Trying to Choose a Suet Feeder…

Ever since fellow blogger Rob posted his 3 Tips for Feeding Suet This Winter, I’ve been kicking around the idea of adding a suet feeder to my yard. Suet can be difficult to offer in Florida, since the heat of summer makes even the no-melt suet cakes a little yucky. Several years ago, I bought one of those simple hanging cages that you put a suet cake in, but no birds ever visited it so I stopped trying after a few months. But after hearing the calls (and drumming) of both hairy woodpeckers and red-bellied woodpeckers in my neighborhood this week, I’ve decided that I want to give suet feeders another try – and I want to step up my game from that $2 cage feeder. The question is… which feeder to choose? The Duncraft website has a lot of options. Here are a few I’m considering (all images from Duncraft.com).

Eco-Strong Tail Prop Suet Feeder. Rob recommended a suet feeder with a tail prop for larger woodpeckers. Pileated woodpeckers do live in my area, and I’ve seen them in in nearby trees. It holds two suet cakes and is double-sided, so this one is a strong contender. (approx $40)

Log Jammer Hardwood Feeder. I love the natural look of this one. It’s made from real wood, with holes drilled into it for suet plugs. I like the idea of mimicking a natural feeding environment, but I wonder if I’d be able to find the suet plugs locally or if I’d have to keep ordering them online. The inconvenience of that might be a deal-breaker here. (approx $20)

Eco-Cardinal Suet Ball Feeder. This one is cute, and the price is low, which is nice if suet feeding doesn’t really work out. But again, I’m not sure I can find these suet balls locally, and there’s no tail prop for larger woodpeckers. (Approx $17)

Tree Mount Suet Ball Feeder. One thing I’ve noticed about my feeder birds is that they definitely tend to prefer feeders that are stable and don’t blow around too much in the wind. This feeder would be very stable since it mounts to a pole or tree – but it uses those suet balls again. (Approx $25)

Do you have any experience with any of these feeders? I’d love to  hear your opinions before I make a purchase, so hit the comments below and give me your opinions!