best deer feeder for the money

I need to finally put a deer feeder on my lease. I would run it year around. my budget is around 300-350.

Look up HMan here on the board and check out his. Friend of mine recently bought a double from him and couldn't be happier.

X2 for HMan! i have bought 6 feeders from him! all are top quality!!!

I enjoy building my own....it gives me a sense of accomplishment. You can probably build one for 1/2 of what a new one costs.

2014 was my first year to have a deer lease and buy all the BS you need and "nice-to-haves" involved with having one.

Particularly if you're on a budget... do not try and save money and buy something cheap. You'll either be replacing it or you'll be feeding inconsistently or not at all due to spinner problems. You'll also find yourself wasting corn with mistakes in all of the above. I made all of the above mistakes at different points during the year.

Invest in a good 12v timer/motor/solar panel (I would recommend "The Timer" and the Tx Direct Hunting Motor/Solar Panel) and either a good Critter cage or a spinner plate like "The Eliminator". Buy a filter screen for the barrel top, a small piece of corn bag will stop up a feeder (twice for me). Anchor your feeder legs with t-posts or something.

The above will be the most important in terms of getting only the right amount of corn out, when you're expecting it to be thrown. Look for a 2nd hand Hoist-up, Tripod etc on Craigslist, there will bunches coming up right now as people move leases, give up, etc.

Good luck!

Charlie

The best is the one that does what you need it to. To that end, you need to figure out what you want it to do before you spend any money.

I am throwing 5sec 2x a day during season. That empties $35 of corn in 3 weeks. How often will you be willing to fill the feeder? Worse yet is the feeder that stops running - and it takes weeks to diagnose.

I don't use Everlast (much, I won one last year and used it when early in the season - but it was a 100lb feeder and needed weekly filling) - but they seem to make fairly good stuff. Their budget timer works, and iirc uses the same harness as the "the timer" (which makes that upgrade a drop in). A I have heard a lot of good things about Boss Buck. I am using All Seasons (which buckies tends to sell almost below cost).

That all said, back to the first line - I have found that larger feeders are easier for me to keep filled (my small feeder was abandoned 1 month into season (see below), as I just did not have the time to get to it), and I will probably upgrade my 350lb unit to a 700 before next year (I really liked not filling the 1k feeder).

Early in the season I used a road feeder - and while it is a different strategy - I really liked how it pulled out the animals (early in the season).
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Feeders can be a never ending headache. This season 1 feeder was borrowed (replaced entirely). One destroyed preseason by coons (replaced control unit), one lost a motor the week after starting (pending repairs, but essentially replaced entirely), and another lost a tripod due to a tree dropping a branch (next years problem.

Ok thanks i will look him up.

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Here are a couple I recently built. I built both of these myself for around 80 bucks a piece.

I built one last season and have a second waiting to be put together. Controller (All Seasons with "the timer")$110, Barrel $25, Solar $25, Lid $30, funnel $30, bail $20, battery $10. so about $250 w/o tripod and winch.

I had tripods, but did upgrade a winch (twice - first one was harbor freight and stripped gears) - winch $110. Order of preference, stand and fill is the easiest - is much lower throw height. They also put your equipment lower so it they tend to be built stronger to take abuse. Hung is almost as easy to fill, but takes cranking (or you can use a drill if you have a worm winch). Barrel with legs is annoying to fill, but is cheapest - I have also had them be blown and knocked over the most.

Thanks Blazin. I subbed your channel

The best are the ones you build!

It sounds good, but I don't have time for sense of accomplishment at times.

I really like the boss buck products I have a 340lb free feed for protein and a 600lb times corn feeder and both have worked really well. I always Like getting bigger than I need so I don't have to fill as often.

Sweeney or Texas Hunter Products are the best.. IMO

Nothing to do with the best/worse, but if you don't anchor them correctly, none will be any good when they hit the ground. Wind, cows, horses, hogs--all will be their demise.

we like the Llamco, but we don't like coons or small hogs being able to get feed.

Get you an All Seasons with a solar panel. I have some over 15 yrs old now and still going.

Have 4 hang'em hi's with texas hunter 6-volt feeder kits. They are 8 years old and running like a champ non stop from day 1 till now.

X2

With All Seasons you can be rest assured that your feeder will be feeding with no issues when your not at the ranch.

Triple C also makes a good feeder. we have three that feed year round.

x2

Love the Triple C feeders.

Get a hold of Hman. I did not know him before I bought a feeder and he came out to my house and put everything together for me including the cage around the feeder. i have not talked to him since, so we are not really friends at all, but I would without question buy one of his feeders again. I got a double one that is two barrels. The reason is that I throw in the morning from one and the evening from another. Several here had said how important it is to get one that works. My thinking is that if one stops, then I will still be feeding at least once a day.
By the way. my wife ran into the feeder with the front end loader on my tractor just as I was through filling it up for the first time. Knocked it down full of 600 lbs of corn. I was able to put it back up with no problem and it never missed a beat.

I haven't been on the forum for a little while. I'm humbled by the kind words. I told someone just today that I get tired working in this shop, but the feedback I receive every time I deliver a feeder or blind really keeps me going! I'm happy to help anyone I can. Even if you just have questions about when, where, what, how..., I really like talking hunting and helping out where I can.

Thanks again!

I have built 6 feeders for Hunting lease. Moultrie Pro Hunter Feeder Motors, Varmint Guard, Barrel Leg Mounts, Solar Panel, & barrel funnel. 55 gal Barrels from local dealer. Metal Elec Conduit for legs, 2' rebar to anchor legs. Coon guard Flex conduit for Solar Panel line running to battery from Home Depot. Heavy Spun Metal lid from shop in Cross Plains. These feeders have been going year around for last 4 yrs.

Mr.T those r sum super nice browtines there. Geez!!

what's best about those browtines is that they hit the ground this season. All the more reason to have a good working feeder.

Get a Cox from Livingston.