Contech CRO101 Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler
by Contech
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List Price: Our Price: $34.99 You Save: $25.00 (42%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Contech CRO101 Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler
Customer Review: Keep birds away from pool!
Summary: 5 Stars
First, I recommend checking all the reviews--it takes time but they're very useful to decide whether this will help in your situation and give great fine-tuning tips.
My problem is birds making a mess around my pool--worst during a few weeks after opening each season until I make it clear they aren't welcome. I have a lot of trees and lanscaping nearby so it was a real challenge. I've tried all sorts of anti-bird strategies and last year found that "patrolling" with squirts from my long range hose would train them to stay away after a few weeks but the process was (obviously) a real pain.
I spent untold hours researching solutions. Most of the bird repellant products were questionable in terms of efficacy (e.g. balloons with scary faces) and some were horribly expensive (like $500 to $1000 in some cases!!) and came with clear warnings that they were not guarateed and non-returnable!
Anyway, the water concept seemed useful so I decided to give it a try. After a few weeks, it seems to have worked wonderfully well!! Almost no mess around the coping and only some random contributions from fly-overs. Big improvement and I'm not running out like a demented fireman trying to put out flames in the sky!
My suggestion for installation is to consider using shims to steady and adjust the unit---many commented that it's hard to keep stable and it does have a lot of force exerted on the unit during water blasts. I inserted the installation spoke in the ground and used 3 shims to secure it and to adjust for the angle/trajectory that works best (much easier to reposition shims than to remove and resettle the installation spoke in order to fine-tune direction of spray). I also attached a cut-off unit to the supply hose that makes it easy to turn off where and when you want to deactivate the sprayer without getting to the dial on the unit (which would give you a pretty good blast if you can't approach directly from the rear).
So, if you're battling the nasty dirty birds, I'd say give it a try. Heavens knows I've tried many things and with this sprayer, so far so good!
Contech Electronics Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler #CRO101/CRO102
Customer Review: Get's the Job Done
Summary: 4 Stars
I have a huge deer and rabbit problem in my area. I've tried using sprays and fencing, but after having half my vegetable crop and many of my planted flowers continuously eaten or destroyed this Spring, I decided to purchase the Scarecrow motion activated sprinkler. And so far it has done its job beautifully.
The item arrived quickly and in good condition, but it must be noted that it is not exactly the same as shown on the picture. It is completely black with no yellow markings or parts.
The sprinkler requires one 9 volt battery and a standard garden hose with a constant water supply. The unit has a screw off cap that can be taken off to daisy chain additional hose/sprinkler units. It also has a dial to control sensor sensitivity.
The actual sprinkler unit screws onto a plastic stake, which must be carefully inserted into the ground. Because of the stake's material, extra care must be made not crack it while driving it into hard or rocky soil. There are two clips on the sprinkler head unit that controls the degree in which the sprayer will rotate, as well as, a spray diffuser that controls the spray height. Be prepared to get a little wet while fine tuning the settings.
The hose and cap fittings must be tightened every week or so to keep the unit from leaking. I feel this is inevitable because the plastic unit really wasn't made to handle the constant water pressure. Another side effect from the hose constantly being on, is that the standing water in the hose becomes stale. As a result, water sprayed from the unit has a very unpleasant smell. Avoid being sprayed or the smell will stick to your skin and clothes.
The sprinkler completes its main purpose of keeping my garden safe from animals. The fact that it works merits its 4 stars. However, the build quality and some of the other minor annoyances listed above keeps it from being perfect. Overall, I recommend this product.
PROS:
1) Keeps garden critters away from your plants
2) Pesticide free
3) Cost effective
CONS:
1) Plastic material susceptible to breaking
2) Unit leaks
3) Stale water smell
4) Unit is not the same as pictured
Customer Review: effective, but expensive for quality/durability of materials
Summary: 4 Stars
I first bought 1 of these to try and end a problem of deer devouring my crepe myrtles, knockout roses, plumbago, and blackfoot daisies in my recently landscaped (at huge monetary and physical expense) backyard. I otherwise had to wrap ugly wire fences around the plants to keep the deer off, which, of course, defeats the purpose of landscaping - to beautify the home outside.
The Scarecrow seemed to be effective, so I bought 2 more to cover the entire area I needed covered. So far, they have worked so well, that I have been able to completely remove the wire cages. After joking that I was going to shoot the damn deer because I didn't know of any other simple and aesthetic way to control the problem, I did look here on Amazon to find something, anything that might work. I found the various sprays but thought way too much trouble to have to continuously apply and buy them. I even began to imagine there should be a device similar to those motion detecting automatic weapons like those in the movie "Aliens". And then I came across "The Scarecrow", Now, I don't even have to kill the deer!
Seriously, though, they really do work great and are harmless to the deer. You do have to work with their placement and tweak their sensitivity a bit, and put up with getting sprayed yourself a little if you forget to turn them off when you go out to work on the garden. The only other downside is that they are made out of seemingly cheap plastic and cost me $45 each. Really, all it is, is an impact sprinkler with a motion detector attached controlling a valve to allow the sprinkler to spray a 3 second burst of water when it detects motion. If it were made of metal, it might be worth that price. What we need is competition; without that, companies take advantage by charging anything people are willing to pay.
The only thing keeping me from giving 3 stars (because of the cheap construction/materials) is the excellent way it works, and the only thing keeping it from being 5 stars is that apparent cheapness. I would definitely recommend it, just the same, until something of better quality comes along.
Customer Review: Worked great...and still works great!
Summary: 5 Stars
Deer moved into the neighborhood and started stripping my fruit trees at night. I got three of the Scarecrows to cover the most likely access routes. Assembly and adjustment were a breeze. Works as advertised, and so far, so good. UPDATE: Three growing seasons later and the Scarecrows are still on the job. My fruit trees are happy and my only problem with the vegetable garden is slugs! I have not had a problem with any of the units failing, and they have been in use about 6 months out of each year. I noticed a few people complaining about battery life, but this has not been an issue for me. I talked with the manufacturer about battery usage, and they said that a battery should be good for about 900-1000 triggerings. The batteries in mine last about 3-4 months, even with a number of false alarms from tree limbs swaying in the breeze. I have the sensitivity control on about the 7 mark (out of 10). However, if you have the sensitivity set full up you are going to have a lot of unnecessary triggerings and it will expend the battery a lot faster. A handy feature is that, when the battery does start to go, the Scarecrow delivers an abbreviated spray pattern and that is your sign that it's time for a new battery.
I did use a modified mounting method because my soil is very hard. This method may help those who have problems with the spike loosening in the ground. I got a 3' long piece of large diameter rebar and drove 2' of it into the ground; then I took a 2' piece of 1" diameter PVC electrical conduit (with the bell end at the top) and slipped it over the rebar. I drove a couple of short screws through the PVC until they snugged up to the rebar. Then I pressed the mounting spike into the bell end of the PVC where it makes a snug, friction fit. Obviously, you can adjust the dimensions to your specific circumstances. Not only does this make a sturdy mounting method, but it elevates the unit above taller foliage, and it's cheap. It cost me less than $15 to make 3 brackets.
Customer Review: My Garden Saver
Summary: 4 Stars
After spending so much time and effort into our first square foot garden I was devastated when a few days later I went out and found areas where our neighbor's cat had decided to make a litter box out of our garden. My solution to the problem was a shotgun, but my pro-animal husband refused and wanted to try a more humane effort. So, I went to the local garden supply store and bought their recommendation - some granules that I had to sprinkle generously all around the border of the garden every 24 hours or whenever it rained. Well, that did not work, every morning the cat had left me a present overnight.
After doing lots of research and before leaving for a week long trip (I was worried I'd come home to no garden at all) I finally decided to buy the Scarecrow. Now, I am a frugal person and it killed me to pay this much money for something to protect my garden (not to mention the overnight shipping charges, since I wanted it here before we left town).
The minute it came we opened it and my children and I went out and installed it. I have to say we had so much fun "testing" it and trying not to get sprayed! That night my husband and I heard it go off one time (it's right by our window). We left town the next morning. I was so nervous about what we'd come home to, but when we got home my garden was nearly perfect! I could see one spot where it looked like that cat had started trying to do his business, but it wasn't very "finished" looking. I dug up all around to make certain, but it was all clean! It's been nearly 3 weeks now and my garden is still in perfect condition, no more kitty crap!!
So, overall, this sprinkler is worth every cent. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is that I wish the stake was made of something more solid than plastic. If you are debating over this, trust me, it will work and you will LOVE it!!!