Contech Electronics CRO101 Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler Review. The Contech Electronics Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler presents an innovative, humane way to keep pets and wildlife from disturbing your yard and garden without the use of complicated traps or potentially hazardous chemicals. The sprinkler combines a surprise spray of water with unexpected motion and noise to create a safe, effective deterrent to unwanted visitors, helping keep your garden looking its best. The Contech Electronics Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler: Uses a startling burst of water to deter animals Teaches pets and wildlife to avoid your yard and garden Is safe, humane, and environmentally-friendly One Scarecrow can cover up to 1000 sq.ft. View larger. The Scarecrow protects your garden without using any hazardous chemicals. View larger. Safe, Humane Deterrent Helps Protect Your Garden A huge amount of time and energy goes into keeping your yard and garden looking great, so it's only natural that you want to protect them from damage cause...
"A Great Product That Really Works!" 2003-06-22
By JJOJ (Oshkosh, Wisconsin United States)
My husband and I were very disappointed to see that neighborhood rabbits had eaten our bean and pea plants to the stem after only two days of being in the ground. We wanted to keep the rabbits out of the garden area without chemicals, unsightly chicken wire, or traps. We purchased the scarecrow and absolutely love it! After replanting, our bean and pea plants are healthy and growing. The scarecrow seems to be doing its job of letting the rabbits know they are not welcome in the garden area. I have told friends and family about our happy results. I would recommend this item to anyone looking for a solution to unwanted intruders.
"Awesome product **Read this if your problem is Deer!!!!**" 2008-05-15
By A. Fisher (South Carolina, USA)
First off I would tell anyone that this product truly works. If you have any hesitation, my review along with all the others should be proof enough.
I purchased the Scarecrow Sprinkler last year after coming back from vacation to find a brand new shade garden I had planted completely decimated by local deer. We have a family of about 8 deer that I try to keep away, but my neighbors have other agendas. They "feed" the deer with corn which attracts them and frustrates me more and more [if Contech invents a neighbor deterrent, please let me know ;) ]
After mourning the $500+ I lost in plants and shrubs, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started with "deer-b-gone" or some sort of "organic" deer repellant. It washes away, isn't cheap, smells bad and flat out doesn't work.
I then came across the Scarecrow and decided to give it the old "college try". Well folks, IT WORKS. No more deer, but uh-oh a flaw. Just like others, you have to remember that the Scarecrow is there or "BAM" YOU WILL GET HIT WITH A BLAST OF WATER. It has gotten me, my kids, my wife, a landscaper, our exterminator and one of our neighbors.
LADIES and GENTS..I have the solution to this problem!!!!!
What I realized is that the deer only do their dirty work from dusk to dawn. I thought what if I can get my sprinkler to only work during those hours and shut off during the day. Then I researched to see if there was a water timer that allowed for extended watering times. Say hello to this Orbit timer from Amazon.com Orbit Lawn & Garden Hose Digital Watering Timer And Valve #62001to use in conjunction with the sprinkler. It has completely flexible functions that allow the water to only turn on from say 8 pm to 8 am. It only turns on the water flow to the sprinkler. It will only use the water if the sprinkler motion sensor is set off so no wasted water. At 8 am, the timer turns off the water flow and NO ACCIDENTAL MIDDAY SHOWERS!! Then it kicks back on at 8 pm for another night of protection. These are the times I used but I may need to adjust a bit since I do sometimes make early or late strolls through my garden. You can set to whatever times you need to have it on and off based on your own situation.
So there you have it. Use this product in conjunction with a flexible timer and you get the benefit of excellent deer/pest protection while avoiding many of the minor flaws mentioned in other reviews.
"This product works -deer go away" 2004-06-22
By Jonathan Beeton (Washington, DC USA)
(Update: 4 years after original review: This product continues to keep the deer away. Four years of 6 month a year daily use and the original one is still going strong, plus my Mom bought another herself for another part of the yard. -Excellent product)
I bought this for my Mom in Michigan for Mother's Day. For the past five years she'd tried everything to keep the deer out of her flower garden - netting on the ground, fishing wire placed on posts about 3 feet off the ground... no matter what, some of the deer got in the garden. I'd told her about this product for several years, but she figured it didn't really work, I figured, let's give it a try. It has been installed for 3 weeks now, and the deer have yet to go into her garden (and they live on their property, so they are around). She just told me that some bulbs she planted 5 years ago are blooming for the first time ever - every year before they'd been eaten before they bloomed.
We'd highly recommend this product and she's about to order another.
One hint, get a good hose to go with this product, since the water pressure remains constant, you want a newer hose that can handle that pressure.
"This one works!" 2004-09-10
By Shoaler (Frederick, MD)
We have tried all sorts of things to keep deer from eating our
tomatoes and hosta (and almost everything else) and nothing works
short of covering everything with "deer netting." And the deer
around here are so brave (stupid) that nothing short of running
after them would scare them away.
This gadget certainly scares deer. We saw one older fawn who had
wandered into our back yard in search of breakfast. When he
triggered the device, not only did it bombard him with jets of
water, but the clicking of the sprayer added a sense of emergency
to it. The deer took off like a shot until it had found the
cover of some nearby woods.
Drawbacks: You can only cover a fairly small area, but you can
put it across the deer's usual paths. Moving it around probably
helps, too. And you have to keep it out of the way of the UPS
guy or neighborhood children (unless that's your intent).
"Worth the investment!" 2004-06-12
By E. Taylor (Houston, TX United States)
Our problem is the neighborhood cats who are allowed to roam. They were ruining our garden, lawn, etc. We tried so many different things to keep them away, without any lasting success. The Scarecrow is fantastic! The cats (as well as other bothersome 'strays') stay away and they are not harmed in any way (except perhaps their pride)!
By JJOJ (Oshkosh, Wisconsin United States)
My husband and I were very disappointed to see that neighborhood rabbits had eaten our bean and pea plants to the stem after only two days of being in the ground. We wanted to keep the rabbits out of the garden area without chemicals, unsightly chicken wire, or traps. We purchased the scarecrow and absolutely love it! After replanting, our bean and pea plants are healthy and growing. The scarecrow seems to be doing its job of letting the rabbits know they are not welcome in the garden area. I have told friends and family about our happy results. I would recommend this item to anyone looking for a solution to unwanted intruders.
By A. Fisher (South Carolina, USA)
First off I would tell anyone that this product truly works. If you have any hesitation, my review along with all the others should be proof enough.
I purchased the Scarecrow Sprinkler last year after coming back from vacation to find a brand new shade garden I had planted completely decimated by local deer. We have a family of about 8 deer that I try to keep away, but my neighbors have other agendas. They "feed" the deer with corn which attracts them and frustrates me more and more [if Contech invents a neighbor deterrent, please let me know ;) ]
After mourning the $500+ I lost in plants and shrubs, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started with "deer-b-gone" or some sort of "organic" deer repellant. It washes away, isn't cheap, smells bad and flat out doesn't work.
I then came across the Scarecrow and decided to give it the old "college try". Well folks, IT WORKS. No more deer, but uh-oh a flaw. Just like others, you have to remember that the Scarecrow is there or "BAM" YOU WILL GET HIT WITH A BLAST OF WATER. It has gotten me, my kids, my wife, a landscaper, our exterminator and one of our neighbors.
LADIES and GENTS..I have the solution to this problem!!!!!
What I realized is that the deer only do their dirty work from dusk to dawn. I thought what if I can get my sprinkler to only work during those hours and shut off during the day. Then I researched to see if there was a water timer that allowed for extended watering times. Say hello to this Orbit timer from Amazon.com Orbit Lawn & Garden Hose Digital Watering Timer And Valve #62001to use in conjunction with the sprinkler. It has completely flexible functions that allow the water to only turn on from say 8 pm to 8 am. It only turns on the water flow to the sprinkler. It will only use the water if the sprinkler motion sensor is set off so no wasted water. At 8 am, the timer turns off the water flow and NO ACCIDENTAL MIDDAY SHOWERS!! Then it kicks back on at 8 pm for another night of protection. These are the times I used but I may need to adjust a bit since I do sometimes make early or late strolls through my garden. You can set to whatever times you need to have it on and off based on your own situation.
So there you have it. Use this product in conjunction with a flexible timer and you get the benefit of excellent deer/pest protection while avoiding many of the minor flaws mentioned in other reviews.
By Jonathan Beeton (Washington, DC USA)
(Update: 4 years after original review: This product continues to keep the deer away. Four years of 6 month a year daily use and the original one is still going strong, plus my Mom bought another herself for another part of the yard. -Excellent product)
I bought this for my Mom in Michigan for Mother's Day. For the past five years she'd tried everything to keep the deer out of her flower garden - netting on the ground, fishing wire placed on posts about 3 feet off the ground... no matter what, some of the deer got in the garden. I'd told her about this product for several years, but she figured it didn't really work, I figured, let's give it a try. It has been installed for 3 weeks now, and the deer have yet to go into her garden (and they live on their property, so they are around). She just told me that some bulbs she planted 5 years ago are blooming for the first time ever - every year before they'd been eaten before they bloomed.
We'd highly recommend this product and she's about to order another.
One hint, get a good hose to go with this product, since the water pressure remains constant, you want a newer hose that can handle that pressure.
By Shoaler (Frederick, MD)
We have tried all sorts of things to keep deer from eating our
tomatoes and hosta (and almost everything else) and nothing works
short of covering everything with "deer netting." And the deer
around here are so brave (stupid) that nothing short of running
after them would scare them away.
This gadget certainly scares deer. We saw one older fawn who had
wandered into our back yard in search of breakfast. When he
triggered the device, not only did it bombard him with jets of
water, but the clicking of the sprayer added a sense of emergency
to it. The deer took off like a shot until it had found the
cover of some nearby woods.
Drawbacks: You can only cover a fairly small area, but you can
put it across the deer's usual paths. Moving it around probably
helps, too. And you have to keep it out of the way of the UPS
guy or neighborhood children (unless that's your intent).
By E. Taylor (Houston, TX United States)
Our problem is the neighborhood cats who are allowed to roam. They were ruining our garden, lawn, etc. We tried so many different things to keep them away, without any lasting success. The Scarecrow is fantastic! The cats (as well as other bothersome 'strays') stay away and they are not harmed in any way (except perhaps their pride)!
The Scarecrow is very well made--quite sturdy. Also, I had the Scarecrow on daily and the battery lasted for nearly two months.
I highly recommend this product--it is effective on more than just deer or rabbits!
Our flower beds and lawn are recovered.
