$30 vs $200 Automatic Chicken Coop Door
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- Опубліковано 17 бер 2022
- Is a cheap $30 automatic chicken coop door opener better than a $200 opener? I've been asked a lot whether the Run Chicken door opener I installed is worth it, particularly because it is relatively expensive. When I got it, it was running about $160, but today with runaway inflation and supply chain issues, it's now priced at around $200.
Someone recently commented and said you could get one on eBay for about $30, and when I looked, while there were some obvious differences right away -- the logo was different or gone -- they otherwise looked identical. I decided to but one and test it to see if a cheap $30 opener would be a good alternative to the $200 Run Chicken model.
Here's the link to my original Run Chicken video: • Automate Your Chicken ...
Here's a link to the Run Chicken door on Amazon: amzn.to/3kVR3IC
Use the code RC10OFF and get 10% off!
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the way you installed is not right sir.
I'm quite confident this is user error. I have the same door and it works great.
I've lost 5 hens in the last two weeks.. I've been so heart broken. I've been searching for any type of resolution I can. Your video really helped me. And it gave me a few laughs, too. I really needed that. Thanks for being you. You rock.
That's a shame. I'd be heartbroken if one of my girls was lost. Glad you received some joy. Cheers!
Just installed our new Run Chicken opener today. Seems very well made. I hope we’re happy with it. Thanks for your video.
Thanks and I think you will be. I certainly am and I got a second one to install as well. Cheers!
have you tried to rotate the door, it may be in backwards. it looks like one side has a track on it and the other side doesn't
Absolutely helpful video!! Thank you for saving me $30!!! Subscribed!
Thanx for the great review. Very helpful
Thank you! Glad you found it useful. Cheers!
I have some deer feeders that go off using this same type of sensor. Dusk/dawn I believe. My concern is motor and the type of loop. chain sprocket and length. Seeing the plastic one slipping helped me determine some of my mechanics. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it helped. Certainly for this particular application the direct drive nature of the motor is probably fine as the plastic door is very light. So too with the original aluminum one. If I was trying to lift a wood door or something similar, I'd want something that would be able to lift that weight. Have you considered a pneumatic cylinder? I had originally planned to use one of those when I was thinking of building my own, though they can get pricey very quickly. I've seen car antenna motors also used.
thanks for the coupon, just ordered my run chicken... I too ordered the cheapo $30 one to give it a try.. its not great.. seems to work for a couple days (after hours of fine tuning and shims) but then within a few days, it slips and has to be pulled apart again... while it was working though, it spoiled me.. and I must have a working auto door now!! Can't wait for it to arrive!
Can’t live without them now!
The only chicken coop door I've ever needed to use is the Hen Hut Automatic door. It was pretty cheap, only 65 dollars, but it is metal and has been very reliable as well as simple to setup. The shipping took a while, but it is what I recommend to all my buddies who own chickens.
Thank you for helping us on our journey! Web provide a high quality and affordable alternative to the more expensive automatic chicken doors, and are on a mission to simplify the lives of chicken owners throughout the US.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video
You’re welcome!
The door is on backward. The raised track should go toward the gear! The track in the back is flat! The track in the showing front is raised which would put the track closer to the gear teeth...
I brought the cheap one and it opens really well and goes right up the way you installed the cheap one is installed under the wire the $$$ one is installed how I did the cheap one but my cheap one is good.
Does the Chicken run have timer set on them because my chicken is in the west .. Sun light activated would not work for me Thanks great video
Not a specific timer per se, but you can adjust the time it closes to allow it to stay open for 20 minutes after nightfall. You can also adjust the time it opens too.
THANK YOU!!!!
Being on a tight budget I of course was looking to buy the cheaper one.... but when I learned that the other one has a metal door I was sold. I have predators every night on my trailcam!!!!!
Over a year and a half of using my Run-Chicken door and it is still working flawlessly, even on the original batteries, which they recommend changing after a year
@Homestead DIY.
You stated that a coon could get in by lifting the cheap/plastic door up by the holes running down the front.
Doesn’t the ChickenRun have these same holes?
Or is it somehow predator proof?
Thanks for this review.
Because the Run Chicken model is made from aluminum, it's much more rigid and sturdy, and the door cannot be lifted against the gear. I don't know whether I can guarantee any pop door is 100% raccoon-proof, but I feel the Run Chicken door is about as safe as one can hope for. I've had the door in operation for over 2 years now and there hasn't been a single incident yet. And it still runs flawlessly on the original batteries! Run Chicken does recommend you change the batteries every year, but I haven't had to yet.
As someone who has raised many orphaned raccoons and has chickens I laughed when you asked if a raccoon could open that cheap door! A raccoon could destroy that door in less than 3 minutes without any problem! No flimsy plastic will stop them and better plastic would only delay them! Mine disassembled my automatic horse waterer for a pool party. It took us "smart humans" several attempts before we came up with a "solution". That solution lasted a year, but one figured it out again the other day so we're still being forced to come up with another plan! There will always be raccoons here. When I move them out, more fill their spot. Plus, I love the raccoons even though some can be a real pain sometimes.
When I got my chickens I thought it was going to be a daily battle with predators so I built in a bunch of defenses, like laying a 2-ft wide bad of chicken wire around the perimeter of the coop to stop predators from digging underneath. In the 4+ years I've had them, not a single attack occurred. My guess is because I have a dog that's always around (who gets along great with the girls, tho they keep a wary eye on him!) I don't get predators coming around. I haven't even had a raccoon knock over a garbage can in years!
My cheap one works, but I got thin strip of banding material and bent it in a little drilled holes through the back near the gear so putting a little more pressure on the gear and seems to work good so far
Yeah, that seems to be the necessary hack, keeping pressure on the door near the gear. Have you had yours long? I'm wondering how the plastic will hold up in temperature extremes, cold or hheat.
Like your Video. I bought same low cost version in Germany for 20€ ,same aus 20$ . I recognized that at yours version 2 screws are missing in the upper part. And thats why the plastic door hast Not enough pressure top Run with the Gear. My Version hast this 2 extra screws and it works fantastic.
My expensive one stopped working. Never worked so thinking of buying the cheap motor on the more expensive door? You think it will fit?
It likely will since they're of identical design, though you may have to drill new mounting holes since I don't know if they'll line up.
Sounds like the gear is to weak or the cogs on it are not long enough to hook it properly to lift it. Great video I am gonna get the run chicken door after seeing your videos
Cheap one closes too early. The solution to that is add a solar path light, then it closes later when the solar light went off.
Cheap one has been working fine for me, mine is under a roof so water not an issue, and after the first few nights, no chickens locked out. (they learned when to go in..) I did have to adjust the tension on the door a bit at first.
That does seem to be a recurring theme, needing to tweak it to get it function properly. Have you had it for awhile? Still wondering how they hold up in temperature extremes
@@HomesteadDIY Only about 3 months, no issues so far.
Thanks!
You’re welcome!
With the choice between no automatic door and the $30 option what would you go with
For years I didn't have an automatic door and made do going out every morning and evening to open and close the coop. With that said, you may have to hack the cheap door and it still might not work. A lot of comments on here say just that (a few say it works fine for them). If you don't mind potentially wasting $30, you could give it a try. You might be one of the lucky ones that it works for!
I got the ebay one and it works just fine. My only issue is that it closes a bit early. But now you can buy the newer version with a delay timer.
can you post a link to the one you got?
nicely done
Thanks!
Wish I would have saw this video before I bought a cheap one. Your cheap on does better than mine.
Heh. Yeah, it takes a lot of hacking to get it even basically functional.
Me to
Gears are not catching the holes is what it sounds like. Plastic warps in sun/heat. Wonder how hot is was where stored or shipped.
Agreed. The plastic is very thin and flexible. Once i firmed it up with the shims it worked better, but the aluminum construction of the Run-Chicken model is much stronger and more durable.
@@HomesteadDIY I actually wrote that before the end of the video and saw later, after watching til the end, it was the gears not catching. Now if it was carbon fiber it maybe a good product. I just wouldn’t trust plastic I’ve seen how coons can do and that thin plastic would be a loss against a coon.
mine seems to be working fine.. you've got to make sure its just tight enough... too tight and it won't move, too loose and the gears just spin.
Glad it worked for you, but right out of the box? As I showed, it took some engineering to get mine to work mostly right"
Mine closes fine, but will only raise up about 2-3 inches and stop although you can hear the gear turning, but the teeth aren't engaging. Not sure what else I can try. It all seems tight enough and not too tight.
I found that right where the gear met the door there wasn't enough pressure, which is why i put those two shims behind it which helped the gear engage the holes in the door
What hole size should I cut before mine gets here?
I'd wait till it arrived and just measure. I think the opening was 9", but I don't rightly recall, but you want a small enough hole to ensure you'll be able to attach it to the structure. As my barber used to tell me, you can always cut more off, you can't put it back on.
Almost bought the $30 model... I was researching doors and saw this design with a few different price tags, wondered why that was, then I saw the different brand names and logos. Did a little more research and found this video. Looks like Run-Chicken needs to start suing a number of knock-offs.
I saw on Twitter the other day some company running Run-Chicken's ad but stripping out the company name (I made an appearance in it!). I'm pretty sure it was a scam site because they were "selling" the door for $50. They probably just take your money and you never get a door. I notified Run-Chicken and they said it happens all the time. They would try to get it taken down, but was likely a futile effort.
2:40 Point does NOT go to the knock off. That opening may be "convenient" but it is also more prone to water damage.
Heh. I don't disagree.
Can the door be flipped over? It looks like the raised part should be toward the gear.
I would imagine it could be flipped, but the door is really identical no matter whether its flipped up or down. If you look at around the 9:58 minute mark you can see the top is the same as the bottom, even with the same spacing between the first hole and the edge, so I'm not sure it would have any effect.
@@HomesteadDIY Not flipping it up or down, but rather can you turn the door around where the vertical grooves are facing the gear hub? At 15:11 I noticed they are facing away from the gear hub. May no do a thing, but if the allowances are tight it just might make a difference.
Cant trust a guy who mix and matches batteries ;)
People like that are the worst!
Right? The best chinese engineers and technicians worked on this amazing automatic chicken door, best value on the market..... IF you have the common sense not to mix energizer and duracell, disgraceful.
@@korzer I’m hanging my head in shame
@@HomesteadDIY batteries are batteries right? What the hell mix match damn That's crazy to comment mixed match batteries
just imagine if one was rechargeable 😱do i dare?
My chinese door goes very well ! you are doing things backwards! When you start you see that it systematically tries to open since it is daytime, when it blocks you must therefore push it up and not down like you are doing! Then, when you go to hide the cell (which is on the indicator light) the door will bend down and stall down, that's the "tak tak"! I have had the Chinese door for 6 months, currently winter with snow and frost and it still works well without having changed the batteries! Analyze how it works and you will understand!
Mine is doing the same thing
With the holes in the door doesn't it allow wind to blow thru, causing a draft? That was my concern with this design.
I guess that could be a concern, or you could look at it as ventilation to help keep air circulating :) Because I wrap my run in plastic in the winter it's not an issue for me.
No roosts should be air tight anyway. They all need ventilation.
Thanks for this video! I was doubting my purchase of the run chicken, but this made me feel a lot better :)
Where do I find the 35$ chicken door?
Temu mine works perfectly i pais 23.00
2 pieces of thin foam sticky tape on the mounting board creates pressure ( smooth side ) on the plastic door against the Gear. Fixed. Again, place sticky tape on the wood on each side where the gear track will be. The tape is now on the wood. Now install the unit against that tapes smooth side. The pressure pushing back toward the door should seal the track tight against the gear.
That works too! Had I thought of that I'm sure I would have been too lazy to run to the store to get some. :) Whatever you have on had to apply constant pressure I'm sure will do the trick to allow the gear to engage. Of course, that causes me to question a lot of the other build standards in the opener and how long they will last, but it should give you *at least* a one or two years of service.
It is like Harbor Fright tools, they are 1/4 the price, but usually need some work to make them good.
$30 is actually a lot for what these things do. I'm building one it costs about $10 to make one.
The fix for this one seems to me is stiffen the plastic door so it does not bend away from the gear.
@@murraymadness4674 the old saying, you get what you pay for, comes to mind. Your $10 version sounds intriguing!
@@HomesteadDIY For $160, they should come install it is what you pay for!
My wimpy version uses a $5 r/c servo (mg996) converted to full rotation, and a $2 microprocessor (esp01). The panel should be aluminum or much thicker plastic so it doesn't bend. If you have a 3d printer, you can print the track and gears which cost about $2. The esp01 also has wifi, so you connect with your phone to open/close and set the times.
The servo is a little weak, a $10 stepper motor is much better, but then it needs a $5 micro and a $3 stepper driver chip. If you have the power available, it can use the stepper to hold the door closed quite strongly.
Another option is just use a car window motor, I happen to have junk parts like this, to buy new they are not particularly cheap, but they are even stronger,
and because they use a worm gear, they hold the position without any power needed.
@@murraymadness4674 Ha! I hear you. The $160 version (about $200 these days) is made of powder coated aluminum, but you still have to install it yourself. And your "wimpy" version is all well above my pay grade. I've always wanted to learn about servos, stepper motors, arduinos, and more but I need my hand held through the process. So instead I've been willing to pay up for convenience and letting others figure that stuff out :)
Hey I’m trying to use the coupon and it’s not working! Any ideas?
I would drop the company a note at team_at_run-chicken.com (use the @ symbol of course) and let them know. I've found the company to be super responsive when the coupon has gotten "stuck" a couple of times in the past. Cheers!
I have the $30 one. It sucks! Doesn't open or close constantly
do you have a name for the thumb nail chicken?
Lol, no, I haven't named my chickens
the design of these cheap ones has changed slightly, just did a video on hacking one, and they added a back plate to ensure the cog engages with the door correctly, havent had any issues with it and it was only 10$ I believe :)
Looks like the manufacturers saw my video! :) But that’s a great deal for $10!
Let me give you some advise. Anytime you want to see if something is in a bind. Disconnect the power. Turn or raise up and down to see where it’s binding. Not with power. Big or little
does it have a plastic gear ?
Both models do, but the Run-Chicken gear seems a bit sturdier and more robust than the $30 knockoff.
I brought the same one as you got. That's the cheapest one. And it didn't work. Have to go through and get my money back. The door will close, but it still runs after it closes. Have to remove the battery. Not happy Jan.
Definitely hit or miss with getting these things to function. Also, we need to bring back the LGB chant to all sporting events again! :)
Great video. I’m having trouble trying to use the coupon code through Amazon though
Let me contact the company and see what's up.
I contacted Run Chicken and they said the coupon got accidentally deactivated during a site upgrade, but they're re-activated it and it's good to go! Cheers!
I'm on Pinterest I see chicken run door for $59.00 Kept watching ad and the pictures changes to the cheapo Chinese knock off. Crooked Hillary I bet I decide to video search I found you . Awesome job Thanks so much. Great video
Killary, you mean? Lol thanks!
You need a very thin shim on the back so the entire unit so it can be affixed to a trebuchet. This will assure that once you release the launching lever on the trebuchet the plastic junk will be able to hit the county dump 200 meters away from the launch site. Buying products from The Prick (PRC China) is a cause-effect relationship; buying PRC products causes one to experience the effects of anger and disappointment.
Lol! But really, who doesn’t want a trebuchet? In reality though, more often than not you do get what you pay for. When possible I avoid buying Chinese made goods, though with so many companies outsourcing the manufacture (and jobs) of products to China it’s difficult. Even when buying from American businesses, you’re still supporting china’s slave-driven economy which really is bothersome
Bought a metal alderman for half the price of run chicken. Works fine. Bought a solar trail cam battery to run it
I never heard of that company before, so I looked it up and it looks like a decent unit. I also like the digital display on the front of the unit. I think these metal units are the key to quality and getting a properly functioning door. Good find!
@@HomesteadDIY there's a bunch a names but I'm learning they all use the same chip. Prolly made cheap in a factory and then someone slaps a brand on them.
How about a small wheel behind door?
Possible, but that's more work than I'm willing to expend
I had a ton of problems when I tried those low dollar ones. Some of the problems I had include not being able to get it to fully open and close (usually stops halfway up or down), significant binding on the door up/down motion in the slot, poor molding (LOTS of flashing) on the gear slots on the door. Basically, I had the same problems he did.
There's a reason the phrase "you get what you pay for" exists. Also, I enjoy the screen name :)
@@HomesteadDIY Thanks. :) Yeah that's generally true. I found them on some crazy sale though for like $15, so I figured I could always get my money out of the parts even if the door was a loser. They'll end up getting recycled into other electronics projects.
@@jdrhea6712 Actually yes ! He did NOT set it to the 1st notch ! That IS NEEDED ! ( I know I did it too !) It worked great for summer months , but the light sensor is too sensitive & closes the door too soon , now that days are shorter .
I saw the cheap ones on sale for $15 and bought two, knowing full well that they were probably junk. The skipping issue has to do with how the black motor part is assembled to the rest of it. I had the same issue with both of them. The motors are literally just glued in and they're not sticking out far enough to reliably catch the door. You can fix it if you're mechanically inclined. The other problem is that whatever timer they have in the control board doesn't run the motor as long to close it as it does to open. So they never close all the way! Total junk product.
That being said, I was able to fix it with a $15 wifi 2ch relay board. You can power these with USB, which is 5v. The motor is also 5v. Run negative voltage to the normally closed (NC) contacts of each relay, and positive to the normally open (NO) contacts. Then put one motor lead on each of the common contacts for the relays. This way, when you close one, the other one is already closed to ground and the motor will run. Close the other relay, and the motor runs in the opposite direction. When both relays are in the same state (on or off) the motor is essentially braked because it has the same polarity on both leads. These wifi relay boards can be set up as "inching" relays, meaning they'll run for a specific amount of time. I also don't need to worry about using a photoeye because I can use google home to tell the device to open the door at sunrise and close the door 30 minutes after sunset. I can also open/close the doors any time I want from anywhere.
I would not recommend buying these doors, but if you did, they can be salvaged and turned into "smart" doors relatively cheaply. They can't stay battery powered after that though.
I put two cheap ones in each coop so if one malfunctions the other is going to work. $40 vs $200. ?
So you double the risk of a predator getting its chance?
It says
The promotional code you entered is not valid
There have been a few problems over time with the code expiring. If you contact the company directly and let them know you're trying to get the discount code from my video, they'll be very helpful in applying it for you.
You had it way to tight on the cheap model. That metal cage wiring was rubbing and not free like the more expensive model
Actually I didn't. Well, initially i did, but I loosened the screws and the hardware cloth did not interfere with its movement (it just looks like it might be). The real problem is it's made of cheap, thin plastic so it flexes. Once I added a couple of stiffeners to the back of the unit it worked better.
The promo code doesn't seem to work for me.
There have been a few problems over time with the code expiring. If you contact the company directly and let them know you're trying to get the discount code from my video, they'll be very helpful in applying it for you. I know you should have to do that, but as I said the company is very accommodating in applying the discount for you. Cheers!
Thanks for saving us all $30
after 6 months, I think my Happy Chicken coop door is doing the same thing. I think it's bent away from the gear enough that it isn't catching. but I don't want to spend another $170. Thanks.
I just looked at the specs of the Happy Chicken door. I hadn't seen it previously. I do like the exact programmability of it, but I see the door seems to be made of ABS plastic (I also notice the price has gone up to $190). Although the manufacturer says they've tested it in extreme temperature conditions, I can't help but wonder if the ABS also flexes as you seem to be seeing. I do like that the Run-Chicken door is powder-coated aluminum, so that doesn't seem like it will be an issue for me. Good luck in getting your door to operate properly again. Perhaps you can hack some solution as I did with the cheap door in the video. Cheers!
@@HomesteadDIY hmm, my door is metal, not plastic. It closes at night like it's supposed to but lately hasn't been opening in the morning. Maybe my husband can figure it our because I didn't.
I bought the (chinese) version as you call it. It works perfectly. Maybe you are a little biased in your opinion.
Maybe. The other higher quality one worked flawlessly out of the box. The cheap Chinese one, not so much. I do tend to be biased against products that don’t work as advertised. I’m glad yours did though. Sometimes it’s a hot or miss thing. Cheers!
Plus HE needs to follow instructions !!!!!! That's WHY it doesn't open fully , set door to 1st hole ! (I know , I have one) Mine was too sensitive to low light. Closed too soon .
@@greglansberry4376 and yet after gerry rigging the door with the plastic standoffs it was able to work. So maybe it really is just a cheap Chinese knockoff that I wouldn’t want to entrust the safety of my chickens to long term. YMMV
Maybe Run Chicken stole their design and upped the price? Who knows. Thanks for doing this video!
Lol! That's always a possibility. Cheers!
🤣😂🤣😂
I want to see somebody do a review of Chinese made parachutes.
Reminds me of the old Bugs Bunny cartoon where he does a magic trick of drinking nitroglycerin and explosive ingredients then he explodes, killing himself. As an angel he says, "yeah it's a great trick, but you can only do it once."
The fact that you can pull the door up is even more worrying than it not working properly. Imagine someones works just fine and closes at night, and restaurant! A raccoon wonders over and just opens up the door to his favorite restaurant!
Hey. Great review! Were you ever able to get a refund/ return the cheap door?
I actually never bothered trying. But as a product purchased from Amazon, there wouldn't have been an issue. I did get a second door from Run Chicken and decided to hang onto the cheaper version as an emergency backup. I'm not really expecting any problems, heck even the original batteries on the first one are still going strong after a year and a half, but you never know.
Install is wrong
You have the door installed backwards
The slide door had a raised area on one side allowing the gears to engage
Glad you made this video. That cheap Chinese made crap is a waste of money and nor is it "operator error" on your part, I think will go with the old fashion manual method of me opening and closing the door, can't trust technology all the time.
Thanks! I don't think it's operator error either, but hey! I was fine with the manual opening/closing too, but when I needed to go away for a week on business, I needed an automatic solution. And while Im usually out checking on my chickens daily anyway (and collecting eggs) I gotta admit it's nice not *having* to be out there at sunrise/sunset to open and close the door :) Cheers!
Great comparison, thanks! I tried to use your coupon code too, but it doesn't work?
I’ll check back with the company. They said the other day the coupon had been accidentally deactivated during a site upgrade but was reactivated. I’ll get them on it!
I contacted the company they said the coupon should be working. Cheers!
You need to turn the door.
Yeah, it doesn’t work that way
Just a guess. The door was binding on the hardware cloth which is why it didn't raise fully
Nah. There's plenty of clearance. That was my initial thought too, that there wasn't enough room for it to rise, but there is sufficient space that it doesn't hit the hardware cloth at all.
@@HomesteadDIY hmm.. I know mine can be very sensitive to dirty tracks or any binding at all on the door. Even screwed in too tight
Honestly they're a neat thing but after dealing with one I'm going to follow one of the videos on here to build a wifi solar door for half the price
real question is, is it raccoon skunk opossum fox, dog safe.
Two years running now and not a single incident. I do have lots of raccoons (who doesn't?) and I've never noticed an attempt. And there are some enormous skunks I've caught on my security camera and they haven't gotten in (if they ever tried). My own dog plays with the chickens so that's no answer. But the expensive door is made out of aluminum and the motor is more robust than the cheap version so I doubt an animal can get in. I can say I sleep soundly at night not worrying about the chickens' safety
Cool man !
Been looking for a review on the $30 version I'm seeing everywhere. I think I'll pass 😆
Agreed! Also with it being plastic and not powder coated aluminum like the Run Chicken model, I wonder how well the Chinese knockoff can withstand extremes in temperature. Plastic tends to get very brittle in cold temps and can warp in hot. Where I live we often have sub-zero temps in winter and 100F days in summer. Even if it worked properly I doubt it would last very long being subjected to those extremes. I have no such concerns with the Run Chicken door
I tried your code on Amazon... got nothing off.
Bought it anyway.
Any chance you can connect me with your contact at headquarters to get that discount applied?!
Hey Andrew, I sent you an email. Cheers!
@@HomesteadDIY I did not get it, I sent an email to the email address you have on file here.
@@andrewreed85 Weird. I didn't get yours either. FWIW, the one I sent to you was to the photography address. But try team@run-chicken.
@@HomesteadDIY excellent thank you. Just emailed you there. 🙏
It’s actually $15 now on temu worth it lol
Soon you'll be able to buy a 3 pack of them at Dollar Tree for $1.25
On Alibaba for $4 each so they're still making good profit
La vidéo est en anglais !
Vente en France
yeah my cheap A$$ door (was not so Cheap $60) quit going up after 2 weeks now, it just stops about an inch up, it doesn't even keep trying, like a jam, it WILL go down though, at first thought it was batteries but new ones proved wrong. going to try and "HACK" it.
I would buy the original if you have a coupon on this video or on social media. The price is not so bad, and you have no worries afterward.
I actually got it to work by taking the motor off and flipped it up side down on the back side, can't put top screws in to mount so I only used 4, and the open and close buttons work opposite easy hack, see how long it lasts
I found that the wood I had mounted the door too swelled a bit in rain so it ended up pinching the door and prevented it from moving. Make sure whatever surface the cheap a$$ door is mounted to is treated or otherwise protected from the elements.
@@HomesteadDIY I was thinking the same thing, after taking it apart though I found a few pieces of plastic shavings I don't know where they came from. but then I put the door through some test and it did seem it might be pinching , I noted the motor was a lot more powerful than I was thinking. as in the above video the same problem was the gear would push the door out and slip but why did it keep stopping.
So I did the reverse upside down thing and it seems to be working fine. I will report back if I start having trouble again with it.
You didn't show how your expensive door worked
I did a separate video on that door. I think it's called "Automate Your Chicken Coop"
It's literally getting caught on your fencing bro...
It’s literally not though. It’s cheap craftsmanship and plastic parts that are the cause and a lack of quality control. It can be adjusted to make it work, but it’s not getting caught on the hardware cloth.
Definitely the sprocket system they used. It would be jumping if it was the fence.
Thank you so much for taking that one apart... I could just put a different sprocket on their gear and have a $30 door that works like the $200 door. Either that or make smaller holes because the gears are spinning too fast. Needs more slots to grab or maybe if they set those holes that little angles it would probably work out great
Get some door seal or sticky foam. Cut to fit
@@austingibson4939 That's a possible solution too!
I had the same problems. you get what you pay for
Agreed!
I saw after you turned it over the track was not raised so it makes no difference which way the door is turned... Sorry!
Ha! I hear ya! Also, it came from the factory that way. Thanks for watching!
Try flipping the door around.
The door is pretty much the same on both sides. What would that accomplish?
@HomesteadDIY From the video, it looks like the middle strip where the small cog rides on is raised on one side? This would bring it slightly closer allowing for better contact. If it's just an optical illusion, then it won't work. I'm just trying to help. Love your channel.
@@frankm2385 thanks I appreciate it. I do think both sides are identical though, but I’ll give it a look
Thank you sir for taking care in showing us not to buy Chinese Garbage! We are buying the real one now! Even if it’s not made here anymore, I’d really rather not support a hostile regime
turn the door inside out its backwards
the door is backwards (inside out)
I don’t think that’s the issue. For one, the door came mounted that way from the factory, but two, the sides are identical, flat sheets of perforated plastic. But thanks for the suggestion
I removed the control box and mounted it on the back side of the door assembly and it works great now. No issues at all.
Oh, also flip the door around in the track when you relocate the control to the backside.
@@forrestodell4322 Oh, now that's an interesting fix.
@@forrestodell4322 Is it still working great for you now?
I think a car motor would work great and cost almost nothing, and found a video of someone already did it..
ua-cam.com/video/bqAIN8awW4M/v-deo.html
I had considered building my own originally using a wiper motor. You used to be able to get them fairly cheap, like $15, but they’re much more expensive today, but you might be able to get one in a scrap yard. Window motors were another consideration. I’ve used both in making animated Halloween props as they’re strong and durable, but wrapping my head around wiring limit switches and timers overwhelmed my grey cells. Definitely doable for someone such as yourself
I have some deer feeders that go off using this same type of sensor. Dusk/dawn I believe. My concern is motor and the type of loop.
Well… what’s with the Slovenia silhuette? 😂
It's made in Slovenia
Fell for the same cheap piece of Chinese junk. Was about to cut a hole in the side of the coop but decided to see if it worked. The plastic door is so flexible it doesn’t engage the gear. No way it is going to work correctly. Stay away from Chinese copies.
Agreed!
I bought one of the same and it didn’t want to engage. I removed the control box, reinstalled it on the back side of the door, and remounted the door. It works great now.
Just tried my cheap one and it doesn’t close all the way. Tested it a few times before I even did any screwing
@@LoreDeluge That was probably smart. They take a bit of re-engineering to get to work somewhat ok.
Yeah, ALL the cheap ones are totally not functional. the gear has rounded ends that will slip. they are also poorly centered in the holes. The cheap ass plastic flexes to make it slip.
Agreed. The old saying you get what you pay for certainly applies here
Not an unbiased test. You have the cheap one sandwiched between a fence and a board, while the expensive one is not blocked.
Of course it's unbiased. The cheap one had zero interference from the hardware cloth. There's plenty of space for the door to move up and down without touch anything. And you can see even before the door started moving it wasn't engaging the gear so the fencing had nothing to do with it. I appreciate you taking the time though to check the video out and commenting. Other people may have different experiences, of course, but this was completely unbiased. Cheers!
You should get off the internet Cheryl
Exactly a biased review
Trop cher pour cette très basse qualité. Tout en plastique trop fin. Aucune résistance face à un renard ou une fouine. Pas de réglage horaire, d'ailleurs aucun réglage. Je ne vais même pas l'installer et en acheter une autre auprès de concurrents. Finalement, le bon marché est souvent trop cher.
Tellement vrai (j'espère que google translate a fait ça correctement)
These are both Chinese brands just one lesser quality than the other lol
Lol! But actually the higher quality Run-Chicken model is made in Slovenia in the E.U.
🤣
Cheap parts, slave labor. Go figure
I don’t disagree
I also bought the cheap one first by mistake and it’s just another Chinese fake copy piece of sh…!!!
They even copied the user manual of the more expensive original showing features that this Chinese crap doesn‘t even have!
Lol another company sent me a digital screen version and while it was ok, it had the wrong instructions on how to set it up screen printed on the unit. They probably did the same thing and copied some other model without realizing their own unit didn’t operate the same way
This is the worst automatic door on the market (Run-Chicken). Their support is criminal. Save your money. Or be ready to buy a new one inside a year. There are much better options with superior support.
I'll disagree. I'm into my third year with this door and it's worked flawlessly. I know have a second one and so far it's been the same. I can't comment on customer service tho because I haven't had a problem. I will say tho people have different experiences. My Chinese model was a piece of junk yet I still get comments from people saying how great theirs is. I guess that's where customer support omes into play. But again, I find the Run-Chicken model to be terrific.
@@HomesteadDIY I was like you, couldnt wait to tell anyone and everyone how awesome it was. Until it stopped working and I was introduced to their service. (call center) Criminal