# Most all my Animatronics went downhill...



## Tumblindice (Aug 19, 2008)

Yup, my witch stirring cauldron, mister puffed and stopped working, eyes won't light up and jaw only moves slightly.


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## NOWHINING (Jul 25, 2009)

none for me becuz I never have the money to buy such a thing.


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## utusemi (Sep 18, 2004)

Most of the things we purchase from the local halloween shops, although expensive to us, are cheap in the world of animated props. The reason Demonica and Jason are affordable is because they are sadly not of the highest quality. Making your own is perhaps a great idea, although can be costly if you don't have the resources or the tools to do so.

My plan, dress up and do it the old fashion way.


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## ter_ran (Jan 14, 2006)

Well that is sad to hear TD! You can always make some great homemade props Kareena! no need to blow all the cash as I did in years past.. I spent nearly $750 for all of the five listed above.. What a waste! You may be correct utusemi! They do make them cheap but I too like to dress up the old fasion way idea! 

Sadly this is a situation were I am the lone wolf here on Halloween with only 3 or 4 helpers at most. So the animatronics have served me pretty well in past years ya know! Either way I will figure something out. Thanks for listening and the ideas!


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## scubaspook (Sep 8, 2009)

I have not unboxed mine yet this year but I am not looking foward to it after hearing your experience. 
I have had issues in the past. For instance Jason quit raising his arm. I had to do some surgery and modify some parts but it now works. One of the butlers quit moving his head so I hooked up the wires that went to the eyes to the motor of the head. Had other props go south and that is the main reason I buy them on sale now so I don't feel to bad.


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## z0mb13 (Jul 4, 2010)

I know this isnt halloween related but it fits in this post...... I purchased a dancing santa from wally world several years back well about two years later it stopped singing in english and would only sing songs in spanish and then when I was going into the attic to find all my stuff for halloween I happened to look at him and saw that he is starting to crack all over his face and hands... oh well he will be a great addition to my next years theme (haunted christmas/ christmas from hell) .... hope you get them working !!!


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## HalloweenHouseParty (Sep 14, 2010)

ter_ran said:


> *
> 1: Jason: Only moves his eyes and arm movement is up and down. Thats it!
> 2: Jeeves(butler): Works but does not breathe anymore!
> 3: Skelly skell(dancing skeleton): Only sings now and nothing else!
> ...


Fix them.
That's one of the reasons this forum exists.


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## slash (Sep 9, 2010)

Hope you get them fixed that sucks that this had to happen to you the maker of these props should make them better lasting so they dont break as easily!


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## ter_ran (Jan 14, 2006)

I dont think I will have the time to disassemble them all and put them back together in time as I have mush other things to do before the big day! The figures will be checked out and possibly repaired in good time but not during this season I'm affraid....

Hope everyone else has better luck than I when it comes to unpacking and testing theirs! 

The good side is they still look cool from the static prop standpoint!


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## slicerd (Aug 27, 2009)

That is the exact reason I don't buy any major animatronics, I am too afraid they will break. The few things I have built I know I can fix for pretty cheap and of course I know how to fix them because I built them. The most I have spent on any Halloween stuff is my fog machine and I am already worrying about it working as well as it did last year.

I do enjoy the smaller animatronics very much. I bought a cool ghost this year from Walgreens and for $15 I hope he lasts a couple years and if not no big loss.


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## ZombieRaider (May 18, 2008)

I buy them because I'm too lazy to build them from scratch and what I would build wouldn't look nearly as cool ....Most of what I get ends up hacked in the end anyway because I customize it to my haunt...We'll take your jeeves for example....I cut the speaker wire to kill his sound...Took the platter he holds off his hand and attached a talking skull that came off another platter but wired it to a Picaboo 105 so I could make it say what I wanted....Recorded the Haunted Mansion "Welcome Foolish Mortals (Thunder crash) HA HA HA" into the pica and threw a previous costume robe on him and hid the PC speakers inside his robe....Programed the skull mouth movement on channel 1 and a light on channel 2 for the lightning crash....Hooked a motion PIR to the pica...Even though jeeves doesn't have sound anymore, he still moves his head,eyes,breaths,etc when the skull starts talking....It's a much cooler prop now....ZR


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## Shockwave199 (Jan 18, 2007)

I just wonder if there is anything we can do to help prevent this. I always take my props apart very carefully, and pack them away as carefully as I can. They stay in my garage, which is unheated but stays warmer than the outside temp throughout the winter months. A good portion of my animatronics are new this year. I assembled and tried them once and then repacked. They'll be coming back out shortly. I hope all will be ok. Maybe just having them outside even on a limited basis is enough to get moisture in there somewhere. Or maybe they just self destruct after so many hours of use, which tends to be not all that much when you add it up. Fingers crossed for all of us who put a substantial budget into animatronics. May they work problem free!

Dan


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

most of the time it is just a wire.
We have found that the wires are either to short or to cheap.
Most of them can be fixed don't be afraid to peek at them to see.


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

Shockwave199 said:


> I just wonder if there is anything we can do to help prevent this. I always take my props apart very carefully, and pack them away as carefully as I can. They stay in my garage, which is unheated but stays warmer than the outside temp throughout the winter months. A good portion of my animatronics are new this year. I assembled and tried them once and then repacked. They'll be coming back out shortly. I hope all will be ok. Maybe just having them outside even on a limited basis is enough to get moisture in there somewhere. Or maybe they just self destruct after so many hours of use, which tends to be not all that much when you add it up. Fingers crossed for all of us who put a substantial budget into animatronics. May they work problem free!
> 
> Dan


I never store mine in there boxes.My room is unheated and cold I handle them careful and don't use them in rain and mine all work.


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## Amcell94 (Sep 13, 2010)

That really does stink  .actually makes me want to get out and test my animatronic witch that i bought last year (*crosses fingers*) luckily my b/f is an electrican and can usually figure this stuff out so if i have any of the same problems and he figures out some easy solutions ill let you know


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## SkeletalRemains (Jan 14, 2006)

Unfortunately, most of the Halloween props for sale, even at Halloween shops, are really only designed and manufactured to last the season. The industry wants to make sure they're going to get your hard earned money again next year. My recommendation is to build some quality stuff yourelf, or replace parts on existing store-bought props using higher-quality items...


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## Terror Tom (Nov 3, 2008)

Sorry to hear about your bad luck, buddy. I hope they can be fixed. I'm kinda leary about buying any now. The wife wants to buy a couple after the season when they are on sale. May have to rethink that...


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## CreepySpiders (Aug 4, 2010)

NOWHINING said:


> none for me becuz I never have the money to buy such a thing.


not to hijack your post Ter_ran but HAPPY 1000th post No Whining!!!

I bought a used Mummy Bride (Gemmy) on Craigslist. I assumed it wouldn't work because they are notorious for not working and I was happily surprised.


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## HalloweenDan (Sep 6, 2007)

Knock on wood.......I havent had any problems with mine year after year.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

z0mb13 said:


> I know this isnt halloween related but it fits in this post...... I purchased a dancing santa from wally world several years back well about two years later it stopped singing in english and would only sing songs in spanish and then when I was going into the attic to find all my stuff for halloween I happened to look at him and saw that he is starting to crack all over his face and hands... oh well he will be a great addition to my next years theme (haunted christmas/ christmas from hell) .... hope you get them working !!!



Cracking probably was caused by the temperature extremes of the attic. Years ago my mom put some of her xmas things in the attic and they didn't fare well as a result and after replacing a bunch of things (some her favorites) it was the last year we did that). I would never put anything that would be affected by heat or cold up there, which quickly gets to be most things. If you ever put a temperature gauge up in your attic you might be surprised at how hot it gets or cold it gets or both depending on where you live. Humidity can also fluctuate greatly up there too.


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## ezdoesit-tn (Oct 26, 2009)

My animatronics all work... well, haven't tested one of the four yet, but they should be okay. I never break them down and put up, just set them up in my collection room (heat and air controlled) with plastics to keep of dust, etc. I am actually picking up another one tomorrow (Myers). I read someone else stating that these can be fixed (modified) with better parts, that is true... will use what Gemmy made them with and when they break (all man made items will do so) we will just replace/repair with better stuff. There is tons of info on the net on how to get your things back up and going in some way or another. It just sucks they all have issues a couple of weeks before the big day! I'm gonna go ahead and get mine out and test fully this weekend. Hang in there... they are still cool to have and fun to scare with!


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## Pumpkinprincess (Aug 8, 2007)

I have three mummies, one girl mummy, one Donna, the Groom, and the Coachman. I've noticed that my older Gemmys, like the mummies work great. My newest addition, the Groom, is already having problems.

They just don't make them like they used to!  

I break them down and store them in their boxes. I put them in the closet under the stairs. No extreme temperature/moisture problems in there.


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## cryptoid (Aug 16, 2009)

*prop problems*

hello just adding my 2 cents--sometimes internal plugs can come loose from normal use and moving the props around this is common with cheap electrical products of any kind.power packs can also go bad and not put out thier rated voltage but the only way to tell is with a multimeter or someone who knows how to use one.so far my gemmy props have and still work great and i`ve had some for several years.i always store them in thier boxes in a bedroom out of the cold and moisture,when props go from cold to hot the water in the air inside the prop will condense on the inside of the prop including the cheap electronics and start to cause corrosion problems with internal connections. i have also had some problems with spookytown items because of crappy assembly and some always work great.these props are obviously very cheaply made wich is a large part of the problem.when it come to mechanical products you have to know how to fix them or know someone who can and wont charge an arm and a leg.hope some of this helps..


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## ter_ran (Jan 14, 2006)

*Well hearing from everyone's experiences, I will not buy another at full price again! I am now making it my personal policy not to purchase until it is 50% off or greater. If I have no luck in buying finding them at this discount then I just will not buy them. 

My plans for repair will come after this Halloween season. It is easier to take my time and do it right with no time constraints ya know! The off season is always best to do big projects or tinker with the unknown territory. Lol!

I wish the best for everybody's props and figures! *


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## GoolGaul (Nov 29, 2008)

if a moving limb or something stops moving, listen closely to the moving joint. 

if you hear any clicking or grinding, than it might be a loose gear or housing for a geared joint.

If you don;t hear anything, when you KNOW something should be moving, then you may have a bad or broken electrical connection, or worse, a dead motor/servo.

either way, as you are unpacking them, before you put them all together, just poke around a little bit. what's the worst you could do, break it? I would bet a dollar that if you spent an extra half-hour total investigating, you'll find at least one 5-minute-fix.


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## JustWhisper (Nov 16, 2008)

This is why I build all my own animated props. I know I can fix them if they break. I am sorry everyone is having a bad time with their props. I understand the disappointment, as I have had to rebuild several of mine this year due to aging structures, etc. I hope it all works out for you.


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## Tumblindice (Aug 19, 2008)

Actually last year when it rain all day here on Halloween, I swore then not to buy any more of them. They all sat in the garage the whole night. I was going to go with better static that will hold up to the weather.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Another thing to mention is make sure when you are assembling the props from the box that you follow the manufacturers directions. I was talking to a Spirit Halloween manager the other day and he said that for example on the Uncle Charley prop if you follow the directions you'll be okay. He's had some customers that rushed through assembly and didn't pay close enough attention to the directions and then when the prop starts to turn it doesn't do so in the correct fashion and will strip the motor and then break.


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## buckaneerdude (Sep 12, 2008)

We make almost all of our animated props. It is not unusual to see me moving through our haunt fixing this or that prop that stopped working properly. This year should be different though. I started last February going through everything and in some cases rebuilding props to make sure that they are reliable. However, even though I spent all of that time trying to prevent breakdowns, I'm not counting on everything working every night for a week. Something is going to fall off, or break or get stuck or lose its connection etc. & etc. I know every animated prop we've made, inside and out and if something stops working, I'm confident I can quickly fix it. I have lots of spare parts for everything and even have a back up computer just in case. Hopefully the many hours I spent in preventive maintenance will give me a few hours to just relax and enjoy the haunt.


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## Shockwave199 (Jan 18, 2007)

Tumblindice said:


> Actually last year when it rain all day here on Halloween, I swore then not to buy any more of them. They all sat in the garage the whole night. I was going to go with better static that will hold up to the weather.


This is exactly what concerns me too. I spent some fairly large bucks for my animated props. I have about ten of them I want to put out. But with any substantial wind and/or rain, all that money sits inside. 365 days is a LONG time to wait for your next shot at it, and it's another gamble at best. Weather resistant props and sets really have to become my prime focus as time goes on. Our NY Octobers are just too brutal when they want to be. You really have to wait until almost the weekend before halloween to setup and you have to keep a sharp eye on the weather. But I'm such a sucker for the darn animated props. I'll be hoping for a week of quiet weather to enjoy all that I worked hard for. We'll see!

Dan


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

Shockwave199 said:


> This is exactly what concerns me too. I spent some fairly large bucks for my animated props. I have about ten of them I want to put out. But with any substantial wind and/or rain, all that money sits inside. 365 days is a LONG time to wait for your next shot at it, and it's another gamble at best. Weather resistant props and sets really have to become my prime focus as time goes on. Our NY Octobers are just too brutal when they want to be. You really have to wait until almost the weekend before halloween to setup and you have to keep a sharp eye on the weather. But I'm such a sucker for the darn animated props. I'll be hoping for a week of quiet weather to enjoy all that I worked hard for. We'll see!
> 
> Dan


I am going for the weather resistant props.Last year I spent a hour taking the non weather resistant props in and out.I have cut that in half and hope by next year to do even better.By doing more of my own animatronics and building a suitable housing for my projector and doing more flicker lights instead of tea lights.


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## Pumpkinprincess (Aug 8, 2007)

This is why I'm so happy I'm moving the majority of my display into my garage. It was a pain to get the garage cleaned out, but I love the results. Now I can work on my display in indoors and in private. 

I think this year is the most fun I've ever had preparing for Halloween. No more late nights chasing props down the street. No more worrying that someone is going to steal something. And no more grabbing delicate things at the first sign of a raindrop.

I think my animatronics will be a big hit in my walkthrough. I've modified my mummies into spider victims (very easy to do) and my grrom and coachman are now clowns. Donna is going to stand in a corner with a clown mask on.


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## GhostHost999 (Sep 27, 2008)

Hey, any of you demonica guys could help me with her? Her head is not working fine, and when the head works fine, she does not go up completely, and I hear the "clikcing"sound the box prevents you its a jam or something. I managed to make her go up all the way again, and now, guess what! her head is not working. I've tried dissasembling her, but it is way more diffincult and risky than putting her up. Solutions? I'd thank you for them...


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## Sinister blood (Oct 8, 2009)

Most animatronics though cool are poorly built. Companies selling these items could use a little more care in making them more durable.


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## Jmurdock (May 13, 2010)

What a heart breaker. I wonder if storing them indoors in a controlled climate helps. My Husband wants to put ours in the attic each year, but the thought worries me.


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## Shockwave199 (Jan 18, 2007)

Do not store anything of value in an attic. The extreme temperatures will destroy anything and everything. They are an automatic death sentence to everything except insulation.

Dan


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## Industen (Oct 12, 2006)

Build your own. Really, I didn't know anything 5 years ago now all my animated props are built from the ground up. This way you know exactly want to fix. It's not as hard as people think, just think outside the box.

I can offer a few pointers on fixing them. 

First invest in a multimeter it will save you from ripping your hair out.

Set the setting to continuailty or diode test and put one contact point on the start of the wire contact point and follow it up to the ending contact point. If the multimeter beeps you have a good connection. Move on to the next. If it does nothing then the wire is broke, frayed or a solder point is "cold" or broke. Resolder contact points or run new stranded wire from point A to point B. Check again. Most of these problems are wires.

Most props use wire that is 32 gauge or something very low with like 3 strands in it. Cheap in other terms.


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

GhostHost999 said:


> Hey, any of you demonica guys could help me with her? Her head is not working fine, and when the head works fine, she does not go up completely, and I hear the "clikcing"sound the box prevents you its a jam or something. I managed to make her go up all the way again, and now, guess what! her head is not working. I've tried dissasembling her, but it is way more diffincult and risky than putting her up. Solutions? I'd thank you for them...


Contact tekky and see if they can help you out.


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## Dylanlip (May 27, 2009)

In all honesty, I've never trusted the retail-sold "animatronics". They're cheaply made, over-priced, and, as said before, will really only last you one season. The only animatronics I'd ever recommend would be pneumatic ones, and most of the time you can make one yourself that costs less and lasts longer than the retail ones.


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## Shockwave199 (Jan 18, 2007)

The only problem I have with getting into building my own props is making them practical for storage. Part of the charm with retail animatronics is that they store away nicely. It seems to me that when building your own props two things have to be planned- the build for the prop, and the build for dissembling the prop too. I could build stuff with deer motors or whatever but building it to store away as compact as possible? A challenge. I have no room as it is. I think it's a shame that for whatever reason people prefer a retail prop, we have to settle for crap. If we're gonna spend a hundred or so bucks for something, reliable quality should be a given. Not a wing and a prayer- which every one of us who buys commercial props does when we open and try our them. We pray ours is the good one of the bunch.

Dan


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## Devil (Oct 19, 2008)

My wife and I were in Spirts last week looking at their Animatronics props when the one right in front of us stopped working. My wife looked at me and said "Just build one for next year and i bet it will last longer, cost less, and look better!"


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## Langolier (Sep 28, 2009)

I started buildng my own this year after being disspaointed with some of the quality the past few years. The only one I have been impressed with and can repair if easily if need be is the talking skulls from Frightporps. Great price for the quality you get. I am attaching their skull with eye movement to my skeleton body and running " what's he building in there " in my graveyard this year. Sorry to here about your props going down all at once. Normally it would be one or two but not all of them at once. I just don't buy those kind of props anymore from spirit or Halloween Advenutre anymore for that reason. Good luck.


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## exiled (Oct 11, 2010)

When I got my animated props out of storage this year , I found that _*mice*_ had chewed through some of the wire. Start looking there for problems.


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## zymmyiscool (Sep 24, 2010)

my kicking scarecrow prop quit kicking his legs after one month of use


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## ter_ran (Jan 14, 2006)

*My real Ah-ha moment!*

*Hey fellow HF family,

After careful considerations and battles of my Haunted desires, I have come to a conclusion! My personal need for animatronics is pushing me further into the unknown territories(to me that is!). Its the great abyss of the electronic & pnuematic prop creations world as this would elevate my haunt to great levels. 

I have been researching our forum as well as online tutorials to learn how to create/fabricate everything from electrical to sewing! I now plan to build(or at least try) all lifesize animated props from scratch. My previous metality was I didnt have the time nor skills to create or fathom the thought of producing a genuine killer animatronic prop. But this has changed!

Due to unforeseen events in my recent life, I am forced to be more creative and have a true budget to support this love addiction to Halloween. So be on the look-out for my how-to videos and shared progress to come! 

May all you have a similar inspiration and true success with all your haunted dreams! Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and support!

Randall 


*


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## Shockwave199 (Jan 18, 2007)

Well, there's no better time to reach that conclusion than when ALL your props quit working! I have always enjoyed digging into the mechanics of things and I'm probably not far behind you. I'm probably only a couple of prop failures away myself! LOL! I'll see how my lineup holds out this year. They'll either work, or they'll become static props that are re-purposed. But I love animated props so it's likely I'll be making my own along the way. And who knows, maybe I'll be good at it!

Best of luck in your prop building endevour!

Dan


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