Water troughs

[jltrent]

I have a couple tanks that needs replaced. I am looking to replace with 4 ball troughs. A local guy that use to sell Richie (and install) now does not and has another brand he says want crack as bad as the Richie are doing (not sure his brand). I always thought Richie was the best. What other water trough brands are good and will last?

At an auction a couple year ago, I saw firsthand used Richie troughs with cracks they were trying to sell. Are some tougher than others.

 

[Silver]

Mirafount is very popular for this type of trough up here.

https://www.miracowaterers.com/products/mirafount-3350

 

[farmerjan]

With all the water line/well pump/etc and so on trouble we have had... we will never put in any ball type waterers. The bears here will get the "ball" disc out, find them scattered in the field at 2 different places.. they try to tear them up... And after having so much problems with the previously installed lines here, troubleshooting leaks .... and having to turn the well on and off to fill the waterers and lines to hold them a few hours... we will put in open big waterers... 300 gallon or something... open concrete troughs. We seldom get more than a few days of real cold stay frozen type temps... and the bears do not seem to bother them near as much... This way we can make sure that if there is a problem, the cattle will have water for a day or 2 if we have to shut down the system for anything... The well at the main farm, is up top of a hill and all the lines run down and it is thousands of feet to the barn and waterers in the lots there. There are still a couple of the ball waterers, and we have changed to a small open trough with the float under the metal "housing"... in the barn lot....and have had very little trouble except for the water pressure being so great coming downhill from the well, that we had to put a reducing valve in it.

This does not work for real cold frozen temps... would never be any use like where @Silver is.
I have a spring fed round concrete water trough, at the one pasture we keep the heifers and anything we do not want with a bull because there are no other cattle near there and the fences are pretty new.... and have had to break the ice on it a couple times in the past... good sledge hammer and I float some of the salt water filled gallon jugs in it and the cows keep them moving around alot too. I use dark brown jugs that hold about 3/4 gallon from hershey's syrup, and old iodine gallon jugs... dark color absorbs any sun that gets on them quicker too...

Son said he would never buy another Ritchie waterer....

 

[kenny thomas]

True Test 4 ball is the last one i installed. There is no bowl around the ball to catch trash. Also if the cattle aren't using it there is no bowl to collect rain and freeze.
I still like my tire troughs with the remote float better.

 

[SmokinM]

I have used and installed Mira-founts for 20 years. They are tough and simple to use, service and install. I would recommend them over all the others. Only one I have ever replaced the man wiped off the pad with a tractor while bushogging. Hated the 2 Ritchie’s I put in for customers.

 

[jltrent]

With all the water line/well pump/etc and so on trouble we have had... we will never put in any ball type waterers. The bears here will get the "ball" disc out, find them scattered in the field at 2 different places.. they try to tear them up... And after having so much problems with the previously installed lines here, troubleshooting leaks .... and having to turn the well on and off to fill the waterers and lines to hold them a few hours... we will put in open big waterers... 300 gallon or something... open concrete troughs. We seldom get more than a few days of real cold stay frozen type temps... and the bears do not seem to bother them near as much... This way we can make sure that if there is a problem, the cattle will have water for a day or 2 if we have to shut down the system for anything... The well at the main farm, is up top of a hill and all the lines run down and it is thousands of feet to the barn and waterers in the lots there. There are still a couple of the ball waterers, and we have changed to a small open trough with the float under the metal "housing"... in the barn lot....and have had very little trouble except for the water pressure being so great coming downhill from the well, that we had to put a reducing valve in it.

This does not work for real cold frozen temps... would never be any use like where @Silver is.
I have a spring fed round concrete water trough, at the one pasture we keep the heifers and anything we do not want with a bull because there are no other cattle near there and the fences are pretty new.... and have had to break the ice on it a couple times in the past... good sledge hammer and I float some of the salt water filled gallon jugs in it and the cows keep them moving around alot too. I use dark brown jugs that hold about 3/4 gallon from hershey's syrup, and old iodine gallon jugs... dark color absorbs any sun that gets on them quicker too...

Son said he would never buy another Ritchie waterer....

Thanks for all the information's. I currently have all big 32 ply rubber tires and several cattle can get around and drink at once and the float is under ground and sets the water level. If I feed close they freeze very little if any. I have never had any problems except replace the cutoff every 7-8 years as it will wear out. These were put in in 2000. My problem is a couple were installed with galvanize in the center and one leaks I no longer use and the other is a ticking time bomb. All the others are 100% PVC. I had to work a full-time job when he put them in, and he wanted to put floats in the middle which are a POS and a lot easier to install than the float boxes we agreed before he started. He and I had a problem, and I got PVC in all but 2 and the galvanize I noticed was still in a couple latter in the center.

These need repaired or replaced and I thought about going with 4 ball floats and not 100% sure I want them as the climate is not real cold. I believe if I can get the cement out of the tires I would like to have them replaced or fixed.

 

[jltrent]

View attachment 63034
True Test 4 ball is the last one i installed. There is no bowl around the ball to catch trash. Also if the cattle aren't using it there is no bowl to collect rain and freeze.
I still like my tire troughs with the remote float better.

Real good information as I have never heard of those. There looks to be no dish around the balls to freeze on those or easy crack. Thanks for the inforamtion. ALso looks easy to take the lid off for repairs if needed.

 

[kenny thomas]

Real good information as I have never heard of those. There looks to be no dish around the balls to freeze on those or easy crack. Thanks for the inforamtion.

New Image Fencing, Jerry Ingle sells them.

 

[jltrent]

New Image Fencing, Jerry Ingle sells them.

He is the guy I referred about, and he recommended a different brand I can't remember as this is secondhand info so don't quote me on it. I need to call him myself. I am just about sure he said Behlen Country is what he sells and highly recommend. Again, don't quote me on it. Those Behlen Country read and sound good. That is one reason I am confused as I always heard Richie is the way to go.

 

[10-e-c-dirtfarmer]

I have 3 Mire-founts, 20+ yo, replaced several balls and valves, and they have froze-up sometimes when below 0, but black thaws quick when sun comes out.

​

 

[jltrent]

I have 3 Mire-founts, 20+ yo, replaced several balls and valves, and they have froze-up sometimes when below 0, but black thaws quick when sun comes out.

​

Your climate is close about like mine so some good info. I am in very Western part of VA.

These water troughs are about like going into Kroger's to buy something. You have 10 different brans to choose from and no clue which to buy.

 

[SmokinM]

FYI the Behlen is not as good as the Mirafount IMO. The plastic housing is not as good nor is the float. They are pretty much the same valve. As far as freezing they do great as long as you have cattle drinking from them. Sitting idle in prolonged periods below freezing can be an issue. Full sun exposure does help. When you do install don’t cut corners on heat well and put in a drain back valve with your cut off. This lets you empty the stand pipe if they need to sit idle for extended periods.

 

[jltrent]

FYI the Behlen is not as good as the Mirafount IMO. The plastic housing is not as good nor is the float. They are pretty much the same valve. As far as freezing they do great as long as you have cattle drinking from them. Sitting idle in prolonged periods below freezing can be an issue. Full sun exposure does help. When you do install don’t cut corners on heat well and put in a drain back valve with your cut off. This lets you empty the stand pipe if they need to sit idle for extended periods.

Real good information, thanks.

 

[Ebenezer]

He is the guy I referred about, and he recommended a different brand I can't remember as this is secondhand info so don't quote me on it. I need to call him myself. I am just about sure he said Behlen Country is what he sells and highly recommend. Again, don't quote me on it. Those Behlen Country read and sound good. That is one reason I am confused as I always heard Richie is the way to go.

Had some for decades - no problem except for normal repairs

 

[Ebenezer]

Problem with ball waterers is that it takes a bigger supply pipe to keep them full enough for as many cattle to drink as they rate them. For winter, they are handy. For summer - I think that the smaller and younger cattle get shorted.

"I currently have all big 32 ply rubber tires and several cattle can get around and drink at once and the float is under ground and sets the water level. If I feed close they freeze very little if any. I have never had any problems except replace the cutoff every 7-8 years as it will wear out. These were put in in 2000. My problem is a couple were installed with galvanize in the center and one leaks I no longer use and the other is a ticking time bomb."

Can't you pull up the tire and tear out the base and redo with PVC? Or with a good grout, just get the old pipe out and put in a new one and patch what needs to be removed? A neighbor sets his tires, plumbs and then pours dry mix in for the bottom. He has a number of years doing that without leaks. He levels, packs a bit, adds a thin layer of water and lets it sit a while. I can't quite get the nerve to do that.

 

[Silver]

We have a Mirafount. Never have the balls freeze if the water level is set correctly. The ball needs to be set so it doesn’t completely seal. I would expect any ball waterer would be the same.

 

[jltrent]

Problem with ball waterers is that it takes a bigger supply pipe to keep them full enough for as many cattle to drink as they rate them. For winter, they are handy. For summer - I think that the smaller and younger cattle get shorted.

"I currently have all big 32 ply rubber tires and several cattle can get around and drink at once and the float is under ground and sets the water level. If I feed close they freeze very little if any. I have never had any problems except replace the cutoff every 7-8 years as it will wear out. These were put in in 2000. My problem is a couple were installed with galvanize in the center and one leaks I no longer use and the other is a ticking time bomb."

Can't you pull up the tire and tear out the base and redo with PVC? Or with a good grout, just get the old pipe out and put in a new one and patch what needs to be removed? A neighbor sets his tires, plumbs and then pours dry mix in for the bottom. He has a number of years doing that without leaks. He levels, packs a bit, adds a thin layer of water and lets it sit a while. I can't quite get the nerve to do that.

I have never had a problem with leaks on the tires, just those two with galvanize in the middle. I could see the concrete being a problem getting out as it is over the edge on the upper lip and I am sure over the edge in the bottom. I may make it a job next year to pick one up with a tractor and see if the middle concrete will come out. I might can beat it out going around the edge getting that cracked. I really like my tires through the years as very low maintenance and 32 ply I believe will last way longer than I will ever need. Here is one been in 25 years I have replaced the BoB valve twice and maintenance free other than that.

 

[cfpinz]

Pictures taken this past Sunday, good timing. Both of these were installed right at 20 years ago, within a year or so of one another. I prefer the Ritchie from a no-tools float access and adjustment standpoint, but the Mirafount seems to be holding up better.

 

[jltrent]

Pictures taken this past Sunday, good timing. Both of these were installed right at 20 years ago, within a year or so of one another. I prefer the Ritchie from a no-tools float access and adjustment standpoint, but the Mirafount seems to be holding up better.

View attachment 63058

Thanks for posting the pics. That Richie looks rough.

 

[R lazy 7]

I have never had a problem with leaks on the tires, just those two with galvanize in the middle. I could see the concrete being a problem getting out as it is over the edge on the upper lip and I am sure over the edge in the bottom. I may make it a job next year to pick one up with a tractor and see if the middle concrete will come out. I might can beat it out going around the edge getting that cracked. I really like my tires through the years as very low maintenance and 32 ply I believe will last way longer than I will ever need. Here is one been in 25 years I have replaced the BoB valve twice and maintenance free other than that.

View attachment 63048
View attachment 63049
View attachment 63052
View attachment 63054

You should be able to get the concrete out of your tanks. I've done it quite a few times. Some are harder than others, but I've always won!