Cooptender automatic door, honest review

[lbray001]

Good morning all,

I typically frequent other online platforms for chicken tending but recent troubles have me expanding to other platforms in regard to my experience with this door and company. Initially, the $600+ investment for this automatic door solar powered battery backup with wifi seemed like it would be perfect to fit with the flock, and lifestyle I have. I live in central Florida and need something that will stand up to the heat, humidity and rain. I wanted reliability, hardiness, and a more controlled approach having the additional wifi module. The first 5 months I had that. The past 5-6 months, it has been a nightmare.


I'll start with the pros. The door is absolutely sturdy. Wood is solid. Nice to know racoons or bobcats won't tear it down.

Control panel and keypad are readable and easy to navigate. Menu takes a bit to get used to but the instructions for it lay it out nicely.

Having the solar power and battery backup is nice. Not having to "plug in" being so far from the house. However there is an option for power if you wish.

Wifi access to be able to open and close your door from anywhere, and initiate any setting.

Jim, the owner, does seem like a wicked nice guy ready and willing to help. Only up until you are tired of going back and forth for months and request a refund.

Cons. Wifi module setup and "app" are awful. Thereafter you have to use a browser for your navigation and use. Also, they discontinued the particle io app on android. If you had it and uninstalled it, you are out of luck. You need apple or someone with apple to get the wifi module setup.

If you have any issues, response times take a day or two.

Too many working parts for things to go wrong.

Complete unreliability. As mentioned above, I have spent the past 5, almost 6 months, troubleshooting, repairing, back and forth with the owner, and I still have a non functioning door. I gave up.

To condense this down, one night I came home and the door was wide open. Status lights flashing crazy. I sent email, photos and video to Jim. After 2 days, I got a response. He suggested a fix. It didn't work and I told him the wifi module also looked like humidity got in it, and I'm sending it in too. Another day to respond, he says they are sending a new control assembly out and to send in the old one.

I get the new control assembly, and my old wifi module back. Receipt states new control assembly and nothing with the wifi module. I thought maybe it was tested and fixed? Hook it up. Works for a short time then malfunctions again. I emailed and asked about wifi module, and he responds saying he didn't know why it wasn't looked at or tested. However, in a recent email, he states he himself tested the wifi module and it tested fine.

So, what happened between the first control assembly and that most recent email you ask? Replacements galore and guesswork. 2 control assemblies, a battery, and a wifi module replacement. 5 months of back and forth, unreliability, headaches, and failed troubleshooting, I gave up and requested a refund. Jim refuses, stating my door is ineligible for refund and offered repair and replacement services. My door has spent more time being boarded up not functioning than actually working. Frustrated, I said I couldn't be the only one experiencing this and he said that yes, I was the only one. Seems that isn't true. In the past couple of weeks, I've found nearly a dozen folks that have had numerous issues.

I should have done my due diligence and did more research prior. That's on me. I never would have purchased this hot piece of garbage. The mechanics are awful, the wifi module and app are archaic, and the subscription service is currently "inaccessible" so I can't shut off my recurring yearly charge. Jim said once they have access to it again, that he would shut off my subscription.

Am I wrong to ask for a refund? My warranty ends December, and once that is over, I'm out that money anyway. I offered to pay to ship it back, and even asked for half a refund for the 5 months it did work, almost half the time of the 1 year warranty period. I own my own business, working 50-80 hours a week, depending. I need a reliable door, or just keep my chickens locked in all the time. They are free rangers, and that's what I prefer.

Anyone wanting to make a purchase with this company should know the potential for failure. For the price of this door, I could buy 6 run chicken doors, and afford to have them all malfunction and fail because Amazon delivers them next day.

I hope for those that have this door, that it is working amazing and flawlessly for you. No one's flock should come as the cost as this much unreliability in a product. I know it's the chance we take as chicken owners and we do our best to make the right choices and calls, and it is never 100% foolproof. Responsibility still lies with us, but I do not want those odds of loss increased because of continued unreliability.

I found a lawyer willing to help and if anyone else wants to share their story with this door, please feel free. Share the good and bad please. I want people to make an informed decision before making a big purchase. I know the owner lurks here too, and I've already notified him too of my intent moving forward. I don't like it when my time and money are wasted and I don't want anyone else to go through something similar. Thank you for reading.

 

[Debbie292d]

Good morning all,

I typically frequent other online platforms for chicken tending but recent troubles have me expanding to other platforms in regard to my experience with this door and company. Initially, the $600+ investment for this automatic door solar powered battery backup with wifi seemed like it would be perfect to fit with the flock, and lifestyle I have. I live in central Florida and need something that will stand up to the heat, humidity and rain. I wanted reliability, hardiness, and a more controlled approach having the additional wifi module. The first 5 months I had that. The past 5-6 months, it has been a nightmare.


I'll start with the pros. The door is absolutely sturdy. Wood is solid. Nice to know racoons or bobcats won't tear it down.

Control panel and keypad are readable and easy to navigate. Menu takes a bit to get used to but the instructions for it lay it out nicely.

Having the solar power and battery backup is nice. Not having to "plug in" being so far from the house. However there is an option for power if you wish.

Wifi access to be able to open and close your door from anywhere, and initiate any setting.

Jim, the owner, does seem like a wicked nice guy ready and willing to help. Only up until you are tired of going back and forth for months and request a refund.

Cons. Wifi module setup and "app" are awful. Thereafter you have to use a browser for your navigation and use. Also, they discontinued the particle io app on android. If you had it and uninstalled it, you are out of luck. You need apple or someone with apple to get the wifi module setup.

If you have any issues, response times take a day or two.

Too many working parts for things to go wrong.

Complete unreliability. As mentioned above, I have spent the past 5, almost 6 months, troubleshooting, repairing, back and forth with the owner, and I still have a non functioning door. I gave up.

To condense this down, one night I came home and the door was wide open. Status lights flashing crazy. I sent email, photos and video to Jim. After 2 days, I got a response. He suggested a fix. It didn't work and I told him the wifi module also looked like humidity got in it, and I'm sending it in too. Another day to respond, he says they are sending a new control assembly out and to send in the old one.

I get the new control assembly, and my old wifi module back. Receipt states new control assembly and nothing with the wifi module. I thought maybe it was tested and fixed? Hook it up. Works for a short time then malfunctions again. I emailed and asked about wifi module, and he responds saying he didn't know why it wasn't looked at or tested. However, in a recent email, he states he himself tested the wifi module and it tested fine.

So, what happened between the first control assembly and that most recent email you ask? Replacements galore and guesswork. 2 control assemblies, a battery, and a wifi module replacement. 5 months of back and forth, unreliability, headaches, and failed troubleshooting, I gave up and requested a refund. Jim refuses, stating my door is ineligible for refund and offered repair and replacement services. My door has spent more time being boarded up not functioning than actually working. Frustrated, I said I couldn't be the only one experiencing this and he said that yes, I was the only one. Seems that isn't true. In the past couple of weeks, I've found nearly a dozen folks that have had numerous issues.

I should have done my due diligence and did more research prior. That's on me. I never would have purchased this hot piece of garbage. The mechanics are awful, the wifi module and app are archaic, and the subscription service is currently "inaccessible" so I can't shut off my recurring yearly charge. Jim said once they have access to it again, that he would shut off my subscription.

Am I wrong to ask for a refund? My warranty ends December, and once that is over, I'm out that money anyway. I offered to pay to ship it back, and even asked for half a refund for the 5 months it did work, almost half the time of the 1 year warranty period. I own my own business, working 50-80 hours a week, depending. I need a reliable door, or just keep my chickens locked in all the time. They are free rangers, and that's what I prefer.

Anyone wanting to make a purchase with this company should know the potential for failure. For the price of this door, I could buy 6 run chicken doors, and afford to have them all malfunction and fail because Amazon delivers them next day.

I hope for those that have this door, that it is working amazing and flawlessly for you. No one's flock should come as the cost as this much unreliability in a product. I know it's the chance we take as chicken owners and we do our best to make the right choices and calls, and it is never 100% foolproof. Responsibility still lies with us, but I do not want those odds of loss increased because of continued unreliability.

I found a lawyer willing to help and if anyone else wants to share their story with this door, please feel free. Share the good and bad please. I want people to make an informed decision before making a big purchase. I know the owner lurks here too, and I've already notified him too of my intent moving forward. I don't like it when my time and money are wasted and I don't want anyone else to go through something similar. Thank you for reading.

Because I was looking for an automatic door I could talk my hubby into, I appreciate your review. Because I'm anal about research, I snooped and found some interesting things about Coop Tender.

He's a small business and it's said businesses can lose 10-fold the sales that it would cost them to make it right with a customer such as you because of simple word of mouth. Every company is going to have its share of people who will never be happy no matter what they do, but he's sounding less than genuine or caring to your issues with his product.

I could not find much about them anywhere as it appears you have to go through their company directly to get their product. He posted on Reddit two months ago, has zero comments, but has links to his Facebook page which hasn't had a post since July 2021, and states Sewickley, PA as his location. Per Google, that store is permanently shut down. That doesn't mean anything though as he could have gone strictly to online sales and not wanting people showing up at his house, as that address for his company is a residential home. Not unheard of at all though for small businesses to be run out of a home, just odd he put "Permanently Closed," on the Google ad for it.

I'm wondering if you posted on Reddit or Yelp (he's got an unclaimed page there too) or one of those types of sites that when people search for Coop Tender automatic doors, you'd maybe find some others that way who also have had bad experiences with him or his doors.

I don't know if it's any consolation, but The Spruce lists the top 7 automatic chicken doors for 2023 and his isn't one of them.

 

[Sstuder]

Good morning all,

I typically frequent other online platforms for chicken tending but recent troubles have me expanding to other platforms in regard to my experience with this door and company. Initially, the $600+ investment for this automatic door solar powered battery backup with wifi seemed like it would be perfect to fit with the flock, and lifestyle I have. I live in central Florida and need something that will stand up to the heat, humidity and rain. I wanted reliability, hardiness, and a more controlled approach having the additional wifi module. The first 5 months I had that. The past 5-6 months, it has been a nightmare.


I'll start with the pros. The door is absolutely sturdy. Wood is solid. Nice to know racoons or bobcats won't tear it down.

Control panel and keypad are readable and easy to navigate. Menu takes a bit to get used to but the instructions for it lay it out nicely.

Having the solar power and battery backup is nice. Not having to "plug in" being so far from the house. However there is an option for power if you wish.

Wifi access to be able to open and close your door from anywhere, and initiate any setting.

Jim, the owner, does seem like a wicked nice guy ready and willing to help. Only up until you are tired of going back and forth for months and request a refund.

Cons. Wifi module setup and "app" are awful. Thereafter you have to use a browser for your navigation and use. Also, they discontinued the particle io app on android. If you had it and uninstalled it, you are out of luck. You need apple or someone with apple to get the wifi module setup.

If you have any issues, response times take a day or two.

Too many working parts for things to go wrong.

Complete unreliability. As mentioned above, I have spent the past 5, almost 6 months, troubleshooting, repairing, back and forth with the owner, and I still have a non functioning door. I gave up.

To condense this down, one night I came home and the door was wide open. Status lights flashing crazy. I sent email, photos and video to Jim. After 2 days, I got a response. He suggested a fix. It didn't work and I told him the wifi module also looked like humidity got in it, and I'm sending it in too. Another day to respond, he says they are sending a new control assembly out and to send in the old one.

I get the new control assembly, and my old wifi module back. Receipt states new control assembly and nothing with the wifi module. I thought maybe it was tested and fixed? Hook it up. Works for a short time then malfunctions again. I emailed and asked about wifi module, and he responds saying he didn't know why it wasn't looked at or tested. However, in a recent email, he states he himself tested the wifi module and it tested fine.

So, what happened between the first control assembly and that most recent email you ask? Replacements galore and guesswork. 2 control assemblies, a battery, and a wifi module replacement. 5 months of back and forth, unreliability, headaches, and failed troubleshooting, I gave up and requested a refund. Jim refuses, stating my door is ineligible for refund and offered repair and replacement services. My door has spent more time being boarded up not functioning than actually working. Frustrated, I said I couldn't be the only one experiencing this and he said that yes, I was the only one. Seems that isn't true. In the past couple of weeks, I've found nearly a dozen folks that have had numerous issues.

I should have done my due diligence and did more research prior. That's on me. I never would have purchased this hot piece of garbage. The mechanics are awful, the wifi module and app are archaic, and the subscription service is currently "inaccessible" so I can't shut off my recurring yearly charge. Jim said once they have access to it again, that he would shut off my subscription.

Am I wrong to ask for a refund? My warranty ends December, and once that is over, I'm out that money anyway. I offered to pay to ship it back, and even asked for half a refund for the 5 months it did work, almost half the time of the 1 year warranty period. I own my own business, working 50-80 hours a week, depending. I need a reliable door, or just keep my chickens locked in all the time. They are free rangers, and that's what I prefer.

Anyone wanting to make a purchase with this company should know the potential for failure. For the price of this door, I could buy 6 run chicken doors, and afford to have them all malfunction and fail because Amazon delivers them next day.

I hope for those that have this door, that it is working amazing and flawlessly for you. No one's flock should come as the cost as this much unreliability in a product. I know it's the chance we take as chicken owners and we do our best to make the right choices and calls, and it is never 100% foolproof. Responsibility still lies with us, but I do not want those odds of loss increased because of continued unreliability.

I found a lawyer willing to help and if anyone else wants to share their story with this door, please feel free. Share the good and bad please. I want people to make an informed decision before making a big purchase. I know the owner lurks here too, and I've already notified him too of my intent moving forward. I don't like it when my time and money are wasted and I don't want anyone else to go through something similar. Thank you for reading.

I have two of them, and I do like them. I found this post because I was troubleshooting an issue. In my case the issue was resolved.

This is my experience with this door:

Obviously I like it, since I bought a second one. I have a large coop with a separate area for chicks and to introduce new flock members.

The door is sturdy, well built, solid wood, uses a worm drive, and is safe. It has lots of different options/sizes. It can be remotely operated and has a battery backup.

In my case I have the regular size with the wifi option. In hindsight I wish I had chosen the large door since my Rooster is very large, but he manages. The Cooptender works well for me because I can control it from my phone, and also keeps track of the temperature and light among other things.

I have two of them:

The oldest one I purchased in 2020. The only issue I have had with it is that once the pin in the worm drive broke. It took me 5 minutes to replace it. I also learned that the worm drive has to be cleaned maybe once a year with some WD40 to keep it running smoothly.

The second door I bought in 2023. And with this one I did have an issue with the wifi module too. It did take a bit of going back and forth to figure out what the problem was, but in the end it got resolved.

Even if I had a little trouble with the wifi I still recommend this door and company. It is a small business so it is understandable that the turnaround time for technical support may be a little slower. And in the end Jim did get back to me within the 1 business day and helped me troubleshoot. Most importantly he didn’t give up until the problem was resolved.

 

[Pullet-Shut Chicken Doors]

I'm sorry for your troubles. On the good side, "US made" chicken doors will have someone who answers the phone to provide support. Nobody is perfect, and some designs are better than others, but at least it's better than nothing like you'll get from Amazon. It gets very frustrating, some chinese-made doors on Amazon give customers our company's (we make the Pullet-Shut Automatic Chicken Door, chickendoors.com) contact information for warranty/service! We get a few calls/emails a week from frustrated folks misled to think we could help them. Some even list our phone number in their instruction manual!

US-made doors will be more expensive, and I can only speak for my company. But we offer phone help, email help, and we sell components so that you can repair doors rather than buy a whole new door. I can't tell you how often we get a call from a customer who's having issues for the first time, and checking the records we find they bought it 8 or 10 years ago. But consider this. A quality door will save the lives or more hens, and the value of those hens more than makes up for the higher price for a quality product.