Wire frame animated Reindeer at the Depot.... cheap

[Bernie]

White wire frame animated reindeer at the Depot for 12 bucks. 36" Doe feeding, and 40" big daddy Buck. Take your pick. Got me some for target practice in the backyard...... heehee....jkng

[TJ Hvasta]

Yep, I meant to post this earlier today, we picked up one of each, but for $12, I may get a couple more..

[Guest guest]

TJ Hvasta wrote:

Yep, I meant to post this earlier today, we picked up one of each, but for $12, I may get a couple more..

WARNING! You WILL get what you pay for. The motors in these DO NOT HOLD UP WELL! Both of the ones I bought last year, both motors had parts break off them that are "welded" to the motor assembly that animates the deer. I had to use large zip ties, screws and plastic cable clamps to hold the assembly back together to make it work on one deer, the other, broke off in such a way, it is now STATIC! And so I removed the motor assembly from this one.

I have found these "CHEAP" Home Depot deer DO NOT EVEN LAST ONE SEASON! Both of mine broke apart (motor assemlies) within one week of evening usage. They each had about 30-40 hours at most on them.

I have two deer I bought from Big Lots a long while back,t one finally gave way last year(2009), but this deer is OVER 7+ years OLD, the other one is still going strong.

I saw the same deer at Big Lots this year, only they are in a 3 pack, Buck, Doe and Fawn for about $30.(I think was the cost) and so I am contemplating buying these for my replacements for the "static ones", which I will still use, just no animation.

Just thought you folks would like to know how well these HD deer held up under use. Mine were bought in 2009, and in less than a week of use, both had broken, one beyonf repair, the other, jury rigged to work to the best of my ability.

So just beware, these deer, in my opinion and from my experience are not worth purchasing, go with a better model elsewhere where the motor assembly IS NOT a welded type. As the welds in these models tend to be very poor and break apart far too easily!

[TJ Hvasta]

Thanks Orville, I did see they were the lower quality but need them just for the frames as they are going to be paper-mache-covered to be Rudoplh and Clarice in the Land Of Misfit Toys (this years theme). I had an idea to replace the cheap motor with a wiper motor if I wanted Rudolph to really rock it I saw see the deer family at BigLots last week too...

Thanks again for the update!

teege

[Guest guest]

TJ Hvasta wrote:

Thanks Orville, I did see they were the lower quality but need them just for the frames as they are going to be paper-mache-covered to be Rudoplh and Clarice in the Land Of Misfit Toys (this years theme). I had an idea to replace the cheap motor with a wiper motor if I wanted Rudolph to really rock it I saw see the deer family at BigLots last week too...

Thanks again for the update!

teege

TJ, as long as you are not going to "animate" them and use them as staticly lit display deer, then they are pretty close to worth the price for the wire frame for that. Just wanted folks to know if they are buying them for the "animation effect", pay a little higher cost and get a better motor assembly set up that isn't or doesn't use welds. Now the one deer that broke was NOT EVEN USED OUTSIDE! It was an "inside" display for my picture window in the living room next to my life size Santa Claus! So I was very disappointed in the fact these deer did not hold up very well at all for such use. By all rights, I'd have thought a "welded" joint (to the animation plate on the motor) would have held up far better and far longer than the OLD 7+ year Big Lot deer I had bought! I was shocked and surprised when the HD deer failed so miserably in such a short time.

If they had not of been an integral part of my 2009 display, I would have taken them back, but unbolting them from their wooden platforms, unsecuring all the cords just to get them out, just wasn't worth it. So I just made the outdoor one static since it broke in such a way repair was impossible without a new motor animation plate. And like stated above in another post, repaired the other (which was the doe/female deer) in a jury rig fashion and she's still holding her own from those make shift reapirs that I didn't think would make it through the season! LOL

But since they did, she'll be inside with Santa again this year by the large LED animated lighted and rotating Christmas Tree. (None of my indoor decor is controlled by LOR, all use their own control systems that are built in.) Outside on the house and in the yard, now that's pretty much all going to be controlled with the LOR CTB16PC controllers via the DC-MP3 Director, although actually considering using the laptop I was able to acquire for running the shows instead. But haven't definitely made that decision just yet to go that way.

[TJ Hvasta]

The wife texted me saying she was having a tough time keeping the doe together after assembling it.. said the clips kept popping off and the body falling apart. told her to just use zipties to keep the body peices together. Shes running around town looking for tan fabric to cover them in, cant have Rudolph and Clarice neked

I remember seeing someone (I think on the ChristmasFanClub forum) used a wiper motor on the buck to make the head swing back and forth to Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.. fast motion, fit almost perfectly to the beat.. LOL I might try that

[PaulXmas]

I use zip ties on all my wire frames.

I got a bunch of deer last year from walmart 50% off.

They are currently standing on a table in portable shed just itching to get out!

The zip ties makes it easy to carry them and keeps them in one peice.

[TJ Hvasta]

Deer stable, really great idea.. I like that.. guess theres several trips to HD's around to get some more.. We're doing the Island of Misfit Toys theme so Rudolph and Clarice will need for friends for Reindeer Games..