HOMEMADE GRAVITY DEER FEEDER. I USED 55 GAL. PLASTIC BARREL WITH 4' PVC FOR FEEDING TUBES. I USED TREATED 2X4X8's FOR LEGS. TOOK ABOUT 2 HOURS TO BUILD.
Six years after you made this video, and it’s still helping people. I have a 55gal that I’m wanting to make into a feeder. I had no idea where to start, and this is exactly how I will do it. THANK YOU!
Dale I watched a lot of home made deer feeder videos. This is the one. I’m going to try and make some. Thank you for taking the time to show me how it is done. You are the man.
I love this idea, I'm building 2 feeders from 30 and 40 gallon barrels. Barrels I already have. I like the idea of getting the corn away from the barrel. Thanks for the great video!
YOUR VERY WELCOME. THAT'S WHY I MADE THE VIDEO. WHEN I WAS WANTING TO BUILD A GRAVITY FEEDER, I COULDN'T FIND BUT A FEW VIDEO'S THAT HELPED ME AND GOT ME STARTED IN THAT DIRECTION. I CREATED MY FEEDER FROM THAT FOUNDATION.
I've been looking for a way to utilize a plastic barrel that I have and this idea is awesome. I plan on using it as a protein feeder. Thanks for a great video and idea. I will also add a couple T-Posts to stabilize the set-up and keep it from falling over.
I've been looking at different feeders, and this is by far the best I've seen. Amazing video, and great job going indepth with all aspects of the build.
THANKS. I WAS WANTING TO BE HELPFUL. THAT'S THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAD WHEN I STARTED RESEARCHING MYSELF. MINE HAVE BEEN IN THE WOODS FOR 6 MONTHS NOW AND ARE DOING GREAT.
just built one myself like it gravity feeders are the best in my opinion no batteries and plus I think it keeps the deer in your area because they always know there will be food there not having to wait for a timer! people don't think about that much 😛
STEVE, GO WITH A METAL BARREL WITH LID IF POSSIBLE.....IF THE EXTRA WEIGHT ISN'T A FACTOR FOR YOU. THAT WILL ELIMINATE HAVING TO MODIFY THE PLASTIC BARREL. ALSO, MINE HAVE BEEN IN THE WOODS CONSTANTLY SINCE EARLY 2016 (ABOUT 18 MONTHS). I KEEP TRAIL CAMS ON THEM JUST TO KEEP TRACK OF THE DEER ACTIVITY. HERE IS ONE THING THAT I'VE NOTICED FROM THE PICS. ALL DOES, YOUNG BUCKS AND EVEN LARGER BUCKS WILL EAT FROM THE FEEDING TUBE WITH NO PROBLEM. BUT I HAVE ONE FEEDER WHERE THERE'S AN EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD BUCK VISITING THE FEEDER. I'VE NOTICED FROM THE PICS FROM THE LAST 2 MONTHS (AS HIS RACK HAS REALLY GOTTEN BIG) THAT HE'LL STAND BACK AND LET OTHER DEER EAT AND THEN HE'LL STEP UP AND FEED FROM WHAT THEY DROP ON THE GROUND.....NEVER HAVE GOTTEN A PIC OF HIM ACTUALLY EATING FROM THE FEEDING TUBE. SO I DECIDED TO MODIFY THE FEEDER ( ABOUT MONTH AGO) JUST TO SEE IF IT WOULD CHANGE HIS BEHAVIOR. I TOOK OFF THE 45' ELBOW AT THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBES. I LEFT THE TUBES GOING DOWN AS THEY WERE, BUT CUT AN ANGLE ON THEM (WHERE I REMOVED THE 45) THAT WOULD MAKE THEM FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. THEN I SHORTENED MY 2X4 LEGS TO WHERE IT DROPPED THE FEEDER ITSELF DOWN TO WHERE THE FEEDING TUBES WERE ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM TOUCHING THE GROUND. THAT WAY, THE FEED JUST GRAVITY FED ONTO THE GROUND IN A SMALL PILE INSTEAD OF FALLING INTO THE 45 AT THE END OF THE TUBE. ALL OF THIS WAS EASY TO DO IN THE WOODS....I JUST TOOK MY BATTERY POWERED SAW, DRILL AND SAWS ALL AND REMOVED THE BASE (I BUILT IT USING 3 INCH SCREWS), CUT THE LEGS DOWN, CUT THE FEEDING TUBES DOWN, RE-ENSTALLED THE BASE AND THAT WAS IT. I CHECKED MY CAMERA'S ON 8-29-17 AND HE WAS AT THE FEEDER FOR 32 MINUTES. I GOT A CONSTANT FLOW OF PICS OF HIM USING THE FEEDER FOR A STRAIGHT 32 MINUTES...HE WAS IN EVERY FRAME EITHER EATING OR STANDING BY OTHER DEER THAT HAD STEPPED UP. THE POINT IS, THIS MADE HIM FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IN USING THE FEEDER THAN BEFORE WHEN HE HAD TO USE THE 45' ELBOW. THIS MAY JUST BE THIS ONE BUCK'S PERSONALITY.....I DON'T KNOW. BUT, IF IT MAKES HIM USE IT LONGER AND MORE (AND MAYBE OTHER BIG BUCKS TOO), THEN THIS IS JUST AS EASY OF A WAY TO BUILD IT TOO. I'M JUST TRYING TO BE AS MUCH HELP TO PEOPLE AS I CAN AND WANT TO SHARE WHAT I'M LEARNING. IT'S ALL A LEARNING PROCESS FOR ME TOO. THANKS
THANKS JOE. IF YOU CAN MAKE ONE WITH A METAL BARREL AND LID INSTEAD OF A PLASTIC BARREL, IT'LL ILLIMINATE HAVING TO PUT THE MATTING AROUND THE LID. OVERALL, A METAL BARREL WORKS BEST IF YOUR OK WITH THE WEIGHT DIFFERENCE.......DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU GOT TO TAKE IT TO SET IT UP. THANKS AGAIN
Outstanding my friend very nice work and very creative I may add I will be looking forward to making myself a feeder like this thanks a bunch for sharing I have now subscribe to your Chanel and looking forward to your next video!
I APPRECIATE IT. I BASICALLY JUST RESEARCHED WHAT WAS MOST POPULAR AND THEN DID MY OWN TESTS ON SEEING HOW WELL THE FEED FELL AND SO FORTH. I HAVE MADE SOME CHANGES TO A FEW OF MINE BECAUSE I'M A DEER HUNTER . I SHORTENED THE LEGS TO WHERE THE FEEDING TUBE ALMOST TOUCHED THE GROUND. THEN I REMOVED THE '45 ON THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBE. I NOTICED THAT I HAD SOME VERY LARGE MATURE BUCKS THAT WOULD NOT EAT FROM THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBE. THEY WERE JUST TOO CAUTIOUS. THEY'D STAY BACK AND LET OTHER DEER EAT AND THEN COME UP AFTER THEY WERE FINISHED AND EAT WHAT WAS SPILLED ON THE GROUND. I NOTICED THAT THEY WOULD RATHER EAT OFF THE GROUND VS PUTTING THEIR MOUTH IN A TUBE. SINCE I SHORTENED THEM, THE BIGGER BUCKS WILL WALK RIGHT UP AND EAT NOW. I NEEDED FOR THEM TO BE COMFORTABLE AT THE FEEDERS AND NOT BE NERVOUS. NOW YOUNGER BUCKS AND DOES EAT OUT OF IT FINE, BUT THE BIG ONE'S IS WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN. BEST OF LUCK WITH YOUR FEEDER BUILD. THANKS AGAIN
Will the feeder ever fall over I have learned so much from your video can you make another homemade deer feeder this feeder is cheaper than a tube feeder with a think at the bottom I suggest you should make a video on making an antler trap with binge cords I have make acoue an the work well
Do you have any issues with the feeder being pushed over? Did you secure it once you placed it in the field? I’m worried about hogs pushing it over. Thanks, great video!
Looks good. We have an out of control feral hog problem, however. Thinking about concreting excess leg into ground while still keeping feed height high enough for deer but too low for hogs. What do you think? Thanks, Bill Epperson
YEAH, YOU COULD DO THAT, BUT WOULD MAKE MOVING THE FEEDER IN THE FUTURE A BIT MORE OF A JOB. YOU COULD COME UP ON EACH LEG ABOUT 8-12 INCHES AND DRILL A 45 DEGREE HOLE FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THEN DRIVE A PIECE OF REBAR FROM INSIDE OUT INTO THE GROUND FOR STRENGTH AND STABILITY.
I really like it as well. Do you have any trouble with coons getting out on the end of your pvc pipe and then the weight of the coons breaking your pipe off ?
i'm making one now all i got left to do is glue the feed part in, make the legs and finish lid. debating on painting it or just using some old camp burlap
ARE YOU BUILDING YOURS OUT OF A PLASTIC OR METAL DRUM. HONESTLY, I THINK PAINTING THEM IS REALLY MORE A PEACE OF MIND THING FOR US AND NOT THE DEER. ....AFTER THEY COME ACCUSTOMED THAT IT HAS FEED IN IT, I DON'T THINK THE COLOR IS A BIG DEAL.....AS LONG AS IT'S A NEUTRAL TYPE COLOR AND NOT A LOUD COLOR. IF YOU HAVE SOME BURLAP, I'D JUST PUT THAT ON IT. CONCEALING THEM SOME HELPS AGAINST OTHER HUNTERS/PEOPLE IN THE WOODS FINDING IT AND POSSIBLY TAMPERING WITH IT. I PAINTED MINE 16 MONTHS AGO AND THEY STILL LOOK GOOD. I'VE GOT 2 OF MINE IN OLD ROAD BEDS AROUND A FARM AND ONE THING THAT I DID DO TO HELP THEM BLEND IN IS I CUT LITTLE SAPLING TREES THAT WERE GROWING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ZIP TIED THEM TO THE LEGS JUST SO THEY WOULDN'T STAND OUT IN THE OPEN ROAD BED. GOOD LUCK AND HUNTING. THANKS
mines out of plastic also, the neighbor guy has alot at his business so he just gave me the drum and least here i dont worry to much bout tampering cause its gonna be in back yard
I like your feeder, I don't hunt just feed the deer and turkey so me and the wife can watch them, does the corn go out the 4" pipe to the ground or does it stay in the end of the 45' have been broadcasting by hand about 2 1/2 gal every other day and have had some nice Bucks and a lot of Does come up, would like to change the way I do things
Dale Walker what’s the exact name of the rubber you bought from TS so i know what to look for great idea by the way I already have a barrel been thinking of what to do with it
Thanks for the video, how thick is the rubber matting you've used? I've read some reviews on tractor supply saying if you bent the 1/4" rubber matting any at all it cracked on them... Did you have any problems with cracking while installing in the lid or since its been out in the weather? Thanks again!
JUSTIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW THICK THE RUBBER MATTING IS THAT I USED. I JUST TOLD THE GUY AT TRACTOR SUPPLY WHAT I WAS WANTING TO DO AND HE SUGGESTED THE RUBBER MATTING. HE CUT IT FOR ME IN 6 INCH WIDTHS AND IT WAS EASY TO BEND AROUND THE LID. MINE WENT THRU ONE WHOLE SPRING, SUMMER AND WINTER AND AS FAR AS THE MATTING ITSELF, IT HELD UP FINE AND WOULD OF HELP UP FOR A LONG TIME. BUT THE PROBLEM IS SQUIRRELS. NOT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET INTO THE BARREL FOR THE FEED, CAUSE THERE'S PLENTY THAT IS AVAILABLE OUT THE FEEDING TUBES. PROBLEM WITH THE SQUIRRELS IS THAT THEY JUST LIKE TO CHEW ON THINGS. THEY NEVER BOTHERED THE BARREL OR THE FEEDING TUBES, THEY CHEWED ON THE RUBBER MATTING. I HAD TO REPLACE IT THE FOLLOWING SPRING WHICH WAS EASY TO DO. JUST TOOK MORE MATTING IN THE WOODS WITH MY CORDLESS DRILL, BACKED OUT THE SCREWS AND RE-ENSTALLED THE NEW MATTIING. I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO THRU THIS EVERY YEAR, SO I CUT PLYWOOD CIRCLES ABOUT 2 INCHES BIGGER THAN MY BARREL. THAT WAY THERE'S MORE THAN ENOUGH OVERHAND ALL THE WAY AROUND. NO RAIN CAN GO UP UNDERNEATH AND INTO THE BARREL WITH THAT MUCH OVER HANG (IT'D HAVE TO BE RAINING SIDEWAYS). THEN I DRILLED A SMALL HOLE IN THE PLYWOOD LID ON BOTH SIDES SO I COULD ATTACH THE BUNGIE CORD....SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE THE ORIGINAL BARREL LID ANY MORE. ON MINE, IF YOU LOOK UNDER THE PLYWOOD LID AFTER IT'S ON THE BARREL, YOU CAN SEE SOME SMALL "CRACKS" OR "WAVEY OPENINGS" HERE AND THERE BECAUSE I DIDN'T CUT THE LID OFF THE BARREL PERFECTLY STRAIGHT/ROUND. THAT'S WHY I CUT THE PLYWOOD LID LARGER TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR OVERHANG TO STILL GIVE THOSE OPENINGS SHELTER. I DID THE NEW LIDS IN APRIL 2017 AND NOW IT'S DECEMBER 2017 (8 MONTHS LATER) AND HAD NO PROBLEMS AT ALL WITH MOISTURE IN MY FEED AND I ELIMINATED THE SQUIRREL PROBLEM. AS A ADDED MEASURE JUST IN CASE MY BUNGIE CORD WERE TO BREAK BEFORE I CHECKED THE FEEDER AGAIN, I PUT A BIG ROCK ON TOP SO THAT THE SQUIRRELS AND COONS COULDN'T SLIDE MY WOOD LID OFF. OF COURSE I PAINTED THE PLYWOOD LID TO MAKE IT MORE UNIFORMED TO THE BARREL AND ALSO PAINTING WILL HELP PROTECT THE WOOD AGAINST THE WEATHER. IF YOU HAVE READ ANY OF THE OTHER POSTS, I PUT ONE ON HERE SAYING THAT A METAL BARREL WITH A REMOVEABLE LID WILL WORK BEST IF YOU CAN BE OK WITH THE EXTRA ADDED WEIGHT OF THE FEEDER. THE EXTRA WEIGHT MIGHT BE A PROBLEM IF YOUR HAVING TO CARRY IT ANY TO WHERE YOUR GONNA SET IT UP. BUT MOST PEOPLE NOW DAYS HAVE 4-WHEELERS OR SIDE-BY-SIDES AND THAT WON'T BE A PROBLEM. SO, I'VE GOT 3 PLASTIC BARREL FEEDERS WITH PLYWOOD LIDS NOW (AND THEY ARE GIVING ME NO PROBLEMS IN ANY WAY) AND ONE METAL BARREL FEEDER THAT HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE OF PUTTING IT OUT. I WAS THINKING ABOUT PUTTING MY CELL PHONE NUMBER ON HERE SO IF ANYONE WANTED TO TEXT ME, I COULD TEXT BACK PICS....DO YOU THINK I SHOULD?
Dale Walker thanks for the speedy reply. I think I have a good idea what you are talking about doing... I wouldn't put your number out here online, there's a lot of peta crazy people out here who troll hunting videos just to harass people in the comments, if they had your number you would probably be getting calls 24/7!
ive ran two feeders before they hold 350 pounds each both gravity feeders and each time i have filled them they ran out in 18 to 20 days but thats a good problem plus tons of cam pics
ALL THAT WILL GET RAINED ON IS THE AREA WHERE IT PILES UP AT THE END OF THE '45 AT THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBE. AT THE '45 WHERE THE FEED STOPS IS ABOUT A GOOD DOUBLE HANDFUL, SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF FEED EXPOSURE. TO ELIMINATE THE FEED SITTING THERE IN ANY WATER, JUST DRILL 6-8 HOLES ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE '45 SO THAT THE WATER CAN DRAIN OUT.
If you flip the lid over you can screw it down to the barrel, but you have to cut it off in that thicker area closer to the top of the barrel. Then use your saw to cut outlets for water to drain out of the lid.
I always take some busted blocks to put under my legs to level the feeder. Also, when I build the feeder now, I use the metal barrel with removable lid. Makes it a little heavier, but works better
@@dalewalker2379 The only issue with metal barrels is that the sweat. Any condensation in the air inside the barrel collects on the inside of the metal barrel due to the temperature difference inside vs outside. Condensation mold. But you’re right, its more sturdier than plastic.
Only thing I can say is, got to be level. If you used a toilet flange into a "T" and same amount of pipe out both sides of the "T", then should flow evenly to both sides. If it's letting more go out a particular side, try tilting it more to the other side. Even if it makes it unlevel. Don't worry maybe so much about how level it is vs getting it to flow out both feeding tubes. Good luck
THAT REALLY DEPENDS MORE ON YOUR DEER ACTIVITY. MORE DEER.....MEANS MORE ATE....MEANS RUNS OUT QUICKER. CAN TELL YOU THIS......THEY HOLD 350 LBS. I REFILL MINE BOUT EVERY 3 MONTHS WITH 250-300 LBS. BECAUSE I DON'T LET IT RUN COMPLETELY OUT. I GET ABOUT 300 TRAIL CAM PICTURES A WEEK AT EACH FEEDER, SO YOU CAN BASE MY ACTIVITY FROM THAT. HOPE THIS HELPS.
WHERE I HAVE MY FEEDERS, THERE ISN'T A HOG ISSUE, SO I'M NOT SURE. AS FOR VARMINTS.....NO PROBLEMS. I'VE GOTTEN PICS OF AS MANY AS 6 RACOONS ALL OVER IT AT ONE TIME. HAD 4 ON THE FEEDING TUBES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TO THE FEED. ONE EXTRA THING THAT I DID DO THOUGH WAS AT ALL OF THE JOINTS OF THE 4 INCH PVC, I GLUED AT FIRST, BUT THEN I TOOK MY CORDLESS DRILL TO THE WOODS AND ADDED SMALL SHEET METAL SCREWS FOR MORE STRENGTH. I PUT 4 AROUND EACH JOINT. THEY'VE BEEN OUT FOR 5 MONTHS NOW WITH NO ISSUES AT ALL.
As the deer eat the corn, it will continually fall through. When it gets about empty, there will be some left in the bottom that doesn't make it over to the T to go out (about 10-15 pds.). I rake it over and let it fall through before refilling the feeder. Not a big deal. Thanks
If you want to spend the extra money, you can buy a funnel that goes in the bottom and it will funnel it all out and will be completely empty. I just choose not to use one. Thanks
YEAH, ONE WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD, BUT IT DOESN'T. WHEN THE CORN FALLS FROM OUT OF THE BARREL INTO THE "T", THERE'S ENOUGH ROOM IN A 4 INCH "T" FOR THE CORN TO SLIDE OUT TO THE SIDES INSTEAD OF PILING UP. THAT'S WHY I SAY IN THE VIDEO THAT ALL THE FEEDS I TRIED FELL OUT ABOUT 16 INCHES AND I WANTED IT TO GO FARTHER OUT......ABOUT 20 INCHES. THAT'S WHY I PUT THE 23' ELBOW IN.......SO IT WOULD PROMOTE IT TO KEEP FALLING. THE INSIDE OF THE 4 INCH PIPES ARE REALLY SMOOTH AND THE CORN HAS NO PROBLEM SLIDING.
YEA.....WITH THE ELBOW COMING OFF OF THE "T", IT FLOWS OUT TO THE END AND MAKES A NICE PILE AT THE END AT THE 45 ELBOW. JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU SET THE FEEDER UP LEVEL IN ORDER FOR IT TO FLOW TO BOTH ENDS GOOD.
Well, the feeder keeps a pile of corn out on the ground, so it's there for any animal to eat. Nothing you can do about that. But it's been my experience that the racoons hit it pretty aggressive at first (i guess because it's a new food source to them and they just found it, so they don't know how long it'll last) and then after a month or so, they tend to visit the feeder, but not stay as long as in the beginning. I feel they start to trust it's gonna be there and therefore, tend not to abuse it. But of course, they do come and feed regularly.
NOPE, NOT AT ALL. DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT'S ONLY 3 FEET OFF THE GROUND AND THE LEGS GO 2/3 OF THE WAY UP ON THE BARREL....THAT GIVES IT STABILITY. WHEN THERE'S FEED IN IT, IT GIVES IT A GOOD "CENTER OF GRAVITY". IF YOUR CONCERNED ABOUT IT FALLING, YOU CAN DO THIS INSTEAD.....I HAD TO BUILD ONE LIKE THIS CAUSE I HAD A BIG BUCK THAT DIDN'T LIKE EATING OUT OF THE '45 ELBOW AT THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBE. 1.) DON'T PUT THE '45 ON THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBE. 2.) AT THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBE, CUT IT AT AN ANGLE TO MAKE IT FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. 3.) SHORTEN THE LEGS TO DROP THE FEEDER DOWN TO WHERE THE FEEDING TUBE WILL BE ABOUT AN INCH OFF THE GROUND. THIS WORKS JUST AS WELL. THE FEED WILL FALL TILL IT MAKES A SMALL PILE ON THE GROUND AND THEN IT'LL STOP. IF YOU RAKE THE FEED AWAY FROM THE FEEDING TUBE (OR WHEN A DEER EATS IT), MORE WILL FALL TILL THE PILE IS REESTABLISHED,. YOU'D THINK THAT IT WOULD JUST KEEP FALLING, BUT IT WON'T. THAT LITTLE PILE CREATES ENOUGH BLOCKAGE THAT IT STOPS. WANT A BIGGER PILE, JUST GET THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBE HIGHER OFF THE GROUND.....SAY 2-3 INCHES. IN OTHER WORDS, THE HIGHER UP OFF THE GROUND THAT THE FEEDING TUBE IS, IT'LL PUT OUT MORE FEED. TOO HIGH OFF THE GROND AND IT'LL PUT OUT WAY TOO MUCH. IT'S AMAZING HOW THAT LITTLE PILE AT THE END WILL STOP 350 LBS. OF FEED FROM DUMPING OUT. THANKS, DALE
SINCE YOUR POST AND MY COMMENT 10 MONTHS AGO, I'VE GOTTEN PICS OF A CUB BEAR WEIGHING APPROX. 75 LBS. AND HE CLIMBED ON TOP OF IT AND IS STANDING ON TOP OF IT AND IT NEVER TURNED OVER LOL.
This project has brought nothing but stress..so we just bypassed that t (threw it as far as we could in anger) and ran a 23 degree angle right from the bottom and used the pipe to go straight into the ground
I SPENT ABOUT $60.00-$65.00 ON IT. YOU CAN DO IT CHEAPER THOUGH. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAD TO GIVE $20.00 FOR THE PLASTIC BARREL. MAYBE YOU ALREADY HAVE A BARREL OR CAN GET ONE CHEAPER THAN I COULD. ALSO, I USED PRESSURE TREATED 2X4's FOR THE LEGS AND BASE. PRESSURE TREATED IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN REGULAR 2X4's. ALSO, IF YOU GET A METAL DRUM WITH A LOCKING LID, YOU WON'T NEED TO PUT THE RUBBER MATTING AROUND THE TOP TO PREVENT LEAKING BECAUSE YOU WON'T HAVE TO CUT ON IT. ALSO, THIS PRICE HAS FIGURED INTO IT ALL NEW BOLTS, WASHERS, NUTS AND PAINT. I BUILT 3 OF THEM AT ONE TIME, SO I JUST FIGURED WHAT I NEEDED AND WENT AND BOUGHT ALL OF IT NEW. THAT WAY I DIDN'T HAVE TO PROWL THRU MY BOLTS AND MIX AND MATCH THEM TO GET ENOUGH OF THEM TO DO THE JOB. IF YOU GET A BLACK BARREL, YOU WON'T EVEN HAVE TO PAINT IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO. ONE THING THAT I DID DO AFTER THE VIDEO, AND I RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO IT TOO, IS REINFORCE THE GLUE JOINTS GOING AWAY FROM THE "T" TO THE 23' ELBOW AND THEN FROM THE 23' ELBOW TO THE FEEDING TUBE. PUT 4 SMALL METAL SCREWS IN EACH JOINT TO MAKE THE JOINTS STRONGER. IF ONLY DEER WERE TO BE EATING OUT OF IT, GLUE IS ENOUGH. BUT ONCE I GOT MY FEEDERS IN THE WOODS, RACCOONS WOULD CLIMB ON THE FEEDING TUBES. I GOT PICTURES OF AS MANY AS SIX CLIMBING AROUND ON IT AT ONE TIME. IN ABOUT A MONTH, I NOTICED THAT THE FEEDING TUBE JOINT WAS GETTING STRESSED AND WAS A LITTLE LOOSE. IT HADN'T CAME OUT AND THE GLUE WAS STILL HOLDING, BUT IT WOULD ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT CAME OUT. I TOOK SOME SCREWS AND MY CORDLESS DRILL THE NEXT TIME I CHECKED THEM AND PUT THEM IN. IT'S BEEN 3 MONTHS AND THEY'RE HOLDING GREAT. IN SHORT, YOU COULD BUILD ONE FOR ABOUT $40.00 IF YOU WATCH WHAT YOU BUY. HOPE I HELPED YOU. THANKS
+Dale Walker Oh awesome! I really like the plastic barrel, and I will have to buy one as well. Actually, I like everything you did, including the lid set up. Excellent job! That's a great price compared to buying a timer feeder. Thanks for all the great info!!
THANKS. ANOTHER GOOD THING ABOUT THESE GRAVITY FEEDERS IS THAT ONCE YOUR OUT THE EXPENSE TO BUILD ONE, THEN THERE'S NO MORE EXPENSE. A TIMER FEEDER, YOUR ALWAYS HAVING TO BUY BATTERIES OR BE OUT MORE MONEY FOR A SOLAR PANEL. AND THEN THERE'S THE MOTOR....THEY WILL GO OUT AND THAT ABOUT 40.00 BUCKS.
WE HAVE A FEW BEARS, BUT NOTHING TO MENTION AT ALL AS A PROBLEM. FAR AND FEW IN BETWEEN. IT'S A NIGHTMARE WHEN YOUR TRYING TO BEAR PROOF A FEEDER CAUSE THEY WON'T STOP TILL THEY GET IN IT. I'M GLAD I DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
If they're empty and you have 40 m.p.h. plus wind, they could possibly turn over. In 3 years now, I had one to turn over empty. But it was sitting at the edge of an open field and we had something like 40 m p.h. wind with 50 gusts. So what I do now is place a rock on top of the feeder for extra weight. I've not had any problems since I did that. When there's corn in them, they won't turn over. I even had a 100 lb. Bear climb up the side of one and get on top of it and it didn't turn over. There was about 250 lb. Of corn in it at that time.
THE '45 ELBOW AT THE END OF THE FEEDING TUBE. YOU WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD JUST POUR OUT AT THE END TILL IT'S EMPTY, BUT TRUST ME, IT WON'T. THE CORN WILL FALL OUT TO THE END TILL IT FILLS UP THE '45 AND THEN IT STOPS. AS THE CORN IS EATEN OUT OF THE '45, IT'LL JUST GRADUALLY KEEP FALLING.
I'VE PUT A MIXTURE OF CORN, OATS, SWEET FEED AND PURINA'S HIGH OCTANE DEPTH CHARGE IN MINE AND IT WORKS WELL. I PUT 100 LBS. CORN, 50 LBS OATS, 50 LBS. SWEET FEED AND 50 LBS. HIGH OCTANE......FOR A TOTAL OF 250 LBS. AT ONE TIME.
I love this idea the only problem I ran Into I went to lowes to buy all the stuff and it was gonna cost me about me $150 for everything and I can buy the one from walmart for $116 I've been planning to build this for a week and was disappointed at what it was gunna cost
You were probably looking at schedule 40 pipe. You CAN BUILD this feeder for around $60. That's including buying the barrel, bolts, tubing, legs ect. A complete build can be done for around $60
CHRIS, THE FEEDERS IN THIS VIDEO, I BUILT THEM IN 2016. I JUST BUILT 4 MORE ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND IT COSTED ME AROUND $60 EACH. I THINK YOU NEED TO REPRICE THE STUFF
Yea I believe it was schedule 40 what kind did you use. I got the barrel and I can get thr bolts I just need the pvc pipe and Fittings and the 2x4 I'll check again cause I really want one of these
I got just regular 4 inch PVC pipe. It's white. I've even perfected the build some. Instead of the legs being 5 foot (needing 4- 2x4x8's), you can put 4 foot legs (2- 2x4x8's). In turn, that will make the feeder shorter. So instead of putting a 45' elbow on the end of the feeding tube for the deer to eat out of, just cut it with a sawsall level to the ground and to where it is about 3 inches off the ground. It will put a pile out on the ground about the size of a dinner plate. As the deer eat, it'll just keep letting a little out. So by doing this, you DON'T have to purchase the following: 2-45's, 2-2x4x8's. Saves a little more money. I did some like this because I had some mature bucks that wouldn't eat out of the 45' elbow but would eat off the ground.... weird.
AIN'T NO DIFFERENT THAN TAKING A BROADCAST FEEDER INTO THE WOODS THAT WILL HOLD 250-300 LBS. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE WORK FOR SOME THINGS THAT WE WANT. BESIDES, I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO WATCH THE VIDEO AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO "GET RIGHT ON THAT". I COULDN'T CARE LESS IF YOU APPROVE OF IT.....I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE OUT WITH WHAT I'VE CAME UP WITH.
You obviously didn't follow the instructions. I knew you were doing something wrong when you had trouble with doing the legs. Sounds like your barrel was the wrong type.
When you said it was too flimsy.... you've apparently used too weak of a barrel. But aside from that, that has nothing to do with the feed falling. If you installed a 4 inch toilet flange followed by a 4 inch "T" with a 23 degree elbow attached to the "T" and the 20 inches of 4 inch pipe....the feed will fall easily to the end. I've used corn, protein pellets, even sweet feed and that feed is tacky. Don't know what you did wrong, but you did something wrong
I JUST DON'T SEE HOW IT WASN'T FALLING. WHEN THE FEED FALLS OUT OF THE BARREL INTO TH "T", IT GOES DIRECTLY INTO A 23' DEGREE ELBOW AND THEN FALLS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE 45' ELBOW. IT'S A DROP FROM THE BARREL ALL THE WAY TO THE END.
It's almost impossible to make the legs work good because once you cut the lid off the barrel it completely turns into a limp dick...so it is never stable no matter what you do ...I would recommend putting some sort of cross brace in the barrel to help stop it from collapsing on itself
THAT MUST BE SOME THIN FLIMSY BARREL YOUR USING. WHEN I CUT THE TOP OFF MINE, IT DID GET WAVY ON TOP, BUT THE BARREL ITSELF STILL WAS FIRM. I HAD MY LEGS MEASURED WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GO IN BOUT 15 MINUTES AND HAD THEM CUT, DRILLED AND ON THE BARREL IN ANOTHER 45 MINUTES. SO ALL IN ALL, I HAD MY LEGS ON WITHIN AN HOUR. LIKE I SAID, MY BARREL WASN'T "LIMP"....IT WAS STILL VERY FIRM. JUST GOT WAVY ON THE TOP.
I'VE BEEN THINKING BOUT WHAT YOU SAID WAS YOUR PROBLEM WITH THE LEGS. SOUNDS LIKE YOUR TRYING TO DRILL THE HOLES IN THE 2X4 LEGS AND HOLD IT ON THE BARREL AND DRILL THRU THE BARREL ALL AT THE SAME TIME. TRY THIS.....THERE NEEDS TO BE 3 FEET OF LEG FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL TO THE GROUND. SO, THAT LEAVES YOU 2 FEET TO WORK WITH (ON A 5 FOOT LEG). SO, MEASURE FROM ONE END OF THE 2X4 (THE END THAT'S GONNA BE ATTACHED TO THE BARREL) 6 INCH'S DOWN AND DRILL A HOLE FOR YOUR BOLT. THEN MEASURE AGAIN 18 INCH'S DOWN AND DRILL ANOTHER HOLE. DO THIS ON ALL 4 LEGS AND YOU'VE GOT THE LEGS READY. NOW, MEASURE THE WHOLE BARREL AROUND. WHATEVER IT COMES UP TO BE, DIVIDE THAT NUMBER BY 4 BECAUSE YOUR PUTTING ON 4 LEGS. NOW, ATTACH THE FIRST LEG (THE 2 FOOT PART WITH THE HOLES DRILLED IN IT) ANY WHERE ON THE BARREL YOU WANT.....THIS LEG WILL BE YOUR STARTING POINT. YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THE HOLES DRILLED IN THE LEG, SO JUST GO THRU THAT HOLE AND DRILL THE HOLE IN YOUR BARREL. NOW, MEASURE FROM THE CENTER OF THE LEG YOU JUST PUT ON THE DISTANCE THAT YOU GOT WHEN YOU DIVIDED BY 4. THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL PUT THE NEXT LEG. DO THE SAME THING....HOLD YOUR LEG UP THERE, USE YOUR PRE-DRILLED HOLES IN THE LEG AS A GUIDE FOR WHERE YOU NEED TO DRILL THE BARREL. DO THIS 2 MORE TIMES AND YOU'VE GOT ALL 4 LEGS PUT ON. THEN IF YOU MEASURE FROM LEG TO LEG, THERE SHOULD BE THE SAME AMOUNT OF DISTANCE BETWEEN LEGS. HOPE THIS HELPS !!!
DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU BOUGHT YOUR STUFF, BUT I'VE GOT 60.00 IN MINE. THAT'S THE BARREL BEING BOUGHT, TREATED LUMBER FOR THE LEGS, BOLTS, PVC PIPE AND PAINT.
