Brome 1024 Squirrel Buster Plus Wild Bird Feeder with Cardinal Perch Ring

I have this tube feeder among others in my yard. It is not pole mounted- I suspect that if it was, squirrels would find this much easier to forage.At first, the squirrels were eager to show off their intelligence and critical thinking skills on this newcomer. But they flat-out cannot get on this feeder and access the food. In fact, they have given up 100% trying. The roof is too far from the feeder ports for them to stretch and defeat the weight limit. And there is no time to steal a seed when they try to jump on the feeder ring. Everything else is too slick and they can't get a grip. I would be quite perturbed if I was a squirrel.As for the feeder operation for the birds- all good here. Cardinals, chickadees, and all sorts of bird friends use this thing all the time. The cast off seeds that birds always toss is all the squirrels will get from this.Now, I realize nothing is squirrel proof. I've read the reviews of how their squirrels managed to defeat this, and I am sure they are genuine. But in my case, they find easier avenues to pursue. Or, stare at it for minutes at a time, flitting their tales in anger and disgust, before going away.

We've had this birdfeeder for decades. I'm here to buy one for my daughter. We live on a wooded ravine with lots of wildlife, including squirrels for thirty years. We have tried and replaced many feeders until we bought this one about 20 years ago. This feeder deters all but the smallest of squirrels. The weight of the squirrel closes off the feeding ports. We have seen baby squirrels feed successfully, but all others are frustrated. We also have raccoons, which can do a lot of damage to feeders. Squirrel buster feeders have held up to their abuse. Customer service is wonderful. When we have had a problem (the cardinal ring or the pegs that hold it in place coming up missing) the company has sent us replacement parts at no charge, even when I am willing to pay for them. This feeder is a wonderful investment. The price may be high, but it has saved us money because we are not paying to feed the squirrels and it has not had to be continually replaced.

First of all, this feeder does not come with a hook, so if you plan to hang it in a tree, like I did, you'll need to order a metal extension hook unless you plan to mess with rope. I really like the hook I bought: Panacea 89017 Tree Branch Hook, Black, 36-Inch. The hook is almost the same length as the feeder, so they ship together nicely in the same Amazon box if you order them together. Within 48 hours of installing the feeder, I caught my 3 resident squirrels sliding down the hook from the tree onto the feeder and attempting to chew the seed holes on the feeder to access the seed. However, it was pure entertainment for me because 90% of the time the squirrels cannot maintain their balance on the tiny feeder roof and simply slip off 4' to the cushioned ground below (below pine tree, so lots of soft dry needles). In snow, they simply cannot hang on and slip right off. For a week the squirrels attempted to jump at the feeder or climb down the hook, and they finally seem to have given up and now simply feed off the fallen seed on the ground. I am delighted that so many bird species are using the feeding in the first 2 weeks: cardinals, house finches, mourning doves (feed on seed on ground), woodpecker, titmouse, nut hatch, chickadee, etc. Recently, it poured and hailed/sleeted at all angles, so I decided to buy a large, clear plastic baffle to provide added coverage from the weather: Aspects 182 Super Dome. It was a steep $40 (other reviews suggested a $8-10 one sold at most feed supply stores), but I wish I had bought it from day 1 because it would have kept the squirrels off the feeder completely. I like that it is clear and reviews said it lasts over time (it is also made in the USA). I did examine the feeder after 3 weeks of use now and the squirrels managed to scratch and chew the feeder in certain spots, which can be completely eliminated by buying the aforementioned baffle. The squirrels now have no way to surpass the baffle. You could obviously probably buy any feeder and use the baffle to prevent squirrel access...We have a lot of cardinals in our area, so I attached the cardinal ring from day 1 and extended all of the metal perches directly into the ring by twisting them at even intervals so that they full screw into every hole of the 'ring'. Another review mentioned birds getting stuck if you don't extend the perches fully into the ring. I find that the cardinals love the feeder, but they also like to just feed off the fallen seed 50% of the time, as they appear to prefer ground feeding for ease of watching for predators...The ring just gives the feeder a 360 degree perch, so most of the birds hop around the ring and explore the seed in each door. If they see me at the window and are shy, they also hop to a door of the feeder where they are more hidden.As for seed, I bought (on Amazon) the Kaytee Cardinal Blend, 7-Pound Bag and Kaytee Waste Free Nut and Fruit Blend, 5.5-Pound Bag. I created a large paper funnel with poster board I have, and scooped in 1 cup of one bag and 1 cup of the other bag to have even intervals of different seed. Even the chickadees and smaller birds love the larger nuts and seeds (I don't use any millet). They fly to the feeder and quickly grab 1 sunflower seed, then fly to a nearby pine street branch and peck away at it to break it open. Kaytee seemed to be one of the only seed brands that didn't have complaints from consumers about twigs and other waste. I do find it to be 100% seed. I also occasionally mix in some of my organic breakfast cereal, such as granola with chia seeds, which they love as something different.My final thought is that given how quickly the squirrels tried to get to the feeder and seed, I can't imagine using any other feeder. The seed would surely be dumped in 1-2 days unless it were hung in a location where squirrels have no access. You really must buy this feeder if you plan to use the feeder in an area where you have squirrels. Other reviews stated that raccoons and deer can feed easily, so if you live in those areas, you might consider hanging it higher...If you're on a budget and can't afford this feeder, at least buy the baffle I recommend, which seems to be curved enough to prevent any squirrel from reaching any feeder you use below it.All in all, I spent almost $200 on the feeder, hook, clear baffle/dome, and quality nut/fruit/sunflower seed, but it was like a Disney movie today with over 15 birds and squirrels in my yard at the same time happily feeding at the feeder and on the ground.Other fun accessories to build your backyard avian habitat (see my other reviews):-->ceramic pedestal bird bath-->wood blue bird houseUPDATE: Have had the feeder for about 3 months and have many regular birds (many mated pairs) that come daily at regular intervals:1 cardinal pair1 chickadee pair1 titmouse pair1 gold finch pair3-4 mourning dove pairs (that feed below it and then sun themselves nearby)1 territorial catbird pair (they chase away all other small birds when feeding)6 regular house sparrows and their chicks2-4 song sparrows2-4 red-headed house finches that travel together1 agile-flying nuthatcher (swoops in, grabs a nut, flies off)1-2 grackles with a voracious appetite4 different woodpecker species (Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker)1 occasional ground-feeding cowbird pair (male with brown head)1 shy house wren pair (they mostly look for insects in the vicinity, and only occasionally use the feeder)1 inquisitive blue jay (doesn't feed from feeder, but watches it, and feeds off ground nearby)3-5 squirrels that feed on the groundThey all recognize me when I glance out the window and throw them fruit and large nut pieces...Also, the catbirds and grackles are VERY smart. They realized that if they both use the perch, the seed hatches are closed, so they only feed 1 at a time and get impatient while 1 feeds and the other waits nearby! I have so many birds frequenting the feeder that the feed level drops 1-2 inches per day. I did adjust the tension level of the perch to have it close with less weight, but it was sad to see the birds fighting so much because when 3 sparrows or finches landed, the doors closed and they got aggressive. I also saw the heavier woodpecker really stressing over trying to pry a nut out with the doors 95% closed...I decided to just recalibrate it and allow full access for all birds...it just means some will gorge and I'll go through more seed....I find that some species tend to wildly peck at the seed to get to their favorite morsels, so the happy mourning doves wait below for the shower of seed that falls...WASHING TIP: I have a brand new dishwasher and it did not wash this well because the main clear tube is really long and hard for water to penetrate all the parts. I recently washed it using the basement sink and spray hose with hot water that allowed me to really spray the areas that needed the most cleaning.

I bought this feeder in May of 2020. It was more expensive than most of the others but it came with a "lifetime guarantee." Here I am writing this review in July of 2023, 3 years and 2 months after my initial purchase. The feeder has worked flawlessly. However, recently I noticed the bird feed was starting to jam in the area between the bird feed storage tube and the feeding ports. Upon closer examination, I notice the clear feeder storage tube was cracked at the base where it attaches to the green base. That crack was allowing water to get into the area where the feed drops down into the feeding ports. I called the 800 number (it is printed on the storage clear tube) and explained the situation to the person that answered the phone. Without any hassle or hesitation, they are sending me a free clear replacement storage tube and base (those are one unit). What is more impressive, a real person answered the phone AND she had an outstanding working knowledge of the feeder nomenclature. I can't say enough good things about the quality of this feeder AND my warranty experience. PRO TIP: Get the Weather Guard for this feeder, it significantly reduces the rain/snow that gets into the feeding ports. That moisture eventually causes the bird seed to stick together causing the gravity feeding to jam. To clean that, you have to take it apart to clean the inside.

This is my third one. This one was purchased to replace the one the deer broke it was very first one I ever purchased years ago. BEST feeder does exactly as it claims, the squirrels try and try but never can get to the feed. The birds have easy access and it hold a good amount of feed, so I don't have to fill it every day. For the money it's worth it. The feeder last for years or until you have a big buck with a full rack decide to mess with it. But all he managed to do is crack the clear tube.