Droll Yankees YCPD90 Dipper Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder

We have had two of these feeders for over a decade and they helped up fantastic, even being outside all winter in Maine, until a bear attacked them last fall. The bear tore his claws into the feeding cylinder. We purchased two new ones this year and have them higher and on a very thick piece of rebar. I love that it holds 5 pounds of see so we only need to refill once or twice a week. It does keep the heavier birds away but the woodpeckers have figured out a way to hang on and get the seed. The heavier birds eat from the ground below what gets dropped by the smaller birds. These are quality feeders.

This feeder is truly red squirrel-proof! Most squirrel-proof feeders can keep the grey squirrels from the bird seed, but the red squirrels are the true enemy. This is the first feeder I have owned that can keep the red squirrels away from the seed. I have had it since mid-June, it's now mid-August. The red squirrels try very hard to hang onto the feeder and/or the perches, but they can't do it. They even tried to chew through the top lid but all they did was scratch the coating. On top of this, the birds love it. Grosbeaks, cardinals, finches (gold and purple), titmice, etc, etc, love to sit and eat from it. I would recommend this feeder to anyone with red squirrel problems. It eventually pays for itself because it saves about 50% or more of the birdseed (that used to be consumed by red squirrels).UPDATE: As of 12/3/2008 this feeder is still going strong. The red (and gray) squirrels cannot position themselves to get any seed nor can they chew through the feeder. After 30 years of birding, this is the best squirrel-proof feeder I have ever tried. It has already paid for itself in saved bird seed.UPDATE: It's now January 2011 and this feeder is still doing the job. One of the perches broke off last summer but the birds still cling to the seed hole with no problem. The red squirrels still have a hard time with it. The most they can do is jump on and off it to try to spill a few seeds on the ground.UPDATE: It's May 2013 and the red squirrels have managed to break off all four spring perches. It would be nice if replacement spring perches were offered online through Amazon. We have removed the feeder until we can find replacement perches.

I’ve used Droll Yankee feeders for over 20 years and the squirrel proof feeders are my favorite. The materials used are top of the line so you can count on many years of use.I have a few different styles in use depending on the birds that come to feed as some like to face the feeding ports while others like to feed from the side.I prefer the slink loaded styles as batteries are not required and since they cannot support the weight of a squirrel or large bird such as crows the feeders are in constant use by all the birds I want to attract.Easy to disassemble for occasional cleaning, easy to fill (holds 5 pounds of food), simple replaceable parts, you can sit back and enjoy the daily bird antics for years to come. Definitely worth the investment!

The media could not be loaded.  This is the third droll yankee feeder I’ve had and it just didn’t hold up as well as the others. They’re usually squirrel proof when new and the plastic is slippery but after a while they get scratched and worn and the squirrels can hang on better. It’s still amusing to watch them eat while doing ab crunches! Still plenty left for the birds. I was surprised to see one of the perches recently broke. Never had that happen before and this is only a year and a half old. I ordered my fourth one and got the blue one called the Whipper. I’ve had one of them before and it lasted a lot longer. The Droll Yankee feeders are very durable and made in the USA. I’m sticking with them and definitely recommend.

I bought this feeder in 2008 to replace a  Heritage Farms Bird's Choice Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder  I had owned for ten years. The wind would blow it down and that combined with squirrel attacks eventually broke it. Nothing is 100% squirrel proof and the Droll Yankees YCPD90 Dipper Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder is no exception. Occasionally I will get one squirrel that will figure out how to wedge its feet into the feeder holes, hang upside down and eat. They don't get much food, have to try for days to get to that position and a passing person, animal, or even bird, usually distracts them and makes them fall. I live in a high wind area and the shape of this feeder prevents it from blowing off the hook except for under exceptional circumstances. When it has blown off it has not broken. This a a high quality durable feeder as evidenced by the lifetime warranty. Squirrels have tried but not been able to claw the metal top of the feeder off. The only thing they have done is to remove the some red paint.This feeder is expensive, apparently my neighbors noticed $$ as one day it was missing. I replaced it with a  Brome 1055 Squirrel Buster Mini  as it is cheaper and therefore less likely to go missing. If I was to invest in another Droll Yankee feeder again I think I would go for a  Droll Yankees YCPT360 Yankee Tipper Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder  as they are more likely to attract Cardinals because of the tray. The tray also reduces the seed that falls on the ground. In my opinion  Droll Yankees YF Flipper Bird Feeder  is not a long term squirrel proof feeder because you have to replace the batteries.