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A Minimal Hanging Platform Feeder With A Functional Design. This Top-Notch Blue Jay Feeder Brings Simplicity, Durability, And Ease To Your Backyard Bird Feeding Efforts.
Imagine the future with me for a second…
You wake up on a bright sunny morning and step outside onto the deck in your backyard. You look out over the landscape and see numerous blue jays enjoying tasty and delicious food from your hanging platform feeder.
The feeling of joy and contentment that it brings is nearly indescribable. Life has never been better since you started regularly feeding blue jays and other gorgeous wild birds. And they’ve repaid your kindness by spending time soaking up the sun in your backyard.
Does this sound like a beautiful future? It’s more than possible once you’ve installed the perfect hanging platform feeder in your backyard, or anywhere else on your property for that matter.
I’ve recently discovered that the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder is the Best Platform Feeder for Blue Jays.
How did I come to this conclusion?
I made this discovery through trial and error by testing 10 products for 20 weeks – one every 2 weeks – to see what I could discover. And then I analyzed my results and used research to determine how each product stacked up in the following categories:
- Aesthetics
- Durability & Warranty
- Ease of Refilling
- Cleaning & Care
- Ease of Installation
Would you like to see my reasons for choosing the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder as the Best Platform Feeder for Blue Jays?
Keep reading to find out everything.
Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder
- Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 2.25 inches
- Feeder Type: Tray Feeder
- Capacity: 3 quarts
- Material: Cedar
- Brand: Nature’s Way
Overall Score:
80
The Bottom Line:
Overall, I feel comfortable recommending this platform bird feeder. I love the design, because it’s a hanging platform that’s connected by a vinyl coated steel hanging cable, which makes it simple for my favorite large backyard birds to stop by and have a tasty meal. And the feeder style is perfect to accommodate many different types of seeds including peanuts, mixed bird seed, sunflower seeds, safflower seed, and more.What’s Good
- Includes sturdy vinyl coated steel hanging cable
- Includes rust free hardware
- Accommodates a wide variety of seeds
- Extra spacious design for large birds
- Large platform accommodates many birds at the same time
What’s Bad
- Inner screen cut too small
- Rocks back and forth
- Loose screws
Our Verdict: Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder
After thorough testing and research, I came to the following conclusions about the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder that I would like to share with you today.
First…
Personally, I feel this hanging platform bird feeder is attractive enough from an aesthetic point of view, but it certainly isn’t going to turn heads because of its beauty.
Overall, it has a very simplistic design. It’s basically a simple tray with black wires that protrude from the top and make it easy to hang up in your backyard.
I like the natural color and they engraved the Nature’s Way logo into the side which looks pretty neat, but otherwise it’s a very simple and basic design. It isn’t ugly but it certainly is an overly beautiful.
Next…
Installation is so simple with this hanging platform bird feeder, and since it’s such a large platform, it’s a great choice for blue jays and other bigger backyard birds.
Pick a spot and install it. You’ll likely need a hook or a hanging chain to fasten to the bird feeder, which should be easy enough to add to your property.
Third…
I love the material that they used to make this product. The hardware is rustproof and they made the platform tray out of cedar, which is a really strong and durable style of wood.
Fourth…
This blue jay platform feeder is probably the easiest I’ve ever seen to refill. As I’ve mentioned, it’s a huge wide-open tray. Simply remove the fresh seed tray, dump out the old seeds that weren’t eaten, and add new ones after you wipe it down to eliminate dirt and grime.
Finally…
Cleaning it is simply a matter of wiping it down. You may want to use soap and water or spray it with your sink nozzle or gently douse it with a hose.
At the end of the day, you cannot go wrong installing the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder in your backyard and the blue jays will love it!
Related: Top 10 Review Of My All-Time Favorite Blue Jay Bird Feeders
Our Analysis, Comparisons & Test Results
Think about this for a moment…
How do you know if you’re actually buying a high-quality blue jay bird feeder?
You can visit a product listing on the web and read customer reviews and testimonials. Hopefully, you’re reading honest information from real customers.
Or…
You can take matters into your own hands like I did. You can choose blue jay bird feeders that seem absolutely amazing on the surface. But they might turn out to be complete duds after purchasing the product and testing it out for a while.
Today, and really over the past 20 weeks, I tested 10 bird feeders for blue jays. I went in with an open mind and let the results speak for themselves. I didn’t pick one particular blue jay feeder over another until I analyzed all my data, ran my comparisons, and viewed my test results.
In the end, I believe I discovered some amazing bird feeders. Now: I’d like to tell you more about the Best Platform Feeder for Blue Jays that I discovered during my trials and tribulations.
I’ll tell you how it stacked up against the competition and more, so keep reading to learn more about my findings.
Aesthetics
Let’s kick things off…
According to some of my close friends and family members, they weren’t fond of my overall rating for Aesthetics when it came to this product.
You see, I only gave it a score of 60 out of 100. And unfortunately for me, I never heard the end of it because the people in my life felt like I shortchanged this product.
Guess what?
It isn’t ugly by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a relatively attractive hanging platform bird feeder.
But…
In my personal opinion, it was one of the least aesthetically pleasing bird feeders of the bunch. Which to be very clear, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t visually appealing because it is.
As I’ve said, I like the minimalist beige/wood color design and I was really fond of how they etched the Nature’s Way logo into the side of the bird feeder, because I think the script is pretty and it looks really good on the side of the tray.
But that’s all there is to it. It’s simply a square tray with wires leading up to the top in a triangular shape to create a place to hang it from a hook. There really isn’t much to it at all in my opinion.
You should take a look at some of the pictures because I think you’ll agree. It’s nice looking and all, but it isn’t the most spectacular bird feeder you’ll ever see!
How the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder stacks up in the aesthetics ratings:
Ease of Installation
Do you know what’s worse than an ugly bird feeder? A bird feeder that’s nearly impossible to install. It can be a real pain in the neck to deal with.
Thankfully…
The Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder is definitely one of the easier blue jay feeders to install out of the 10 that I reviewed. As a matter of fact, I gave it an 80 out of 100 overall score.
Why do I think it’s so easy?
First of all, the bird feeder itself is relatively lightweight, so it’s easy to hold and carry while you’re hanging it up. In fact, the entirety of the bird feeder only weighs 1.35 pounds, which is very light indeed.
Even full, it can only fit 3 quarts of bird seeds into the tray. This will add another pound or two of weight, but it will still remain relatively lightweight.
So…
When it’s time to hang up this bird feeder on a hook or pole of your choosing, your arm isn’t going to feel like it’s about to fall off from holding onto this heavy tray for the few minutes that it will take for you to actually hang it up.
Are you worried about running into problems while installing this bird feeder?
You really have nothing to worry about. I give you my word.
You’ll see that it’s one of the easiest birdfeeders you’ve ever installed.
How the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder stacks up in the ease of installation ratings:
Durability & Warranty
I don’t know about you, but when I buy a new bird feeder, I expect it to be somewhat durable. It doesn’t need to be as strong as a Sherman tank, but I’m spending my hard-earned money so I expect it to last for a few years or more.
Guess what?
I gave the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder a score of 90 out of 100. I know that this bird feeder exudes durability and strength, which I feel is really amazing and I’m happy that I get to tell you that it’s a strong bird feeder designed to last.
How do I know?
Well, the material used to make the blue jay tray feeder is what initially tipped me off.
They made it with cedar, which is one of the strongest pieces of wood on the planet today. This wood is tough and nature designed it to take a licking from the elements like freezing rain, hail storms, brutal snow and ice, and so much more.
Do you know what else I like about Nature’s Way?
They actually stand by their products. If you were to purchase the hanging platform feeder, you’d immediately receive access to their exclusive 3-year warranty.
Most companies barely give a 90-day warranty. They have so much faith in their product that they’re willing to back it up for the next 3 years.
How sweet is that?
How the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder stacks up in the durability & warranty ratings:
Ease of Refilling
Another thing…
Some bird feeders can be really frustrating when they are difficult to refill. I tend to get very flustered when I’m trying to pour seeds into a very tiny opening or compartment.
For whatever reason, I lack the patience to get the job done without spilling bird seeds in these scenarios. I get the feeder filled but I usually have a mess to clean up at the end and it’s more frustrating than anything to me.
Right now…
I want you to know that for the category Ease of Refilling, I gave this platform tray feeder the phenomenal score of 90 out of 100.
The only bird feeder to beat it was the Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray, which is very similar to this platform feeder except it has legs instead of wires to hang it up.
Why is it so easy?
Truth be told, it’s basically a big wide-open space. You can dump bird seeds, mealworms, suet cakes, peanut pieces, and anything else you’d like onto the removable fresh seed tray without any difficulty at all. There aren’t any obstructions or other hindrances to get in your way.
It’s just a beautiful large wide-open space. And even better…
The seed tray is removable, which makes refilling the feeder an absolute delight!
And because there’s a wide-open space…
Debris, dirt, dust, bird poop, and other odds and ends manage to find their way into this bird feeder from time to time.
So, instead of just dumping new seeds or other foodstuffs on top of the dirt and grime, you should take some time to wipe down and clean the feeder before adding new food.
It’s the healthiest thing for the birds and you’ll feel good knowing that you did everything in your power to keep your backyard birds healthy and strong and well fed.
How the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder stacks up in the ease of refilling ratings:
Cleaning & Care
How hard do you think it is to clean and care for this bird feeder?
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll be happy to know that it isn’t very difficult to clean this feeder whatsoever.
But I gave it an 80 out of 100 instead of a perfect 100 because of the following:
You have to unhook it and take it down from its hanging position to properly clean it and eliminate the dirt and grime.
How do I know?
Well, I personally hung my bird feeder pretty high in the air. Sure, I could climb the ladder and dump out the debris on my deck and then wipe it off with a cloth without taking it down.
Except I really don’t think this is the best way to clean it. In fact, I think this is the worst way to clean it because you could potentially fall off the ladder or miss certain dirty spots on the bird feeder because you aren’t looking at it from the best angle.
I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life, but I recommend taking the bird feeder down and cleaning it in front of the sink or sitting at a table instead of standing high up on a ladder.
Remember, this is a really lightweight bird feeder so it isn’t going to be difficult to carry and it won’t be so heavy that you don’t even want to hang onto it for 5 minutes to clean it.
So, take it down, wipe it off with soap and water, rinse it under the sink or spray it out with a hose and nozzle, and then put it back and refill it. It’s very easy to accomplish and it doesn’t require too much of your time or attention.
How the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder stacks up in the cleaning & care ratings:
Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder FAQs:
Is It Possible To Mount The Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder From A Pole?
It depends on how you approach this task.
On the one hand, if you try to place the bird feeder directly on top of the pole it’s just going to fall off because you will not have any available hardware to mount it to the pole.
This ultimately makes it impossible to mount unless you create some type of customized mounting hardware that you screw to the bottom of the bird feeder tray.
Or…
You can try a totally different approach.
Maybe, consider adding something to the top of the pole that sticks out from the side. Once you have this piece in place, you can then hang the bird feeder from the new protruding appendage that you added to the pole.
This might not be easy, but it’s one way to hang this bird feeder from a pole. Technically it isn’t mounting it though, which is the true task that the questioner is trying to accomplish.
Is It Possible To Turn The Hanging Platform Feeder Into A Ground Feeder?
So, you’d rather not hang this platform feeder altogether. Instead, you’d rather put it on the ground or rest it on top of your deck or another surface as an alternative option.
Guess what?
You can certainly do this if you feel so inclined.
Remember, the tray only weighs 1.35 pounds which is incredibly lightweight. You can pick it up, move it around, or place it anywhere you want in your backyard.
And you can remove the wires from the top of the tray, which means the wires aren’t going to get in your way whenever you need to clean, refill, or maintain the bird feeder for any reason whatsoever.
Is The Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder Strong Enough To Hold A Blue Jay Without Tipping Over The Tray?
Yes, I can say with absolute certainty that this hanging bird feeder was specifically designed for larger birds like blue jays, cardinals, grosbeaks, and other bigger birds.
Even more telling…
You will see squirrels jumping in and out of your bird feeder every now and then and they won’t even tip it over. That’s how strong and stable this platform feeder is.
As a matter of fact:
I read that one reviewer had 5 cowbirds successfully sitting on the platform tray at once, eating to their hearts’ content.
Our Final Verdict: Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder
I’m so excited to see that you made it to the end of this review. I hope you found it relevant, informative, and beneficial to help you easily feed your favorite backyard blue jays.
I tried my best to provide a fair and unbiased review by testing this product at the same time as I tested and analyzed 9 others.
What did I learn during this experience?
For starters, I found out that the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder is the Best Platform Feeder for Blue Jays. It was by far the best and brightest of the bunch in this category, so I’m glad to tell you that it’s an excellent option if you’re looking for a new hanging feeder.
I also learned the following:
- I believe this platform feeder is quite attractive from a minimalist aesthetic perspective
- I like this bird feeder a lot because it’s lightweight and easy to install
- I love that it’s created with sturdy cedar and rustproof hardware because it ensures the platform is durable
- I feel confident knowing that it’s simple to refill the platform feeder using the removable fresh seed tray
- I appreciate that it’s really easy to clean this lightweight and simply designed platform hanging bird feeder
Are you in desperate need of other blue jay bird feeder reviews?
Look no further than my detailed and informative review of the 10 amazing blue jay feeders that I referenced within this piece. You’ll learn a great deal by visiting: Best Blue Jay Feeders
Or if you prefer…
Take a different path and go directly to the source. Learn the ins and outs, ups and downs, and odds and ends by reading customer reviews about the Nature’s Way Hanging Platform Feeder. While you’re there, you should check the real-time cost to see if fits within your price range as well.
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