[lesleyann]

Afternoon all, any advice on the best cheapest model of battery operated auto pop hole openers?
thanks

[mrs.ploppy]

I have had one for a while now and its a godsend working shiftsas I do. Got mine from Wells poultry and they are all around the same price I think as I went on several sites to compare them.  Around £150 with the motor and timer. Best money I have spent in a long while. Used the existing door no problem. Hope this is of help to you.

[lesleyann]

Thanks, I do shift work too so I don't fancy getting up at half five on my week of lates 

[hillfooter]

There's only one model on the market and all the suppliers sell that under a different description and name.  Forsham call it the Gizmo.  It's the same as the Vsb one from Wells as Mrs P says.  There's someone who sells a "kit" timer based one on ebay for around £70.  It's their own design put together from an auto curtain opener and a timer with microswitch limit switches and it's not so well packaged as the Germany Vsb one.  

I have also written a thread on this site for a DIY project to make one which is very cost effective and not too difficult if you know a tiny bit about electrics and are handy with DIY.  It requires access to a mains supply so needs to be within 20 metres or so of a weather protected mains outlet.

Auto pophole open/ closer
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=65865.msg756544#msg756544

Note all these work on doors which close (vertically drop) under gravity.  Hinged or sliding doors are very difficult to design an opener for though Forshams Cottage Arks sell a very expensive one which I suspect is a custom design.

As Mrs P says they are generally well worth it though not cheap unless you design your own.

HF

[lesleyann]

thanks very much, you've explained things, I was hoping the cheaper model was going to be ok but not so sure now. My dad will be converting the door, to a vertical opener. Gives me time to save up for the more expensive model! Thanks again 

[Tungless]

I bought one from wells poultry.  There are quite expensive but there only seems to be one type on the market.  Designing and making you own would probably cost more in parts/time/trial and error than just buying one. 

It works perfectly out of the box.  I did check for the first week or so but had no problems with it shutting the hens out.

You probably don't have to convert the door though.  My coop had a horizontally sliding door on the outside, so I bought the internal vsbi opener from wells along with the aluminium vertical sliding door.  I got a piece of plywood and fitted the door/opening on it and fitted the whole thing inside the coop, so the new vertical door goes up and down behind the original opening.  The light sensor is on a wire which you can poke outside somewhere.  You'll need tools/patience and some diy skills to do it, but it works perfectly without having to alter the original door.

[Junie]

I had one for Christmas and it is wonderful - a wells poultry one.  My OH was really ****ed though, with the price when he saw the simplicity of it!  although  I'd be waiting a while for him to make one!!! so I think it was worth my Christmas gift!

[lesleyann]

Thanks for all your help. I'd buy the one with the door and timer but I'd have to buy it in secret, everyone would think I was completely mad  paying so much. No OH to complain, just my dad to tut tut when he comes round to fit it!

[hillfooter]

I bought one from wells poultry.  There are quite expensive but there only seems to be one type on the market.  Designing and making you own would probably cost more in parts/time/trial and error than just buying one.  

I didn't have an option really as with 4 houses I didn't fancy upwards of £600 so I designed and built my own which has one controller to operate all the doors which each have a motor which utilises an electric car aerial costing £18 off ebay virtually unmodified  and a pulley costing £4 again from ebay.  A mains timer costing around £5 and two 12V power supplies costing £10 and £3 and a four house system cost £106.  (a one house system would have cost £40 and as you wouldn't need such a powerful psu you could probably save another circa £4).  Getting second hand aerials would have reduced the cost even further.  Some cord and a few screws and bits of wood and there you have it.  I've done the design for you see the link below and a few DIY skills and patience and its yours.

Auto pophole open/ closer
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=65865.msg756544#msg756544

HF

[newatthis]

hi there is 1 being sold on fle- bay which is very cheap and im not sure if any good as i dont have 1 yet.,
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300511471748&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
hope it helps

[lesleyann]

I bought one from wells poultry.  There are quite expensive but there only seems to be one type on the market.  Designing and making you own would probably cost more in parts/time/trial and error than just buying one.  

I didn't have an option really as with 4 houses I didn't fancy upwards of £600 so I designed and built my own which has one controller to operate all the doors which each have a motor which utilises an electric car aerial costing £18 off ebay virtually unmodified  and a pulley costing £4 again from ebay.  A mains timer costing around £5 and two 12V power supplies costing £10 and £3 and a four house system cost £106.  (a one house system would have cost £40 and as you wouldn't need such a powerful psu you could probably save another circa £4).  Getting second hand aerials would have reduced the cost even further.  Some cord and a few screws and bits of wood and there you have it.  I've done the design for you see the link below and a few DIY skills and patience and its yours.

Auto pophole open/ closer
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=65865.msg756544#msg756544

HF

I will show my dad when he comes round and see how he feels about creating one for me, thanks very much
I was looking at the one on flea-bay but read someone had trouble with it and 70 quid is a lot of money to risk! Oh I hate decisions!