Insulation Machine Comparison
Choosing an insulation blowing machine is an important decision that requires and comparing them is often not easy. This chart divides the cost of some of the popular machines in the industry by their output per hour. This allows a professional to estimate approx. how long it will take the various machines to pay for themselves. Since a contractor gets paid by output, we feel this chart would be useful in calculating the actual cost of the various gas machines.
| Manufacturer/Model | Retail Price* | Wt. Lbs. | Hose Dia. | Lbs per hour Cellulose – Fiberglass |
Cellulose Cost per Lb/hr |
Fiberglass Cost per Lb/hr |
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| Capitol 125 | $24,200 | 1,500 | 4″ | 4,200+ | 2,280+ | $4.80 | $8.85 |
| Meyers 600 | $18,000 | 1,600 | 3″ | 3120+ | 1440+ | $4.80 | $10.41 |
| Meyers 800 | 25,000 | 1,800 | 3″ | 3120+ | 1440+ | $4.80 | $10.41 |
| Meyers 1400 | $22,000 | 1,850 | 4″ | 3,540+ | 1860+ | $6.21 | $11.82 |
| Hurricane 2000 | $20,953 | 1,380 | 4″ | 5200+ | 2320+ | $3.72 | $7.62 |
| Unisul Volu-matic 4 | $36,300 | 2,100 | 4″ | 6000+ | 2400+ | $5.21 | $13.04 |
Weight is also a consideration that many new and experienced insulation contractors may wish to consider, which is why we included it.
Always consider how many pounds of insulation will be carried to a job on the same truck as the machine. Add the total to the weight of the empty truck and be sure you are running within the legal limits of your vehicles rated GVW loaded. Overweight tickets are calculated by the pound in most states. Take your truck into consideration when buying a machine. It is an integral part of your installation system.
Make sure your truck can handle equipment AND insulation.