Quick Answer: Stokes Select is worth buying for a budget jumbo tube or hopper feeder, but check at least two retailers before buying the squirrel-proof model — its price swings from $43.59 (Walmart) to over $100 (specialty retailers) for the identical 38002 feeder. Stokes Select is manufactured by Hiatt Manufacturing and has sat inside Classic Brands’ four-brand portfolio since Classic Brands acquired Hiatt in April 2016 — making it a former corporate sibling of More Birds and Droll Yankees, both of which split off to Perky-Pet in October 2022 while Stokes Select stayed put. The Jumbo Seed Tube (3.1-3.2 lb, 6 ports) runs $20-$29 and is the brand’s best-known budget pick.
Stokes Select turns up across this site’s roundups more than almost any brand without its own review — the Jumbo Tube in our tube feeder guide, the Double Suet cage in best suet feeder and chipmunk-proof bird feeder, and passing mentions on blue jay, woodpecker, and dove feeder pages — the same gap this site already closed for Woodlink, Nature’s Way, and Birds Choice. Here’s the full lineup, what it costs, and the corporate-family twist most shoppers never notice.
Stokes Select by the numbers
- Acquired by Classic Brands in April 2016. Denver-based Classic Brands LLC bought Hiatt Manufacturing Corporation (then based in Winona, Minnesota) and folded its Stokes Select line into a four-brand portfolio alongside More Birds, Squirrel-X, and Droll Yankees.
- Split from its own sibling brands in October 2022. More Birds — which had itself acquired Droll Yankees in 2017 — was bought out of Classic Brands by Perky-Pet Products Company in late 2022. Stokes Select wasn’t part of that deal and remains under Classic Brands today, so three brands that once shared one parent company now answer to two.
- The squirrel-proof 38002 model shows a 2x+ retailer spread. The same 1.1 qt, 4-port tube feeder lists for $43.59 at Walmart but $70-$103 at smaller garden and hardware retailers — a gap wide enough that it’s worth price-checking before clicking “buy” on the first listing you find.
- The Belle Fleur hopper line spans four capacities under one name. From a 1.5 qt (~2 lb) entry model up to a 6.3 lb square hopper and a covered version with built-in suet holders (4 lb seed + 2 suet cakes), all under the same Belle Fleur name but priced roughly $24-$36 depending on size.
Stokes Select Jumbo Seed Tube Feeder
- Six ergonomic perches and a metal-reinforced port surround that holds up better than the bare plastic used on cheaper tube feeders.
- Already this site's budget pick in our tube bird feeder roundup — tall capacity means fewer refills for the price.
- Not squirrel-proof; pair it with a baffled bird feeder pole if squirrels are a problem in your yard.
Want a field guide loaded up before the feeder even ships? Try Kindle Unlimited free and start identifying whatever shows up at the new feeder on day one.
What Stokes Select does well
Price-to-capacity ratio on the Jumbo Tube is hard to beat. At $20-$29 for 3.1-3.2 lb of capacity and six ports, it undercuts most name-brand tube feeders on this site while still using metal-reinforced ports instead of bare plastic.
The Belle Fleur hopper line scales to the yard, not just the budget. Four capacity tiers under one name mean a buyer can start with the 1.5 qt entry model and step up to the 6.3 lb version without switching brands.
Double Suet cage is the cheapest functional suet feeder this site has tested. At $9-$11, it’s already the budget pick in two separate roundups — best suet feeder and chipmunk-proof bird feeder — because it does the one job (holding a suet cake) without the premium tail-prop or starling-defense features that drive up price elsewhere.
Where Stokes Select falls short
- The squirrel-proof 38002’s price spread is the widest this site has found on a single SKU. $43.59 to over $100 for the identical feeder means skipping a quick price check can cost double.
- No published lifetime or multi-year warranty, unlike several site favorites. Brome backs the Squirrel Buster line for life and Nature’s Way offers up to 10 years on bamboo — Stokes Select’s retailer listings don’t surface comparable coverage.
- Mesh size on the Double Suet is standard, not chipmunk-rated. Our chipmunk-proof bird feeder testing found its ~1.38-inch grid no tighter than any other standard cage feeder — it’s the budget pick there on price alone, not exclusion.
- Brand identity gets muddled by the Classic Brands family split. Shoppers who know Stokes Select was once a sibling of More Birds and Droll Yankees may assume all three still share support, parts, or warranty policy — they don’t, since 2022.
How it compares to the alternatives
| Feeder | Best for | Mechanism | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stokes Select Jumbo Seed Tube | Best overall / budget | 6-port tube | 3.1-3.2 lb | $20-$29 |
| Stokes Select Belle Fleur Hopper | Best for cardinals/jays | Covered hopper | 1.5 qt-6.3 lb | $24-$36 |
| Stokes Select 38002 | Best squirrel-proof (price-check first) | Caged tube, 4 ports | 1.1 qt | $43.59-$103 |
| Stokes Select Double Suet | Best budget suet | Wire double cage | 2 cakes | $9-$11 |
| Nature's Way Cedar Hopper w/ Suet Cages | Best warranty at this price | Covered hopper | 3 qt + 2 suet | $25.98-$66.99 |
If a basic high-capacity tube is all you need, the Jumbo Tube is the easiest recommendation in the lineup. If cardinals and jays are the target, step up to the Belle Fleur Hopper. For squirrel resistance, the 38002 works, but check Walmart’s $43.59 listing before paying double elsewhere — see our best hopper bird feeder and best bird feeder brands roundups for how it stacks up against the full field.
Who should buy Stokes Select
Buy the Jumbo Tube if you want the cheapest reliable high-capacity feeder on this site — see our tube bird feeder guide for how it ranks against Droll Yankees and Brome. Buy the Belle Fleur Hopper if you’re feeding cardinals or jays that need an open tray rather than narrow tube ports. Buy the Double Suet cage if suet-feeding is a secondary setup and price matters more than tail-prop extras — it’s the budget pick in both our suet feeder and chipmunk-proof coverage.
Skip the 38002 squirrel-proof model if you’re not willing to shop around first — paying a hardware store’s $80-$100 listing for a feeder Walmart sells at $43.59 erases most of the brand’s budget appeal.
The bottom line
Stokes Select earns its recurring spot across this site’s budget picks with a catalog that spans jumbo tubes, hoppers, a squirrel-proof cage, and suet feeders — all manufactured by Hiatt Manufacturing under Classic Brands’ ownership since 2016. The twist most shoppers miss: Stokes Select once shared a parent company with both More Birds and Droll Yankees, but Perky-Pet’s 2022 acquisition of More Birds split that family in two, leaving Stokes Select as the only one of the three still at Classic Brands. For most yards, the Jumbo Tube is the easy budget pick; for squirrel resistance, the 38002 works but only after a quick price check saves you from paying double.