$30 vs $200 Automatic Chicken Coop Door 

the way you installed is not right sir.

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.

I'm quite confident this is user error. I have the same door and it works great.

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

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.

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!!!!!

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...

Just installed our new Run Chicken opener today. Seems very well made. I hope we’re happy with it. Thanks for your video.

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.

Thanks for this video! I was doubting my purchase of the run chicken, but this made me feel a lot better :)

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.

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.

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!

Cant trust a guy who mix and matches batteries ;)

Wish I would have saw this video before I bought a cheap one. Your cheap on does better than mine.

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.

I bought the (chinese) version as you call it. It works perfectly. Maybe you are a little biased in your opinion.

Thank you for taking the time to make this video

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!

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.

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.

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.

Can the door be flipped over? It looks like the raised part should be toward the gear.

You had it way to tight on the cheap model. That metal cage wiring was rubbing and not free like the more expensive model

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

With the choice between no automatic door and the $30 option what would you go with

2:40 Point does NOT go to the knock off. That opening may be "convenient" but it is also more prone to water damage.

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 :)

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.

The promo code doesn't seem to work for me.

Thanx for the great review. Very helpful

@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.

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.

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!

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.

I put two cheap ones in each coop so if one malfunctions the other is going to work. $40 vs $200. ?

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

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

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

Bought a metal alderman for half the price of run chicken. Works fine. Bought a solar trail cam battery to run it

My expensive one stopped working. Never worked so thinking of buying the cheap motor on the more expensive door? You think it will fit?

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!

Thanks for saving us all $30

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 want to see somebody do a review of Chinese made parachutes.

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.

Maybe Run Chicken stole their design and upped the price? Who knows. Thanks for doing this video!

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.

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 have the $30 one. It sucks! Doesn't open or close constantly

You have the door installed backwards

Hey I’m trying to use the coupon and it’s not working! Any ideas?

nicely done

It’s actually $15 now on temu worth it lol

do you have a name for the thumb nail chicken?

Mine is doing the same thing

What hole size should I cut before mine gets here?

Great video. I’m having trouble trying to use the coupon code through Amazon though

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.

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.

How about a small wheel behind door?

Install is wrong

Where do I find the 35$ chicken door?

It says The promotional code you entered is not valid

does it have a plastic gear ?

It's literally getting caught on your fencing bro...

I had the same problems. you get what you pay for

Just a guess. The door was binding on the hardware cloth which is why it didn't raise fully

You need to turn the door.

Been looking for a review on the $30 version I'm seeing everywhere. I think I'll pass 😆

You didn't show how your expensive door worked

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. Great review! Were you ever able to get a refund/ return the cheap door?

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.

real question is, is it raccoon skunk opossum fox, dog safe.

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

Not an unbiased test. You have the cheap one sandwiched between a fence and a board, while the expensive one is not blocked.

I saw after you turned it over the track was not raised so it makes no difference which way the door is turned... Sorry!

Try flipping the door around.

Great comparison, thanks! I tried to use your coupon code too, but it doesn't work?

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.

La vidéo est en anglais ! Vente en France

Well… what’s with the Slovenia silhuette? 😂

turn the door inside out its backwards the door is backwards (inside out)

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.

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.

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!

I think a car motor would work great and cost almost nothing, and found a video of someone already did it.. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bqAIN8awW4M.html

Cheap parts, slave labor. Go figure

These are both Chinese brands just one lesser quality than the other lol

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 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.

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.

Absolutely helpful video!! Thank you for saving me $30!!! Subscribed!

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