I am thinking about getting a new BB launcher wondering what everyone thinks of these units. Are the worth the money? are they reliable? any input would be great!
I have four two shooters. I use them a lot. They require some maintenance but so does all the training devices. Every two weeks I bring them in to do maintenance:
Charge batteries
Tighten all screws and bolts
Silicone spray on various parts, especially firing pin
Silicone grease on rubber o rings
Occassionally clean .22 blank receiver
Occassionally you will have to replace servos.
I use four two shooters because they give me more versality as opposed to two four shooters.
However, BB aren't the total answer. I have four Zinger Wingers for dead ducks. I use BB 3-4 days a week and ZW 2 days a week. I also have a box launcher for live pigeons.
I have recently placed an order to upgrade my BB electronics. They are not shipping the new units until May. I would wait until the new units are available before you buy any.
Wayne is correct, and it's nice to hear a customer taking care of their unit so well. What is happening with the new units ordered, is that we will ship them out to you with the old electronics, and as soon as the new electronics are in, we will ship them to you directly. The last thing we would want is for a customer to wait until May to order a unit because they didn't think they were getting the new electronics. Any order placed now will get the new electronics shipped to them once they're in.
In regards to Bumper Boy products, may I ask how many dogs you train? Take me through a day of how many you're training and perhaps what sort of design you're looking into and I'll be able to get you some information on what style of unit you should get if you're along the Bumper Boy path.
With the new style of electronics, if you train with retired gunners or zinger wingers, they can plug directly into the unit and you'd be able to control your BB off the same transmitter that you were your third party devices.
Let me know and I'd be happy to get you as much information as possible that's custom to your needs.
Hi
I have 4 bumper boy 4 shooters and train 3 dogs. They are awesome. They give you the same consistent throw everytime. I have had very little problems with them. I sent all four to bumper boy 3 years ago to get tuned up and they were returned like new. I would highly recomend them to anyone.
I have 3 Four Shooters - several years old. My experience is like Wayne's except I use graphite dry lub. I just ordered another 1200 power charges and fully expect to use them up...
And I'll add that I've gotten good service from BB when I needed repairs. (Servos, and lately a wiring harness.)
I don't know if it's worth it for me to up-grade the electronics. Mine work.
I love them and hate them at the same time. On the plus side, they are quick and easy to set up and to run multiple dogs, or help with another throw, etc.
On the minus side, they are pretty much at full arc before you hear the shot at the line ( but the streamers do keep them there long enough for the dog to see them) and there will be lots of times you press the button and nothing happens. The transmitter with the current electronics is hard to hold and tough to use and the buttons wear out--the new electronics should fix this. There are lots things to remember (turn on, load, cock) to avoid operator error and there are very frequent problems with the wiring, servos, etc., so you will need to be very handy and/or spend time with customer service (which is not good in my experience).
You really do need wingers as well and you could get by with just wingers and no bumper boys but it would be hard to do bumper boys and no wingers. Still, I use my BBs all the time.
In regards to Bumper Boy launchers, they are a unit that does need someone to be able to take care of them. If you follow along like Wayne has, and other users here have said, as long as you keep lubricating your units and cleaning your units and making sure they're stored properly, you will be fine. Like a car, they require some maintenance, but we make sure that all parts can be purchased at stores around your area, rather than having to send away for them. There shouldn't ever be a time when you press the button, Double Haul, that your unit doesn't fire. It sounds like you are having an issue with your unit, feel free to give me a call and perhaps I can help you with the problem. The new units have a different transmitter than the old one, which was very rectangular, as they're shaped how you would see an E-Collar transmitter. When it comes to wiring harnesses and servos, you won't come across problems as long as you're storing your units properly and maintaining general upkeep on them. I had a customer today contact me who hasn't sent in his unit in 7 years and has only replaced 3 servos.
Double Haul, I'm sorry to hear that you haven't had much luck when it comes to our customer service. Perhaps I will be able to change your mind, or at least I hope to over time here. If you have any questions, concerns, or anything that I can help you with, feel free to contact me here, or leave me a message via email or my phone, which I'll provide below.
Zinger Wingers are a great training tool, and with the new launchers/electronics, they can be plugged directly into our auxiliary jack, which allows you to control your BB units as well as your Zingers, or Malcolm Retired Remote Gunners, or Gunners Up units from the same transmitter.
If you have any questions regarding further information on Bumper Boy launchers, please feel free to post them here and I'll field them to the best of my ability.
Guys, I don't know Gary from the man in the moon. I will say that in February I was working on a project of refurbishing 3 eight shooters. Gary was extremely helpful. He kept in contact with me everyday, helping to analyze my units. We decided it was the wiring harnesses, but only one on each unit. He offered to split a wiring harness for me at a reduced price.
Seems like BB and Gary are trying to improve a part of the business that may not have been up to standard. I appreciate the efforts the company and Gary have made. In my opinion customer service at BB is on it's way to being a selling point.
Man, I'm glad you wrote this, because I was hoping I wasn't the only one who noticed Gary's extreme dedication and willingness to help resolve issues. I also think BB as a company needs to be applauded for the extent they're taking to make sure all of us have working older units while awaiting our new electronics.
I use my derby double (2 shooter) all the time. They're a great product, you need to take care of them just like anything else. The only problem I've had is the streamers ripping off the bumpers from extended use. Looking to add another 2 shooter this summer.
Gary,
Is the current add-on unit compatible with a 1 year old BB?
There are a couple of options you could use with this. My recommendation would be to purchase the new Pro 2 shooter, which is on special for the same price right now as the half mile range Sport unit, which would come with the brand new electronics. Then, to make your other unit compatible with it, you would just need to upgrade your receiver for $65.00
The other option, is we can assemble the unit to be compatible with your 1 year old unit, but I can't promise the old electronics forever. I know that all units sold now are being sold with the new version of electronics unless specifically asked to be working with the older electronics if someone does not want to upgrade. We obviously do not want to leave our customer base behind as they are very loyal in my experience, but we are encouraging everyone to get the new upgrade with the electronics.
Feel free to give me a call or if you'd like further explanation or clarification I'll make sure to check out this site again today before I leave work to make sure all is clear.
Thanks to everyone else for their input, it is greatly appreciated on my part as you guys are very active and seem to answer the questions which is exactly what you want from a community. Appreciate the kind comments as well, thank you.
Here are some of my pros:
I find the throws to be very consistent and reliable. I've got 2 Derby doubles and usually the two bumpers from a unit will land within a few feet of each other.*
Easy to carry in the field. My 2 units fit in a single bag that I can carry along with 2 stickmen and all accessories. I CAN carry my 2 Gunners Up wingers, but it isn't nearly as fun.
They are well made products that I simply find fun to use. And my dog goes NUTZ for the bumpers. I mean, she really loves them.
Here are my cons:
When the bumpers get wet, you have to dry them or you get poor/inconsistent throws (that what the * above was about).
I think my batteries are dying because sound hasn't been working (but Gary is working with me on getting this fixed).
Sometimes, I forget to turn them on or cock them (for some reason, I never forget to turn my dogtra receivers on).
As you can see, 2 of my cons are either being taken care of (batteries) or because I'm pretty dumb sometimes. As for the wet bumpers...I've started carrying a shotgun cleaning kit in my truck, so hopefully the next time I'm using them in wet conditions, I'll be able to take care of the first problem.
Bumper Boys can't throw birds. If you're trying to set up a truly test-like scenario with a bird landing on a point of land in the water, for instance, you're not going to get that with a Bumper Boy as you never know when a bumper is going to tumble and end up in a bad location or be affected by the wind. I like my Bumper Boys but prefer the precise launches I get out of my Birds Up launchers.
The main con I have with them is that they are maintenance intensive. For any degree of consistency, my Bumper Boys have to be cleaned after every use.
My wife trains our 5 dogs everyday right by herself with three 4-shooters. Our training program would surely suffer without the Bumper Boys and the time saving aspect of not having to reload for every dog.
We're excited about getting our new electronics!
I have 4 fourshooters. I like them lot in certain situations but find them difficult to use for really long marks. I think someone here mentioned this, by the time the sound reaches the line the bumper is halfway to the ground. I personally like the throw from a winger better in that I think it is slower and that dogs can see the fall better. However, like I said in certain situations it is hard to beat the BBs and in my exprience they have been reliable.
With the multi-bumper models, you have backup throws. Which are invaluable to me as a trainer of a young dog. Of course, I'd rather not have to resort to having to throw another bumper, but there are times when a young dog simply needs help and the sound just isn't sufficient. It's simply not as cost or time efficient to have to set up two wingers in a single location.
I like to set up my bumper boys deep or in areas where I think the pup could possibly need a second throw and use my wingers for marks that shouldn't need as much help.
Of course, nothing's as good has having GOOD help in the field, but hey...you've got to work with what you've got sometimes.
Yes, we have shipped out our units which we are very happy to get to our customers. The units that you will be receiving will be getting the new electronics when they come in, but all of our units are shipping right now with the old style electronics while we wait for the new units to come in. We don't have any of the new electronics yet as they're being field tested, so we didn't want you to have to wait until the new electronics came out before we shipped your launchers. So your launchers that you'll be receiving will have the old style electronics on them for now, but as soon as we have the new unit of electronics in, we will expedite them out to you so that you can use the new electronics right away!
Yes, they can definitely control wingers, as well as other third party devices that people are using. We are very eager to get this product line out and the field testing is going very well.
I really wish I did, but we have no firm shipping date yet. I know it's close and we're being told certain dates, but there's nothing that I can confirm. We have received a ton of orders from people wanting these units, and are working as fast as possible to contact our customer base in order to let everyone know. Once we are finished this, we will put in our order for the bulk order at which we can get this rate and pricing.
If anyone is having a problem with their Bumperboy units, and has ordered the upgrade, we are happy to service them with no charge besides shipping so that all our customers are up and in working order.
I'm excited as you are to get these units out to you, and I will keep all of you informed when I know an exact shipping date, I promise.
There are quite a few new features due to the upgrade. The interface is far simpler to use; the transmitter now represents a transmitter that you'd be used to for seeing controlling an E-collar. It's just 3 buttons and an intensity dial. The transmitter is now also 100% waterproof for all of us that have dropped them in the lake before. The receiver now has built in advanced sound directly on the unit, so there is no longer any programming whatsoever with the units. The battery life is both longer, and faster charging (just 2 hours to charge the transmitter). The units also come with a brand new car charger which a lot of people like to have for being able to charge out in the field. Any third party device that you use, such as a zinger or malcom retired gunner or gunners up can be controlled by the same transmitter of ours and be directly plugged into our receiver. All the new electronics would also give you a brand new 2 year warranty which is always nice to have for your electronics. If you'd like more information, please feel free to leave them here, or contact me directly.
I have a derby double that I used for almost two years. It has not been used since the the end of the second year. The first issue I had was with the dummy, the metal internal tube dislodged from the rest of the plasitic. Currently it is out of use due to a electronic problem I guess, strange for two servos to fail at the same time. when given the launch signal all it does is have a low electronic hum. BumperBoy any ideas. I assume I need to send it back and money is tight right now to pay for shipping.
One thing not to do with the derby double is use it to teach doubles as a flower pot. The dogs start keying in on the launcher and that becomes their line to the mark. Budget for two derby doubles to avoid this but don't rely on it as a good way to train for doubles. I will need a second unit before I train with it again to avoid these problems.
Hopefully we can troubleshoot your problem. To have 2 servos go out at once makes me believe that it is a different issue. I encourage you to take a look at our website that has a new customer support page, and follow along so that it can diagnose your problem. If you are having further issues, please do contact me by either email or by phone and I'll help you troubleshoot it over the phone or via email as I always have it in front of me. http://bumperboy.com/support.php?topic=24
To me, it sounds like it could be a couple things. It could be a loose connection with the wiring to the servos, or the wiring harness altogether. Do you happen to have a spare servo so that we can test this? I would be happy to go through the steps with you Joe to get you back out and training!
Thanks everyone and if you need to contact me, please do so.
I have a derby double that I used for almost two years. It has not been used since the the end of the second year. The first issue I had was with the dummy, the metal internal tube dislodged from the rest of the plasitic. Currently it is out of use due to a electronic problem I guess, strange for two servos to fail at the same time. when given the launch signal all it does is have a low electronic hum. BumperBoy any ideas. I assume I need to send it back and money is tight right now to pay for shipping.
One thing not to do with the derby double is use it to teach doubles as a flower pot. The dogs start keying in on the launcher and that becomes their line to the mark. Budget for two derby doubles to avoid this but don't rely on it as a good way to train for doubles. I will need a second unit before I train with it again to avoid these problems.
I have two bumper boy 4shooters and have been using them for 5 years. almost flawlessly. I set them up as singles and doubles. love them. so does my dog.
I have for several years now been an advocate of BB, but, I've become a little aggravated at the delay in receiving a replacement battery for my DD while waiting for my upgrades. I was told over a week and a half ago that my batteries were in the mail. no sign of them yet!!!
I apologize for the delay on your free replacement battery. The men in the back have been working tirelessly between building new units to get everything out and our shipment got delayed due to an engineering error for all peoples' orders. I know that your battery went out, but I unfortunately cannot provide a tracking number since we sent it out as a free shipment as well. Please do give me a call if you have any further concerns on this matter.
Speaking of delays. My DD never fires when activated. It may fire in 3 seconds or maybe after the 4th or 5th attempt. Friends have the same problem. Is this inherent with the DD? Is there a fix?
This tells me that perhaps you have a programming issue, as it doesn't sound like it is responding to the transmitter. This should be a simple fix if so, and I'd be happy to walk you through it.
Feel free to use our new support page on our website, http://bumperboy.com/support.php?topic=24 and it should be able to provide you with steps in order to correct this problem. If you're still having issues, please let me know and I'd be happy to assist you over the phone.
Just to add, I have trained with people that have used BBs since they first came out and LOVE them. They are great for training multiple dogs and/or young dogs. I was so excited to finally be able to afford some of my own and took them to a training day the other day and the guys LOVED them! I only wish now I would have either ordered another 4 shooter or maybe 8 shooters instead. (Like I said I ordered them a couple months ago before I hooked up with some people to train with and only had my 1 dog that I was training. I have since hooked up with 3 other people and have started my older dog in the training program....oh well)
Now my BIGGEST problem is not that I have my BBs, my dog crates, bumpers, and now bumper boys don't all fit in my small SUV and now I need a truck! LOL
There is no better tool in my opinion particularly if you're training more than one dog, have limited time, and don't have regular helpers/or bird boys.
You've got to get your dogs' birds as regularly as possible, but for teaching concepts and habits I haven't seen anything on the market yet that approximates the efficiency of training with BB systems.
The new technology looks awesome, but I haven't seen it or tried it....yet.
I really like my BB. I think the update is going to be awesome. Still crying in my beer over the last email in which it appears the updated equipment will arrive in July, hopefully. Oh well,
I have heard that as well. My training has been pushed back for sure. My 2 units I am getting new electronics for are now officially done. The electronics are completely not working now, so I will be working with hand thrown makrs till the new ones arrive finally someday.
I have NOT yet received any email updates from Bumper Boy.I have tried calling and all I get is voice mail.This is becoming a very disappointing situation in that I had ordered the upgrades for 3 units as soon as they put the word out.Was told initially March 2011, then May, and now who knows when.I would hope that their customer service does not reflect this lack of communication or availablility.If I don't hear back from them shortly I will start looking elsewhere.
I might be interested in buying 2 four shooters. Is there anywhere or any way to find a discount or coupon/promo code.
Thanks
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