Quadripod Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

With parrots, one can never say “never”—because (as all of us bird lovers know) a determined bird can do pretty much anything he sets his mind to.  However, it’s unlikely that your bird can get off the Quadripod stand, regardless of size.  Larger birds especially will be able to get off the perch and walk around the perimeter of the catch tray.  However, it’s difficult for them to make that last 2 foot drop from tray to the floor because they can’t get a good “beak-hold” on the rounded edge of the tray.

Flighted birds are a possible exception, of course—as they would be with any playstand.  Even so, many of our customers tell us their birds pretty much stay put on the Quadripod.

 

The base and tray for the Quadripod stand measures 32 x 32 inches—which is a very stable footprint for any playstand.  It is highly unlikely that your Quadripod will ever tip over.  This is true even if your bird is flighted and lands on the stand.  Customer experience—and our own “load testing” with large Macaw and  Cockatoo-size birds on the Quadripod stand (both clipped and flighted)—have verified this time and time again.  

 

We’ve made our Quadripod tray as large as practical.  It’s big enough to catch the bulk of your bird’s mess—but still small enough to fit through most doors when moved from room to room.  Plus, it’s in a size that’s economical to ship.

Although our Quadripod trays do a good job of containing your bird’s mess—it won’t catch all of it.  Anyone who has been around birds for any length of time knows that birds will always move to the furthest branch/spot on the playstand—and then dump.  Some birds are especially good at “angle shots”—i.e. those perpendicular droppings made from that furthest point that shoot right past the edge of tray and hit the floor.  Then there are the birds who like to forage in the tray and lean over the edge of the tray to drop their food and/or do their business.  It doesn’t matter how big the tray is.  It’s not going to catch 100% of your bird’s mess.

If you’re concerned about the 5-10% of the mess our tray doesn’t catch, we recommend you do what we do—which is put an old sheet, tablecloth or shower curtain under the Quadripod while it’s in use.  When the bird is done with the stand for the day, we just shake out the sheet and/or throw it in the wash.  Customers tell us that plastic runners or chair mats under the Quadripod work well, too—especially on carpeted floors.

 

All birds are different, and we cannot guarantee that your bird will never chew the tray.  But, in our experience, they don’t.  And, we can make this statement after a lot of customer “load-testing” with large birds known to chew everything.   

We can’t say for sure why birds don’t bother the tray.  However, we can offer a few explanations, based on our own observations and the experiences of our Quadripod customers.  One reason, of course, is that birds simply don’t spend a lot of time down on the tray—preferring instead to stay up high and on the perch.  Second, birds that do manage to get down to the tray find that the tray is not a particularly fun thing to chew.  The rounded edge of the tray appears to be a real deterrent to chewing behavior—because even the largest beak can’t get a good beak-grip on the tray edge.  This, and the fact that Kydex—the American-made plastic we use for our trays--is really tough stuff (and difficult to gouge under the worst of circumstances), making the tray an unattractive target for destructive beaks.  

 

We recognize that our Quadripod modular playstands are probably a little more expensive than other playstands for pet birds.  However, they are built to last a lifetime.  

Like all of our stainless playstands, Quadripods are built in small shops--not mass-produced in large factories.  We use only the best materials in building Quadripod—and all of our playstands.  Every piece of stainless steel we use in Quadripod is high quality, American-made stainless steel—down to the last nut and bolt.  It’s extremely durable and completely bird-safe.  Lower grades of stainless can rust, and some even contain lead, zinc and other toxic metals that can be harmful to your bird—which is why we insist on using only the best.  Our plastic trays are also made out of high quality Kydex plastic, which is the same material used to build the interiors of aircraft and other applications.  Like our stainless, it’s durable, completely bird-safe, and extremely easy to clean.  All I can tell you is that everyone who has bought a Quadripod from us thus far really loves it.

 

Actually, we had originally planned to offer a stainless grate as standard component of the Quadripod playstand—and even had some prototype grates made.  However—like all things stainless—the grate was quite expensive to make—and we were concerned about adding to the cost of an already fairly expensive stand.  We also found that the grate was not a particularly important feature to customers.  Most felt the grate was not needed, given how easily messes could be wiped off the Kydex tray.  That being said, we can accommodate customers who want to add a stainless grate to their Quadripod stand.  However, the grate will be a custom order and available at extra cost.

 

Actually, the Quadripod is a great stand to bring along when traveling with your birds because it knocks down easily into top, tray and base—and re-assembles in a snap.

 

Absolutely.  In fact, we have quite a few customers who have bought the Quadripod for outdoor use and/or for outdoor aviaries.  All stainless components of the Quadripod stand are made of high quality, American-made stainless steel and are guaranteed rust-proof—so there’s never a worry about rust developing on the stand when exposed to outside weather.  Plus, as noted previously, the material from which we make our trays--Kydex plastic—is really tough stuff and built to withstand all kinds of abuse—both indoor and outdoor.  (See “About Kydex” for more details.)

(Note:  We can personally attest to Quadripod’s ability to hold up well in outside weather.  We had a medium Quadripod in our outdoor aviary for five years—through harsh Chicago winters and hot summers—and it still looks like new.  All it took was a good scrub down of both stainless parts and tray with soap and water in the Spring, and the stand was good to go for another season!)

 

No.  Although the Quadripod comes standard with wheels, we can remove those wheels and replace them with rubber-tipped feet if you prefer your stand to remain stationary.  Just give us a call, and we can easily make that change before we ship your stand.  We will also deduct the cost of the wheels from the price of your stand.

 

We want you and your bird to enjoy your Quadripod stand for life—which is why we’ve made sure every hardware component of your stand is replaceable.  Other than the toy hangers on the “ring” and “C” tops, none of the stainless screws, nuts, studs, or other fasteners that hold Quadripod together are welded in place—which means that you can remove and replace that hardware in the unlikely event that a screw or stud becomes broken, bent or stripped.  Your Quadripod stand is an investment, and we don’t your stand to become unusable simply because a $2 hardware piece wears out.

All screws used in construction of the Quadripod are standard ¼ - 20 thread and are stainless steel.  You can purchase replacements at any home center or hardware store—or you can contact us at 866-WINGDOW or info@wingdow.com, and we will send you that replacement hardware at no charge.

 

At some point you may need to change or replace the perch wood on your Quadripod stand.  Your bird may have chewed the perch—or you may simply want to try a different wood.  Either way, call us at 866-WINGDOW—or go online at www.wingdow.com—and we can supply you with another perch for your stand.

 

If you have a supply of favorite wood and wish to make your own perch for your stand, by all means, do so.  In fact, we encourage it—since you know best what your bird likes.  We offer instructions on how to drill your own Quadripod perch in our assembly instructions.

 

Absolutely.  Pretty much any cup that attaches through the vertical bars of your cage can also be attached to the stainless steel food cup bracket for Quadripod.  However, you should really give our acrylic cups a try.  They are extremely durable and dishwasher-safe--can't be tipped over by playful beaks.  Plus, they look great on the Quadripod!

 

If you prefer a playstand made of natural wood for your bird—but like the idea of Quadripod’s indestructible, easy-to-clean and portable base--you can purchase just the base plus tray and add a natural wood tree of your choice.  

Wingdow® has devised a special piece of “treetop conversion” hardware that allows you to mount a natural wood tree onto Quadripod’s stainless base.  The “treetop conversion kit” consists of a long, heavy duty hanger screw on one end and a piece of stainless steel tubing on the other end.  The end with the hanger screw screws into the bottom of the tree, while the tube end fits over the mounting stub on Quadripod’s stainless base.  There’s a hole in the tubing and the mounting stub on the base for a thumbscrew, which locks the treetop in place.  See “Treetop Conversion Kit” under “Quadripod Playstand” for more details.