Mine is 15 years old and still going strong.
[QUOTE=danacat;8962644]
Believe it or not I use muck baskets for water troughs in summer.[/QUOTE]
Now THERE’S an idea I hadn’t considered! Given their smaller size, these buckets would be easier to keep clean and sterilized, and to monitor water intake.
[QUOTE=BasqueMom;8962888]
Nine are about 21 years old and spent 6 years in Colorado before moving to Texas. No problems with tank heaters. [/QUOTE]
Dangit you beat me! Mine are about 19 years old and still going strong.
[QUOTE=StarPattern;8963034]
Now THERE’S an idea I hadn’t considered! Given their smaller size, these buckets would be easier to keep clean and sterilized, and to monitor water intake.[/QUOTE]
Exactly! 
[QUOTE=hosspuller;8962896]
PS … Don’t grab the edge and tip a full or nearly full tank. You’ll risk cracking it, in handling or when it falls to the ground. Instead use a bucket to reduce the water level.
And keep powered equipment (Tractors & skid steers, etc) away from them. Horses standing in, chewing on, or pawing them are bad enough. :eek:[/QUOTE]
Who’s strong enough to tip a full tank? :eek: Not me! I have to use a smaller bucket to lower the water level because of my apparent weenie-ness :lol:
My 100+ gallon rubbermaid troughs (I have an assortment of sizes and ages) are anywhere from 8-14 years old and all are going strong with no leaks or issues.
I have a Rubbermaid 100 gallon trough. I’ve had it a year, and I actually got it from my horse trainer after he had it for a long time. This one has a heating element at the bottom, and a couple months ago it did get a leak at the seal. My husband patched it up (can’t remember with what - gorilla glue, maybe?) and it’s been fine ever since!
Even though it did leak, I still love it. I have it and a 50 gallon galvanized tank side by side in the pasture (I have no running water at the barn, so I try to fill up as many troughs as I can while I have the hose run from the house ). The Rubbermaid will not be frozen at all but the galvanized will have a layer of ice. (I don’t use the heating element because I don’t electricty to plug it into anything )
I have a few 40-gallon Tough Stuff brand heavy-duty stock tanks. They are still perfectly fine in one pasture, but in the other pasture, my destructive mare who likes to play in the water has ruined hers. She also ruined a nice galvanized stock tank so she’s down to those cheap food barrels cut in half which the barn owner supplies free. She’s ruined a few of those as well.
I’m curious about the OP’s tanks rusting. OP, were you using the galvanized tanks? You must have been since I don’t think they sell another kind. Is rust a common problem?
I asked the clerk at the feed store why people would use the galvanized tanks which are more expensive. She said they are easier to clean and don’t get as much algae. I tried them out, and they were great for those reasons – super easy to clean and need cleaning less often. I had no problem with rust but maybe I didn’t use them long enough? I had to stop using them for water because one mare loves to put her feet in them and I think either she damaged the seal or it got damaged from the daily chore of emptying it out and tipping it over. Now I use them for hay.
In the Spring, when it’s warmer. (so the plastic isn’t brittle) Give a nearly full tank a little push on the side. More pushing, With proper timing, you can get the water sloshing over the side. Get it sloshing good and a little lift is all it takes to dump the tank. No Wonder Woman strength needed . :winkgrin:
Expensive story … New fireman driving the pumper truck back from a call. Took a curve a bit too fast. The water remaining in the tank took the truck over. On the way out, the tank was full so no sloshing.
I’ve had mine for 20 plus years, and have manhandled them the entire time with no problems. In fact, the only one that every cracked was a 50 lb. tank I used to feed hay in. I had it flipped over for the summer and a little beast of a QH I had decided it would be fun to stand on it like a circus elephant. That one cracked, but I think Rubbermaid should not be held accountable. :lol:
[QUOTE=clanter;8962727]
aquarium caulk can be used to seal the crack, it is flexible and non toxic … it is used to seal glass joints of aquarium tanks … normally available at hardware or big box stores[/QUOTE]
good to know! I was thinking there had to be something but I didn’t want the water to taste off because of some regular caulk. Thanks!
[QUOTE=hosspuller;8966246]
In the Spring, when it’s warmer. (so the plastic isn’t brittle) Give a nearly full tank a little push on the side. More pushing, With proper timing, you can get the water sloshing over the side. Get it sloshing good and a little lift is all it takes to dump the tank. No Wonder Woman strength needed . :winkgrin:
Expensive story … New fireman driving the pumper truck back from a call. Took a curve a bit too fast. The water remaining in the tank took the truck over. On the way out, the tank was full so no sloshing.[/QUOTE]
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve tried to do exactly that! I absolutely cannot get a trough to tip if it is more than half full. But I also have mine backed up to no-climb wire fences and they’re sitting in mud for 80% of the year, so maybe that’s part of the problem. Either way, I always have to scoop a bunch of water out with a bucket before I can get to the point of being able to tip it!
So you may not consider it Wonder Woman strength, but I do! :lol:
I have one that’s only a year and a half old but it still looks brand new. It’s been through everything from -20 to 105 temps and is holding up great. It’s much easier to clean than galvanized too.
My Rubbermaid with the heater was used for 11 years without issue, except for replacing the heater one time.
I put in storage because I am down to two horses and it’s a lot easier for me to tip and clean the 20 gallon tubs, even the electric ones.
I give it a five star rating for durability.
i bought 5 of the 100gal. models in the last 3 years and they all cracked & leaked at the bottom. Additionally nothing seems to be able to repair them! i’ve used flex seal, pool liner patch, j b weld and they still leak. Would not buy this product again!
