Dagerous 18 Quart Heated Rubber Flat Back Bucket by Farm Innovators

[mike69440]

I hope our experience will save other people grief. at best a waste of money, worst case, it may kill your livestock
A rubber heated watering bucket is a good idea, but this one is very poorly executed. The Plastic Heated buckets tend to crack in the cold or if mishandled. Black rubber also absorbs heat in sunlight, so this should be a good product,but it is not.
Do you want to electrocute your livestock?
The electric cord is very poorly protected with cheap plastic. No strain relief around the Cord entrance to bucket. Also the cord is not protected and exposed where the cord enters the bucket leaving the cord a tempting place for the animal to chew . The electric cord and internals are not reparable. The heating element and cord entrance are "sealed" with common clear silicone cure, like bathtub caulk.
No responsible vendor should carry this product.

 

[kf4uda]

That is a very poor made product for sure. We have a couple of API heated buckets. They are very well made and seems to have addressed all of the problems that you listed. This is our first winter with them but so far so good. API Heated 2 qt. Flat Back Bucket at Tractor Supply Co.

 

[Peter 315]

We have been using this brand for 10 years no problems yet API Heated 20 qt. Flat Back Bucket (4) in the barn, plus (2) stock tank heaters outside

 

[LouNY]

Anything with wires is a magnet to cows, park a gas engine tractor in a field for a day with cows in it and every plug wire will be gone.
When you are using heated buckets a lot of people will put a board in a corner to keep the bucket protected. Also you can get water tanks with built in heaters under the tank and the power connection is also underneath and protected. Also be sure and get a ground fault protector.

 

[3930dave]

I hope our experience will save other people grief. at best a waste of money, worst case, it may kill your livestock
A rubber heated watering bucket is a good idea, but this one is very poorly executed. The Plastic Heated buckets tend to crack in the cold or if mishandled. Black rubber also absorbs heat in sunlight, so this should be a good product,but it is not.
Do you want to electrocute your livestock?
The electric cord is very poorly protected with cheap plastic. No strain relief around the Cord entrance to bucket. Also the cord is not protected and exposed where the cord enters the bucket leaving the cord a tempting place for the animal to chew . The electric cord and internals are not reparable. The heating element and cord entrance are "sealed" with common clear silicone cure, like bathtub caulk.
No responsible vendor should carry this product.

Chances are it had none - if this product has/had any certification labels (UL, CSA.....) report your experience to those authorities, as the labels probably had been faked.

Rgds, D.

 

[QRTRHRS]

When I was boarding horses, I had maybe 25 or so heated buckets, each plugged into it's own GFCI so if one went bad it would not take the whole line down. I used the plastic ones, not rubber, from Little Giant and other brands. Only issue I ever had was an element going bad on occasion. Never had one knock off the GFCI's. Besides protecting the cords even if armored or with the sprial steel wire covering the cord, I always covered the cords. I also used bucket holders that did not allow any horse to move the bucket from side to side.

There was a recent article on one of the horse related web sites about a 100 tub problem. The heater had shorted or something and either burned or melted the entire tub to the ground. Luckily, no animal was hurt.

 

[sd455dan]

Chances are it had none - if this product has/had any certification labels (UL, CSA.....) report your experience to those authorities, as the labels probably had been faked.

Rgds, D.

Exactly - If that has a UL tag on it - after looking at the pic can't believe that would pass their cert process.
Agree report to UL ,
and thanks OP for posting- may save someones cherished animals here on TBN

 

[TheMan419]

When I was boarding horses, I had maybe 25 or so heated buckets, each plugged into it's own GFCI so if one went bad it would not take the whole line down. I used the plastic ones, not rubber, from Little Giant and other brands. Only issue I ever had was an element going bad on occasion. Never had one knock off the GFCI's. Besides protecting the cords even if armored or with the sprial steel wire covering the cord, I always covered the cords. I also used bucket holders that did not allow any horse to move the bucket from side to side.

There was a recent article on one of the horse related web sites about a 100 tub problem. The heater had shorted or something and either burned or melted the entire tub to the ground. Luckily, no animal was hurt.

The last round of pics I saw of the 100 gal Rubbermaid trough getting melted was from some numb nuts using a heater safe only for metal trough in his rubber trough.

 

[mike69440]

The last round of pics I saw of the 100 gal Rubbermaid trough getting melted was from some numb nuts using a heater safe only for metal trough in his rubber trough.

Someone whom I won't mention whom did that twice on our farm. I fixed with fiberglass and it has held. Same someone tossed the one of the repaired 100 gallon Rubbermaid over a paddock fence and cracked it.

I fixed it again with fiberglass. I made him replace with new so we have an extra now. Costs money to be careless.

 

[mike69440]

I wonder if UL has a horse chew test? The cord has plastic armor like the Automotive stuff except it is not split.

Heck I could chew thru it. Also the plastic armor recedes back from the end of the cord over time leaving exposed cord. UL should have a spec of 4' of 0.035" stainless wire spring potted in a metal sleeve where it enters the bucket.

Slit some PVC pipe to cover longer runs or use conduit.
In any case a big dog could still chew threw it.

Once my huge lab got hold of a box of 30-06 ammo.

Wonder if he was attracted to smell of the powder propellant?

Chewed the casings so bad I'm surprised the rounds did not explode!

PS thanks I'll look onto API heated buckets.
Amazon.com: API 5 Gallon 115 Watt Heated Flat Back Bucket 2FB: Pet Supplies
Sure looks a lot safer!

PS
TSC took the damaged one back and refunded our Credit Card.

I slammed the rubber bucket on TSC and Amazon review.