Automatic waterers

[BAR_R]

This will be our first time going to an automatic water system. I am sick of dragging hoses out in the Iowa winter. How to choose a brand that will not leave me cursing. I run about 12-14 cows and a bull. Size is not as much a problem as which brand to chose from. I think I would like one that is heated; I don't want to have a pipe freeze.

Any advice is appreciated! I have everything else in place but will need to choose a water tank in the next week or two.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

you mean those self contained things? or just a float valve on a regular trough? I use Hudsen valves on one inch pipe - they are really rugged but you have to clean the screens occasionally - a tiny speck will make them leak - slowly which is much better than a regular float breaking but still kind of irritating. for small numbers with a good size trough even those cheapy box valves that are meant for hooking to a garden hose work good, but use a pipe adapter and steel above ground anyway.

I live in a pretty warm climate so your mileage may vary in terms of frozen pipes.

 

[dun]

I like the cement ones that you bury and mound dirt over for insulation. The water lines are underground so they don;t freeze. If you have it in an area that the sun can hit the water side of they generally don;t freeze hard enough to be a porblem. If they;re in the sahde, cloudy days with lows in low 20's and highs in the mid 30's you may have to crack the ice.

 

[CKC1586]

I have a Mirafount and am happy with it, do get the heater with it tho, I didn't and wish I had.
It is mounted on a cement pad, I have a single unit and placed in in a fence line so that both paddocks have access.

 

[msscamp]

This will be our first time going to an automatic water system. I am sick of dragging hoses out in the Iowa winter. How to choose a brand that will not leave me cursing. I run about 12-14 cows and a bull. Size is not as much a problem as which brand to chose from. I think I would like one that is heated; I don't want to have a pipe freeze.

Any advice is appreciated! I have everything else in place but will need to choose a water tank in the next week or two.

I don't know the brand, but we have 2 automatic waterer's that are hollow cement with a steel basin. They have a heat lamp enclosed in the base, and a heater that keeps the inflow valve from freezing. They were installed when we bought this place back in 2000, and we haven't had a lick of trouble with either one - except for the occasional swapping out of the heat lamp when it burns out. Turning them off or on is a simple matter of flipping a switch on the power pole in the corral. I've seen them at the local co-op, so you might want to check there if you're interested.

 

[rouxshortorn]

mirafount work great with or without heater, they are insulated so the water temp keeps the water from freezing

 

[cowsrus]

I,m getting ready to put some energy free waterers in. I,ve looked at Mirafount and Richie both, not decided which one yet. The singles are a little over $400. around here (NE OK).I think either one would be ok.

 

[novaman]

I have a couple Richie energy free waters. They have four holes to drink from and there are plastic balls that float in the water to close the tank off when the cattle aren't drinking. They work awesome for me. The balls will sometimes get a little froze up but the cows break them loose on their own, no problem. Of course up here in ND we can get some pretty cold weather so I do have a small heat element in the tank that I can flip on when we get those below zero temperatures and high winds. The only problem I've had is hail busting up the cover as it has gotten a little brittle over the past 15 years from exposure.

 

[6M Ranch]

We use a couple of Farmmasters, and a couple of Ritchies. All of them work pretty well. Use an insulated earth tube, at least 36" long, get below frost, and mount them on an 8'x8' concrete pad. We put ours in the fence lines, so 2-4 pens share them.

 

[BAR_R]

I did like the Ritchie and I looked at the Mirafount. Our feed store carries those and I have been to several farms that had them. I called a guy that is a dealer for pumps and watering systems and he prefers the metal over the poly. Is that just to sell a more expensive unit or do you get what you pay for?

When we were at World Beef Expo we saw some Franklin Waters. I had not ever looked at them before but I liked their lidded design. I am just going to have to make a choice and I hate taking a gamble on something I know nothing about. I do appreciate everyone's advice and every post helps me be a more informed buyer.

 

[cfpinz]

Just put in one of the plastic frost-free Ritchie ones in my spare time over the past few weeks. Wasn't bad at all, worst part was pouring the concrete pad, never been very talented with concrete. I buried a 110 line out to it while the trench was open, 38 cents/foot is cheap insurance.

cfpinz

 

[OhioRiver]

does FarmMaster have a website??

We use a couple of Farmmasters, and a couple of Ritchies. All of them work pretty well. Use an insulated earth tube, at least 36" long, get below frost, and mount them on an 8'x8' concrete pad. We put ours in the fence lines, so 2-4 pens share them.

 

[ALX.]

We use SPI energy free. Will buy SPI again.
It gets cold up here by times.

Proper installation is as much a factor as anything else.

 

[6M Ranch]

Spelling error, it should be Farmaster. Behlen sells them.
http://www.behlencountry.com/cattle/wat ... _waterers/

We're using the XCPE and PCPE models. We made panels that go over the tops of them to use them in two different pens. We also split a Ritchie Commander 2 waterer into quarters using a "plus" shape panel.

http://www.ritchiefount.com/commander.html

 

[Herefordcross]

We have old ritchie's , and we put in several new Miracos this year with the electric to them and they are working great!, easier cleaning than the Ritchie too.

 

[mnmtranching]

I use a Richie that has failed a few times. in Winter when the frost goes down 12+ feet. When it happens its done till Spring.

I also have a submersible with a 1/8 in drain hole 12 feet down the drop pipe. This well waters three pens and drains by gravity to either the tanks or down the well. Fresh water anytime, will not fail even with a power outage. I like this best. it can and does stay below zero for weeks at a time up here. :cboy:

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

http://www.cobett.com/Images/PDF/Specs_SB.pdf


Look at this and see what yoou think. 8)

 

[hillsdown]

We use SPI energy free. Will buy SPI again.
It gets cold up here by times.

Proper installation is as much a factor as anything else.

That is what we use the electric not energy free as we have access to power where our drinkers are.We have two and just are in the process of installing another one behind the shop for the bulls.It gets very cold here also and the animals always have water.

Installation is very important like you said.

As always anyone using a heater make sure you have a very good ground.

 

[Lammie]

Hey! I wished I had seen this thread before I posted mine! :shock:

 

[js2743]

i use one called THE JUG it has worked very well for me it has a earth tube that goes down in the ground and that helps keep it from freezing. and also has a heater in it if you need that also i have used this for 10 years now and no trouble i would suggest checking it out they have several different sizes from one unit to four or six i think. im not sure about a site addy but iwill search it and post if i find it.