Quick Answer: Droll Yankees has built feeders in the USA since 1969, and its flagship Yankee Flipper stands apart from every other squirrel-proof feeder on this site by using a motorized, weight-activated perch that physically spins squirrels off rather than caging or spring-locking them out. It holds 5 lb of seed, ships with a rechargeable battery and charger, and typically costs $179.99–$199.99 — noticeably more than the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus ($129.25) or Roamwild PestOff 2.0 ($52). The brand also sells simpler, cheaper non-motorized lines like the Big Top ($65–$75) and A-6 Ring Pull (~$70–$85) tube feeder. Buy the Flipper if you want a fundamentally different squirrel-deterrent mechanism; buy the cheaper lines if you just want a reliable classic tube feeder.
Droll Yankees comes up constantly in this site’s other roundups — as a comparison point in Squirrel Buster coverage, as a pick in hanging feeder and finch feeder guides, and as one of nine brands ranked in our best bird feeder brands roundup — but it’s never had its own dedicated review. Here’s what the brand actually sells and whether its signature product justifies the price.
Droll Yankees by the numbers
- 56 years making feeders in the USA. Droll Yankees has manufactured feeders domestically since 1969, according to the company, and backs feeder bodies with a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage — the same length of coverage as Brome, but on a company with decades longer track record.
- 5 lb capacity, 17-inch tube on the Yankee Flipper. The Flipper’s UV-stabilized polycarbonate tube holds up to 5 lb of seed, more than the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus’s 5.1 lb-adjacent capacity and well ahead of Roamwild’s 4 lb.
- $179.99–$199.99 typical street price. That’s roughly 1.5x the Squirrel Buster Plus and nearly 4x the Roamwild PestOff 2.0 — the premium buys a genuinely different (motorized) mechanism, not just a brand name.
- Rechargeable battery included, not sold separately. The Flipper ships with nickel-cadmium batteries and a charger, according to the manufacturer, which is a maintenance step none of this site’s other squirrel-proof picks require.
Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper Motorized Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder
- Motor-driven, weight-activated perch ring spins under a squirrel's weight to fling it off the feeder.
- 5 lb seed capacity in a 17-inch UV-stabilized polycarbonate tube.
- Ships with rechargeable ni-cad batteries and a charger; lifetime warranty on the feeder body against squirrel damage.
Waiting on the Flipper to arrive so you can watch which squirrel tries it first? Try Kindle Unlimited free and pull up a field guide while you wait.
What Droll Yankees does well
The Yankee Flipper solves squirrels that have already beaten spring-loaded feeders. Some squirrels learn to ride out a spring-loaded shroud closing, or figure out the weight threshold on a Brome or Roamwild feeder. A motor that actively spins the perch is a different failure mode entirely — there’s no static position to learn.
Decades of manufacturing history back the lifetime warranty. A lifetime warranty means more from a company that’s been building the same category of product domestically since 1969 than from a newer entrant, simply because there’s a longer track record of the company honoring it.
The non-motorized lines are simple and easy to clean. The A-6 Ring Pull’s tool-free disassembly and the Big Top’s adjustable dome are aimed at buyers who don’t need (or want to pay for) squirrel-defeating electronics — just a well-built classic tube or hopper feeder.
Made in the USA. For buyers who prioritize domestic manufacturing, Droll Yankees is one of the few feeder brands on this site’s coverage that builds its products in-country rather than importing.
Where Droll Yankees falls short
- The Yankee Flipper is expensive. At $179.99–$199.99, it costs 1.5–4x what comparable squirrel-proof feeders from Brome or Roamwild run, for a mechanism most yards don’t strictly need.
- Batteries mean maintenance the competition doesn’t have. A rechargeable battery has to be recharged or eventually replaced — a spring-loaded shroud or independently-sprung ports have no power source to manage.
- No smart-camera tier. Unlike Bird Buddy or Birdfy, Droll Yankees doesn’t offer an AI species-ID camera option anywhere in its lineup, so buyers who want both squirrel-proofing and photo capture need a separate feeder.
- The non-motorized lines aren’t squirrel-proof at all. The Big Top and A-6 are built for durability and easy cleaning, not pest resistance — buyers need to specifically choose the Flipper (or add a separate baffle) if squirrels are the problem.
How it compares to the alternatives
| Feeder | Best for | Mechanism | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Droll Yankees Yankee Flipper | Best motorized mechanism | Motorized weight-activated spinning perch | 5 lb | $179.99–$199.99 |
| Brome Squirrel Buster Plus | Best overall squirrel-proofing | Single weight-activated shroud | 5.1 lb | $129.25 |
| Roamwild PestOff 2.0 | Best budget pest-proof | Independent spring-loaded ports | 4 lb | $49.99–$52 |
| Droll Yankees Big Top | Best adjustable dome (non-motorized) | None (adjustable dome cage) | 3 lb | ~$65–$75 |
If you specifically want a different squirrel-deterrent mechanism than the shrouds and springs everything else on this list uses, the Yankee Flipper is the pick. If price and simplicity matter more, the Squirrel Buster Plus or PestOff 2.0 both deliver proven squirrel-proofing for less — see our squirrel-proof bird feeder guide and best bird feeder brands roundup for the full field ranked side by side.
Who should buy Droll Yankees
Buy the Yankee Flipper if squirrels have already defeated a spring-loaded or shroud-based feeder in your yard, or if you specifically want a mechanism with no static “learnable” position. Buy the Big Top or A-6 if you want a simple, well-built, made-in-USA feeder and don’t need squirrel-proofing, or already handle squirrels with a separate pole and baffle.
Skip the Flipper if battery maintenance is a dealbreaker or budget matters more than mechanism — the Squirrel Buster Plus and PestOff 2.0 both cost meaningfully less for comparable squirrel-proofing.
The bottom line
Droll Yankees earns its long-running reputation with the Yankee Flipper: a genuinely different squirrel-proofing mechanism backed by a company that’s built feeders in the USA since 1969, at a premium price that reflects its motor and electronics rather than brand markup alone. Its simpler Big Top and A-6 lines round out the catalog for buyers who just want a durable, easy-to-clean classic feeder without the squirrel-fighting hardware. For most yards, cheaper mechanical options like the Squirrel Buster Plus or PestOff 2.0 do the job — but for squirrels that have beaten those, the Flipper is the next thing to try.