Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF Wild Bird Feeder Review

Droll Yankees Flippper YF Wild Bird Feeder Review

The Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF Wild Bird Feeder is part of a full line of bird feeder products from Droll Yankees. Since 1960, they have been creating some of the best-selling wild bird feeders worldwide. Known for their commitment to quality, the Droll Yankees Droll Yankees Flipper wild bird feeder is one of their flagship feeders. Droll Yankees also has an excellent reputation for customer service within the wild bird enthusiast community. They are well known for replacing parts and feeders at no cost with no fuss when something goes wrong. The Droll Yankees Droll Yankees Flipper is best known for its HUGE seed capacity of 5lbs and its unique squirrel-deterrent which, when activated, spins the perch in circles dispatching any squirrel unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the right time!

Quality

Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF is regarded for its high-quality construction. All of the exposed parts on the feeder are made from heavy metals, most of which are powder coated with a green color. The only exterior part not made of metal is the feeder tube which is made from a rugged polycarbonate plastic much more durable than typical bird feeder tubes. Even the hanger hardware is made from metal. It is clear that quality was a priority with the Droll Yankees Flipper. Many owners of this bird feeder rave about how they have owned theirs for 5+ years and it still works like a charm! The feeder comes with a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage, lifetime warranty on non-electrical components,  and a 1-year warranty on the electrical components which power the squirrel-spinner feature. Even though we would like to see a longer warranty on the electrical components, many owners report of getting many years of enjoyment out of it before any problems arise. There are several examples of problems with parts years after purchase, contacting the company and they send a brand new replacement and in some cases replacing the entire feeder.

Features

The Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF has a great list of features that make it unique in its class:

  • Sling Squirrels Off Your Feeder – The perch is a weight activated ring that spins via an integrated motor and battery.
  • Extra Long Feeder Tube – At more than 21 inches long, the tube is designed so that squirrels cannot hang from above to access the seed.
  • All of the exterior parts are made from powder-coated metal making them chew proof and heavy duty.
  • Large Seed Capacity – Holds 5lbs of mixed seed with 4 separate seed ports.
  • Extra large 5″ x 5″x 21″ size. 28” tall when including the stainless steel hanging wire.

Droll Yankees Flipper YF Features Video

Maintenance

With its sizeable seed capacity, the Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF Wild Bird Feeder should keep you from having to refill it often. Some owners report that there is some seed waste that falls to the ground due to the easy flow design of the tube. This may lead to more frequent refills. Regardless, you should be able to get weeks of enjoyment between refills with most seed types. The feeder is easy to refill by simply popping the top off and pouring in seed.

Cleaning the Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF is relatively simple. The only parts which need cleaning are the tube which houses the seed, the baffle that keeps the seed flowing and the parts. All of which can be cleaned with mild soap and water.

It is important to note that the squirrel spinner feature requires periodic charging where you must remove the bottom portion and charge indoors. Luckily, most owners report having to do this once every 1-2 months. It depends mostly on how often squirrels are attempting to get access to your feeder.  See a video of how charging works here.

Many maintenance issues that have come up are regarding that the seed tends to easily fall to the ground, but this concern was only expressed by a small number of owners. This is most likely offset overall as you aren’t letting squirrels eat which drastically reduces the seed you waste. Any issues regarding performance or parts are handled quickly and helpfully by the Droll Yankees customer service team which is very reassuring given the cost of their feeders.

 

Droll Yankees Flipper YF Side and Bottom View

Installation

The Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF does require some assembly out of the box which is not surprising given its large stature. You can find instruction manuals here.  Once assembled the feeder will go up quickly as it is of the hanging variety. Because of its size, it can be difficult to find a place to hang it so that squirrels are unable to reach it from the ground. Many owners choose high up branches, Shepard’s poles (make sure its heavy duty like this one), or some variation of a post with a hook to ensure it is installed properly.  As long as you get this feeder high enough where squirrels can’t reach it from the ground, you can really place it anywhere you would like. It is designed to ensure that any squirrel that reaches from any other direction is spun right off!

Value

At a retail price of $164.99, it is priced on the higher end of the spectrum for high-end bird feeders. In the case of the Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF Wild Bird Feeder you will be getting what you pay for. The feature set is well above the norm and some may say the squirrel flipper is even fun to watch! Finding the best bird feeder that combines squirrel deterrents with durability, capacity, simplicity is a difficult task. We think the Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF delivers on this and more. With a lifetime warranty (on everything except the electrical components)and all the high-end components that are proven to last years, we believe that though pricey, the Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper YF  is one of the finest squirrel proof bird feeders available today.

Final Thoughts on the Droll Yankees Droll Yankees Flipper

As far as large capacity squirrel proof bird feeders go, it is hard to go wrong with the Droll Yankees Droll Yankees Flipper. Featuring a comical squirrel flipper perch, large 5 lbs seed capacity, powder-coated metal exterior, polycarbonate seed tube, and a best in class lifetime warranty it’s hard not to feel good about it.  The only drawback is that the flipper perch requires charging every month or so but that is a small price to offer some payback to squirrels that have been stealing seed from you for years!

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