1. Have you checked to know you have enough hydraulic oil in the reservoir? 2. Are others getting the full travel and the MFG admit yours should also? 3. If they will not tell you the needed adjustment or fix, is it because of liability? 4. Please post pics or links of side and top views that might show adjustments for the wedge etc. 5. I agree that it needs to pusher closer to the wedge on matted wood as pecan in my case.

Hi all, I built a Suet log and started making suet mixtures in December 06, and it's been going strong since! The Suet Log attracts such a wide variety of birds, I cannot believe how successfully it works. I have Eastern Bluebirds that visit daily, since peanut butter suet is a favorite of theirs. They are beautiful to watch. The Suet log is made with Red pine (Pinus resinosa) log, bark, and perches. It has a natural rustic look. But you can use any wood! Bark and perches help the birds feed at the log. They can cling to the bark or perch and eat the suet. Many people hang their log from a tree branch or hanger, but my log is pole-mounted about six feet up with a squirrel/raccoon baffle. I drilled a hole about 3-4 inches deep straight up the bottom of the log, so that it slides over the pole. It is a very secure installation. Highly recommended! I drilled holes for the suet and glued perches underneath some of the holes, and branches around the top of the log, kind of like an "umbrella" effect. The birds absolutely love to hang out on the perches and branches. Sometimes I will have 4 or 5 species eating or hanging out. Even the finches, who do not eat the suet at all, like to hang out on the branches. The only drawback is that over time, the perches and branches DO break or come loose, and some maintenance is necessary. But the basic log itself, has remained solid and intact through 4 seasons in all weather, and the birds really don't care if a perch is broken! The Suet mixture I make with rendered suet ("Simply Suet" from Wild Birds Unlimited), crunchy peanut butter, corn meal, ww flour, ground up oats, and crushed peanuts/other nuts as basic ingredients, approx 1/2 fat, 1/2 dried ingredients. I've also added currants (these are small raisins that don't need to be chopped), leftover dried cat food, ground up dried & baked eggshells, etc. They love it all! Here are photos of the feeding station, and the finished suet mixture. Also some pretty visitors that come to the log! My feeding station - includes the Suet log, 2 small Black oil sunflower feeders, and couple water features: This is what the suet mixture looks like when finished: The small flock of Bluebirds, who are regular visitors:

Hi Donna, here is the basic recipe I've come up with, which is a variation of many similar recipes on Sialis.org - 2 cups rendered suet (I use "Simply Suet" from Wild Birds Unltd) 2 cups crunchy peanut butter (I use an all natural brand) 4-5 cups of dried ingreds, combo of Oat flour, corn meal, ww or white flour Tidbits like chopped nuts, hulled sunflower seeds, currants, etc. Dried, sterilized, ground eggshells (optional, don't use these every time) Melt suet in microwave until liquid (it gets hot!). Add PB which melts in the hot suet. Add dried ingredients and tidbits, mixing well. This makes approx. 5 pint sized containers. As it cools, it becomes stiffer and more difficult to stir. At room temp, you can test the final consistency. If it's too sticky, soften in micro and stir in a bit more flour. If it's too "dry", drizzle a spoonful or 2 of vegetable oil and mix, which will make it stickier. The ideal texture is similar to Play-doh - I can squeeze it into balls and stuff the holes on the suet log, and also break it apart into pea-sized nuggets which can be spread in a tray. The Bluebirds prefer the nuggets in the tray, but they will also perch and cling to the log to eat the suet mixture. They are spoiled because if they're hanging out there I will make a special trip out to spread some nuggets. They are the only birds that get special feedings. :) There are now 7 (possibly more) Bluebirds that visit daily as I've seen 5 females at one time and at least 2 males, one of which is banded and one is not. Once in awhile there is a day they are AWOL, such as an unusually warm and balmy and I think they go off to find insects. Many other birds LOVE this stuff too, including Titmice, Chickadees, all the Woodpeckers, Red & White Breast Nuthatches, Sparrows, Juncos, Carolina Wrens, Blue Jays, Cat Birds, Cardinals, HOSPs and EUSTs. The only ones that don't eat it are the Finches - Gold finches, House Finches, and Pine Siskins - they eat the BOSS. Sorry this is so lengthy. Here's a pic of the final mixture -

no advice, just chiming in to say I'm jealous! If I saw a pileated wood pecker on my property I'd be thrilled. I hope you're successful in finding a suet feeder the squirrels won't monopolize. this is an interesting feeder, the pileated is enjoying it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXePlTk8sFg The long bottom looks like it's so they can brace themselves against it or stay steady (cause they're so BIG!) this one says that bottom is a 'kick stand'. They show a suet feeder that is 'somewhat squirrel resistant' ymmv http://wildbirdsunlimited.typepad.com/the_zen_birdfeeder/2010/04/bird-feeders-for-pileated-woodpeckers-think-big.html no ideas here, just a really cool video of one eating suet w/a view from above http://www.care2.com/causes/hungry-woodpecker-chowing-on-suet-video.html this lady had a good idea 'You have several options. Pileated tend to like tailprops. So, my suggestion is to baffle a tail prop from a tree with an erva disk (green). It has to be positioned 10 ft from the tree trunk, as squirrels can jump laterally 10 ft. It also has to be high enough that they will not jump from the bottom. When the squirrel attempts to go over it, the baffle will dump the squirrel to the ground. This will take a few times, but the tenacious little guy will give up and move on. Hope this helps.' the site her post is on http://community.birdsandblooms.com/forums/t/4063.aspx baffles seem to be the best bet. That was what was suggested to me earlier this year on this forum when I was having trouble with squirrels on my suet feeders. I ended up w/a cage-type suet feeder which isn't used as heavily as the reg. cage feeder, but the squirrels can't get to it, so it does work. Pileated are just too big to bother w/a cage I think. They say cayenne helps keep squirrels out of suet & birdseed. Years ago, I tried sprinkling it in w/dry birdseed but didn't see enough difference to continue. Also, the hot pepper can be dangerous to other wildlife. Maybe if you can find suet that has it added already, you could try? Good luck, it's great seeing them & having them on your property would be really cool!