Oshkosh Premier Humidifier Review

Started by Adwinistrator, 03/10/2019 04:15 PM

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Adwinistrator

Oshkosh Humidor Co. was kind enough to send one of their new humidifiers my way for review.

The humidifier arrived in a nicely designed cardboard tube with a detailed instruction manual on the basics for setup and usage.

The humidifier itself is a decent sized reservoir that can hold over 10 oz. of water, and uses a sponge wick to soak up to the upper sponge surface.  The sponge surface is covered by a gated screen that you can adjust to slightly open or close, theoretically reducing moisture release.



The humidifier did arrive with a fair amount of green foam dust spread across the top, from manufacturing most likely.  While I did my best to wipe this off, you can still see evidence remaining.  While this is not a problem for the functionality of the humidifier, it may be aesthetically concerning for some.

Build quality overall seems good, although some edges appear to be a slightly unaligned.

Upon initial filling, it did take a while for the upper foam surface to become completely moisturized, which does give a clue as to how slowly the water is dispersed.  I consider this a good thing, as the main issue with passive humidification can be over-saturation.  Even after it was fully moisturized, there are dry spots in some corners.  Whether this is a problem (in the eyes of the user or the designer), I cannot say.



After nearly 6 weeks of use, the water level has gone down approximately 2/3rds.  That to me shows a good, slow, and stable release of moisture.

As far as using the slotted gates to dial in the humidity, I wasn't able to achieve a notable difference, but the environment I was using this for might not be ideal.  With a decent amount of cigars in the humidor, small changes might not be noticed for months.

While there are many reasons to choose a specific humidification system for every different humidor setup and preference, in comparing the Oshkosh Premium Humidifier with other passive foam humidification systems, I would have to rank this among the best.  My main reasons would be:
  • It is not a solid foam brick.  Many foam brick setups are prone to mold, but I think the design of this humidifier would make that somewhat less likely (though still a risk).
  • It has a reservoir.  Traditional foam bricks are difficult to use at times, as you can accidentally let them dry out and damage your cigars.  While that's a risk with any humidification system, having a large reservoir of water easily gives you months of humidification, and an easy way to judge how much water is remaining.
  • Used in combination with 2 way active humidification systems, I feel this method humidifier would provide a great deal of stability and longevity without introducing too much risk.

The main downsides of this specific humidifier, when compared to other passive humidification systems, would be:
  • Bulkiness of the device.  I can update with the dimensions later, but it is a little longer (but shorter) than the Cigar Oasis Excel
  • Risk of spillage.  If this device tipped over, water would be released into your humidor.

All in all, I think this is a good product that is being introduced to the humidification market.  While many people can debate the merits of different types of humidification systems, if someone asked me to recommend a passive humidification system for a large humidor, I would probably tell them about the Oshkosh Premium Humidifier.  For small humidors, there are better options.  For those who argue the utility for a passive humidification system like this, I can see a lot of use in using it in conjunction with 2 way active humidification system.

I could give this a rating of 4/5, when comparing with competing passive humidification systems.

headfirst

How come all I can think of right now is overalls?
When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed, and calm, refreshing sleep obtained by a cigar, I have felt grateful to God, and have blessed His name...
-Charles Spurgeon

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Adwinistrator

#2
Quoteheadfirst - 3/10/2019  5:43 PM

How come all I can think of right now is overalls?

B'Gosh?

headfirst

When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed, and calm, refreshing sleep obtained by a cigar, I have felt grateful to God, and have blessed His name...
-Charles Spurgeon

http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?action=humidors;area=public;member=headfirst

Brlesq

Thanks for the review.  So basically its a plastic box with some sort of green foam in it?
Bruce
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Adwinistrator

QuoteBrlesq - 3/10/2019  7:03 PM

Thanks for the review.  So basically its a plastic box with some sort of green foam in it?

Well, there's a reservoir with no foam, just water, the the foam top surface has a wick that dips into the reservoir.

Chefjohn

#6
Thanks for taking the time to review that Ryan.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

jagfandaddy

The green stuff reminds me of the material you would find in a floral arrangement.
"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle."
 George Burns

Adwinistrator

Quotejagfandaddy - 3/10/2019  7:48 PM

The green stuff reminds me of the material you would find in a floral arrangement.

Yep, same kind of stuff.  That is usually what you find in traditional humidor puck/bricks.  A basic florist foam block in plastic.


   
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