Frequently Asked Questions
Jarfeeder is The Highest Quality Bird Feeder In the World
100% squirrel proof.
Rustproof Stainless steel and annealed glass.
No moving parts nothing to wear out and break.
EASY to hang EASY to fill EASY to clean.
Keeps food dry in rainy weather.
Accepts shelled peanuts and seeds.
Unique one piece Feed Guide efficiently distributes food.
Rotates from a central axis providing a good view of the birds.
Made in America using precision CNC machining technology.
Stabilizer bar decreases feeder swing and and acts as a shock absorber.
4' Stainless Steel Chain to securely and easily hang the Jarfeeder from tree limbs
What kind of bird feeder is the Jarfeeder?
The Jarfeeder bird feeder made from the Wide Mouth Ball jar is a high quality bird feeder designed to feed birds and not squirrels.
Made from stainless steel and annealed glass without moving parts, the Jarfeeder won't rust like metal, crack like plastic, and can last a lifetime.
The diameter, height, shape, size, and physical characteristics of a wide mouth Ball jar are ideal for making our bird feeder. The Ball jar is slightly squarish so our stainless steel feed guide doesn't rotate and stays in place. The feed guide rests against the wall of the jar as it curves inward near the bottom.
Flawless in function, the Jarfeeder design is the result of a dozen hand made prototypes and years of research.
Advanced technology is now used to make the components. Skilled people are involved throughout the production and assembly.
The Feed Guide is CNC machined by water jet cutter and bent to a specific degree by a programmable hydraulic bending press.
The feed tube is CNC machined by pipe cutting laser and bathed in ceramic pellets to smooth the rough edges for the birds.
The hanging rod is a custom open Eye Hook hanging shaft made from one quarter inch diameter stainless steel round rod cut to a specific length and lath threaded.
The Trigger Snap Hook is placed on the Eye Hook during the hand bending process.
The Ball jars are crystal clear hard annealed glass. The holes for the feeding ports and perch bar screw are located to within 1/100 of an inch accuracy to insure correct assembly and function.
It's an elegant yet heavy duty bird feeder paying out some 70 pounds of food each year while providing plenty of bird watching entertainment.
Some birds seen on the prototype Jarfeeder in Nashville, Tennessee are the: Black Capped Chickadee, House Wren, Tufted Titmouse, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, House Finch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker. The Red-bellied Woodpecker prefers unsalted peanuts or pieces of real nuts mixed in with the seeds.
Cardinals, Blue jays, and Mourning Doves prefer to scavenge for food under the feeder. The geometry of the feeder is more difficult for larger birds and easy for small birds.
What is a Stabilizer Bar and how does it work?
The Stabilizer bar measures 6" from the top of the 7/8" diameter eye to the bottom of the 1/2" eye and is made from 1/4" diameter stainless steel round rod. It acts as a shock absorber and decreases the speed at which the bird feeder swings back and forth. In this Video I make a Stabilizer Bar.
Is the Jarfeeder really Squirrel Proof?
The Jarfeeder bird feeder is a completely squirrel proof maintenance free design without moving parts.
It doesn't employ a spring assisted sliding cage to block the ports which is not 100% squirrel proof as evidenced by this video, and which ultimately rusts, wears out, and stops functioning.
It doesn't use a complex mechanical rotating circular perch bar powered by an expensive power stick which must be periodically replaced as evidenced by this video. And which can run down in cold weather rendering the feeder nothing wore than an elaborate squirrel feeder.
It doesn't employ large umbrella like tops, baffles, or elongated cylindrical plastic food reservoirs in an attempt to prevent squirrel attacks. Such feeders must be hung remotely to stop a squirrel from jumping onto them from nearby trees, structures, and objects as evidenced by this video.
The Jarfeeder's hooded feeding ports keep the food dry and prevent squirrels from getting close to the food just inside the openings. The birds put their heads in the feeding ports and their beaks down into the food with ease.
The Jarfeeder is designed to take advantage of the anatomical difference between the squirrel's head and the bird's head and does not need to be hung remotely to be 100% effective at quickly stopping squirrels from feeding as evidenced by this video.
Why a large wooden perch bar?
It's all about the birds and how they feed and what they prefer. Birds place the seeds between their feet and peck them against the perch bar. The perch bar is the bird's dinner table. Birds need wood to dig their claws into and to help them hold on and balance. Wood is comfortable and not too cold in the winter like steel. Steel is slippery and difficult for the birds to hang on to, balance on, and it dulls their claws. Hard plastic is also slippery and hard to hold on to.
Some bird feeders provide small uncomfortable metal loops that are difficult for birds to stand on. When designing the Jarfeeder we researched different lengths, diameters, and materials for perch bars. We found that a 3-3/4" long x 1/2" diameter Oak hard wood perch bar provides the birds with adequate surface area for landing, balancing, maneuvering their heads into the feeding ports, and pecking seeds. The birds are comfortable standing on the large wooden perch bars and stay longer for bird watchers to enjoy.
Although it discolors oak holds up well to moisture and squirrels and can last for years. When a perch bar becomes too squirrel damaged and weather beaten to be functional it can be easily replaced by following the instructions on this page under: "How to Remove the oak wood perch bar from the perch bar tube".
How to Remove the oak perch bar from the perch bar tube
Sometimes removing the Oak wood perch bar from the perch bar tube and replacing it with a new perch bar is necessary because of squirrel attacks and aging. This can be difficult because the oak hardwood expands from rain and moisture. Don't try to hammer out the perch bar if it is too tight to move because this can damage the perch bar tube.
Drying is the best method of loosening the perch bar. Place the perch bar tube in front of a space heater in a well ventilated place like an opened garage for a couple of hours or place it out in the sun. The fastest way is to dry the perch bar is in the oven.
Remove the perch bar tube from the jar and carefully cut off the ends of the wooden perch bar within 1/8" of the perch bar tube. If the perch bar ends are not cut off prior to drying in the oven it will cause a bad smell from the birds. After cutting off the perch bars place the perch bar tube in the oven at 250 degrees for approximately an hour. Remove the perch bar tube from the oven and allow to cool and push the old dry perch bar out of the perch bar tube with a screw driver.
Overtightening the wingnut can break the jar
When reassembling the feeder after cleaning or perch bar replacement, don't overtighten the wingnut screw and wingnut. The steel perch bar tube will easily lock into place against the friction ridges on the bottom of the jar so moderate tightening is adequate. Overtightening can cause the steel feed guide in the jar to exert excess pressure against the glass and break the jar. If properly maintained and not dropped the Jarfeeder can last a lifetime.
How to replace a broken jar
Click this link and purchase a new drilled wide mouth Ball jar, which comes with a new Feed Guide.
When is the best time to refill the feeder?
When the Jarfeeder appears to have a small amount of food remaining, that is actually the best time to empty it out for the ground foragers and refill it. You will be surprised to discover when pouring the food out that it only amounts to a tablespoon.
Although the birds are capable of removing the last remaining food, it's usually fine and powdery and affords the birds little reward for their efforts.
Please refer to this photo to see what the feeder looks like when it only has a tablespoon of food left.
How to fill the Jarfeeder with food
Grasp the jar with one hand and with the other unscrew the jar lid by holding the lid under the rain cover. Do not try to unscrew the lid by turning the vertical hanging rod or Rain Top which will loosen the lid assembly. After unscrewing the jar leave the top attached to the hanging hook. Fill the bird feeder jar with food and twist the lid back onto the feeder jar tightly. The lid should be screwed on tight because the birds landings and takeoffs can loosen it. Avoid putting more than 25% nuts and raisins in the feed because they can impede the flow of the food.
Washing the Jarfeeder
The Jarfeeder should be cleaned once every six months. Dismantle the feeder by first unscrewing the Wingnut from the bottom of the feeder. Be careful not to lose the lock washers. Use a Philips screw driver to hold the screw in place while removing the perch bar tube. Slide the Feed Tube out after removing the screw. When removing the Feed Guide rotate the jar testing for the point of least friction. The Feed Guide will typically stick against the mouth of the jar and can be forcibly pulled out without any ill repercussions.
Don't try to remove the Perch Bar from the Perch Bar tube because the Oak hardwood expands from rain and moisture and can be impossible to pull out. Remove the Perch Bar from the perch Bar Tube only when replacement is necessary. - See "How to remove the Oak wood Perch Bar from the Perch Bar tube" on this page. The Perch Bar and Perch bar Tube can be washed by hand, or in the dish washer, or not washed at all. If you decide to run the Perch Bar through your Dishwasher, remember birds make the Perch Bar very dirty and you might not want those smells and germs in your dishwasher.
Do Not dismantle the lid, rain top and tear drop eye. They can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher without disassembly. Collect the Screw, two Lock Washers, Wingnut, and Silicone Bushing, and put them in a safe place and wash the other components by hand or in the dishwasher. Wash the top of the jar where the stainless steel lid screws onto the jar and wash the threads of the jar lid to prevent the build up of oxidants which can cause the lid to be difficult to screw on the top of the jar tightly.
Chain Warning
Avoid swinging the bird feeder chain up over and against tree limbs. The chain gains velocity and speed against the limb acting like a whip and can cause serious eye injury.
Remove the 1" ring from the bird feeder trigger snap hook and place the feeder six feet away from where you will be standing when putting the feeder chain up over a tree limb. Don't stand directly underneath the limb where the chain will be, stand off to the side to avoid being hit by the chain. Hold on to the Spring Snap Hook end of the chain with one hand and gather most of the remaining chain together in the other hand and with a gentle underhanded movement toss the chain up with just enough momentum to get it over the tree limb. After getting the chain over the limb slide the 1" ring onto the chain, and connect the chain's Spring Snap Hook to the end of the chain. Hang the bird feeder by reconnecting its trigger snap hook to the 1" ring.
The chain can hit and break the Jarfeeder. Precautions must be taken to avoid injury and accidents. Jarfeeder is not liable for injuries or damage caused by the use of our bird feeder chain. Jarfeeder is not the manufacturer of the chain, quick links, and snap hook, and is not responsible for the accuracy of stated load limits.
The Jarfeeder Money Back Guarentee
We Guarantee that the Jarfeeder bird feeder is of the highest quality materials, design, and function.
If properly maintained and not dropped the Jarfeeder can last a lifetime.
The Jarfeeder is completely squirrel proof and will not need to be hung remotely to stop a squirrel.
All components in the Jarfeeder are non-corroding Stainless Steel and annealed glass with the exception of the Silicone bushing, Neoprene gasket, and Oak Perch Bar.
The Jarfeeder will keep food dry in rainy weather and is easy to hang, fill, and clean.
The 6" Stabilizer bar will decrease feeder swing and act as a shock absorber.
The 4' Stainless Steel Bird Feeder Chain used for securely hanging the Jarfeeder from tree limbs will guard against Racoon and Possum attacks.
If your Jarfeeder and components fail to function as stated please contact us for a full refund.
Terms and conditions
Jarfeeder will replace the feeder in the event of an accident or loss during shipping.
Feeders damaged during shipping must be returned to Jarfeeder to receive a full refund.
Jarfeeder will refund the full price of the feeder without the shipping cost if the feeder is returned in its box undamaged and in new condition within three weeks of sale.
The feeder can break if dropped or impacted by hard objects including its own 4' stainless steel heavy duty hanging chain and Jarfeeder will not replace broken jars, perch bars, and damaged parts caused by the customer free of charge.
If the feeder falls or impacts any surface including concrete, wood, earth, or a human being, Jarfeeder will not be held liable for injuries caused by glass fragments or any steel components including the the 4' stainless steel hanging chain.
By purchasing the Jarfeeder and/or attachments the customer accepts full responsibility and liability for themselves and all persons who come in contact with their Jarfeeder and attachments.
With proper care and maintenance the Jarfeeder will last a lifetime. Its non moving stainless steel parts will not wear out corrode or break. The feeder will remain ageless gleaming in the sun feeding the birds forever... or for as long as there is a human to fill it with seeds and nuts.
Small parts that may get lost or wear out such as the Silicone bushing, wing nut, and lock washers, can easily be purchased from our store.
The prototype has been in continuous use for four years and aside from a discolored perch bar there have been no failures of its parts.
See The Jarfeeder money back Guarantee for further explanation of our terms and conditions.