pvc for runners. pro v con

[lesgo54]

ide like to hear yalls take on this. and pics if u have any

 

[redhen689]

I have an early model Henhaven http://www.henspa.com/henhaven.htm (11 years old).
This photo is of a later model:



The company is no longer in business because the owner decided to give it up. BUT the tractor does have PVC runners. The pvc runners appear to be made from 1" pvc pipe that is cut in half lengthwise.
One advantage of the PVC is that is strong and durable. While the rest of my coop is starting to fall apart due to degredation of the wood, the PVC still is in good shape.

You asked for photos, which is easier said than done. I attempted to tilt the coop, but it sounded as if it would fall apart, so I gave up on that. So I scooped some soil away from one corner and snapped a photo:



The coop had a very complex wheel system which was lowered into place by a series of pullies and levers. It never worked very well, and the designer ended up coming up with a different system in later models.
I said that to say that the tractor was not designed to move just by sliding it along the ground on those runners.

I am in the process of deciding to repair this coop, or starting over...

If I were going to use the PVC pipe as runners, I might want to use a larger size pipe, and then some how use fittings on the ends that could be curved, and not just open ends of pipe.

 

[lesgo54]

thanks for the feed back