Technical comparison<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An automatic dog feeder almost always jams for the same reason: the kibble is bigger than the gap in the dispensing auger. Producan feeders don't have an auger \u2014 they dispense by letting the kibble fall by its own weight, with a patented mechanism \u2014 which is why they take kibble of any size and shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It's a metal or plastic spiral inside a tube. As it turns, it pushes the kibble towards the outlet. Each turn moves a known volume, and that's where the precision comes from: you can ask for \u00ab45 grams\u00bb and the motor counts the turns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem is geometric. The gap between the spiral and the wall of the tube is calculated for kibble of one particular size. With larger kibble, or an irregular shape \u2014 lamb and rice kibble tends to be flat and wide \u2014 the piece wedges on edge between the spiral and the tube and the motor stops turning. Sometimes the cut-out trips; sometimes the motor keeps forcing until it breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hopper ends in a wide outlet with a gate. The timer opens it for just the right time and the kibble falls on its own, by gravity. Nothing turns, there's no narrow passage, and there's no part that can get stuck against another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you lose is precision: the serving is set by opening time, so two feeds can differ by a few grams. What you gain is that it doesn't fail, which is what matters when the unit has to run on its own for three weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
| <\/th> | auger<\/th> | Gravity feed (Producan)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|
| Serving precision<\/th> | High, by grams<\/td> | Medium, by opening time<\/td><\/tr>\n |
| Kibble size<\/th> | Limited, whatever the maker sets<\/td> | Any<\/td><\/tr>\n |
| Risk of jamming<\/th> | Yes, it's its typical fault<\/td> | No narrow passage to jam in<\/td><\/tr>\n |
| Moving parts<\/th> | Motor, spiral and gearbox<\/td> | Gate<\/td><\/tr>\n |
| Typical use<\/th> | Indoors, small or medium dog<\/td> | Outdoors, medium or large dog<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhich one suits you?<\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf the dog eats a serving measured to the gram on the vet's instructions and the feeder goes indoors, the auger is the right system, and we don't sell that. If the feeder is going to be in a yard or a smallholding feeding a large dog for weeks on end, the one thing that can't happen is jamming, and there gravity feed wins hands down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It's summed up in the guide to choosing an automatic dog feeder<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n |