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Weather vane not turning

Updated: October 2026

The vane is up, and it either sits still in a wind you can feel or it spins without settling on a letter. Sometimes the cockerel has already left the pole, or a brown line has appeared on a listing that said stainless. A weather vane not turning is often one of a few mechanical causes, and sometimes the sheet was too thin to be an instrument. This page starts from that failure. The [weathercock comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/weathercock) is the table of the listings these reports come from. Peter F. used UK buyer texts in those extracts, plus notes from the British Ironwork Centre and Coopers of Stortford. There was no bench test.

The vane is up, and it either sits still in a wind you can feel or it spins without settling on a letter. Sometimes the cockerel has already left the pole, or a brown line has appeared on a listing that said stainless.

Our top picks

SUPERDANT SUPERDANT lighthouse

Best overall

SUPERDANT SUPERDANT lighthouse
8.6/10about £17.09
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Jetcloud Jetcloud rooster

Preis-Tipp

Jetcloud Jetcloud rooster
7.4/10about £12.99
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Autrucker Autrucker rooster

Alternative

Autrucker Autrucker rooster
6.2/10about £19.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Still, or spinning
  2. 2.Pole, shelter, screw and grease
  3. 3.What buyers of these vanes reported
  4. 4.When to stop repairing

Still, or spinning

Still and spinning are different faults. A pointer that will not move cannot show where the wind is coming from. A pointer that whips in circles cannot show it either, because a direction is a letter it settles on. The Met Office defines wind direction as the direction the wind is blowing from. If the vane never settles, it is not giving you that direction. Jetcloud buyers include people who say it works and people who say it ignores a brisk wind. If the letters move with the bird, the arms were not locked. If the letters stay still and the bird does not move, the pivot is stuck, the pole is leaning, or the sheet was never free to turn.

Pole, shelter, screw and grease

Four checks cost nothing and match what UK makers write for their own vanes. The pole has to be vertical. A lean lets the heavy side sit down, so the bird rests on one letter in any wind. A vane under the eaves, or in a passage between a shed and a fence, can sit in shelter while the tree tops move. That feels like a dead bearing. The locking screw, if the pack has one, should hold the topper on and still let it turn. Wound hard down, it is a bolt. Grease is a light film on the bearing. A dry squeak can free off. A bearing packed solid can stick. If you cannot see a sleeve, do not drill one. The first-fit version of these steps, including clockwise letters, is on how to fit a weather vane.
SUPERDANT SUPERDANT lighthouse

Testsieger

SUPERDANT SUPERDANT lighthouse
8.6/10about £17.09
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What buyers of these vanes reported

The same cheap roosters are praised and called dead, so a single five-star line is a poor diagnosis. In the Jetcloud extract, 33 UK texts sit under 4.0 from 114, and they split on turning and on rust. The table says stainless steel. Reviewers say it rusted. Autrucker, 25 UK texts under 3.7 from 119, draws the same pair: not turning, and rust within months, plus a flimsy or lost cockerel. Those are reports from buyers, not a laboratory fault rate. Domigard's UK texts include two that say it snapped in the first strong wind, one naming a poor weld. A weld that has opened is not a grease job. The donkey's 5.0 from 3 is a Spanish tree-of-life review, not a UK report that this vane turns.

When to stop repairing

Stop bending tabs and drilling new holes when the goods do not match the description you paid for. Consumer Rights Act 2015 section 9 includes that description, the price and a public stainless line. A finish that peels in the first year, parts that will not assemble, or a topper that leaves in the first strong wind are reasons to talk to the seller. If the sheet is bent, fouling the letters, or rusting through a stainless claim, replacement is a buying decision. The mounts and the material words to read before you reorder are on the weather vane buying guide. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

Common questions

Why does a weather vane sit still in a strong wind?
The usual causes are a pole that is not vertical, a site in shelter, a locking screw wound down, a dry or packed bearing, or a sheet that was never free to turn. UK texts for Jetcloud and Autrucker include buyers who say the vane does not move even when the wind is obvious. Check plumb, shelter and the screw before you decide the product cannot work.
Is spinning the same as working?
No. Working means the letters stay fixed and the pointer settles on the direction the wind is coming from. Spinning means it never settles, or the arms are turning with it. A SUPERDANT cat review uses spins as a complaint, against another review that found it effective once assembled. Cups, if your vane has them, are a spinner rather than a letter reading.
What if the cockerel blew off or the bracket snapped?
That is a broken joint, not a sticky bearing. Autrucker texts include a flimsy or lost cockerel. Two Domigard UK reviews say the vane snapped in the first strong wind, one of them naming a poor weld. Refitting a loose screw is reasonable. Re-welding a thin bracket, or bending a foil sheet back into shape, is how a small ornament becomes a sharp edge on the lawn. Photograph it and speak to the seller.
What is a fair expectation if a stainless vane rusts?
The listing's own claim is the measure. Jetcloud's table says stainless steel, and UK reviews say it rusted. Autrucker's bullets say stainless, and reviews report rust within months. Consumer Rights Act 2015 section 9 includes the description in satisfactory quality. Flaking coating and orange rust through a stainless title are what those reviews describe, and they are a reason to use the returns route rather than to repaint and hope.
When do you stop and talk to the seller?
After the pole is plumb, the site is open, the letters are locked, the screw is not binding and a light grease has had one windy day. If it still will not turn, if parts do not match the instructions, if the finish has peeled, or if a weld has snapped, stop modifying it. The seller has the listing you bought against. A second DIY hole rarely improves a sheet one buyer already compared to tin foil.

Related pages

Best weather vane UK

Weathercock

Weather vane buying guide: a stake, screws or ridge

How to fit a weather vane: vertical pole and north

Weather vane for a shed: not for a tiled house ridge

Sources

Met Office, British Geological Survey, legislation.gov.uk, Historic England, Black Fox Metalcraft, Coopers of Stortford and Weathervanes Direct. Prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk listings on 16 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. Met Office, how we measure wind (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. Met Office for schools, measuring the weather (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Historic England, permissions (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. British Geological Survey, three norths (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Black Fox Metalcraft, cockerel weathervane (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Coopers of Stortford, assembly sheet (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Weathervanes Direct, sizes (retrieved 16 October 2026)