GHG goose floater heads are a pain in the #$%

[weedsnager]

i've read all the other problems with the GHG canadian goose floater heads, but these heads are in pain in the rear to seat properly!! when you pay $89 for decoys, you shouldn't have to go into your garage and doctor these things up to make them work properly.

[Jason Connellee]

Can you describe your issue with the heads ?

Maybe I can help.

[Chris Jones]

Weedsnagger,
I understand where you are coming from but please understand the tollerances on those heads are so tight. There is not much room for error. If they went on easily they would come off easily. I would recommend using dish soap or soapy water on the threads before you try getting them on the first time. Good luck and let me know if you need mroe help with them.

[Joe Fladeland]

I was thinking about getting some goose floaters for my duck spread. I was just wondering how these heads attach to the body. Are they like the Goose shells? Goose fullbodies? Mallard fullbody actives? etc. thanks. Dakota Kid

[weedsnager]

i've tried the soapy solution, and i can't get the heads to seat tight to the body. the way these heads go on is mickey mouse, for $90 there should be way the heads go on, and stay on. now every time i pick these up out of the water i have to worry about the heads popping off?

[Joe Fladeland]

So do the heads attach like any other decoy that GHG makes? If so, which decoy? I don't know what "mickey mouse" means.. sorry..Dakota Kid.

[J Kryspin]

I didn't have any problems with my floater heads.

Take a close look at the base of the head and the neck post. Maybe there's some excess plastic that needs to be trimmed with an exacto knife.

[Chris Jones]

The next soulution weedsnagger is to take a pair of pliers and bend the plasic of the head so its convex and not concave. This is mainly done on the corners that catch the threads. This will allow for the head to ride over the corners of the threads. Again its got to do with the tollerances if they went on easily, they would fall off just as easily. Of the 80 floaters I have, some of them were tough and needed trimmed but the little bit of work is worth it. They are pure goose on the water!
Dakota Kid to answer your question, The head attachment is a similar screw type to a Full body. Let me know if I can help you more.

[Rick Frisch]

Chris,

Thanks for answering the head connection questions. We are making the head connections with tight tolerances so that they won't come off. The only floating Canada decoy that I have ever had that the head didn't come off was an old Flambeau. The only reason it didn't come off was that the decoy was all one piece. The problem is that they don't look realistic and the heads tip back. I am not kidding when I say every other Canada floater decoy I have owned the heads came off.

Thanks,

[weedsnager]

Take a close look at the base of the head and the neck post. Maybe there's some excess plastic that needs to be trimmed with an exacto knife. yeah, i tried and trimmed them a little, but 2 of them started to crack at the seams. like i said before........ for $90, there shouldn't have to be trimming and bending

[Jason Connellee]

One thing I have found out, if you take your heads off and on continiously, you will stretch the locking head connection. Thus, not having a solid connected head. I might suggest leaving your heads on. I epoxied mine on so they won't come off while using them OR come off while picking up at an end of a hunt.

[Rick Frisch]

How would you suggest we make it better?

[Travis Mueller]

We are all ears if you have an idea to improve our mickey mouse design.

[Joe Fladeland]

Thanks for answering my question Chris, hopefully i'll be able to get some of these floaters after Christmas.

[weedsnager]

We are all ears if you have an idea to improve our mickey mouse design.
make the head the "male "part of the connection. use a nylon or plastic threaded post coming out of the head that threads into the body, then you could use a non-permanent type of lock tight.

[Rick Frisch]

That doesn't blow mold correctly. There are certain ways that parts can be blow molded. It has to do with creating weak parts in the body.

Thanks,

[Ross R]

is there a possibility of molding a cup sort of thing into the head that would allow a more solid connection, because i have some of the floaters as well and when i looked inside of the head i expected them to have a "cup" sort of reciever. do you understand what i mean by the cup receiver? it would still be threaded but just not hollow like the head.

[blacklabbob]

After all the hype, the fact is all my heads come loose and pull off if handled by the head. They are not designed well enough for expensive decoys. The ONLY solution that worked for me was screwing the head to the body with 1 1/2 inch drywqll screws (black). I care for them, and keep ALL my GHG decoys in six slot bags.

I think they should be sold as a male/female smooth press fit, and screws to hold them in place.

[Rick Frisch]

I had some Bigfoot floaters before we started making decoys. They had the same problem. These Over-Sized floating Canada decoys are to heavy to be handled by the head. We have changed the head connection about three different times in production and countless times on samples. If there is a connection out there that will allow us to do, we would sure like to know what it is.

Thanks,

[JEDJR]

My favorite connection is on the O.S. shells and the Speck/Lesser feeders.
Easy/quick to install and sits snug and well fit.
Is that type of connection an option for a floater?

[CS]

I am with Jed on this one. Make the head easy on and if a guy like me wants it permanent the black drywall screws work great. I understand you guys are in a catch 22 but improvement is still needed. I would really prefer less poses and a 1 piece decoy.

[JEDJR]

A one piece fullbody and or floater would eliminate any problem with connections for sure.

I brought the same thing up awhile back and personally like the idea of a one piece fullbody, but I guess you are looking at all new molds, etc.. so this may not be an option for the immediate future or something Avery/GHG does not want to venture into.
I hope they consider it one day.

I know whether you have detachable heads or not on your FB's, The overwhelming success and sales of the 6 slot FB goose bags show that you dont need to take the heads off your FB's for storage or to get them affield anylonger.This saves the hunter a lot of time.
These bags have been a huge success for Avery and a BIG asset to the goosehunter.

[LndShrk]

Originally posted by Rick Frisch:
How would you suggest we make it better?Rick,

I am not saying this to jump on a bashing bandwagon. I am fine with my Avery products.

But you asked so I will try and explain.

I think that Avery could go to a smaller in dia. stud on the decoy and use a little thicker plastic on the head portion. With the thicker plastic on the heads an indent should be able to be created and raised areas on the body around the stud (or vise versa) would hold the head on when tightend down. Very similar to the way the screw holds the barrel to a shotgun on.

Just a suggestion not a bash.. ;)

[Jason Zerrer]

I love the way the fullbody mallard heads go on. Any chance that would work for the goose floaters?

[Michael Weiss]

Jason Z., I would say it would work, but not all that great. The goose decoys weigh more and 99% of the time the floaters are handled by the head. Thus, they would come apart. All of the GHG Goose Floaters I have encountered have been sound! I still have yet to see a design better than the one that we use in service today, and believe it is hard to top! However Jason, I am with you on the design of the GHG FB Mallard heads........AWSOME!!! Thanks to every one for supporting Avery/GHG.

Michael Weiss
Avery Pro-Staff

[GooseFlocker]

These are the finset bags to transport your GHG investment. The only issue I've had with the 6 slot goose and duck bags is; if you leave them in the field for a day or longer the mice will knaw on whatever sections of the bag they desire :mad:

[Josh B]

yeah, i tried and trimmed them a little, but 2 of them started to crack at the seams. like i said before........ for $90, there shouldn't have to be trimming and bending[/QB]Not everything is perfect. In life, nearly everything is in need of a little tuning. It takes all of 5 minutes. For the time spent with simple criticisms, they could all be done by now. Just realize, for a mass produced decoy, you can ask for anything more.

[weedsnager]

Not everything is perfect. In life, nearly everything is in need of a little tuning. It takes all of 5 minutes. For the time spent with simple criticisms, they could all be done by now. Just realize, for a mass produced decoy, you can ask for anything more you missing my point.......... i have no problem "tinkering" with a product to make it right, BUT NOT WHEN I'M PAYING PREMIUM DOLLARS!! if these were $40 decoys i wouldn't be complaining. these are $90 decoys!!!! if you buy a chevy, you expect to do a little tinkering to get it right, but not when you buy a lexus!!!

and you say not everything is perfect???" In life, nearly everything is in need of a little tuning"??? huh?? where do you shop??? so your saying if you buy a pair of waders... and they leak, that...that's ok... you should just take them home and patch them cause " nearly everything is in need of a little tuning"

[blacklabbob]

Howzabout making the head connection like those on the oversize shells?They work very well in my experience, and would be easy to glue in place if so desired. What kind of glue would bind this kind of plastic?

[weedsnager]

gorilla glue or plastic welder work aell

[summerkamp]

well i have 5 doz floaters and wish i would had not bought a one. the head connection is a very bad desighn. we have them falling off all the time transporting them in the airboat. and when we get to setting them in cold weather we have had alot of the necks crack. these are good looking decoys but for the price i expect them to hold up to normal hunting conditions. we shoildnt have to be gluing,screwing and whatever else has been thought of when we are talking about a new product. if i had these for a few years and problems were coming up i would be more understandable. but we assembled them as instructed (which is a pain in the ###) and eveen the first hunt we were having problems.

[LH]

Originally posted by Josh B:
Not everything is perfect. In life, nearly everything is in need of a little tuning. It takes all of 5 minutes. For the time spent with simple criticisms, they could all be done by now. Just realize, for a mass produced decoy, you can ask for anything more.[/quote]

i seriously hope ur joking

[Tim Pickett]

Any defective heads can be replaced with newer Floater heads which ensure a snug fit and are easily attached. As long as the purchase was made within the last 365 days and the customer can provide me with a proof-of-purchase, I'll be glad to help you any way I can. You can contact myself or Chris Smith at 800-333-5119.

Thank you!
Tim

[summerkamp]

well i will look for my proof of purchase. the defective heads should be enough. i would even ship you the heads if needed. i have at least 18-25 bad heads as of now out of 60. i have called c.s the other week but didnt get much help. i hope avery does not get me wrong. i usually dont complain to much i have alot of your products but this one just doesnt live up to your standards. looks good but function is very unreliable.

[Goosemaster1]

I have the same problem with some of my full bodies. The head doesn't want to screw all the way down, some don't want to start. If you don't have the 6 slot bags or a trailer to haul your decoys you have to pack them in, thus you about have to take the heads on and off to protect them and their flocking. GHG are by far the most realistic rep but the mounting method of the Big Foot heads is the best I have seen so far. Again, if you have the luxiary of a trailer then you can leave them together.

[PARALYZER44]

the heads on other decoys that have the male end on the head usually take on water in the female part of the decoy. Maybe sweet pee should settle down or have someone who knows what they are doing put his decoys together for him.

[PARALYZER44]

So as a consumer I would not like to see a female connection on the body..... Bad Idea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!