My $200 automatic coop door was a waste

Bought a fancy automatic coop door last spring for 200 bucks and the motor died after 3 months of rain. Now I just prop a plank up manually at dusk and it works fine, has anyone else had their automated stuff fail fast?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren_brown8d ago

Honestly that sucks, I feel your pain on this one. Spent big on a high end smart door last fall and the sensor went haywire after two weeks of drizzle, basically became a paperweight. It's frustrating how these things are marketed as tough but can't handle basic weather.

baker.simon8d ago

Got my $150 smart door first week of spring and it stopped opening after a single overnight rain. The thing was supposed to be weatherproof but it basically surrendered to a light drizzle. I'm no electrician but I swear the control board had a little puddle on it like it was trying to grow a garden. Now I just leave the manual door propped open with a rock and call it my "solar powered" solution. Honestly my two year old could wire a better coop door with a string and a brick. The whole smart coop thing feels like a scam for folks with more money than sense, and I'm clearly in that group.