which tank should I use

[LazyWP]

I need advice. In my horse corral, my tank has turn into a sprinkler, so I need to replace it. It only gets used when we bring horses in, and in the winter that amounts to a couple days a month. My question is... is a rubber tire tank worth the added investment. The local feed store has an 8 footer, with cement bottom, float, and everything to hook it up for around $750. I already have the material to put another steel one in. My next question, is can I keep a tire tank open with a propane tank heater. I usually keep my steel tank most of the way open that way, as long as I keep 2inch Styrofoam on top of it.
All opinions are welcome.

 

[per]

How long did the steel one last?

 

[Northern Rancher]

I'd think a propane heater would work good and a tire trough would be a bit safer for the cayuses.

 

[LazyWP]

The old one lasted about 15 years. If I do a steel one, it will be out of heavier material, and quite a bit smaller. The old one is 21 feet, and the new one won't be any bigger then 15ft.

 

[Justin]

the only tanks i use in the winter is 3 8ft tire tanks with 2 drink hole cut out in each of them. i have a tank heater in one, the other two have stayed ice free so far due to the number of head that are using those. i personally don't think you can go wrong with a tire tank, it is a one time investement. if you can get one for $750, i'd say thats a pretty good deal. they are around that price here, but that is the tire ONLY. you should have no problems using a propane tank heater. i have never had the centers ice up on any of them, just the drink holes on the one because there are only the horses and a few head of calves that use that one.

 

[per]

As long as there is water the propane heater will work in rubber or plastic troughs. 15 years, that is not as long as I thought you would say. You sure don't want to do this again down the road. I am not sure how long the seal lasts in the tire troughs. I would go with the longest life so it is the next generations worry.

 

[Northern Rancher]

The way they make the tapered cement plug for the tire troughs here it should last forever-I guess depending on your water the steel riser pipe might rust out eventually

 

[RSL]

Yikes on the price. A 7ft tire with plug, pipe, riser and steel float is $460 if you pick it up yourself. They are definitely the way to go. You can always weld a new pipe in if it rusts out. We have a couple that are 20 years old, and you can't tell they weren't just put in other than the ground around them caving away.

 

[Frisco]

We use an 8 ft tire tank in our corral for the horses on one side and the heifer calves on the other side. The horses water once a day. This tank was set up (my dad & I did it) 16 years ago with no leaks yet. The propane heater will work well. Ours is very sheltered from the wind, though.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

If it's just a few horses and your heating it why not one of those Rubbermaid water troughs?

 

[burnt]

I have a pair of 30.5 x 32 combine tires that have seen better days and have been kicking around the idea of turning them into water troughs. They would be higher than my head on the combine - 7' maybe?

How does one go about putting a concrete bottom in them so that they're sealed? Do you stick a piece of water pipe up through the bottom?

They would hold about 600 Imperial gallons which would be bigger than the combined volumes of my Rubbermaid troughs.

 

[Justin]

I have a pair of 30.5 x 32 combine tires that have seen better days and have been kicking around the idea of turning them into water troughs. They would be higher than my head on the combine - 7' maybe?

How does one go about putting a concrete bottom in them so that they're sealed? Do you stick a piece of water pipe up through the bottom?

They would hold about 600 Imperial gallons which would be bigger than the combined volumes of my Rubbermaid troughs.

our 8ft winter tanks only have bentonite to seel the bottom and have never had a leak, but these tanks have water in them 24/7. if your going to drain the tire for an extended amount of time(like during the winter) you would want to use concrete. and never put bentonite under the concrete.
we just run the black plastic water line up through the bottom and fasten it to the inside of the beed and attach the valve and float.

 

[Dakota Plainsman]

I have a pair of 30.5 x 32 combine tires that have seen better days and have been kicking around the idea of turning them into water troughs. They would be higher than my head on the combine - 7' maybe?

How does one go about putting a concrete bottom in them so that they're sealed? Do you stick a piece of water pipe up through the bottom?

They would hold about 600 Imperial gallons which would be bigger than the combined volumes of my Rubbermaid troughs.

our 8ft winter tanks only have bentonite to seel the bottom and have never had a leak, but these tanks have water in them 24/7. if your going to drain the tire for an extended amount of time(like during the winter) you would want to use concrete. and never put bentonite under the concrete.
we just run the black plastic water line up through the bottom and fasten it to the inside of the beed and attach the valve and float.

Justin, what is the reason for not putting bentonite under the concrete?
The first tire tanks I put in about 7 or 8 years ago, my well man helped
me, a 13 footer a water line person put in, and two I put in myself all
have bentonite under the concrete. We all put bentonite down then
about 2 inches of sack crete dry and turned the water on. Have never
had any problems with any of them.

 

[Justin]

i've had the bentonite swell up enough that it pushed the concrete up. maybe it was operator error when everything was getting set up, i don't know. i do know if you do a water line project with NRCS, they will not cost share if bentonite is under the concrete. just a personal preference, i don't like the stuff as well as i use to. :wink:

 

[jedstivers]

I have a pair of 30.5 x 32 combine tires that have seen better days and have been kicking around the idea of turning them into water troughs. They would be higher than my head on the combine - 7' maybe?

How does one go about putting a concrete bottom in them so that they're sealed? Do you stick a piece of water pipe up through the bottom?

They would hold about 600 Imperial gallons which would be bigger than the combined volumes of my Rubbermaid troughs.

I have the same size tires with the bead cut an ready to use just haven't put them in yet. The beads were very easy to cut out though.

 

[Frisco]

How does one go about putting a concrete bottom in them so that they're sealed? Do you stick a piece of water pipe up through the bottom?

We have put in a bunch of 12' tire tanks along pipelines the last 3 years and the guy who has set up the tanks does this: he pours bags of concrete (about 6, I think) up to the inner bead then runs enough water to cover the inner bead and lets it set up. Slickest thing you ever saw and it works!!

 

[RSL]

I have a pair of 30.5 x 32 combine tires that have seen better days and have been kicking around the idea of turning them into water troughs. They would be higher than my head on the combine - 7' maybe?

How does one go about putting a concrete bottom in them so that they're sealed? Do you stick a piece of water pipe up through the bottom?

They would hold about 600 Imperial gallons which would be bigger than the combined volumes of my Rubbermaid troughs.

I have the same size tires with the bead cut an ready to use just haven't put them in yet. The beads were very easy to cut out though.

When we picked up our last tank he showed me a trick for cutting beads out. Use a reciprocating saw, but first take a grinder and sharpen the blade by going flat down each side of the saw blade. This narrows the sides of the teeth and prevents binding.

 

[burnt]

I have a pair of 30.5 x 32 combine tires that have seen better days and have been kicking around the idea of turning them into water troughs. They would be higher than my head on the combine - 7' maybe?

How does one go about putting a concrete bottom in them so that they're sealed? Do you stick a piece of water pipe up through the bottom?

They would hold about 600 Imperial gallons which would be bigger than the combined volumes of my Rubbermaid troughs.

I have the same size tires with the bead cut an ready to use just haven't put them in yet. The beads were very easy to cut out though.

When we picked up our last tank he showed me a trick for cutting beads out. Use a reciprocating saw, but first take a grinder and sharpen the blade by going flat down each side of the saw blade. This narrows the sides of the teeth and prevents binding.

Not much wrong with using a chain saw. I used one to cut the sidewall out a tractor tire that the Mrs. wanted for a "brooder" for the baby chicks. Turn the cut out side down and put a heat lamp above and it's a pretty effective chick starting device with no corners for them to crowd into.

 

[RSL]

I have the same size tires with the bead cut an ready to use just haven't put them in yet. The beads were very easy to cut out though.

When we picked up our last tank he showed me a trick for cutting beads out. Use a reciprocating saw, but first take a grinder and sharpen the blade by going flat down each side of the saw blade. This narrows the sides of the teeth and prevents binding.

Not much wrong with using a chain saw. I used one to cut the sidewall out a tractor tire that the Mrs. wanted for a "brooder" for the baby chicks. Turn the cut out side down and put a heat lamp above and it's a pretty effective chick starting device with no corners for them to crowd into.

I used the reciprocating saw as was scared of wires when I made our sandbox this summer.

 

[cowsense]

I have the same size tires with the bead cut an ready to use just haven't put them in yet. The beads were very easy to cut out though.

When we picked up our last tank he showed me a trick for cutting beads out. Use a reciprocating saw, but first take a grinder and sharpen the blade by going flat down each side of the saw blade. This narrows the sides of the teeth and prevents binding.

Not much wrong with using a chain saw. I used one to cut the sidewall out a tractor tire that the Mrs. wanted for a "brooder" for the baby chicks. Turn the cut out side down and put a heat lamp above and it's a pretty effective chick starting device with no corners for them to crowd into.

Theres's quite a difference from tractor tires to pay loader or earth mover tires. Industrial tires are much heavier & I doubt if a chainsaw would handle the job! You might want to use a" borrowed "saw to try that one out! :lol: