Contents
Let’s cut to the chase.
You’ve already begun researching new ways to attract purple martins to your yard and need to buy a birdhouse.
Well, if you’re looking for the best purple martin birdhouse on the market, you’ve come to the right place.
Out of all the purple martin birdhouses we reviewed, the 16 Family Purple Martin Barn By S & K is our top pick.
We already mentioned it in our roundup product review about the characteristics of this product and graded it a 94 out of 100 points.
In this product review, we’re going to get more specific and detailed, measuring this product in the following five categories:
- Ease of Assembly: We’ll let you know how easy it is to set up this birdhouse out of the box.
- Warranty: We’ll give you some insight into how the warranty works with this product, as well as the terms and conditions.
- Style/Design: This may be a subjective category, but we’ll offer some commentary about how this birdhouse appeals to most birdwatchers.
- Ability to Attract Martins: To put it simply, we’ll let you know if this product will do what it’s advertised to do.
- Beginner-Friendly: Can anyone assemble and use this birdhouse? We’ll let you know in this product review.
We spent a lot of time gathering the information in this product review to create a resource you can trust.
Let’s dive in.
S&K 16 Family Martin Birdhouse
- # of Openings: 16
- # of Floors: 3
- Dimensions: 18 x 19 x 20 inches
- Material: Plastic
- Brand: S & K Mfg.
Overall Score:
94
The Bottom Line:
This purple martin house is amazingly beginner-friendly for anyone new to bird watching. From the moment you open the box, you can easily assemble this product and hang it in your favorite sport. What’s more, is that you can watch as dozens of purple martins flock to this bird house and make it their home.What’s Good
- Houses up to 16 purple martin families
- Comes together in a few snaps without any tools
- The floors are slightly sloped for proper drainage
- It’s made of high-quality and durable plastic
- Very simple to assemble
What’s Bad
- The design may be too modern
- Might be a little flimsy
Our Verdict: S&K 16 Family Martin Birdhouse Review
Alright, let’s discuss everything that’s amazing about this product.
One of the most noticeable features about this birdhouse is that it houses up to 16 purple martin families. You likely already know that purple martins are highly-social birds. This product makes it simple for a lot of them to visit your yard and nest without competing for space.
A bonus fact is that the 16 openings are so small (2-1/4 inches in height and width) that it prevents house sparrows from bothering your purple martins. Another advantage is that you don’t need any tools to assemble this product.
In fact, it comes together in just a few snaps since it’s a plastic product. This is great, considering that the floors can easily come out when it’s time to clean the birdhouse.
Lastly, for a plastic product, this birdhouse is surprisingly durable.
Don’t get us wrong…
This birdhouse isn’t going to outlast a metal one, but it’s sturdy enough to give you a great return on your spend.
Now with the pros out of the way, let’s get to the cons.
For many bird watchers that are used to metal products, the design of this birdhouse may be too modern.
We get it, retro birdhouses are made of metal and look amazing.
If you’re one of those birdwatchers that love vintage birdhouses, then you may be disappointed with this choice.
Another caveat is that this birdhouse can be flimsy. This is a given, since the product is made of plastic.
But, it can also influence how much time you spend installing it.
For example, sometimes the fasteners may not line up with the holes to snap everything in place. However, if you follow the instructions, this won’t be a problem.
We also recommend that you buy a retractable pole with this purple martin house so you can perform regular maintenance with ease.
Take it from us — you don’t want to skip this bit of advice.
Overall, the pros surely outweigh the cons, which is why we highly recommend this birdhouse for all birdwatchers.
Now, let’s move on to our analysis.
Do Want to Consider More Birdhouse Options For Purple Martins?
Our Analysis, Comparisons & Test Results
This section is arguably the most important part of this product review.
We spent countless hours researching other comparably products, performing field tests, and surveying users to determine an objective analysis.
We found out that this birdhouse performed exceptionally well in every category.
Remember, this is why we ranked this product a 94 out of 100 points in our roundup review of eight different purple martin birdhouses.
Our analysis covered all of the five categories we previously mentioned, such as:
- Ease of Assembly
- Warranty
- Style/Design
- Ability to Attract Martins
- Beginner-Friendly
In each of these analysis sections, we’re going to get into deep detail about how and why this product ranks as the best in its class.
Let’s get started.
Ease of Assembly
It goes without saying that every birdwatcher wants to buy a purple martin birdhouse that’s easy to assemble.
In fact, that’s true for literally everything we buy.
The good news is that this birdhouse is very easy to set up and use.
To start, this birdhouse weighs just eight pounds and is made entirely out of plastic. You don’t need any tools for assembly.
When you unbox the product, you’ll see six different plastic panels that will make up the design of the birdhouse.
The birdhouse will also come with several plastic fasteners that look like screws. However, these fasterners are designed to snap into place, meaning that you won’t need a screwdriver or drill to complete the installation.
Once you put all of the panels in place and plug in the fasteners, you’re all finished. The barn automatically comes with pre-built compartments for the purple martins.
After assembling, you’ll need to use a S&K’s telescopic pole. Again, we recommend using a retractable pole.
This is best for cleaning out the birdhouse during maintenance. As you can see, there isn’t any much negativity that comes with setting up this birdhouse.
Granted, metal birdhouses are sturdier and don’t require you to stretch the parts to put the fasteners in.
However, if you follow the instructions to the letter, you should be fine when your package comes in the mail.
How the S&K 16 Family Martin Birdhouse stacks up in the ease of assembly ratings:
Warranty
One thing that consumers dread the most are warranties.
They’re confusing and mostly one-sided. Many people rightfully feel that warranties are never designed to look after their best interests.
Especially since they’ve forked over the money to buy a potentially defective product…
Though, when it comes to this birdhouse, the warranty is as good as it gets.
Here is everything you need to know:
- All S&K items are protected by a warranty for at least one year if there is any defect that affects the product’s workmanship and material.
- Buyers will receive a lifetime warranty for product defects if they use the right S&K pole and adapter. This means that if you follow the instructions for installing your birdhouse and choose the right accessories, you’ll be covered by a lifetime warranty.
To put it plainly, this is the best a warranty is going to get.
It ensures that you’re covered by a lifetime warranty if you use your product and accessories in the right way.
Now, it’s important to define the nature of a “defect” before we move forward.
A defect is anything that prevents you from achieving the original use of your purple martin bird house.
For example, if your product didn’t come with any fasteners or they were too small, these would be considered defects.
If your product comes with everything you need to be assembled and lasts, that’s good news.
If it doesn’t you’re covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, and that’s good news as well.
How the S&K 16 Family Martin Birdhouse stacks up in the warranty ratings:
Style/Design
The style and design aspect of this analysis exercise is as subjective as its going to get from here on out.
Some people will love the retro barn design this product offers.
Others will be more nostalgic for a vintage metal birdhouse.
No matter where you are on the judging spectrum, this product passes with a suitable score.
There aren’t many negative things to say about this product, but let’s go ahead and get the cons out of the way.
Plastic birdhouses are easy to assemble, but they’re a pain in other categories.
For example, it’s a known fact that plastic birdhouses don’t last as long as wood and metal products. If you live in an area with a stormy climate, this birdhouse is going to take a beating.
Also, plastic birdhouses are more prone to breaking under long-term wear and tear. They’re just not suitable for dealing with the environment like sturdier products.
The good news is that purple martins are known to travel and nest in areas with adverse climates, such as South America and the southern states of the United States.
For example, purple martins regularly migrate to Florida, where massive storms are commonplace.
If you can keep your birdhouse secure, you won’t have to worry about the weather deterring your purple martins.
How the S&K 16 Family Martin Birdhouse stacks up in the style/design ratings:
Ability to Attract Martins
Out of all the grading categories we’ve selected, this is arguably the most important.
It doesn’t matter how a birdhouse looks, how much it costs, or if it’s easy to assemble…
If the product can’t attract purple martins to your yard, then it’s worthless.
With that said, this birdhouse definitely has some characteristics working in its favor. To begin, it can hold up to 16 purple martin families.
Since purple martins love to socialize, this is definitely a benefit to attracting more of them to your yard. Also, the openings to each compartment are small enough to deter sparrows and starlings.
This means these pests won’t scare away or attack your purple martins and keep them coming for years. This birdhouse even has railed porches and white front panels to make it even more visible to purple martins.
The only downside we can think of is that this birdhouse doesn’t have any porch dividers. These are helpful for giving purple martins their space when traveling around the birdhouse.
Able to attract more than a dozen purple martin families, it’s safe to say that you’re going to get a great return on your spend when buying this birdhouse.
You’ll also experience the joy of watching countless purple martins flock to your yard to nest.
How the S&K 16 Family Martin Birdhouse stacks up in the ability to attract martins ratings:
Beginner-Friendly
This category and “ease of assembly” always go hand in hand.
But, they’re really different and we’ll explain why.
A product can be easy to assemble, but that doesn’t mean it’s beginner-friendly.
For example, after you finish installing a birdhouse, do you:
- Know how to clean it
- Take it apart
- Make repairs and enhancements
If the answer is no to any of these, then it’s safe to say that the birdhouse isn’t beginner-friendly. In the case of this birdhouse, it’s as beginner-friendly as you’re going to find on Amazon and anywhere else.
To start, this product has slightly sloped floors for easy drainage. This makes it completely easy to clean for anyone.
Also, this birdhouse is made of plastic. If you want to take it apart and reassemble it, all you have to do is remove the fasteners.
Unlike metal and wooden birdhouses with more complicated designs, this plastic birdhouse can be assembled in a few minutes.
Its design also makes maintenance a breeze.
What’s more is that you can make as many enhancements as you want without a lot of problems.
For example, we mentioned that this birdhouse lacks porch dividers for giving the purple martins space. In its place, there are slots where you can make the additions yourself.
That’s quite accommodating, which is why we’ve graded it well for this category.
How the S&K 16 Family Martin Birdhouse stacks up in the beginner-friendly ratings:
S&K 16 Family Martin Birdhouse FAQs:
How large is each compartment?
The 12 individual compartments for this product measure 6 x 6 inches. The other four compartments measure 6 x 9 inches. The holes, on the other hand, are 2-1/4 inches in height and width.
How much does this birdhouse weigh?
This birdhouse weighs eight pounds, largely due to the fact that it’s made out of plastic.
What kind of plastic is this product made of?
This birdhouse is composed of polypropylene copolymer plastic. This is a special UV grade of plastic that is resistant to long-term fading from sunlight.
What are the dimensions of this product?
This product has the dimensions of 18 x 19 x 20 inches.
What are the available colors?
This birdhouse only comes in the color purple.
Our Final Verdict of the S&K 16 Family Purple Martin Barn Styled Birdhouse
Overall, it’s no wonder why this birdhouse is one of the best on the market and our top pick.
It truly excels in every category we’ve picked after countless hours of testing and research. This means that you’ll get the best return on your spend and experience the wonder of watching purple martins in your yard.
If you want to learn more about how this birdhouse stacks up against its competitors, check out our overall scoring table below for more information.
