Droll Yankees YF-M Yankee Flipper Squirrel-Proof Wild Bird Feeder With Weight...

Well, so far so good. I have spent thousands on feeding squirrels over the years. Every single squirrel proof bird feeder did not work. I have a shed full of them. This one really works, not a single squirrel on the feeder. They are very intelligent creatures and know a threat when they experience one. The birds are happy and the squirrels tidy up on the ground with the doves and Juncos. I will be using more of them next winter.

A picture is worth a 1000 words! I was so happy when I saw this feeder in action! This feeder is a beast, squirrels can’t hang on too long since it spins and then the squirrels fall off. Glad I have some bushes below, because that’s where the squirrels fall. I would periodically wait by the window, hoping to capture a video of when a squirrel was going to jump. It took awhile but finally got one for my review. So far, I’ve witnessed two squirrels attempting, jumping and then being flung off the feeder. The second time, one squirrel was below eating corn and the other jumping onto the feeder, and not being successful. I do buy squirrel food, you can see the corn in the bottom right of the video. Even though they had the corn, they still tried to launch onto the feeder, but haven’t seen any squirrels who can access any bird seed. It’s easy to assemble, insert the bottom piece that has the battery and twist to lock. To add food, lift the green part up, add food and then push down green top to secure it in place. When you receive the feeder, the battery is located inside the feeder with the AC adapter plug to charge it with. Lift up the green top and remove. The instructions say to charge the battery for a least 2 hours before using it. There is an on/off switch on the bottom part of the feeder. Turn off while charging it. This feeder has a huge capacity! Feed capacity is approx 5 lbs of feed. I took a photo of it next to my front door to show how tall it is. It’s made of metal and heavy plastic. The top doesn’t completely come off, so cleaning it is a little challenging. The squirrels and bigger birds used to deplete my bird seed (sunflower seeds) so quickly. But now, only the small birds are able to use the feeder so the feed lasts way longer. This feeder spins on the bottom, but also has a weigh mechanism so that if large birds attempt to feed, the feeder holes close. This feeder is expensive, but it will save money, by not having to buy seed as frequently. I’m so impressed with this feeder, if I could give 100 stars on this review I would.

I absolutely LOVE this bird feeder. We are avid bird watchers and have gone through quite a few bird feeders. I was skeptical about the "squirrel proof" but IT IS! There is a battery operated mechanism that when something heavier than a bird touches the outer edge it spins! I have seen our VERY smart squirrels baffled. I am also a nature and animal lover so I only wanted something that would not actually hurt the squirrels. They do get plenty of seeds that drop! The birds love the feeder. I have seen all sizes from chickadees to cardinals. Not sure if blue jays would set off the mechanism. Our morning doves eat the seeds on the ground. It is easy to add seed - just twist open the top and pour! I hung it from a metal hook pole and works great!I have seen 6-7 birds at a time on it.

I really wanted to like this bird feeder. Unfortunately, the product is ruined by an anemic battery that not only ran out of juice after only four days but according to included instructions also requires a whopping fourteen hours (at least) to reach full charge each time. On the positive side, it's super easy to assemble and fill. After charging the battery for just under 20 hours, I was able to get the feeder assembled and set up outdoors within minutes. I hung the feeder on a hooked rod that extends away from my deck by about four feet. Oddly, most squirrels avoided jumping onto the more easily accessible weight sensitive perch and instead climbed up to the top of the feeder to paw and gnaw at the lid of the feeder. Once they reached the top of the feeder, however, they'd lose their nerve, scamper back down the support rod and then leap away from it. After a few days (two of which were recorded on a trail camera) only a couple of squirrels had attempted to grab hold of the perch. Each time they were immediately startled and flung off after triggering the motorized perch. Bottom line: It absolutely functions as intended. But for a product that's nearly $200, it was extremely disappointing to look out and see a squirrel chowing down from a feeder port while dangling from the motionless perch after only a few days. Again, I know from my camera feed that the rotating perch wasn't being repeatedly triggered by squirrels. So I rule that out as a reason the battery depleted within just a few days. Ultimately, I gave the feeder only one star. The motorized perch, I initially thought, justified its high price tag. To realize that that feature only lasts for a short time was very disappointing. To my surprise, there is also no LED on the battery to indicate that it's charging. Nor is there any kind of battery charge status indicator to warn the consumer that the battery is depleted and thus vulnerable to squirrels. In terms of durability, the metal base and top of the bird feeder are tough and should last a long time. IMO, the top should be designed to attach more securely to the main housing. A raccoon could easily dislodge the top and I suspect a determined squirrel could lift it off as well. Unfortunately, I also don’t have much confidence in the strength and durability of the clear plastic chamber that holds the bird seed. I think a thicker plexiglass would make the feeder far less vulnerable to critter damage. So, sadly, I can’t recommend this bird feeder and will be returning it. Again, for the price, imo the battery should last more than a few days, there should be some kind of battery status indicator, the top should fit more securely, and the main plastic tube that holds bird seed should be thicker.

I wish I had bought this sooner. Wasted hundreds of dollars trying other feeder and feeding squirrels instead of the bird I intended. This is great quality and entertaining. We love watching the squirrels trying to get the food and being swung away. Lol