Each and every trap, no matter what the design, wire trigger, swing panel or pan traps, requires a bit of maintenance, just making sure all is as it was when the traps were new. Both traps can be used for years if they are not abused, but there are differences.
Having used both systems, first pan cage traps beginning in 1980, and more recently our wire trigger traps, though pan traps have been responsible for millions of captures, at times they can be temperamental, requiring adjustments by bending or filing catches to achieve the desired amount of pressure to fire the trap consistently. On one hand a pan trap can drop fire, that is become too sensitive and may simply drop as you are walking away after setting the trap, or become too stiff, requiring more pressure to fire the trap than you need for small baby animals, for instance. In either case some bending or filing may be required to get it right to bring the trap back to where it was out of the box.
What has been a plus with both the wire and swing panel trigger systems is consistency. Once set they will not exhibit the same variation from sensitive to heavy like a pan trap if contact points are kept clean, free of rust with periodic shot of paint or lubricant when needed. Keeping the center contact between trip rod and trigger is key, requiring very little attention. Sometimes it will take little more effort than to rub the contact components against each other to keep them in shape. A tiny drop of oil or grease will make the parts slide easily as will a shot of rustoleum paint. What we like about these traps is that they are both stabile and consistent with no “touchy or hair” triggers. There is a big difference between a “light” trigger and a “hair” trigger. The light trigger will take small animals while remaining set, while a hair trigger may be fired by wind, rain or a slight bump, which does not effect the light trigger of a wire or swing panel cage trap under normal conditions.
Sometimes you may not realized you have set a pan type trigger trap with a hair trigger as it is difficult to see the difference in what might be 1/32nd or 1/64th of an inch. With the wire triggers the positioning is obvious, seen at a glance. You will instantly know where the trigger is. If centered or close to center, there is no hair trigger.