Tank heaters. Grrrr.

notjustair · Dec 29, 2014

I am so sick of cheap Chinese stock tank heaters! Last year one didn't last the winter. This year I needed two more. The only option was a blue floating one. Bought two. That was the first part of December. As of today BOTH of them have quit. When the first one went I went back and they had another brand so I am trying that. I have no problem spending more to get something better. This one has a two year warranty so we will see. I'm sure he other two had a warranty but I had SWMBO go get them and she didn't put them on our farm plan OR keep the receipt (???). I better go get another new one that will last. They say when January hits we are in for it. I should be going to auctions and picking up the old red ones. I have some that are 15 years old and work every time.

I'm sure there are good ones online, but I am just so leery of putting in credit card info or giving a card number to a business over the phone. I'd have to deal with giving out my farm tax ID information to another company as well.

D beatty · Dec 29, 2014

Have you ever looked at a stocktank heater called Farm Innovators floating tank deicer ? They are made in the USA.

Nebraska Cowman · Dec 29, 2014

have you tried one of these?

vscummins · Dec 29, 2014

Here what I did its was below 0 today and only had a 3 inch layer of ice in the tank thats when the axe comes in handy just been using a round shovel for now

centralilbaler · Dec 29, 2014

i am using an allied precision sinking tank heater, so far 2 months without failing.

JayinNY · Dec 29, 2014

Hard to tell from the picture but how do the animals reach in there to drink from that?

vscummins · Dec 29, 2014

They have a pretty long neck its a horse trough and he suck it dry it like a heater but it won't be this year

Wheatfarmer · Dec 29, 2014

Put about 4-5" of slack coal around it. If you have a breeze most of the time throw a basket ball etc in it.

Mike (WA) · Dec 29, 2014

We got the sinking type last winter- I found out later that Mrs. (WA) was afraid it would burn through the bottom of the plastic water trough if it just laid on the bottom (?), so tied it with twine so it wouldn't go all the way to the bottom. You know what's coming next- horses drank down past where the heater was, so it was against the side of the tank in open air and burned through it. Fixed it with JB Weld, still working fine.

Had a tough time convincing her that it wouldn't burn through anything if it was kept submerged.

dmiller · Dec 29, 2014

I raise hogs in a barn with no running water. I use 55 gallon barrels with cups/nipples plumbed to the bottom of them. Obviously they all get a tank heater for the winter. Never can figure out how they do it, but despite all my efforts the sows pull the tank heaters out of the barrels and eat them. Usually only one or two a year. Drives me nuts.
I agree tank heaters are wonderfull and awfull at the same time.

JayinNY · Dec 29, 2014

Your supposed to put a wire cage around the heater so it won't melt plastic tanks.

notjustair · Dec 29, 2014

That doesn't work when you have hogs. I use the stock tanks with hog waterers built into the side of them. Some of my pens share fencing with cattle pens so cattle drink off the top and hogs drink out of their waterer.

Nebraska Cowman · Dec 29, 2014

Oh, OK, sorry. It's just that electric heaters scare me. I've seen too many cattle electrocuted.

retired farmer · Dec 29, 2014

We been using them for over fourteen years and nobody has died yet. Have to hook them to a GFI.

Kansas4010 · Dec 30, 2014

A couple years ago I was in the same situation. The only thing I could find was one of those blue floating things and it was a joke. The cord comes out of the bottom of the heater so it just wanted to flip upside down in the tank. luckily it was at the end of the winter so it got pitched. After that I bought some of the better red ones and have half a dozen brand new ones sitting in the shed ready to go. I have a couple floaters, a couple sinker styles, a side mount version and a propane one on standby now. Trying to find one now isn't easy it seems. TSC and Orscheln's always seem to be sold out. Premier was the only place that I've got lucky finding them.

Tank heaters. Grrrr.

notjustair

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D beatty

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Nebraska Cowman

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vscummins

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centralilbaler

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JayinNY

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vscummins

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Wheatfarmer

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Mike (WA)

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dmiller

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JayinNY

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notjustair

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Nebraska Cowman

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retired farmer

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