Customer Reviews

Droll Yankees YF Flipper Bird Feeder

5 star:		(114)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I have been battling the squirrels with limited success for years. Either the feeders didn't stop the squirrels at all or they were so dang ugly I didn't want them in my yard. The squirrels even ate a few of the "squirrel proof" feeder I tried.

I'm pretty cheap, but the Droll Yankee Co. seems to have a good reputation so I wasn't too reluctant to part with the bucks for this feeder. My first impression was that it is a lot larger than I expected and seemed to be sturdier than most feeders.

I plugged it in and let it charge overnight (it charges like a power screwdriver), filled it with black-oil sunflower and hung it in my favorite bird feeder tree the next morning. My Carolina-chickadees and Cardinals were feeding within thirty minutes, Mr.Squirrel made his first attempt after about an hour. There is really no way I can describe what followed. Let's just say I have some really freaked out squirrels around my house.

I have had the feeder up for over a month, the squirrels have been forced to feed from the spilled seed on the ground and the feeder is still operating from the original charge.

This feeder is is worth every penny and then some. I wish I could give it more than five stars.

This feeder is a lot of fun and it works great until the squirrels figure it out. It's easy for the smaller red squirrels and, eventually a gray squirrel will beat it and it's all over. When a gray squirrel finds a position that allows him to feed while the Flipper spins he can very quickly exhaust the battery, allowing him and other squirrels to feed effortlessly. See for yourself. Do a search on youtube for "Squirrel vs. Droll Yankee Flipper". (Amazon won't allow me to post the actual link).

Well, I've had many "squirrel-proof" bird feeders over the last 5 years - each promising to defeat our furry four-footed friends - and each only moderately successful! When I saw the Yankee Flipper video - I flipped...could it be that I found the last bird feeder I'll ever need to buy? YES - For over the last year - I've been very pleased with this bird feeder. It has not been successfully accessed by the squirrels - despite lots of attempts - and the associated gymnastics! But the birds? They don't have a problem unless two morning doves land on the same side at the same time...then...well that's another story. This is an exceptional product concept - well built and executed.
You do need to charge its internal battery 2X a year - but that's it. In the next generation, I'd probably redesign how the cord is placed in the charger receptical - but that is it. An outstanding product - and on amazon for a great price! I paid almost $100 for it at my local bird store - but even at that price - it is great. I will be buying these to replace my other feeders as they wear out (squirrels manage to eat their way through cages, plastic and even metal on some of the other feeders) - but not the Yankee Flipper. A GREAT product! You will NOT be sorry!

We recently purchased the Yankee Flipper bird feeder and love it. So do the birds!

The feeder came completely set up; there was no assembly to do. Amazon had put the Flipper box into a larger box for shipping. It came in excellent shape.

As advertised, the Nicad batteries were completely discharged. Thus step one is to charge the batteries overnight.

How It Works: The ring that the birds sit on will not deflect with the weight of a bird. Bigger birds do not trip the mechanism; we've even had a red-bellied woodpecker taking sunflower seeds from the feeder. But when excessive weight is on the ring it tilts down, turns on the motor and starts the ring turning. Then the motor deactivates when the weight is off the ring.

There are two screws that you can tighten to prevent the mechanism from tilting (thus turning on). I recommend you use these when the unit is in the charge cycle.

The ports that the birds take seeds from are well designed and the birds can eat to the last seed without any problem.

When looking at the picture of the feeder, I thought it would be better if the feeder had more feeding ports. Now that we have the feeder, I think the ports only on the bottom are better. I let the feeder get pretty well empty before I refill it.

After filling the feeder two or three times I found it useful to turn the feeder over and dump out the dust and foreign particles that are in the seed. We've attached an S hook to the tree with a plastic tie wrap which has made it convenient to lift off the feeder to dump and refill.

Regarding the mechanism: I recommend that for the first few days when the feeder is out, keep the lock down screws turned to prevent rotation. Then the mechanism will not turn on when a squirrel jumps on the feeder. After you see some squirrels on the feeder, loosen the screws and watch the action!

If you like feeding the birds and agitating the squirrels, you will love this feeder.

This is the first feeder I've found that is truly squirrel-proof. It works as promised, provides birds with squirrel-free dining, and people with uninterrupted bird-viewing. Now, if someone will make a feeder that discourages vast hordes of white wing doves, I'll be set. :) A few points about the feeder: The length of time the batteries hold a charge is affected by temperature extremes. In central Texas, where summer temperatures are often triple-digit, I've found the batteries will hold a charge for a week to ten days. The hotter it is outdoors (or, in winter, the colder), the less time between recharges. A recharge requires 24 hours. For those concerned about the feeder's motorized mechanism slinging squirrels at great force, not to worry. The spinning action doesn't actually sling the squirrels off the feeder, it just takes them for a ride they aren't expecting and don't particularly enjoy. They aren't slung off, they jump off. Always. :) According to the feeder's instruction booklet, red squirrels and chipmunks do not weigh enough to activate the motor; for anyone seeking to discourage those particular animals, this feeder will not be effective. This is a beautifully-designed feeder, well worth the expense. If you are like me, and have been wasting money on every new "squirrel-proof" feeder that comes on the market, your search is over. The Yankee Flipper will not disappoint.

Does this bird feeder twirl squirrels? Yes it does. However, its design wastes more bird seed than my prior bird feeders because there is no platform for the seed to fall onto. Therefore it all falls on the ground. I have to fill this feeder once a week. That is a LOT of seed. Most of the seed falls on the ground and gets eaten by.....yes, you guessed it, the squirrels.

Oh, and by the way, I tried the other Droll Yankees bird feeder that has a seed platform, but the squirrels found a way to hang on to the platform and shovel seed onto the ground.

So I am back to seed-on-ground zero.

Don't pay the big bucks to buy this bird feeder. It's really a powered, twirling squirrel feeder.

This feeder worked fabulously for the first month, spinning off squirrels the way a dog spins off water. However, when the heavy snows covered the natural foods that the squirrels were forced to resume eating, they put their squirrelly heads together and came up with an ingenious solution. They've discovered that if they can grab the bird stand with all four feet and hold on while the spinner does it's thing, the feeder wobbles around in an unbalanced arc. This causes seed to spill from the holes until the squirrel loses his grip (which usually happens after about 10 revolutions), providing a feast for those who remain earthbound during Operation Dizzy Dinner. The amount of seed they get on a daily basis is not nearly what they were getting before the arrival of the Flipper, and the entertainment value is worth the small loss. We suspect that the squirrels draw lots every morning to see who gets to ride the Flipper for the benefit of the community.

Whoever said squirrels are dumb hasn't seen this show!

We have a love/hate relationship with the squirrels. My husband admires how smart they are. I hate how they foil every attempt to keep them out of the bird feeders.

Our yard used to be "taken over" by squirrels. Our squirrels bullied the birds, even chased them away. We used to put the more expensive foods out for the birds, but stopped when we realized the birds weren't getting any food at all! We tried every "squirrel proof" feeder on the market, but the furry little thieves ended up getting the food anyway.

Now that we own the Yankee Flipper, the birds eat like kings and the squirrels only get the crumbs. Occassionally they still try to get on the feeder, but a few spins cures them everythime. Now the expensive food gets eaten by the birds, and the squirrels have moved on to more accessible feeders in our neighbors yards.

Now if I could just do something about my husband who feels so sorry for the squirrels that he has started giving them their own stash of food!

This is the only product that I have purchased that I have felt compelled to make a comment on. The Yankee Flipper has brought a wonderful balance to my backyard that I truly had come to believe I would never be able to achieve. Like many other reviewers, I have had a sneaky admiration for the squirrels, but my goal has been to feed and attract birds to my backyard. I would fill the feeder and two days later it would be empty! The birds managed to eat about 10% of the seed, and the squirrels got the rest. I fought back by moving the feeder, mounting it in different areas (trying to move it out of their reach), baffles and anything else I could think of to no avail. Those wily rodents would counter any move I made. They clearly were more ingenious than I. I had more or less been resigned to defeat, when I saw the Yankee Flipper demonstrated on the Victory Garden. I found it here on Amazon and read the reviews. I was encouraged if not optimistic (I had been beaten down for too many years). It was an expensive purchase, but I decided that over time I would save money by having to purchase less bird seed, if it really worked. And it does!!! I only had the pleasure of watching the squirrels go for a spin a few times over the course of two days, they learn fast. They are now content to settle for what small amount of seed falls from the feeder. It is fun to watch them now. I can see them looking at all the birds on the feeder trying to figure out how those birds keep from taking a ride! There are many more birds at the feeder now, without competition - there are enough portals to allow the larger birds to feed while the chickadees and nuthatches flit in and out for their single seeds. I am now enjoying watching all the birds, the chipmunks, and yes, even the squirrels; I have come to peace with them at last! So if you are contemplating buying one of these feeders, don't let the price put you off. Seed - $5, Yankee Flipper - $85, Harmony - priceless!!!

If you want to obtain the best feeder without having to worry about the persistent, industrious squirrel, this is it!! Finally there is a feeder where the SQUIRREL does not have a chance. Our birds are comfortable that they do not have to compete with our pesky squirrels. This is my first written review so it must be a GREAT product.