Need some suggestions. Got a couple of 250# metal hanging automatic 12v. They have the critter gaurd on them. They have worked great for years.

Need a few more. Been looking at the plastic barrel type. The price looks good. Anyone using them as hangers? Do they hold up? Got any recommendations? Whats the max capcity you can get? They need to have timers and I would like to keep in 12v.
Thanks

I have been using moultrie EZ Loaders on a couple properites and they have been flawless to date. I am not sure if you could hang them though.

Here ya go. I have the Solar Elite Lifetime in the Peg Leg model. They make the same feeders in a CONICAL BARREL HANGING HOPPER. Six volt systems but they can really throw the corn and you never have to worry about batteries. Customer service is awesome. Bears ate mine and they covered it under the lifetime warranty. Great company.

This is where I bought mine, I'll direct link you to the hanging models. Check out the home page for all the stuff they have.

I'm putting together another feeder, a 12v homebrew and believe me after the bear damage last summer I'm probably going to build it as a hanging style and maybe try to utilize it at a bear station.

Link to the OnTime hanger...

Hanging Hopper Feeder



My motor housing and timer I have for the homebrew feeder project if I can find the time this winter. Solar on this bad chicken too....

Going to try to mount this on one of the hanging conical barrels like OnTime sells.

Thanks Trophy I will check it out.

The two I have are leahman feeders....I love'em, guy I used to guide for turned me onto them. But I can buy almost 3 of the plastic type for one of them. We have hung every model they make even the 1000# Only thing is we had to use the tractor or the marooka to pull them up when they were full. They would last 3 months before we had to fill them again.

As far as the rugs, destructive little devils, the best thing I have found is to hang them approx 15' to 20' off the ground. Preferable with no other trees around. I have seen them climb a tree next to the feeder and rip the bottom off. Take some roof flashing and wrap it around the hanging tree, or any sorrounding trees, about three times start at about 5' to 6' from the ground then spray paint it brown. They can't climb up the metal. Plus with the spray painting it you can keep tabs on how hard they are trying to get up the tree.

I like to use a pulley that is rated 2x for the load, ie 250# feeder use a 500# pully. 1/4" wire rope, 1/4" preforms, sling, big long eye bolts, smaller pulley for the bottom, and some 3/4" shackels. Use the sling to position your pulley run your wire thru it and back to the ground. Run your eye bolt into the bottom of a neighboring tree. Pull the wire to were you want your feeder to hang. Put your preform on the other end of the wire were it meets the eyebolt. Leave a tag line past the preform so you can hook it up to your vechicle of choice. Run the tag line thru the smaller pulley. Shackle the whole mess to the eye bolt

To feed up. Connect tag line to your vechicle to and take the load. Loose up your shackle on the preform and pull forward to lower your feeder. Once full back up and reattach your shackle to the preform and all that back to the eye bolt

Great thing about this setup you can stop the feeder where ever you want for easy fill or service the motor. I will try to post a couple pics of the setup we installed on a buddies place. Didn't flash the tree cause rugs aren't around that much were this one is.




Click to view attachment

Here is a pic of the setup at the bottom, sorry don't know how to post more than one pic at a time.

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P.S. The best feeder setup I have found for rugs is a 55 gallon drum full of donuts, there is a bakery local and they sell the out of date stuff real cheap, with the lid and seal ring on it. Use a hole saw to punch a 3" dia hole in the middle of one side. Go back in week and see if you can find your barrel.LOL

Feeder wise if you can get your feeder to feed whole peanuts in the shell they will last a little longer than corn. With the current price of corn it may be a little cheaper too....


Please keep the suggestions coming!
Thanks