Tire Tanks for watering livestock in a grazing system are a viable & proven option. They're not pretty, but they are economical, sturdy and effective. We get along well with them on our farms. We stock them, but do not intend to be shipping them all over the country. If you are within driving distance of us, we will be happy to sell you one. The tanks we offer are already cut out and have either concrete or plastic bottoms in them. The concrete bottomed tanks have rebar in the concrete and rebar hooks for handling and lifting. For valve options we offer Apex, Jobe or a bottom mounted pressure valve. Water valves are sold separately. We recommend installing a heat well under them and also - stop your hard plumbing about a foot below the valve and use a flexible pressure hose about 18" to 24" long. This allows you to pull through and make your valve hook ups rather easily, plus it gives some flexibility to compensate for any movement.
If you are thrifty and handy with your hands you can make your own. Just find a tire sized for your needs and have at it. Cutting the tire out can be a chore, but we've seen some well done ones. Steve makes his own on his farm. If you want to learn more about the Do It Yourself (DIY) way here's a good link that will give you the basics before you tackle your first project.
http://muextension.missouri.edu/adair/Livestock/DIY.htm
Above left, is a 6' diameter tank with concrete bottom. notice rebar hooks embedded in the concrete. Above right is a cut-out view of a tire tank with plastic bottom fitted with an Apex trough valve. Its a pretty simple arrangement.
Above left is a 5' tank with plastic bottom and bottom mounted pressure valve. This valve is similar to a toilet bowl valve. It has a low flow rate of about 4 gallons per minute - so don't overstock it. Above right is a 4' double tire tank. The two tires are bolted together and water is held in the upper tire only. The lower tire serves only as a pedestal. It makes a good horse waterer. This arrangement works well also for sheep or goats if you bury the bottom tire in the ground. This tank is about 100 gallon capacity.
Prices
Item # TT4D 4' double tire tank $ 245.00
Item # TTC 5' tire tank with concrete $ 395.00
Item # TT6C 6' tire tank with concrete $ 495.00
Item # TT7C 7' tire tank with concrete $ 595.00
Please note that the valves are NOT included in the tire tank prices above.
We buy these by the trailer load and normally have a good selection in stock. If you need a large quantity of a specific size, just let us know and we can arrange it for you. Its hard to give you a gallon capacity, as the tires are in different widths and diameters, but as a general rule a 6' diameter tank will hold from 500 to 600 gallons. We pretty much consider these tanks as energy free for our location, however, as you get farther north there are several options to make them more so. A continuous flow is a pretty simple thing to rig up, and we are told that by putting a cross member across the center and using a rubber flap down the middle, leaving drink areas on two sides - it should take you down to about -15 degrees. If you have any questions or concerns just give us a call 417-741-1230.
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