I am finding that 5 gallon buckets used to store honey are only lasting me a couple of seasons. I buy them primarily from box stores (Lowes/Home Depot) and from Tractor Supply. The upper lips seem too thin and will crack after a few lids have been malleted on and pried off for a few seasons.
I am looking for a heavy duty bucket (Manufacturer and Retailer) that will endure a beating. Does anyone have any suggestions or sources? Thank you.
Wow.
Its amazing that you brought this up. I was thinking just the same thing!
I use them for feeding ducks, rabbits, and other things not just bees.
And I noticed a couple years ago that it looked like the buckets being sold at Home Depot were a cheaper plastic and didn't look as solid as I thought they used to.
Years and years ago when you saw 5 gallon buckets the plastic had a dark thick sturdy look. It didn't have the shiny plastic look; and the shiny look is always cheap easy break plastic.
But I couldn't prove this other than, when knocking ice out of the top in the morning so animals could feed lately the newer ones would have the plastic bust open sometimes on this. My ego wants to say that's because of hurculean strength but that's not true.
One of the ways you can tell they are cheap plastic now is that when they are cold and you hit them with ice in they will literally shatter. But before they switched to this cheaper stuff they didn't shatter so easily.
Then I see your comments and this does confirm it.
I'm concerned about this also because cheap plastics age in sunlight fast. And I need something sturdy for my yard projects (of many kinds).
This means I may be getting buckets elsewhere.
I am amazed though...there are few tools that I can use for tons of stuff like I can the 5 gallon buckets.
I would think places that sell agricultural tools may have the sturdier ones still. But who knows how long it will be since there's a growing rot to cheat people in corporate circles.