Nothing but problems with solar pop door

[Duhlina]

I purchased a solar pop door ("heavy duty") from Fleming Outdoors in March.

Long story short, this thing is a $325 freaking paper weight. It has not worked right ONCE since we installed it. Not ONCE. We called Fleming Outdoors and they sent us a new timer, which my husband installed. That didn't fix it. So, my husband (who is an Aeronautical Engineer) took the cover off the door to discover the switch inside (which is cheap, cheap, cheap plastic) was broken as well as the piece of STRING (yes STRING) that lifts the door up. It's not even fishing wire or the like, it's STRING! We called Fleming again and they sent us a new switch and a new piece of string. Hubby installed that. The @#^@ thing STILL doesn't work and now we can't even get the door to even OPEN.

Fleming is telling us they only warranty it for 30 days from purchase and the manufacturer's warranty is also 30 days. So, in other words 'go crap in your hat'.

So, I have a $325 door that doesn't work AT ALL and has NEVER worked AT ALL.

We are trying our recourse through PayPal, but I have a feeling they are going to say it's been too long too.

DO NOT buy a solar pop door from Fleming Outdoors, unless you feel like just throwing your hard earned money out the window for a door that does not work.

Has anyone else had any problems similar to this?

 

[HEChicken]

Oh my goodness, it sounds like you've had a rough time. I built a new coop earlier this year and thoroughly researched all of the doors prior to ordering one. I almost ordered from Fleming but I don't remember it being as much as that so I'm wondering if I was looking at a different product altogether. I'm so sorry about the experience you've had and appreciate you providing the feedback so others can use your experience in making their own decisions.

Is there something you can use in place of the string that might be stronger and would work better? I.e, perhaps if you replaced it with fishing line you might be able to get the door to work?

 

[Duhlina]

There is no hope for this door. It won't open even on the manual setting. It never worked right from the start and we've replaced every working part in it. I spoke with PayPal and they told us to send it back and once we provide them with the tracking number they will issue a credit and they will deal with the manufacturer directly.

Our friend installed a new oak, manual flap door for me today and it's SO much better. I should have just done that from the start! Would have cost me a LOT less and would have been much less stress.

PHEW!

 

[Wallydvr]

Try the pullet shut automatic door. I couldn't find one bad or negative comment about them. I bought one and love it. Took twenty min. To install. I'm not trying to rub salt in the wound, so please don't take it that way. I bought the one with solar panel and photo sensitive control. Makes it so nice when you wk late and want to sleep in. I spent about same amount of money on mine. Hope this helps.

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[Ole rooster]

It's really funny to read these post about folks that want to "sleep in". You can tell the new comers and the one raised on a farm. When you've been raised around animals and they look to you for their care, no such thing exist as sleeping in. You're up before the rooster cuz there is just to much to do for the animals. Plus feed the hogs and milk the cow, some of you couldn't make it.

But with the door, I haven't found one I trust yet. And the only reason I'd have one is when it's raining I know they would be "locked" in if I didn't make it out there. Still that hasn't happened yet. I have three coops to lock up so it probably wouldn't work for me anyway.

 

[Duhlina]

I didn't want it because I wanted to sleep in. Heck, I'm a pet sitter so I'm up and out by 5:30am EVERY morning, 7 days a week! I wanted the automatic door so they could go out at a reasonable time and not have to wait for me to get home to let them out since I can't let them out before I leave in the morning.

I'm going to stick with the manual door we put in yesterday. At least I know THAT is reliable and trustworthy! I kind of prefer to let them out myself now so I can get an eyeball on everyone, do another head count and make sure everyone is acting normally before they go out.

I should have just done this from the start, but it's one of those 'live and learn' mistakes.

 

[7L Farm]

Shoot I live on a farm & love my auto pop door one less thing to do.I have enough on my plate. I'm just a one man band here. Taking care of 100 acres is a lot to do especially when you have 5 gardens, 6 pens & its hotter than three hells with a lid on it out here. Matter of fact I quit building coops with pop doors I only build three sided coops now.I'm always up how can you sleep with the quail whistling & the roos crowing at 530 every morning. First thing I do is grab my light & check on all the birds to make sure nothing happened to them. My coops are well built but you never know. Snakes still get in the coops here & there don't know how but they do. I've seen them get in even with half inch hardware cloth.Problem is predators don't sleep at night.
I've got a list a mile long of things I need to do. I only have one coop that has a pop door but I'm glad I have auto pop door installed best 80 bucks I ever spent. I still check it every evening to make sure no chicken gets stuck in the run.

 

[Wallydvr]

Sorry every one wasn't trying to insult anyone. I work for the rail road and some times don't make it home to tuck them in. There has been several 80hr weeks on my plate. Yes I'm a new at chickens but grew up w horses.i know all about farm life. Was just trying to help.

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[HEChicken]

It's really funny to read these post about folks that want to "sleep in". You can tell the new comers and the one raised on a farm. When you've been raised around animals and they look to you for their care, no such thing exist as sleeping in. You're up before the rooster cuz there is just to much to do for the animals. Plus feed the hogs and milk the cow, some of you couldn't make it.

I didn't hear anyone saying they wanted a door so they could "sleep in". There are many reasons to get an automatic door, and a change of situation can change your thinking on this. I didn't have an automatic door for years. But then my situation changed and now I am very glad to have one.

 

[debid]

I am not a farmer but I was raised on a farm. I have no desire at this point in my life to have animals that can't either be left alone for a few days, sent to visit a friend, or placed in a kennel to be cared for by someone I trust. Vacations are important to me. I have the food/water situation covered with solid redundancy and there are people willing to collect eggs daily but nobody wants to come at dawn and dusk every day to open and close a door. I don't blame them.

Unfortunately, the coop isn't wired so I opened this thread hoping to read about another option for an automatic door so that I don't have to leave it open when we go. The run is secure enough to keep out MOST predators but if a mink family moves in nearby while I'm gone, I'm in big trouble. But, glad to know the only problem is that I'm either lazy or ignorant about caring for animals.