I just received my x-Small trap today. There's a lot of friction on the treadle plate axis. It takes a hard push to spring the trap. The axle is not turning freely in the wire loops that it is supposed to rotate in. Is this a common problem? How can I...
361165
My trap became very stiff after exposure to rain for about a week or so without my moving it. It worked fine out of the box and was not initially tight I sprayed it off with a hose to make sure it was reasonably clean and then I lubed the door (which wouldn't fall) and the butterfly mechanism (which was supporting the full weight of a chipmunk and was difficult to move by hand) with 3-in-one oil. I worked it in lightly so everything moved smoothly again. I first tried a small amount of spray lube like wd 40 but washed it off quickly because I thought the odor might repell animals. After applying and wiping off the excess 3-in-one oil, I set the trap and continued to catch chipmunks and red squirrels just like before. I caught 14 animals in about 4 weeks.
604224
I get that twist as well if there is not enough tension on the cable. I keep it tense to the point I have to push down on the weight stack to place the pin. With time the cable stretches a little and I do not have to push down on the stack. The twist stays out from then on. I made the tension increase at several points. I narrowed the space between the double pulley and shortened the chain and tighten the bolt on the stack.
559602
I imagine that your having the same issue as me, that it rotated no matter how tight it goes onto the plate. The solution is a plate that has two pins, this is by design under the slider you see a secondary hole this extra pin prevents rotation.
1296616
I agree with dgminer; you have to snap it into place. It felt like I was forcing it, and then I gave it a little more elbow grease and it snapped on. You might to rotate it slowly as you try to snap it on.
1805031
I also had a problem with the rail that was related to the quick release. You need to ensure the screw and nut combination is set right to get a good solid bite on the rail. Play around with it till you get a secure fit.
670555
We just recently purchased one and it also ticked. I took it apart and put the wheel on the opposite way. Even though the sticker clearly said the other opposite. It doesn't click, but the pedals won't stop moving. If it's not one thing, it's another.
1914381
im not sure Neil, I didn't have this issue, did you strip the bolt that the nut attaches to? you may just have to slowly stop turning the nut when you feel the tension. I apologize for not a better answer.
385645
I would avoid this altogether. When mine showed up in the mail, I pulled the release lever and the plate came out, but so did the spring and other parts. It was unusable from the second I got it.
2201143
My son had the same situation, all you have to do is tighten the axel. It gets loose after prolonged use. I hope we were able to help.
920101
Thanks to all - the traps are new (I assume) as I just received them from Amazon. It may have been stored in the heat during the shipping process. I will try steaming it apart.
1359220
I've had no problems in this regard. The buggy moves freely and well. My dog first was afraid of it but soon got used to it. She went blind a few months ago and walking her is no longer an option. You may have gotten a defective unit. I suggest you return it for one that works. Good luck. I love mine.
449349
Very.... Essentially the push of a button... The quick release skewer is junk, and I'll be bitchin' about it and demanding a replacement, but the mounting and solid axle setup is solid.... Feel free to contact me with anymore questions you might have... I'm a bike mechanic with 30 years experience, and a borderline activist, so will answer questions with everyday biking in mind.... Be safe, have fun, and support cycling!!!
2011735
if you turned the 'squeezing' nut too much were the whole assembley turns you will never get it tight. you get one try at it then you have to back off the nut and drill out bad nutsert an try again with another there is no going back . you might find another one at a hardware store or email dee zee for another . good luck they are tricky!!!!
456097
I replaced the original pedals with my own clip-in pedals, so I haven't had that issue. But the likely reason is that the bearings in the original pedals are of very poor quality, so instead of the pedal spinning as smoothly as it should, it is instead spinning the part that screws into the crank arm. The solution is to either buy a better set of pedals, or go to your local hardware store and buy some thread lock compound, which is a kind of non-permanent glue that you can put on screws and threads to prevent them from coming loose. Good luck.
755208
The trip mechanism on my trap was also very stiff. To fix it all I did was take a pair of pliers and open up the loops in the linkage of mechanism then it worked just fine; 14 chipmunks and going strong. Just placed an order for 2 more.
1563253
I ordered 3 of these. The first one installed I had problems with. I checked it out and found the captured ball was to tight. I installed another one where the captured ball moved freely in the swashplate and had no further problems. Hope this helps
527801
If it's clicking once every rotation of the metal ramp lever-arm (every ~5 minutes) it's an easy fix. Mine did that right out of the box- the metal lever-arm snaps in place on either side of the ramp. When I got mine I didn't realize one side had fallen out- it was off center and was clicking about its post. Snapped it back into place and the clicking was gone.