1.) DropzOfWild - 01/12/2015

Who has one and what is the dimension of it, specifically the measurement from mounting surface to bottom of unit? Making a new feeder and looking to buy one of these timer units but need to know how low it hangs....how well do they work?
thank you

2.) Swamp Fox - 01/12/2015

I can probably measure one for you this weekend. There are two (?) that I am familiar with. The Magnum Pro Hunter is metal and lifetime-warranteed. Moultrie tells me it also has a better motor than the Pro Hunter, which is [COLOR="#FF0000"]taller[/COLOR] and mostly plastic (one-year warranty).

I have not had any problems in several years with the Pro Hunters on my EZ-Fill feeders (six active) but have had trouble with Pro Hunters Moultrie has sold me as kits to build homemade feeders (I'd say three problem units in the last year).

One got a lot of water in it somehow and shorted out (probably the fault of the barrel---okay, my fault) and two others are finicky about wanting to spin when the timer goes off. I don't know if that's a problem with needing spacers between the barrel and the spinner plate or not. I suspect not, but won't go into that unless you want me to. I do know that the problem isn't just on [I]completely[/I] homemade feeders. It's happening on a feeder with a Moultrie barrel with a Moultrie funnel, too.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]The one and only Pro Magnum I own---or that I donated to a club and am in charge of maintaining, rather,LOL---has given me issues spinning on a homemade feeder. Now that the season is over, I'll have to figure out what that's all about.[/COLOR]

3.) DropzOfWild - 01/12/2015

Thanks swampy....measure them up for me if you would...I'm looking for ground clearance.I seen where they will spread 30-40ft which is plenty. I'm going to make a double drum (one on top of another) and need to fab a stand so I'll need total clearance space of unit itself plus any extra required for removing pcs for battery

4.) Swamp Fox - 01/12/2015

Had to fix a boo-boo in my original post...The Pro Hunter is [COLOR="#FF0000"]taller [/COLOR]than the Magnum.

The distance each will throw out corn seems to vary considerably from unit to unit, even if the barrel and the funnel are the same, I'd say. The volume of corn fed to the spinner plate seems to vary as well depending on the funnel and even (I think) with the weight of hopper corn behind the corn being funneled. That is, it seems like the more corn in the hopper, the more corn will gravity-feed to the spinner plate.

So what I'm saying is don't count on 40 feet, and if someone put a gun to my head I'd guess that I have at least one feeder that doesn't even throw 30, or does so just barely (speaking of the diameter of the throw pattern). This is not a height thing. I'd say it has to do with the spinner plate and motor. Some throw farther than others.

5.) DropzOfWild - 01/13/2015

Are They taller than12" and can I have it that high off the ground

6.) Swamp Fox - 01/13/2015

I just called Moultrie and asked for the specs, since I had some other business with them anyway.

The rep told me that the Pro Hunter is 9.5 inches tall and the Magnum is 7.5. I would add .75 to those to account for the nut on the bottom which holds the cover to the guts on.

I will measure myself this weekend assuming I can get out of here. Otherwise, ASAP.

The guts of the motor (battery compartment, clock and timer, etc.) are accessed by pulling the cover off downward, so you need some room to work there. You don't want to put the motor/spinner that close to the ground though, anyway, do you? At the very least it will make programming the feeder more difficult than it should be. Perhaps I am misunderstanding something. Note also that a lot of corn may fall directly under the motor, or remain on the motor housing. You want target animals to be able to get to that corn, while keeping "pests" away.

Making sure we're on the same page, this is the Pro Hunter, and second is the Magnum:

7.) Swamp Fox - 01/13/2015

The Magnum looks a lot bigger in the picture, but it's really not, LOL.

8.) DropzOfWild - 01/15/2015

Awesome....thank you..I'm looking at doing a double 55 gal drum set up(one on top of other) which would be pretty tall....I'm vertically challenged so trying to fill that from the ground could be a task...however..it would hold close to 8 sacks of grain so to have a small step ladder with me once a season shouldn't hurt.. I was wanting to keep low enough for filling but yet doing a timing system with clearance instead of a gravity feed where they'll eat me out in a matter of a week or two. Pests are going to eat & be there but I don't for see them being a major issue as they have never been before.

9.) Swamp Fox - 01/15/2015

I don't know the economics or logistics of building a platform, but I've built a couple of steel tripods with winches for filling and programming, or rather supervised the building and provided the funding, LOL. Homey don't weld, and can barely hammer a nail. :wink.

A platform with stairs (or a way to climb on) and a little room to stand would be a cool way to fill the feeder. Mount or suspend a large part of the barrel(s) through a hole on the platform for ease of filling. I'm sure you'll want the motor somewhat off the ground. How high were you thinking?


Let us see what you build when it's done!

10.) DropzOfWild - 01/15/2015

Hey ...what about the directional feeder?

11.) Swamp Fox - 01/15/2015

I don't know anything about them. A friend used to use one a long time ago for feeding his bream pond, but I don't know anything about the newer models.

Billy B might know something. He was looking at one a few years ago.