Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Feeders - I know - asked many times

I've used the search and all I find is older posts, so I'll ask for current info on this.

I know there is plenty of info on Sweeney and Texas, then there are the really low end with very mixed reviews but I see a few around the $600 range that might be all I need.

One acre pond, started hand feeding last year and when the ice is gone, we will again start feeding but would like to use a feeder this year to be more consistent. The pond is close to the house so easily monitored.

I see one from ASF called EZ Feeder for $600 - the company has a long history of making feeders so that is a plus though I don't see reviews.

There is the Woods to Water Everlast also for about $600.

Are there others in that price range and/or does anyone have knowledge of these or others preferably in use for first hand knowledge?

I'd try the one from ASF. I think Fireishot has one or knows about it.

I'm running wire under a trailer right now, so yes, 10X I think I can give you my thoughts on Texas Hunter, Sweeeney, and ASF's brand new fish feeder later today.

First, I'm not going to bash any of these fish feeders. Each may have their own positives, and almost all will have the same water related problems. Humidity is one of those problems. Humidity in East TX can cause problems with moisture inside the hopper. West TX probably doesn't have that problem. I'm in NE TX, and summer humidity is 99% every stinking morning. Since I live in a humid area, I run 2 bags of feed at a time so I can see if all the pellets are dry. There can be clumps of damp pellets in the corners, and If so, they needed to be removed before adding more pellets. It's probably not a big issue in dry areas.

At some point, almost all feeders need silicone for the windows. Also, after hot and cold, the seam in the hoppers may start leaking there too. Silicone works well, and I've had good luck with HVAC foil tape. I had been usually Flex Seal Spray, but summer heat can cause pellets to stick to the walls of the hopper, and that can be a mess. It keeps water out, but sticks pellets to the walls.

All fish feeders come from Texas.

Texas Hunter has been known for solid fish feeders for years, and their buyout hasn't seemed to change a thing. The issues I had with it was it's not ability to throw any pellets over 1/4". The feeder itself is rock solid and I like the cone shaped throw for the pellets. The controller is easy to learn, and if needed, the replacement cost is right around $100 after the warranty runs out. Esshup bought one of my TX Hunters from me 5-6 years(?) ago. So between the 4-5 years I had it, it's done well over 11 years. Parts are easy to get, and not real expensive. Adjusting the height of the horizontal spinner is an easy way to control feed flow.

I replaced my TX Hunters with Sweeney's when I sold my TX Hunters. The Sweeney's have an horizontal auger instead of a small spinner to add pellets to the vertical throwing spinner. I was throwing Cargill Triton 3/8" pellets, and TX Hunter had a tough time throwing them. I did a lot of surgery on it, but none worked. Sweeney's have done well, but the controller can be a little confusing at the start. Two things would keep me into a new Sweeney's if 1) the controller doesn't fade out over a few years and tough it read, and 2) having drop in different auger sizes would be a huge advantage above other feeders. I had to cut tin drop in plates to limit small pellets. A new controller is around $200.

This year, I bought an ASF deer feeder and am extremely happy with it. It's rock solid, is easy to manage the controller which is only $50, and all the seams have been sealed. Most anybody that's stopped at a Bucc-ee's has probably seen the deer feeders outside the building. ASF did release a fish feeder last month, and that's probably what I'll buy next. Parts are online, and a phone call will get all info you may need. It's a huge TX facility that does custom work as well. I also have a ASF bird feeder for years, and it's rock solid. A shotgun couldn't damage it.

I know nothing of Woods to Water Everlast, and It looks to be something sold, not manufactured in house. If I'm wrong then please correct me. The price is close to the ASF fish feeder.

Deciding what you buy is totally up to you, and the cost you want to spend. As esshup said, I'll probably get the ASF next and drive south to the factory and get a little BBQ while there. If I missed anything, just let me know.

Great info! Thank you for the excellent write-up. I was leaning towards the ASF given the cost, and history of the company making other feeders.

I need to call them because their specs are contradictory. It says disperses feed WITHIN 10 feet, then it says Throws up to 50ft with 10ft spread


Holds 70lbs of fish food and 150lbs of deer corn
Powder Coated steel construction
12v dual-motor with direct drive auger
Directional air drive system disperses feed within 10ft
12v Timer with 1 year warranty
Mounts to dock or bank with adjustable foot pad
Works best with floating fish food (.125-.5 diameter) or whole kernel corn. Sinking food not recommended.
Adjustable foot pad kit included
Simple 10 minute assembly
Throws up to 50ft with 10ft spread

Fireishot, I designed a differently shaped part that is a direct bolt on for the TH feeder. It replaced the piece of plastic that went over the blower motor. That was where the 3/8" pellets were hanging up. When I tried it with the half bag or so of Triton 3/8" pellets, I didn't have any issues. It's 3D printed.

I told TH about what I did, and they weren't interested, but I did get a note saying that I couldn't build them as replacement parts..... I didn't share the design with them either. I've been burned before (not by them).

So, the fix IS available if they want to put a little bit of effort in it. It didn't take me long to figure it out, and I had a friend write the STL file & print out the part once I gave him the dimensions and the part to measure for any other dimensions he needed. If someone there had some design/fabrication skills, a short term prototype could be figured out in less than 2 days. It took me less than that to get the cobbled together prototype working. Then another day for the STL file to be created/sliced and printed.

Seeing some reputable lake management companies recommending Ranch King feeders on the reliability front. Comments or experiences?

Are you talking about the Texas Avenger directional fish feeder?

Ask those companies if they service those feeders or offer help if the feeder isn't working properly.

The only experience I have is with a Texas Hunter. It was easy to install and is very durable.

To this point, two years in...I have had no issues with electronics, solar charging, or battery. If and when that changes and I deal with customer service I'll report back.

Currently I'd rate it an A+ and would buy another one in a heartbeat.

I have one of those Woods to Water/Foreverlast feeders and it's been...fine. Got it from Amazon warehouse for a song so it did have a few blemishes when I got it.

Definitely does not hold 125lbs of feed. More like 75lbs. But it's two stage and does a great job of tossing it out.

I did have to replace the timer after a couple years (not easy to find a two-stage timer), but that was my fault; it got corroded from getting wet because I didn't ziptie it off the "floor" of the compartment at the bottom of the feeder (which does get wet).

Dust from feed and water make a sludge in that bottom compartment but it's easy enough to clean out and only has to be done once a year or so.

At some point I'd like to make a controller for it myself with something like a raspberry pi so I could control it with wifi---would be a fun project.

What size feed are you using it to throw, and do you have any idea how much weight it throws for "X" amount of time?

I've used it with all sizes (full-sized catfish pellets to "grower" aquamax) and it seems to work pretty consistently. But, no, I don't know how much comes out. If I had to guess it's about 1.5lbs for "1" second and maybe about .5lbs per second after that.

I use the feeder as a storage box, so I'm always pulling more from it when the fish are hungry and I'm there to help them out.

OK, quick update on the Great $600 Fish Feeder Mystery.

Called ASF today — super nice folks, very helpful, even sent me a video of the feeder in action. Guy tells me it throws 50 feet and about 10 feet wide. Video looked legit, so at first I’m thinking, “Alright, sold.”

BUT…

Upon closer inspection of the video, I notice the timer says Everlast.

Hmmmm.

Then I notice the feeder in the video is green, while the one on ASF’s website is more of a brown/earth tone.

So now I’m thinking one of two things:

- ASF is making these for Everlast,
or
- ASF is buying Everlast units and slapping their own sticker on them.

Either way, it’s the same feeder wearing different shirts.

Both list the price at $599.

Both gave me the same WELCOME10 code for 10% off.

So far, everything is looking identical.

Then shipping enters the chat.

ASF’s site proudly says $85 flat-rate shipping… until you put it in the cart.

Then it jumps to something like $105. Classic.

So I wander over to Everlast, toss one in the cart (plus a battery), and shipping pops up at about $16.

At that point, the decision basically made itself. Same feeder, same price, same discount… but almost $100 cheaper to get it to my door.

So I ordered from Everlast.

Already got a UPS tracking number. Expected delivery: March 4th.

Now I just need the ice to melt so I can actually test the thing. When I do, I’ll post a full review.

Thing that strikes me about ASF's website is they have multiple pictures of the "back" of the feeder and they're different. Some have the viewing window, some don't. Some have the logo, some don't. Etc. It definitely looks like the same unit as Foreverlast.

But who actually designed it? Probably neither of them. Who makes it? Probably some factory in China that'll slap any logo on it if you meet the minimum order.

The feeder showed up yesterday. One tiny corner of the lid had a dent — the kind of dent that says, “UPS gently introduced this box to a heavier box,” but nothing worth losing sleep over. The tape on the box had started to give up on life, but thankfully the foam inserts inside were doing the real work.

And yes, the box proudly wore a Made in China label. At half the price of the competition, I would’ve been more shocked if it didn’t.

There is a viewing window. Legs attached easily, some adjustability for height there, if needed.

Battery plugged in, timer set with zero drama, and the test button spun the motor like it meant it. So far, so good — no smoke, no sparks, no mysterious grinding noises that make you question your life choices.

Now I’m just waiting for ice‑out so I can feed something other than my own curiosity. I’ll keep you posted once it starts flinging pellets instead of air.

Time for an update.

The feeder has been out for quite a while now. I manually test‑fired it off and on until the fish started showing up regularly, and once they settled into the routine I switched it over to the timer. It’s currently set to feed once a day, and everything is working exactly as advertised.

It throws the feed the distance they claim, the feed has stayed completely dry, and my Aquamax/Endurance mix runs through it with zero issues.

Against my own good sense and just about all advice, I went the cheap route for a feeder. I got the Moultrie 30 gallon quick-lock feeder. $179. It was the one area of my plan where I decided to go cheap as opposed to the Texas Hunter my Management company advised.

I have been very pleasantly surprised that, fingers crossed, it's worked just fine since June of last year. Doesn't throw the feed very far, but doesn't need to as it's mounted at the end of my pier. It stays completely dry down in south Alabama even after huge rains and high humidity. The battery will last at least an entire feeding season (March-October) and is easily rechargeable. The only issue I have ever had with it was the plate that spins and shoots the feed got stuck one time right after I set it up. I just reached in and spun it a few times and it started working.

I wouldn't say that I would recommend going that route as most of the time, you get exactly what you pay for. I would highly recommend it, however, for anybody who simply doesn't have it in their budget for an expensive feeder.

I have the 5 gal. bucket Moultrie . It is 7 to 10 ten years old and this year it is not working. Have not checked on why yet, could be it needs a new battery. 15 to 20 foot throw.

I am on my third $325 Sweeney controller as of this month.

Good to know about the ASF feeder and the controller being $50.