terry b Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Hi all intending to buy myself a pigeon magnet,would appreciate any advice on which to buy,seen a version with a slim tube type motor and others that look to have a car wiper motor attached.the last one i used was lent to me and seemed quite heavy although very effective. any advice would be good. thanks terry bailey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piemanpete Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hi Terry. Just bought the latter version in a good value package deal from ************ Build quality not bad, although one of the crimped on spade connectors dropped off and the packing quality from the vendor shockingly bad *and* no instructions. I think the people who make these things assume all shooters instinctively know how to put them together. "Other vendors are available" though not sure if they are all doing the package deal - I wanted the decoys with the spinning wings and they certainly do fool Woody. If you go for a deal, invest in a 2nd battery, as one won't last all day - about 4-5 hours I reckon, if you're using the speed controller to run it at a sensible rpm. Cheapest battery is on ebay. Ditch the connectors between controller and motor and hard-wire them together terminal block will do - it's much simpler, then you only use croc clips to connect to the battery. I did go to Maplin to buy some polarised connectors but then thought: what the hell - what could be easier than 'Connect the black croc to the black terminal and the red croc to the red terminal?! There are some other threads from wiser heads about where to locate the magnet - in amongst the static decoys or on the periphery in the landing zone. Hope that helps. Good shooting! Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 I have ran dozens of magnets into the ground, during the busy periods we're out 6 days a week, so you get to know a quality machine when you see it. Most of the machines on the market now are not designed for constant everyday use and don't last more than a year (20 weeks solid use). One magnet stands out head and sholders above the rest and it's the "Origional Magnet", quad arms (although I only use 2), spring steel rod arms and a chunky motor. It's as heavy as hell but built to last. I've had one for 8 years and it's done 1000's of hours of work and is still going strong. It's outlasted about 30 other machines of various makes. I'm not sure if you can still buy them anywhere but If you can get one on Ebay or second hand then I would strongly advise it. Pinewood also make a good magnet but after their comments about getting them banned a couple of years ago I've kind of gone off them! Cheers, Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piemanpete Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 As a professional I expect you are the exception - most people are just shooting as a hobby, so an ordinary magnet will probably last them years, don't you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Yes I totally agree, most makes should cope with recreational use very well. I guess the origional magnet was a bit of engineering overkill as it was one of the first on the market and was certainly built to last. Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 I just bought an "original magnet" from an auction and it was advertised as a "bird scarer" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonboy1 Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 it'll certainly scare the **** out of 'em when they get close enough to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfie Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 (edited) I was looking at this one: on eBay Its the cheapest ive found so i wouldn't expect it to last for ages but i'll only be using it once a week at most EDIT NOTE, Please don't post eBay links. Edited March 25, 2009 by Cranfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 As has been posted many times on this section. People have had problems with cheap rotary machines purchased off the Bay of E, some don't work at all, others breakdown very quickly. Its worth buying your machine from a reputable source, paying a bit extra and getting the guarantee that if you have any problems, they will be sorted out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry b Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 thanks to all for your opinions and advice ,really usefull comments terry bailey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfie Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 As has been posted many times on this section.People have had problems with cheap rotary machines purchased off the Bay of E, some don't work at all, others breakdown very quickly. Its worth buying your machine from a reputable source, paying a bit extra and getting the guarantee that if you have any problems, they will be sorted out. Good point! I hadn't thought of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adymorris Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I got one of egay - built like a panzer tank still going strong after 5 years - paid about £60 for it when the others were around £100ish - have used it for several hours a day sometimes 4/5 days in a row - ateotd day if it's out of warranty and the motor breaks - get a replacement from the breakers - If you're worried about reliability get one from a German or Japanese car I have the blokes details if you need to price one up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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