Spent $80 on a cheap rain barrel and it cracked within 3 months

I bought one of those basic plastic rain barrels from a big box store back in April. Thought I was being smart about water conservation. The thing split right down the seam after a few hot days. Ended up replacing it with a heavy-duty metal one for $150 from a local garden supply place. The metal one's been holding up fine through the summer. Anyone else had cheap plastic rain barrels fail on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_coleman84h ago

Nah @benlewis, my cheap plastic barrel lasted 2 years before it cracked, so it depends on where you put it.

benlewis10h agoMost Upvoted

Those plastic ones from the hardware stores always seem to fail in direct sun. The UV light breaks down the plastic and then the pressure from the water does the rest. You want a barrel that's either made from thicker UV-stabilized plastic or metal like you got. Make sure you put the new one on a solid, level base too. A little bit of crushed gravel or some pavers will keep the weight from stressing the bottom seam. Good call going with the local garden supply place, they usually sell stuff that actually lasts.