Squirrel Buster Plus feeder

4.16 out of 5

25

This feeder certainly defeats the squirrels and initially the rooks. The birds worked out that hovering, at which they are not very good, rather than putting their weight on the perch allows them access to the seeds. The only problem with this feeder is taking it apart and cleaning it. Too many nooks and crannies where seeds get jammed, damp and then stuck in a mess. Even when disassembled it’s awkward to get at the places where seeds accumulate. So needs regular attention or you end up with seeds germinating in the feed holes. It’s very expensive but I would buy again because it really does stop the squirrels.

I have had three of these feeders over the years and actually have bought two in the USA for my sister-in-law because they work so well. She loves them too. My only complaint is that they are a bit tricky to re-assemble. (The directions should be kept at hand for this reason.) In all the years, I have never seen a squirrel succeed in getting on mine. I make sure to hang it three feet from the trunk of the tree. It takes a little longer for birds to take to it, but they do. I sprinkle a little feed on the ground below to begin with and that seems to help. I highly reccommend them.

I've had this feeder for probably 5+ years now. It's very well made. Despite enduring being pulled about by foxes on more than one occasion, it's still going strong. Taking it apart for cleaning is easy and so is re-assembling it. Although it looks complicated to reassemble, it really isn't as long as you apply some basic practical logic as to what goes where. All the parts fit together with no play or wobble: it really is well-made. Bearing in mind that it has been out in, literally, all weathers it has given fantastic service. It's not cheap but nothing well made is. I recommend it.

This is my second one of these. I have had it about 2 years. The first one fell apart in my ex's hands when he was trying to put it back together after a clean- the metal was all rusty and just broke.
We found that pigeons could still flap on one metal perch and get their beaks into the adjacent feeding hole - completely defeating the feeder. We solved this by putting reinforced tape behind each alternate feeding hole, and removed the 3 related perches at the same time, leaving only 3 feeding holes and 3 related perches screwed in to the max. Still one pigeon we called ""Einstein"" would just fly up, land one claw on one perch so that the feeder would wobble enough before the tray lifted up and that was enough to spill out some seeds.
My ex bought me this one and, after 2 years the mechanism appears to have failed completely - there appears to be no resistance no matter what setting I put the weight mechanism on, when I press down - or even if a blue tit sits on the perch, the tray shoots up spraying seed everywhere. This could be from Einstein's continued attempts but now, in a matter of days, half the contents of the feeder is on the ground and not a pigeon in sight meaning that the seed is coming out without any significant weight on the perches. I have given up on these now. I am very very disappointed to have spent more than £100 on these feeders. God knows how to send it back to Canada for a replacement, the 10 year guarantee is worthless. I am fed up with these now.

RSPB response: Thank you for your review, we are very sorry that this product has not lived up to expectations. They are built to last hence the 10 year guarantee and therefore yours should not have broke in that time. Please do contact our customer service department who will be able to help you, you do not need to send it back to Canada. We're not sure what we can advise regarding Einstein he sounds like a very determined and clever pigeon.

is a bit tricky to clean I agree but otherwise it is a great product and very popular with birds and does seem to keep the larger birds out. wide variety of birds feed from it in and in very cold weather they will empty it within a week but easy to fill. Once you get used to taking it apart for cleaning it's fine. Is expensive but I've had it a few years now and still works well.

I found this feeder to be effective at keeping squirrels out. Be sure to keep the assembly instructions because you will (most likely) need them each time you take it apart and re-assemble it. It is a bit fiddly to clean, but doesn't need cleaning as often as the smaller other designs. I could never get the perch ring to stay in place, so didn't persist in using it.

Eventually, one of the inner parts broke that is meant to hold the perches in place and from then on I couldn't get them to stay in place. The jackdaws who managed to eat from this one dislodged the perches repeatedly.

I have a garden that doesn't have squirrel problem, however I do have a problem with feral birds of the pigeon type, that is now a problem no more thanks to this brilliant piece of feeding equipment.
For me it wasn't the cost of the item as we'd lost so much in seed, I just wanted to stop them spreading the seed all over the garden, which is what they do when they try to hang on to an ordinary feeder. The flapping of pigeon wings when they try to feed and hang on, plus the fact that they scare off all the smaller birds as they do this is annoying to say the least, now it is no more.
I also bought the smaller feeder as well, so this is a 2 in 1 review as they both do the job that I wanted them to do, this is why I give them both 5 stars (and it's also good to know I'm not a robot).

I have had this feeder for several years and it works just fine. The squirrels have given up. I understand and recognise some of the problems mentioned by other users, but there are ways to get around them with a little modification. The main problem I noticed was the food getting mouldy especially in the winter or in wet weather. Two changes will almost certainly rid you of this problem. A clear plastic cover which extends a few inches over the existing cover just above the seed holes stops rain from being blown into the seed in windy conditions. The addition of a plastic pipe cut to the size of the central column and slipped over the central spine to prevent dampness from collecting within the seed area during very cold weather by providing additional air flow. It works even when the feeder is covered in snow.

I have had this feeder for a number of weeks now and have found it excellent at deterring the squirrels who unfortunately deconstructed all other ones I have tried. The feeder is very solid and of good quality and easy to use and maintain. I would definitely recommend this one.

I have used this feeder for about a year and absolutely love it. I have spent hours, over time watching it defeat even the most ingenious of squirrels, sometimes three at a time, but it has stood up to the onslaught!
Yes it is a chore to clean, but the instructions are clear and you just have to make the effort occasionally. Very well worth the outlay.
Niggles....well not anyone's fault except the birds, Sometimes larger birds try their damndest and work the perch loose and in the morning I have to find it and screw it back. I have this week, 'lost' a perch which I suspect may have been attractive on the ground to a magpie!!!! I am now going to see if I can buy replacement perches. Would certainly replace when necessary.

I don't rate this, particularly for the huge investment. I noticed mine looking lopsided and on investigation noticed that one of the lugs that the base screws into had cracked allowing the base to tip to one side.
Another niggle is that it is really difficult to clean. You have the take the thing to pieces virtually - and that's not easy.
The seed seems to clog up and goes mouldy .. and then the whole things is impenetrable to the birds.
Only bought mine before Xmas ,,, but sadly I haven't kept my receipt so don't suppose I can get my money back!

Best feeder by far, and well worth the price. Only watch out is to ensure it is hung at least 2 feet from its adjoining post. One ingenious squirrel managed to anchor his back feet on the post, launch his front half across the divide, simultaneously jamming one front foot into the feeding hole ( the other on the feeding ring ) before the spring mechanism had time to close. Smarter than most humans I know.

My Squirrel Buster Plus (vintage 2009) has worked well, although, to limit squirrels shaking it and jumping on and off the cardinal ring, I have placed a transparent semi-circular dome above the whole apparatus. Works pretty well .... but once a pair of jackdaws saw that, if one of them bounced onto the ring, you could shake enough seeds onto the ground to give a few mouthfuls for both before repeating the process. You can't help admiring them. Perhaps I was wrong to fit the cardinal ring, but I think most small birds used it. Has anyone found success without fitting the cardinal ring, leaving just the spokes or perches?

I've had to enter a second review because I was at fault for the problems I faced prior to my first review.

When the plastic ring disappeared the company sent me a new one immediately. I then read the instructions, properly this time, and discovered I'd omitted to tighten the butterfly nut underneath the feeder, which properly attaches the perching ring and prevents it falling off.

I've had no problems since. Apologies for poor review. Expensive investment but all good so far. I give the feeder a little shake every evening to loosen the food and prevent moisture gathering before the birds feed again.

£50 is a serious investment and you only make it if you think you've cracked it for the little critters.
On the second day a squirrel was hanging upside down on the feeder.
Now the plastic ring which didn't ever attach securely has, after several times picking it off the floor, completely disappeared.

RSPB response - Thanks for your review. Please contact our customer services team if you'd like to arrange a replacement or refund.

This is an excellent piece of design, certainly the best bird feeder that I have found so far, and I have tried many different types. I dislike the caged type of feeder, and my other bird feeders have been overtaken with parakeets who eat me out of house and home. This "Squirrel Buster" feeder is brilliant in that it can be adjusted so that only the lightest of birds can feed, while anything heavier than a couple of starlings will close off the feeding ports. An unexpected benefit I have found is that the sparrows are much less 'messy' than with other feeders. Previously sparrows (in my garden) tended to throw as much food as they eat onto the grass, attracting flocks of pigeons. With this feeder they feeding ports are slightly deeper than normal, they have to reach in further to eat and less food gets thrown out. Birds were feeding within half a day of setting it up. The owner's guide is clear, and disassembly/assembly for cleaning is easy, I have had no trouble with rain leakage into the feeding tube. It is expensive, but a brilliant design,and certainly worth the money.

Have tried many feeders over the years, this is the only one that has confounded all our squirrels. I regularly watch squirrels having breakfast in my other squirrel proof feeders, however this one has them flummoxed. Last week they seemed to gang together to try and make an assault, but to no avail!! Birds love it. Pricey, but worth it in the long run. True to old addage, you get what you pay for.

My only concern were squirrels trying to eat way through the top so I put two layers of chicken wire around the dome and they have stopped trying.
The birds love it!

Seems like a lot of money but I think of it as an investment. Had it over the winter. Seems sturdy and have had no problems at all. It's certainly popular with the birds. Squirrels are a pest here and none have tried their luck.
I'm really pleased with this purchase and I'm hoping it will do its job for many years to come.

I purchased this last winter to go alongside the classic version which has been very successful. I was disappointed that the birds stopped going to it after only a few days, seemingly preferring the other feeders in the garden. It was not until I emptied the seed out that I discovered the bulk of the seed around the centre post had become mouldy. There is a spring loaded rubber bung inside the lid that was not stopping rain water from entering. The classic version has a simple rubber grommet on the outside that works well. I now use electricians tape around the post where it enters the lid, which has cured the problem. Happily the birds are back, which is nice, as they congregate around the circular perch.

I added 3oz of chain to the bottom because we get paraqueets and squirrels, paraqueets weigh about 1.7oz and our small birds weigh about 0.7 oz. Its brilliant, 4 small birds can feed and its funny to watch the paraqueets trying to work out what they can't get the sunflower hearts but the small birds can. Saving me about 2kg per day, its has paid for itself.

We have had one of these feeders for about two years. We think it is great. It was wonderful to see the squirrels keep trying unsuccessfully to get the seed. Most pleasing as they used to cost us a fortune in seed!

We had a lot of problems with pigeons and doves using our feeder and eating us out of house and home and this has solved the problem. It is robust when hanging and the birds are on it all the time. I find cleaning much less fiddly than those with nuts and bolts which drove me mad, but agree that you have to clean carefully and need a long but relatively soft brush. No problems with damp, but I find the lid difficult to screw back on sometimes after filling. Also, it is very heavy and keeps making our pole lean! We don't fill it right up.

this feeder is excellent, keeps seed fresh and does what it says. Highly recommended.

I've had one of these for a few years and have just bought a second one for my parents. They are very effective at keeping squirrels and large birds away from bird food but I have problems with the seed becoming damp, and consequently mouldy, when it rains heavily. My parents don't have this difficulty as they can hang their feeders under eaves for protection and they are delighted with the large capacity which means food doesn't run out when they go on holiday. I don't find re-assembly after cleaning difficult if the instructions are followed carefully but the cleaning process itself takes a while since I don't fancy putting the components in my dishwasher!