I have several of Ramballs, really like them for their durability, but there is a design flaw he may have fixed since. The lower plate where the wire tube goes through to the motor allows some corn to get in the motor box. With enough time, the motor box becomes filled with corn which then starts to ferment and rot the motor away. I have had to replace nearly every motor due to that cause. A simple duck tape fix solves the problem, but doing those plate type feeder repairs is not the easiest by yourself. More duck tape to help hold things up is a real solid third hand.
I have also had a two where the solar panel went out, and had to be replaced. Makes it interesting when the sizes don't match, but that's what a drill is for. But, those have been pretty good and solid for many years.

I have one ASF branded stand and fill 600# which aside form the solar panel assembly being jacked with by coons has been pretty solid for a long time.

I have one ASF built buccees feeder that has been a trip. Motor is out on it now. I have replaced timer on it already. It is going to be an interesting fix, but I will get it done when I get around to it. It is a house feeder and not a hunting feeder sp priority is low on that.

Ranch Kings are the best out there in my opinion, but have gotten very pricey.

The ASF stand and fills (not the buccees version) seem to be a good middle ground.

I don’t see a way for anything to pop out. It appears to be a closed system to me.

'Had the same problem on 2. stxranchman on here happened to be with me when they quit and helped me figure it out. Nasty. 'Had one lid blow open and bend too. It's chained and both have rocks on 'em now. (Never any mojados spotted that would have left it open.)

Texas Wildlife Systems (Brady) has excellent 1000# units, of which I've bought two, but we're getting into a very pricey level. These are now the two I keep going year-round.

I’ll vote for home made. Still using 2 crank up feeders my grandpa built… he died when I was in kinder garden and they weren’t new then. Have replaced the timer and solar panel. My kids are hunting them, that’s 4 generations so far.

I absolutely love these. Outstanding design. Easy to fill and program. Run like a champ.

I use the ASF 1,000 pound timed feeder and it works great. For cheap, larger capacity spin cast feeders, I’ve good luck with 600 pound Buc ee’s. For more money, the 800 pound Capsule and 500 pound Monarch have worked great. I have switched all my feeders to stand and fill, which makes life much easier.

Dang.

Klappenbach has one and the same situation as described by Red. Damn thing loses no corn, alwas throws and I hate it.

Several years ago, it was dirty as all get out so Klappenbach got his FIL to spruce it up. Came back with the lid havng a fresh coat of white paint on it. When queried as to this, the FIL said, the existing white paint had become splotchy. The existing "white paint" was bird droppings.

Again, Bossbuck, makes good feeders, especially the protein feeders. Might wanna look into them. All Seasons were pretty good too.

Stand and fill are a great way to save a lot of trouble. I am certainly glad the manufacturers came around to this idea.

Hud, that is hilarious. I have had some times when I shoot a hog and lose it close by to a feeder but can't find it, and sure enough the vultures will find my feeder as a perch to sit on all day. And then cue the white splotched paint. Good thing is it does wash off when we get rain. I recognize down in your neck of the woods, rain is a commodity traded like precious metals.

I had two boss buck 1000# protein feeders, dang things were so tall I had to tip toe on my upright tailgate just to reach them and then put the bag up to head level to dump it in.

I have switched to ASF stand and fill 1000# protein feeders and have zero regrets. Way easier to fill, and while not a true stand and fill, I can easily stand in my mule bed or truck bed and dump bags at leg level. Much safer and way easier, esp in the summer heat.

I've used all sorts, but have been buying Outdoor Addiction stand and fills lately, and have had great success with them.

I think he is no longer making feeders. I texted a few times and nothing. A relative told me he's done. I had to 'coon proof the wires going down to the motor.

I got one from him last year and some feeder boxes and materials, as he lives just down the road from me. I remember you posted something last summer and I texted to ask him if he was closing shop. He said you might have someone else's number because he personally never got your texts. He said, though they make feeders between other jobs, and those often sell out fast, they were still making them. Forgot to relay that to you, then. Oops! If you need to contact him at some point, lemme know and I can send you a message with his contact. or maybe try their website?: https://oahunting.com/contact-us

He gave me his personal phone number. We exchanged texts several times before he delivered 2 to my house. I didn't get the number wrong.

I had a string of about 20 feeders that went out with too big of holes in the plates and the bottom motor boxes either almost or completely welded up by my hand at the time instead of tacked to allow water to get out. Took almost a year to figure out what went wrong on the batch. I drove all over the state fixing whoever called me about them or mailed new motors if theirs got flooded out. We’ve changed several thing on these.

Instead of the top x members and chain for the lid, The bin is broke at the top and the lid has a slide catch that locks it open from wind in any direction. We also added a very simple latch to it to keep the lid down.

On the bottom, I made the gap where the corn flies much smaller, 7/8” or so. With that we’re able to make the plates a smaller diameter, and I added the spikes to the ends to make it a little more uncomfortable for the critters.

I added a corn cutoff down low as well in case you need to work on the motor. To lock it open just slide it out, and drop a 1/4” bolt through the holes to keep animals from bumping it closed.

The motor box is bolted into rivnuts so only one side needs to spin to be removed.

The motor itself has a little bit of up and down adjustment to control the rate of corn.

We switched from powdercoat to an industrial enamel. Materials and components have not gone down to anywhere near they were pre Covid, so I figured that would be the place where we would use some skimpflartion versus going thinner on material. Bins and legs are all 12ga sheet metal, we are braking a lot of it in house with our new equipment which has made it cleaner and a little quicker. I may give an option to upgrade the skids to something thicker, we did have one fall off a truck bed going through the ranch and bent the legs a little bit.

Looks Industrial

Ranball, let me be clear, i wasnt complaining, just letting people know of my discovered design flaw and hoped you had fixed it since that first batch went out. The build quality is second to none, and they will last a lifetime. And now that i know what/how to fix on the corn plate, its all good.

The improvements you talk about and show look really good and demonstrate some serious thought. The corn cut off is genius.

I would buy again from you in a heart beat, but the good thing is i dont need any new ones right now.

We have 11 I think, we had one or two motors go out, and figured out it was the plates and where the sq tubing with wire intersected. Easy fix. I used 2 strips of HD duct tape or aluminum duck tape. That was 6 or 7 years ago. No issues since. I ordered mine with detachable legs, but hindsight would have been easier to move with skids, but with the removal able legs you aren’t pushing it over.

I like the upgrades he did on the above.

I had 7 of the old man TWS feeders, I HATED them, I took a cutting touch and welder to modify them. I still have one I don’t use, but it was a PAIN to check timer, and the cage wasn’t big enough and coons would break those eliminator spin plates. I raised all the feeders, put box on side for timer/battery and made cage exponentially bigger

Im sure they changed the design by now though, I haven’t looked in a while

Varmint plates now and battery/timer is up high, eye level, outside the corn hopper. Compartment is a little small for the battery, but works.

Way it should be. I used an electrical pull breaker box. Think all feeder companies go through evolution updates.

I take the worst cracker box welder made(and I can’t weld) I weld a square, 4 leg cheap heavy duty scrap angle iron square, where the $10 barrel sits in the top. I make it stand and fill…no coon can get to the spinner unless he’s a giraffe, plus I use the eliminator plate(the real one) I use the $169 Evolution All Season. And I’m done.

Gotcha. No excuses there, then.