones, that
would operate year after year within these parameters.
Choosing a Fog Machine
Selecting between almost a dozen brands of fog generators, we finally decided that
VEI puts out the best line of fog machines for the consumer dollar.
There are four sizes to choose from so you can pick the one that is
right for your haunt.
Founded in
1967, Visual Effects Inc. is the result of a creative
collaboration of artists, designers, and manufacturers whose
aim was to provide the widest range in innovative special
effects lighting and special effects fog machines.
Their product line includes a wide range of fog machines for
many applications, black lights, strobe lights, faux flame
units, bubble machines, and more! With over 30 years of
experience, top-of the-line products and excellent customer
support Visual Effects Inc. has proven that they're a name you
can rely on.
Fog
Machine Showdown
We've spent
the last few years analyzing the input we received from fog
machine users and expanding our "Consumer Fog Machine
Testing", competing several different fog machines against
each other in what we call "The Fog Machine Showdown". Our
pick for this year's top consumer-level fog machine is the
Visual Effects Mini-Fogger (V-919). Unlike the other fog
machine manufacturers who only make one or possibly two
different types of machines, Visual Effects makes a full
line of fog machines from 700 to 1300 watts in power. Below
are our picks for the best of the best in fog machines for
Halloween! You can read the specs for them at our
Got Fog? site in
the Buying Guide section.
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Mini-Fogger
V-919
The is their smallest model.
It is a standard duty fog machine best suited for small yard
haunts or using in conjunction with a fog chiller
or
special effects such as those in our Special
Projects section and Halloween parties. |
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Party Fogger
V-920
This is the most widely available machine
used
during the Halloween season. It puts out a good
amount of fog for a small yard haunt and is a
great first fog machine if you have decided to
add one to your haunt. |
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DJ Fogger
V-930T
This
semi-pro machine is great when you want to fill
your yard haunt with generous amounts of fog,
for use with large fog chillers, fog
distribution systems, and is great for large
outdoor Halloween parties. |
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Pro Fogger
V-940T
The
Pro Fogger will just about fill your
entire neighborhood with a layer of fog! This is
a great unit for large yard haunts or small ones
that want pea soup thick fog, big Halloween
parties and haunted attractions. |
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Fog Machine Testing
Initially,
we ran the same test we had performed in past years, operating the VEI Mini-Fogger (v919) on three consecutive nights for six
hours each night, for a total run time of 18
hours, simulating what would be three years of Halloween use
by the average user. The machine operated flawlessly.
Without a
doubt, the Visual Effects Inc. fog machine is the leader of the
pack. It produces more visible fog than the others, has a
quicker re-heat cycle and has a removable fog fluid tank.
All these things put it on the top of the list for our
choice in fog machines.
"Your
Trick or Treaters will be thrilled and impressed with this eerie touch"
For more information
visit the Official Fog Machine website Got Fog?
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