Quick Answer: Woodlink is worth buying if you want a squirrel-resistant hopper with real capacity for less refilling — the flagship Absolute II holds 12 lb of seed (roughly double the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus’s 5.1 lb) for $120–$190, using counterweighted perches instead of a spring-loaded shroud. Woodlink is also the exclusive licensed manufacturer for Audubon-branded feeders, so its designs frequently show up under both names. The tradeoff is warranty length: Woodlink backs its line with just a 30-day money-back guarantee, versus Brome’s lifetime coverage or Droll Yankees’ warranty against squirrel damage.
Woodlink shows up constantly in this site’s other roundups — the Absolute II, Going Green Large Premier, and Coppertop hoppers have all made appearances across our hopper feeder, gazebo feeder, and best bird feeder brands coverage — but the brand has never had its own dedicated review. Here’s what Woodlink actually sells, what it costs, and how it stacks up against Brome and Roamwild.
Woodlink by the numbers
- Founded 1988, exclusive Audubon licensee. Woodlink has manufactured feeders and birdhouses for nearly four decades, according to the company, and is the exclusive licensed manufacturer for National Audubon Society-branded feeders — a big reason the same hopper design turns up under both the Woodlink and Audubon names at different retailers.
- 12 lb capacity on the full-size Absolute II. Model 7536 holds 12 lb of seed, per the manufacturer’s own listing — more than double the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus’s 5.1 lb, meaning far fewer refills for a busy backyard.
- 90%+ post-consumer recycled plastic in the Going Green line. Launched in 2008, Woodlink says an average Going Green feeder uses material equivalent to up to 30 recycled milk jugs.
- 30-day money-back guarantee, not a multi-year warranty. Unlike Brome’s lifetime coverage or Droll Yankees’ warranty against squirrel damage, Woodlink’s return policy is a standard 30-day window — the brand competes on price and capacity rather than warranty length.
Woodlink Absolute II Squirrel-Resistant Hopper (Model 7536)
- Counterweighted metal perches, adjustable to light/medium/heavy tension, drop a shield over the seed tray under a squirrel's weight.
- 12 lb double-sided steel hopper with a seed-level window and zinc-plated hanger.
- Feeds mixed seed, sunflower, peanut halves, or safflower.
Waiting on the Absolute II to arrive so you can watch which squirrel gets outsmarted first? Try Kindle Unlimited free and pull up a regional field guide while you wait.
What Woodlink does well
Capacity per dollar is hard to beat. At roughly $120–$190 for 12 lb of seed, the Absolute II costs about the same or less than the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus while holding more than double the seed — for a busy yard, that’s meaningfully fewer refill trips over a season.
The Audubon licensing means design continuity. Because Woodlink is the exclusive manufacturer behind Audubon-branded feeders, buyers get the same engineering whether the box says “Woodlink” or “Audubon” — useful to know before assuming two differently labeled feeders at two different stores are different products.
The Going Green line is a genuine sustainability pick. 90%+ post-consumer recycled plastic isn’t a marketing footnote — it’s the actual build material, and the line has been in continuous production since 2008.
The catalog covers every material and price point. Steel (Absolute II), recycled plastic (Going Green), and cedar-with-copper (Coppertop) mean Woodlink can outfit a whole yard — hopper, platform, and premium display piece — without switching brands.
Where Woodlink falls short
- Short warranty relative to premium competitors. A 30-day money-back guarantee is standard retail policy, not the multi-year or lifetime coverage Brome and Droll Yankees advertise on their flagship squirrel-proof models.
- The Mini and full-size Absolute II are easy to mix up. The Mini Absolute II holds roughly a quarter of the full model’s capacity at a similar-looking lower price (~$45–$50) — always check the model number (7536 for full-size) before buying.
- No camera or smart-feeder tier. Woodlink’s catalog is entirely mechanical — buyers who want AI bird ID need a separate feeder like the ones in our bird feeder camera guide.
- Price spread between retailers is wide. The Absolute II alone runs from about $120 at some farm-supply stores to nearly $190 at others for the identical model — it pays to compare before buying.
How it compares to the alternatives
| Feeder | Best for | Mechanism | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodlink Absolute II | Best capacity per dollar | Counterweighted perch bar | 12 lb | $120–$190 |
| Woodlink Going Green Large Premier | Best eco-friendly hopper | None (open hopper) | ~5.5 lb | $77–$86 |
| Woodlink 3-in-1 Platform | Best budget / versatile mount | None (open platform) | 3 lb | $33–$56 |
| Woodlink Coppertop Deluxe Seed & Suet | Best premium cedar display | None (open hopper + suet) | 4 qt + 2 suet cakes | $163–$170 |
| Brome Squirrel Buster Plus | Best warranty (lifetime) | Single weight-activated shroud | 5.1 lb | $129.25 |
If capacity and price matter most and you’re comfortable with a shorter warranty, the Absolute II is the pick. If you want the longest warranty coverage on a squirrel-proof feeder, the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus still leads — see our Squirrel Buster review and best bird feeder brands roundup for the full field ranked side by side.
Who should buy Woodlink
Buy the Absolute II if squirrels are a problem and you’d rather refill less often than pay for a lifetime warranty. Buy the Going Green Large Premier if sustainability matters and you want a large-capacity open hopper without spending Coppertop money. Buy the 3-in-1 Platform if you want a cheap, flexible starter feeder you can hang, pole-mount, or set on the ground.
Skip Woodlink if a long warranty is a dealbreaker — Brome’s lifetime coverage and Droll Yankees’ squirrel-damage warranty both beat Woodlink’s 30-day guarantee on paper, even where Woodlink’s hardware performs comparably.
The bottom line
Woodlink earns a spot in this site’s coverage on capacity and price alone: the Absolute II holds more than double the seed of the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus for a comparable price, and the brand’s exclusive Audubon license means the same engineering shows up under two trusted names. The catalog’s real weakness is warranty length — a 30-day money-back guarantee doesn’t match Brome or Droll Yankees on paper — but for buyers who prioritize capacity and value over a multi-year promise, Woodlink is one of the smartest hopper buys on the market.