Uses for an old cracked 100 gallon water tub?

[LLDM]

The crack is in the bottom and is about 6 inches long. The tub is a cheaper, thinner plastic than all the rest of our fabulous Rubber Maid tubs. I have no idea how it could be repaired either. But I keep thinking that there must be some great use for it that I am overlooking! After all, this is a farm.

So (I say to my brilliant self!) why not ask COTH? Well? :winkgrin:

Thanks in advance for all your innovative and impressive ideas!

SCFarm

[tradewind]

I have used them as planters for vegetables, my lettuce in particular, as I can put it a cool area. I have also done peppers, arugala, and herbs in them. I hate just throwing out stuff that I can reuse in some ways. I filled them half way up with rocks etc, then put in the soil, as 100 gallons is alot of soil! I am sure someone else will have an idea far more clever than mine though!

[sid]

Actually, I have about 5 metal tanks that are reaching 15 years old where the welds now leak. Since I've been having a problem with moles eating my bulbs (I love to grow lillies for cutting throughout the summer), I'm going to paint them as use a raised planters. Ever since the really bad draught a couple of years ago, the deer have also found my veggies - so I'm going to plant the things they like (tomatoes, etc.) in the tanks as well, then use stakes and wire around the edge. The tomatoes can "vine" but they'll be tall enough to keep the deer out. I'll probably use the others for raised beds for flowers they seem to like as well.

I figure I'll fill the bottom 3rd with rock, then put soil in to fill. No need to put holes for drainage in the bottom as they already leak!

[deltawave]

Baby chick brooder. :D

[vineyridge]

Hay feeder. Bricks or concrete blocks in the bottom for drainage.

[erinwillow]

We totally have one!! Our gi-normous Rubbermaid tank has holes in the bottom from our de-icer being knocked off of its hook and so now the tub is a TOMATO PLANT nursery :D Got to love the dark green color. . .blends in with anything! :winkgrin:

[mkevent]

Agree with Vineyridge-makes a great hay feeder-especially on windy days!

[MistyBlue]

Hay feeder or fill with manure and decent dirt and place next to your outside water source in the sun. Then plant it with a few rows of carrots for your herd. :D Easey Peasey to water and watch over and a tub full of homegrown snacks later on.

[cherham]

Depending on the size you can always purchase those large plastic muck buckets, cut the rope handles off them, and they conveniently fit just inside the old water trough. Easier to clean (just lift them out and hose) and two fit snug enough not to move around yet still safe as they are contained within a nice rounded edge trough designed for the same purpose. And they almost contain the same amount of water...win win situation! I have even rescued some from the local dump to bring home and do exactly this....

[sid]

Cherham...what a great idea for my "tub garden", as well. I haven't painted or filled my old tanks for my "raised" gardens yet, thank goodness. Your idea will surely make it even better.

As far as reusing for water, even better. I do use muck buckets in pastures that have 2 or less horses and the stallions -- except the stallions want to play and run off with them (esp. Argosy). Sinking them inside the old tanks will surely solve that problem..thanks!

Farm women would have invented electricity if Ben didn't do it first (grin).

If there's ever a place where the saying "necessity is the mother of invention" is most pertinent, it is on a farm -- with creative women at the helm!

[kookicat]

Planter! :D I have an old stone trough that I use to plant herbs in. It rocks! ;) :winkgrin:

[JSwan]

brooder, planter or hay feeder.

[ttldr1]

When I returned my cracked one to get it replaced at the feed store (our feed store guarantees them for 2 years) the guy that took it out of my car and put the new one in was going to take it home to use as a beer cooler for parties.

[092556]

My equine chiropractor loves to stand on my old rubber maid tank to work on my horses, turned up side down of course.

[fourmares]

worm composting bin.

[fargonefarm]

I have three big rubbermaid tanks with holes in the bottom (didn't realize I was using the wrong kind of stock tank heater until the third try - I know, I know, I'm slow!)
Anyway I can't wait to turn them into jumps! I'm planning on filling them with dirt (or compost, or old manure) and putting either real flowers in or the fake ones and either putting two lengthwise or just one as a "skinny".

But I really like the vegetable idea - that's great! But the eventer in me always sees happy accidents as potential cross-country ideas :lol:

[mkevent]

Fargone-I had the same idea for using them for jumps at first then ended up using it as a hay feeder-hmmm....may have to go searching for cracked water troughs now!!

[LLDM]

You guys ROCK! Keep 'em coming. :D

I thought I maxxed out with excitement on an old used washing machine. I am almost as excited now by a holey water trough!

SCFarm

[RU2U]

My poor rubbermaid 100 gal that got burned by the heater is now a mounting block for my 17h guy. I still have to step up on to him, but it makes it alot easier, now if I just had a mounting block for my mounting block!

[sandyliz]

I've used mine to soak hay. I lined it with a big piece of plastic, filled it with water/hay, then when the hay was soaked enough, slid out the plastic so the water could drain.

[ReSomething]

DH had a plastic wheelbarrow that cracked, he "welded" the crack shut by heating it up with either a soldering iron or a propane torch (forget which). Seems fine now.

[Arcadien]

Mounting block! I used a regular two step block to step up to the overturned water tank, my horses learn to stand nicely by it and seem to like having me mount that way.

Also have used as a schooling jump, for my mare that was going Prelim - nice size, tall & kind of skinny, and with a brush groundline, quite safe.

Arcadien

[county]

Brooder, hay feeder, store grain in them, use them to run grain into from the gravity box to auger into the bins.

[KristiKGC]

We have an old water trough at the farm that had a very long crack in it. So I got some marine epoxy and put a thin layer on the outside and inside of the trough over the crack. It holds water now!

[joiedevie99]

We have a few in the hay loft. We put caulk in along the cracks from the inside and let it dry. Then we used them to store blankets- with a piece of plywood over the top.

[SonnysMom]

I read somewhere for smaller patio planters to fill the bottom with packing peanuts instead of rocks. Makes it much more portable, drains well and gets rid of the dreaded packing peanuts that I never remember to recycle.

[LLDM]

Hi - I dragged this up again because a couple of my boys cracked one of my good rubber maid tubs. I think they were playing soccer with it. I thought I remembered some repair posts. And here they are.

But while I was at it, I might get some more good ideas. Of help out some other folks with cracked water tanks.

Anyone? :)

SCFarm

[Equibrit]

Put a smaller water trough inside it and fill in the space between with foam, add a lid with a hole and ball, to make a no freeze water trough.

[shortbusgeek]

We had a plastic 25 gallon tub that cracked on the side. I used some gorilla tape on the outside and inside over the crack and it's as good as new. Not sure what I would have done if it was a hole. Probably tried the Gorilla Tape method first and then look at other methods if that failed.

[Jaegermonster]

I have three big rubbermaid tanks with holes in the bottom (didn't realize I was using the wrong kind of stock tank heater until the third try - I know, I know, I'm slow!)
Anyway I can't wait to turn them into jumps! I'm planning on filling them with dirt (or compost, or old manure) and putting either real flowers in or the fake ones and either putting two lengthwise or just one as a "skinny".

But I really like the vegetable idea - that's great! But the eventer in me always sees happy accidents as potential cross-country ideas :lol:

That's what I was thinking, a jump. Mine are sort of graduated, bigger at the top and I was thinking when they die I can get some masking tape and plastic paint and paint them striped or whatever and make a jump. But I like the planter ideas and stuff too

[threedogpack]

I was going to suggest something similar to what Equibrit said about using the cracked one as a holder for the new one. I didn't think about making it insulated tho.

would also be good for a compost bin.

[sketcher]

I have a 150 gal rubbermaid with a hole in the bottom. One of these days I'm going to use it to grow potatoes.

[winfieldfarm]

We have one from TSC that are kind of like the material they make the rubber feed buckets out of. Got a leak from dumb swimming horse banging her big dumb lunk feet in the trough.

Hubby took goop for the RV roof leaks and slapped it on. Good as new!! And I didn't have to plant any damn vegetables!

[GilbertsCreeksideAcres]

I used mine to make a hay steamer. I used some epoxy to fill crack, added a wall paper steamer hose and a rack -- voila!

[monstrpony]

We have one from TSC that are kind of like the material they make the rubber feed buckets out of. Got a leak from dumb swimming horse banging her big dumb lunk feet in the trough.

Hubby took goop for the RV roof leaks and slapped it on. Good as new!! And I didn't have to plant any damn vegetables!

Oh, thank you! I have one of these I bought that had a hole in it, and have been trying to think of a way to fix it.

I use my 100 gal as a mounting block, and it doesn't have any holes in it--it's just too danged big for two horses to drain so I can keep it clean in the summer! So I got smaller ones (see above) to use for water in the summer, and 75 gal ones for winter with tank heaters.

[anchodavis]

Nest a smaller water tank inside it and fill space between them with either decomposing manure or closed-cell foam. Cut heavy plywood top and bolt on top with hole for horse drinking - fill inner chamber and voila - cool insulated water in summer, unfrozen water in winter that requires less energy to keep from freezing!

[Go Fish]

Blanket storage. Had DH make a lid out of an old piece of plywood that fits on top. Keeps the rodents away from the blankets stored in the barn.

[sid]

I'm drilling big holes in the bottom of about 9 old metal 100 gal. tanks whose welds are no longer good. I'm painting them with Rustoleum bronze paint (that you can use right over rust!), then using them to construct an above-ground garden.

It will be easier to keep the deer away from the veggies and certainly will keep moles from devouring all my lily bulbs (arrgggg)!!

[judybigredpony]

Some one (not me) put a crack in one of the Rubber Maid ones chopping ice w/ axe.

I use it as a planter put some gravel in bottom so it will drain added good potting soil butted it up to a fence then took one of those old ring frame things you put on a porch to hold fire wood. Wire tied that to fence and planted Morning Glory's to climb round Metal ring and fill plater with Swedish Ivy :)

In the winter I put battery powered Holiday lights and some greens n Red bow hot glued to greens..............

All in front of barn area.

[judybigredpony]

I'm drilling big holes in the bottom of about 9 old metal 100 gal. tanks whose welds are no longer good. I'm painting them with Rustoleum bronze paint (that you can use right over rust!), then using them to construct an above-ground garden.

It will be easier to keep the deer away from the veggies and certainly will keep moles from devouring all my lily bulbs (arrgggg)!!

Wow bet they look gorgeous and with some solar lights stuck in ...want photos.


Ummmm old metal feed tubs painted filled with soil and plants stick solar lights in and line a driveway????

[katie+tru]

Jump that sucker!