I don't see them as particularly frail. The end caps are solid heavier metal than I've seen on other feeders. The weakest part is probably the plastic tube which is sturdier than similar models having plastic tubes. As the name suggests, they're very easy to break down and clean (which I do religiously so as not to further disease spread). These have been out in all weather 24/7 for four years. Summer sun and heat are brutal on plastics and these have held up. I have had a number of other feeders that did not. I do have some metal mesh feeders as well and they also hold up. But I use them in more protected areas that don't get much sideways rain (unlike where the clever cleans are).
I can't see using galvanized metal on feeders due to the large amount of literature on zinc toxicity in birds. It's no longer recommended for cages for fowl either.
I'll look into wiring options but given cleaning schedules I'll have to come up with something easily removable.
