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: It really works!
Summary: 4 Stars
I confess to some misgivings about ordering this product. However, it has worked well and for the first time in four years we have been able to pick unblemished tomatoes from our small raised bed garden. Before the Scarecrow, some varmint always sampled our nearly ripe fruit just before it was ready to be picked.
Do be careful sticking it into the ground. Like some have mentioned, it is a little flimsy. Don't push on the body, step on the part of the stake indicated in the instructions and you will be fine. Oh, and connect the hose before placing it. It does not have a swivel connection so if you try to screw the hose into the fitting after you've stuck the Scarecrow into the ground you'll be having to twist the entire hose.
It works even better for keeping dogs out of an area in our yard. Have an area that your dogs have beat down badly? Set the Scarecrow to cover the area until the grass grows back. One of our two likes to play in the sprinkler but is leery of a sprinkler that comes on unexpectedly.
We were really surprised by the battery life. The original nine volt battery has lasted all summer long and is still working.
I do wish we had more control over the vertical aim of the spray. When place close enough to the target to "see" small animals like birds and rodents the Scarecrow tends to throw it's spray over the target, however the predators seemed to be scared off by the stream hitting the tops of the plants anyway.
Customer Review: Very effective
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the scarecrow to deter our pet ducks and geese from pooping on our sidewalk and porch, and to keep them from using my wife's herb garden as their salad bar. The scarecrow was trivially easy to set up and install. The sensitivity settings appear to work pretty well. It was immediately effective. The combination of the noise made by the activation of the spray, and the spray itself, sent them running. I had it set to "miss" the sidewalk, but both the Fedex guy and the mailman were startled (not moistened) by the thing turning on suddenly. Me -- I got drenched a couple of times when I inadvertently walked across the lawn in front of it. My own fault.... The bad news: geese are not completely stupid. They've been watching me for about 3 weeks now, and early this week I found them on the porch again, having circumnavigated the "forbidden zone" and come in via the sidewalk. By staying to the side, they can keep from tripping the motion sensor, and still get to the salad bar. Good news, while not completely stupid, they're not brainiacs either. I'd rate the scarecrow as over 90% effective, and that's good enough for me. Not sure what I'll do to replace the scarecrow when nightly temperatures fall below freezing later this month.... I haven't had to change the battery yet, but will do so this week. It seems to have become a bit less sensitive in the last week, and I'm speculating that the battery is about out of juice.Customer Review: It seemed like a neat idea.....
Summary: 2 Stars
I am a little confused about how this ended up so well rated. I have now owned this for two years and pretty much just have to declare it utterly useless, oh and expensive. It just plain doesn't work against squirrels or birds, which was my primary intention for it. One of the issues is that of course it has no way to tell if it is a critter climbing around or a branch is just being blown around in the wind. It has a sensitivity setting and if you turn it down so that it does not respond to a little wind then it will also not respond to a squirrel or a bird. Contrarily if you turn the sensitivity setting high it goes off A LOT and hence it can waste A LOT of water just because the wind is blowing a little. I literally just witnessed it go off a dozen times in a couple minutes because the wind is blowing a little and then a flock of birds moving in and using the water to bathe with while it just sat there and did nothing. Seriously, A FLOCK of birds though they were small birds I guess...:(
Why two stars? Well it has gotten some serious laughs when I or some unsuspecting friend goes accidentally walking in front of it forgetting it is on, so I am giving it two stars for comical value. Also, I could see it working for larger animals like deer, monsters, etc.
It's too bad you can't override it and make it just a sprinkler because it does have some good range. Anyone know how to do this?
Customer Review: Raccoons learned how to bypass the device
Summary: 3 Stars
I have a problem with 2 raccoons digging up the backyard lawn. I set up one Scarecrow in the area where they've been digging at the lawn. I also set up a security camera to observe them.
At first the Scarecrow worked. It would spray them and they'd run away.
After a few nights, however, the raccoons learned how to bypass the device. The Scarecrow works by shooting a 3 second burst of water followed by an 8 second delay before another burst is fired off. The 8 second delay is built into the device in order to give the spray pattern a sense of randomness to the animals.
When the raccoons would visit my backyard, they would trip the motion sensor on the device, run out of the spray zone, wait out the 3 second burst of water, and then run into the lawn area I was trying to protect during the 8 second delay. Once they were in the area I was trying to protect, they made little body movement as they were digging away so that the Scarecrow's motion detector couldn't detect them. I even had the sensitivity dial on the device cranked up to the highest setting and it wouldn't trip. I ended up returning it.
I still give it 3 stars though because I like the concept of a motion-activated water sprayer for intruding animals and I can see it working against birds or less tenacious animals than raccoons. :) The 8 second delay should be removed from the device, however.
Customer Review: Manufacturer must be stacking the reviews!
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this thing on the selling point that it would help deter pests from my garden...There is NO WAY this thing should have 5 stars. First off my complaints...
1) The only pest it truly deters is humans. Yes it can protect your garden from human interference just don't expect it to turn on when it sees squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs, birds or anything else that really damages your crops.
2) The range it works at is really about half of what is advertised. It has to be very close to your garden to even see big objects move. And this means it's viewing angle is greatly reduced.
3) If this is to be placed in your yard and you ever want to mow the grass you will have to unscrew the hose(while the device is in the ground this isn't as easy as it would seem)
Ok now the things I like about it.
1) It deters humans! When people go check out my garden they get hit with a water bath. It's quite amusing.
that's it
As a novelty this thing is really cool. You could use it for all kinds of applications. To keep kids off your lawn, or at least a small patch of it. To spray people who pull into your driveway..etc use your imagination. But as a device to help guard your garden. Get real this thing does not work as advertised in that respect at all. Only buy this if you want a toy. Not a tool