Homemade Automatic Dog (Pet) Feeder Update
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- This is an update to my original automatic dog feeder that is here:
• Homemade Automatic Dog...
I decided to completely rebuild the dog feeder. My old one has worked great the last year, however because of the small hole the food was hard to fill and the drum was small so the food portions would only last a few days. The Lego RCX requires outdated software in order to program, so I decided to build something simpler to use.
My new design is build out of 1/2 inch plywood. The box holds the food and it it is dispensed using a 1 inch auger bit. A 12 volt DC 5rpm gearmotor is connected to the auger bit with a special coupler. The motor is connected to a 12V DC adapter which is plugged into a digital timer. The timer is programmed to feed our dog Snowball twice a day. This timer is really easy to program and is much more versitile than the Lego Mindstorms. The large food hopper makes it easy to fill, and it can store enough food for 2 weeks or more.
This motor is a Amico brand gearmotor and has 31kg-cm of torque. Originally I build the hole just as big as the auger bit, however this motor was really straining and grinding up all the food. When I enlarged the food hole by a 1/4 inch, the straining almost disappeared and whole food pieces were coming out. There is still some slight straining as you will hear in the video, however I have not had any jams yet because the motor is strong enough to push the food through. My lego motor definately would not have been strong enough. My adapter has the ability to put out different voltages, so I can adjust the amount of food coming out by giving the motor less volts, or I can increase the run time on the timer. This is good because I made need to adjust the food coming out if I have larger or smaller kibble.
The poster of this vid makes this look very easy. This is not an easy project to build from scratch. I've got most of it figured out except how to secure the drive assembly. How is the motor held in place? What supports the non motor end of the auger where the food comes out. Building this with my son, we will post when complete.
I was having this idea using a programmable switch, but couldn't come up with a reliable deliver mechanism.
🙏🏼 Thank you for this solution.
I'm definitely making this.
I'll update it here on the progress.
I love your dog feeder. I uploaded mine and then yours showed up as a suggested site. We appear to think a lot alike.!
My Automatic Dog Feeder
Very cool but I have a suggestion that might save you a few bucks in the future. You might want to try a piece of small water hose and a couple of hose clamps for the drive adapter on the motor axle connecting to the feeder auger. In the tool and die company I work for, we use a hose couple to drive encoders off of cam shafts on our press tools. As long as there is not a lot of strain on the shaft assembly when it is pushing the food out then the rubber hose should work fine.
The motor only ;pulls 125 mill amps ( which is low) the cheapest 12 volt power supplies on ebay are only $3.85 delivered, and they supply 1000 mill amps, strip the wires off the plug and solder them to the rear of the motor, take the motor to the hardware store, buy the decking or joist hanger (made of sheet metal), then buy some screws that tread into the from of the motor plate into the empty threaded holes, do as the author reccomends and drill the decking joist hanger to match the motor
FYI, the timer appears to be the one sold by Harbor Freight. You can modify this unit so it can be programmed down to 1 second intervals. Open the timer up and on the main circuit board you will find two pairs of solder pads. Bridge each of them with solder. This will set the timer to 12 hour am/pm mode (instead of 24 hour military time) and will allow you to use the bottom right button to program down to the second.
Incidentally, the design you are using is very similar to the original AutoPetFeeder.
Good to know. Thanks!
i noticed that the portion sticking out of the feeder made it a bit uncomfortable for your pet when eating. i suggest you add a little slide so you can give a little more distance between the feeder and the bowl.
nice job and awesome looking dog by the way
Hey everyone, I am going to use a rubber automotive fuel line hose as my drive coupler. It's cheaper than a metal one! You can use small hose clamps to make up for shaft diameter differences.
Sounds like a good idea. If the food gets stuck hopefully that fuel hose will not slip.
I'll probably also use an adhesive, but I am pretty confident the hose clamps will have more grip than the motor has torque
I love this video and your dos snowball is cute
I meant precise control. I would have a load cell to feed back the weight and get a slightly slower motor and a slightly smaller bit to reduce overshoot.
because the food it falls out of is getting into the dogs way of the food, you should put a little ramp where the food falls down and then put a bowl at the end of the ramp and then the food would be more away from the area and the dog can reach it easier
+Brian Wang I doubt falling food will deter any pet. Put higher and the pet will find fun in catching the falling food.
hi!
I am in middle school and we have to do a science symposium project(basically a science fair)
First off your idea,,,,,GENIUS!
In my opinion yours looks and works the best
If you wouldn't mind could you please tell me step by step directions on how to make this!
Plz contact me ASAP
program an arduino to do it wheneverthe bowl gets low. use a laser pointer and when it gets filled past a certain point it stops feeding.
right, they do have the type of water dispensers but I need to make a water dispenser so it dispenses water at 6am and thru out the day till 6pm. no water for my dog after 7pm. i was thinking about a small water pump connected the same way as the food dispenser.
Nice job! I like it! I need to figure out how to scale up this type of design to feed my BIG livestock guardian dogs if i need to be away for a day or two. It would have to deliver several cups at a time, and larger kibble. I suppose it's just a matter of the right auger/motor combination and timing. Thanks for sharing!
+Matt Cantrell Yeah probably find a larger motor and auger to push through more food.
nice feeder, nice video - job well done!
Looking to make an automatic dog food feeder. Though that an old thru the door refrigerator ice maker would work. I don’t have an old refrigerator lying right now but though I would throughout this idea. I think you could shut the cooling part off and interrupt the ,call for ice circuit on the door, with a timer. Joe in Dunedin.
Great idea and simple enough, cute dog to. Thumbs up
Fantastic idea!
Awesome, great idea! I was thinking of a solenoid but the auger will work better. Using a drill bit was a great idea.
Thanks!
Glad my video was able to help you!
Great ideal. I'm currently building mine barrowing from your ideal. I'm using an electric power drill hooked up to a wifi power outlet so I can have access thru my iPhone.
That's a great idea, Moises. A wifi power outlet would allow you to control it online and feed your pet anytime you want.
Nice. I was thinking of doing the same. How did it turn out for you?
Dan Man. Thanks dan man. It turned out great. Just got back from a one week vacation and worked flawless. I pointed one my home surveillance camera to monitor it. Couldn't be happier with it. Suggest buying a wifi plug thru amazon ($20).
I see your videos as i need them to create a design project in my school... thank you very much... but can i know the list of items you use???
And can i know the costs that you used ???
Very Good!!!! hugs from Brazil...
Your dog is so lovely :))
Marc Paradis Thanks! She is three years old now but does not look much bigger than in the video.
U could buy an automatic feeder I just bought one from groupon for a great price and it works great u can get them at the pet stores too
+Lauren Griffin I found those to be a lot more expensive than Eric's design.
Some people enjoy building things instead of just mindlessly buying things. Imagine that!
I bought one first, it broke and when I tried to get replacement part, they said just throw it away, there are no parts available. The little 'spinner' broke and apparently that is the reason they all fail quickly.
Sweet but my dog would eat the wood box haha
Same here
this is a very nice project for your dog!
Nice. Did you use a bearing where the auger enters the hopper? Just trying to figure out what you did to prevent food from coming out there.
This is exactly what I have been thinking about doing for several months. Though, in my mind, the 'ramps' would be closer, even touching the drill bit on the sides.
I plan to use a plastic storage container tilted on it's side so the bottom side corner will be the lowest point. The container will be tilted at a 45 degree angle. I then plan to place the drill bit at the lowest point and therefore the sides/bottom will act as automatic guides for the food. The motor will be as you have yours and the other side will have the hole for the food. I do expect that I will have to put a cover over the end of the drill to prevent food from just dropping out.
Do you have any suggestions based upon your experience with your design?
I really appreciate your posting this.
A plastic storage container is better than a wood container. My wood became discolored over time and eventually had to be discarded. Yes placing the ramps closer would be better. I had too much space between and that resulted in food building up there and attracting bugs.
Great idea of using the tilted bin. I am thinking of using a square plastic container that kitty litter comes in. I will protrude the tip of the auger out about 1" so I think that should keep food from just dropping out. I will elevate my container on a stand to keep out of my insatiable lab mix. A PVC pipe will cover the auger protrusion and dump into a funnel that carries the food down to her bowl on the floor. Any updates on your build? I should have mine done this weekend.
That is a great idea. Sadly I had to disassemble this project. The motor and everything was working great but since there was such a gap between the auger and the ramps, food would collect there and eventually attracted bugs. For my dog's safety I took it apart and kept the main components in case I want to re-design it. My dog now eats whenever she wants so the feeder is not really necessary. If I am looking for a new project to build, then I would consider redesigning it. Perhaps use a sealed food container and have the augor go vertical instead of horizontal. Then this would drop the food in the same way.
Is your done yet? I would be very interested to see how it comes out. I have worked mine over and over in my mind. I know the concept is going to work. The devil is in the details. I have no made mine due to lack of money. Here are some other 'notes': The auger must be based upon the size of the food. The auger extension only has to be one 'loop' of the 'screw' (1 inch is probably a bit much). The container must be as air-tight as possible, moisture resistant and sealed. Any moisture in the air will not exceed the 'extension' and be emptied each feeding. The container must be fairly large, likely hold a 20lb sack of food. (related to the moisture and interaction required). The extension could be secured by a 'tie wrap' with two small holes on the bottom of the container and the head inside the container, surrounding the extension. Best to use any glue that is 'safe' for food. I would use a hot glue gun if I cut that hole poorly. Note that the color of the glue sticks indicates the strength and heat required to melt it. (black being the strongest)
I have 3 cats and one large dog. It's non stop, the feeding and watering.
I solved the watering problem by buying an automatic watering bowl on eBay for $15 with screws mounting (vs just sits on the floor) so I can guarantee the water bowl will not tip to allow flooding of the house..
I have one for the cats (high up) and one for the (sloppy) 70lb dog.
Right now, I have my hands full working on 2 sailboats. I'll follow this project though.
No I have not started this project. Just an idea in my head for now. Currently my dog is not eating as soon as we put down the food because she is sometimes picky and wants other things like veggies. Therefore sometimes the food sits all day before she finally realizes she is not getting anything else. Therefore at this stage a dog feeder may not work with our dog.
Hi, this is awesome. I was wondering if you could give me a list of all the supplies you used. I will attempt to make this.
You should put a clapper instead of a timer, just for fun.
What is the name of the robotics website you got it from, exactly? Also, is that stand for the gear motor homemade, of purchased?
This is awesome! You should check out the Wemo. You would be able to turn on the machine remotely from your phone for any amount of time.
Well done
I need to make an automatic hay feeder and I wonder if you could look at it and tell me what I need to build it???
I can't find anyone who knows what I need to build this. It drops hay-it actually dumps it down from up in the hay loft at a certain time.
It'll need to run off of batteries...I can give you my email. How do I message others on you tube?
I do not have any idea on this. Have you checked out these videos: ruclips.net/video/hZN2FSCN3uM/видео.html or ruclips.net/video/hzEYFWABegs/видео.html
Here is another one: ruclips.net/video/zcjjerKwJ4A/видео.html
would you be able to tell me exactly what tools you needed to build? all the materials of construction analytically?
Send me an email at hutchmath@gmail.com
Excellent 👍 I’m going to use the principals you showed in the vid to build a series of these for my meat rabbits. Thank you
Send an email to hutchmath@gmail.com if you would like a parts list.
thank you...think I have it all worked out
brilliant work. thanks man
Is it just me or does it look like there's a lot more food at 4:44 than when the machine stops at 4:32?
I have a adapter with 500ma. Do you think it work well enough ? Thanks
hi
where can i find the spiral thing? how does it calls?
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Can I know where did you find the auger? + wouldn't a plastic auger be better?? I'm doing an automated pet feeding for my school project.. I would appreciate your help in finding the auger..
+Rawan Al-rasheed I found the auger as part of a set from Harbor Freight Tools: www.harborfreight.com/auger-bit-set-7-pc-61542.html I used the biggest auger which was 1 inch. A 1.5 or 2 inch one would be better, but this was the best one I could find for the price.
Plastic would be better but I was never able to find one this small.
+Rawan Al-rasheed Human breakfast cereal dispensers use plastic. Not quite an auger but similar. I first thought of automating one but found as several as posted they jam up in human use. So I sent it back. It also cost more than the pats Eric chose.
+Rawan Al-rasheed The Harbor Freight augers come in a pack of 5. All can be put inside a uPVC pipe of appropriate size to be found at Home Depot or Lowes, if you cannot find a plumber to give you an off-cut. For delivery of sunflower seeds to rodents, I used the half-inch auger. I used a plastic soda bottle as a hopper cut an oval hole to fit on the top of the plastic pipe, and housed the whole in a purpose built thin plywood box.
Hi We are using your idea for my son's science fair project and I was wondering if you could provide us with the adapter and electronic timer information. Thank you.
I plan to start this project, but i don't know what things do i need?
Send an email to hutchmath@gmail.com and I can send you a parts list.
you can buy an automatic feeder with timer already assembled for the same cost.
I know cause I built one of his and found one already built for you for with a 2yr. unlimited warranty for about 12 bucks more
use sonoff switch it think it was $5 when i bought you can set on off timing and schedule and operate by your phone
Unfortunately I no longer have this device, but thanks for the suggestion. If I were to build this today I may use an Arduino
Would you please tell me how I power the motor once I have all the materials
You can attach each motor lead to the 12V power adapter. If you would like a list of all the materials used, please email me at hutchmath@gmail.com
What size dog food can that bit take up to without getting significant food crushing?
Stephen Roche I only use it for small kibble. The biggest would be 1/2 inch diameter and up to 1/4 inch thick. I have tried a few brands and I make sure all of them have small kibble. Since I have a small dog, then this is easier for her to eat anyway.
how much did everything cost alltogether
At the time I built this, the cost was around $50.
Thanks for all of the information big help:)
Is there any electronic means of speeding up the motor, other than by use of gears?
Thanks
+Martin Scherer They do make gear-motors that spin faster than this one. I purchased this one because a slower speed means more torque. I wanted to make sure there is enough torque to push the food out without it getting stuck. The only way to increase a motor's speed is to increase the number of volts, however over time this would most likely burn out the motor.
Thanks
Hi please could I have the name of the spiral inside please
It is an auger bit. I used a one inch diameter one from this set: www.harborfreight.com/auger-bit-set-7-pc-68166.html
hey could you show how to do this in a tutorial????
how but make it battery operated with a switch?
Yes you could hook it up to 12V of batteries and use a switch but then you would need to use something to program it with, like a arduino. Using a wall timer and plug seemed the easiest for me and I do not need to worry about batteries running out.
btw... how about an automatic water dispenser.
hi! could you send me the instructions to make the pet feeder, please? i wanna try to make it at home.. thanks before
Great idea! Can I have a copy of the instruction?
Yixiao Ding Send me an email at hutchmath@gmail.com and I can send you a parts list.
***** I just did! thanks
***** Hey!! Great idea. Can I have a copy of the parts to buy too? I will send you a email
SOO cool!
Hello hutchtransfer, where did you buy the auger bit? I cand find it anyware.
If I couldn´t get hold of it, what alternative could I use?
Bro you made me lol when you said it's made of Legos looool
Nice work. What was the metal mount you used to mount the gear box?
I got the metal mount here: www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-ZMAX-18-Gauge-Galvanized-Steel-Angle-A23Z/100375310
Hi great vid by the way, but you can upgrade it more by using a smart socket a less than 15 dollars where you can control by your smartphone or Alexa/Google home :)
Yes that is true. At the time this video was made those did not exist yet!
Do you have a parts list? Where did you get the motor and the outlet timer? Thanks in advance!
Good morning! We are going to use some of the information shared in your video in my daughter's engineering fair project for middle school. We'd like to include a citation to properly credit the source. Should we list "Hutchtransfer" as the author, or is there another name you'd prefer for credit? Thanks very much!
Can you send me the program you used for the original automatic dog feeder?
Hutchtransfer,
Great invention!!
Can you send me info on specs, parts, materials, directions, etc.
Thanks, k
Email me at hutchmath@gmail.com and I can send a parts list.
awsome video
What kind of coupler is it, exactly?
could buy a cheap smart plug for around $7 and create a schedule, also could connect with alexa.
awesome. I'm making one of these.
brilliant
Excuse me, but where exactly did you get these parts, I’m just wondering because I, myself is trying to build this because I always leave my pet at home by itself and I need a relative or friend to feed my pet constantly.
Send me an email at hutchmath@gmail.com and I can send you a parts list.
I’ve sent it
Hey dude, great vid. Small favour, would you be able to send me all the electronics that you used e.g. 12 v motor, dc adapter, digital wall adapter auger bit, coupler and also the wood measurements.
*PLEASE RESPOND ASAP AS I NEED TO MAKE THIS FOR A SCHOOL PROJECT*
THANKS SO MUCH
Please email me at hutchmath@gmail.com and I will email you the list and links.
Thanks for this. I want to feed rodents. I'm thinking of housing the auger in a 1" uPVC pipe with a 1" hole from the food container. do you see any problems in that? How did you get the motor to turn anticlockwise?
+Martin Scherer You get the motor to spin counterclockwise by switching the leads from the motor. If you food is small enough then your idea could work. However if the food is too big it may get caught and put more strain on the motor.
Thanks, Eric. you are very prompt. I will probably be using sunflower kernels.
These are prototypes. I looked at adapting commercial pet feeders to deliver smaller amounts but people's reviews told me they probably wouldn't work. If cats can reach inside, I'm pretty sure rodents will. I experimented with a cereal dispenser and coco pops, but the dispensers soon jammed up. Worse, I found the rodents rejected the coco pops! What are we feeding our children?
I then experimenting with a home made turn screw and for a motor took apart citrus juicers, which are pretty strong, but they are either too big or have auto reversing motors. If I had come across your video, I would have saved time! If I succeed in my objective, I will post the feeder adaptation here.
Thanks.
+Martin Scherer That's great. I would like to see your final creation.
+1rudedogg Works fine as designed by Eric. I'd be concerned about speeding up as that might increase risk of trapped food.
What coupler did you use? I'm currently doing this for my science project and I want to include the motor/timer/auger bit complex.
I purchased the coupler here: www.skycraftsurplus.com/shaftcoupler38to14.aspx
Snowball looks like she needs more food... Maybe 1:30 mins
Thats awesome
Thats really cool★
That would scare the crap outta my cat
We're did you get that coupler
1/4 to 3/8 Shaft coupler: www.skycraftsurplus.com/shaftcoupler38to14.aspx
We're did you get the motor
I got the motor here: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00858TNN4/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
just weld it
Thanks
You are kdding me right it dispenses 1 at a time that would take 4 ever
Ram Sund It doesn't take forever because it only runs for 1 minute dispensing food. I am using smaller food now so more comes out. My small dog does not eat much, so the amount that falls out is enough. But for large dogs...yeah it would take too long to dispense all that food with this design.
I ALWAYS have my dogs water bowl right next to his food bowl, Juuust incase. - Hes gotten choked a few times om his food & almost got choked a few times & his water dish is first thing he goes for,so I make sure he ALWAYS has it right there. / Very cool idea though with the feeder. I guess it depends how trustworthy the timer is,if it malfunctioned & stayed running & got the motor too hot,would suck.
+97warlock ismyname I used the timer for 3 years constantly without any issues.
bro.. may i ask what do you call that timer you used.. i'm trying to find one myself but i don't know what its called.
I'm guessing it doesn't matter which timer thing you buy as long as it can turn power on and off with a timer. I'm making a similar thing myself and I'm using a Sonoff which is basically a wifi switch.
using this for my aquaponic farm for fish food >:)
thanks
Doesn't look sanitary to me, where's the water and who lets the dog out while your busy being someplace else ? What goes in must come out.
Our dog is trained to go on pee pee pads, so she can do her business (both kinds) on the pads if we are gone. We have water set out in a different container. However, since there is almost always someone at home, this dog feeder is no longer used.
awesome! mind of an engineer. I'm gonna do this for my do.
What store did you find your auger??... is it online?
thank you!
marC:)
Marc Paradis I found it at Harbor Freight: www.harborfreight.com/auger-bit-set-7-pc-68166.html
I used the largest drill bit, which is 1 inch.
Thank you for your quick response! But ... what motor did you use? i mean the diameter need a shaft coupler, and which motor do you use?
thank you so much! :)
marC:)
Marc Paradis can you post the link of your motor also the shaft adapter?
thank you so much! :)
marC:)
Marc Paradis Motor: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00858TNN4/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
Shaft Coupler: www.skycraftsurplus.com/shaftcoupler38to14.aspx
Would be perfect it it had portion size control
I’ve received the information. Thanks so much sorry for spamming with the emails.
I’m also wondering will it be able to work if I use a faster motor, to dispense the food faster???
You could hook this up to a smart plug and control it from your smart phone
Yes definitely. At the time I built it that smart technology was not as developed like it is now.
where did u get that timer
www.harborfreight.com/digital-timer-95205.html
wood will hold bacteria, id use an old food container and line it so your pet does not get sick.
+gear head Yes I agree. Over time the wood turns a darker color. Future designs will incorporate food containers.
+hutchtransfer consider raw food diet please, process food will shorten your dogs life by 2 - 3 years
If you don’t think he’s golden with that feeder yer crazy, I’d pay just abt anything not to be awakened between 4:30 & 6:30am for my 2 labs feeding time, they bump my door open, ( I fixed that ), now they bark & whine at my door,...2 labs twice a day & fill the gravity water tank every 2 days...do l own them? Or do they own me? It was fun at 1st but now it’s an irritating honey-do. I need metered feed for their weight control & bc they would eat till the food was gone if I had a straight gravity feeder. Ideally feed & water resupply 1 time per week would be great, well any way, I could use 1 water bowl but they’re so competitive I’ll need 2 feed bowls/ dispensers, now I feed them separately bc the dominate one tries to eat both bowls if fed in the same room. Good Luck & Cheers!
THANKS now I cant getthe engine to start by its own I have to give it a push
👍
Hi Hutchtransfer,
i dropped an email to your replied email below in comments for request of parts, please reply to it. Making comment here as not sure if you still keep that email handy.
Regards
Vishal Gupta
Why don't you just feed your dog?
Guarantees the right portion is given at the same time each day. If we are not home then we know our dog will be fed. However I currently do not use this machine since our dog eats whenever she wants and not immediately when the food comes out.
Type coupler into the web page at skysurplus dot come,, it pops right up, the drill bit has a washer on one side and a washer on the other side followed by a drill bit stop, get a stopper the size of your auger bit shaft, where the drill bit goes thru the wood cut a piece of pipe close to the diameter of the auger and glue it into the wood as a sleeve/bushing this will make it last a very long time with spinning and use, the motors are still available at amazon, the bits are on ebay for 7 bucks
Can I buy it !!!!!!!
Sorry, but its not for sale. I use it everyday.