Afraid I made a bit of a science project out of this. Two months ago I decided to put out a heated bird bath, did a lot of research and felt the API 650 seemed best suited to my purpose, though I did note complaints about the bracket. Being very mechanical, I can say the bracket would not be sturdy enough for squirrels jumping on the rim _unless_ you simply add three screws through the bracket and into the deck rail. See attached photo. I needed to level my deck rail else the water would have been rather shallow on one side. The EZ-Tilt Deck Mount works fine when you are used to it. The first time you try to use it, if you simply lift the rim instead of grasping while you lift, you can be surprised as the water sloshes over to the side of the bowl, which causes the bowl to accelerate away from you. The bracket does separate and the bowl can easily flip right over and down to the ground when you only meant to tilt it. Non-issue for me after using it once. In two months and counting, no critters have knocked it loose. See attached photos.

I was a little concerned about needing to fill it frequently due to rapid evaporation in the super dry air that comes with the coldest days. I knew (from farm upbringing) that heating elements designed for immersion shouldn't be allowed to go dry. I couldn't find solid info on the temperature setting so I decided to add this Inkbird Itc-308 Digital Temperature Controller Outlet Thermostat, 2-stage, 1100w, w/ Sensor temperature controller. See attached photos.

The copper wire is clipped to the edge of the bowl and then spiraled around the sensor of the temperature controller for two reasons: 1) to keep the sensor in a good place, 2) to keep a little gap between the heating element and the sensor. I was able to form the wire so it snaps into place on the rim of the bowl, so the birds don't move the sensor out of the water. The gap is needed for the controller to work best (minimizes overshoot). I used copper wire for the same reason they put pennies in bird baths - copper helps reduce growth of bacteria in the water. We had a cold spell with lows around 10 F and highs around 28 F, roughly. I found a setting of 40°F (on) to 42°F (off) was the lowest possible setting that keeps the surface 95% ice-free. I also measured the built-in settings were 50°F (on) to 63°F (off). That's too warm for my intent.

This bird bath worked well and the birds appreciated having a drink in the middle of winter! We've owned this heated bird bath for about 4 years, and now, sadly, the plastic inside the bowl has come off and it's now chalky white and not smooth. I don't dare use it for fear that surface could release chemicals that might harm the birds. It was only plugged in during really cold months, but rain, leaves, and pine needles during milder months must have accelerated the finish to wear off. We should have been more diligent in cleaning out debris, I guess. If it's not in a place where you see it on a regular basis, it's tough to know when leaves & pine needles get in there. We will order another one, and install it closer so we can clean it more frequently.

Love this bird bath! Pictures show how we added a board to get it to work with our porch but no big deal and it looks great! Easy to clean and functional. I added a solar fountain to mine as well.

This birdbath lives up to it's advertisement in that it truly does keep water from freezing regardless of how cold it gets. Currently, I have it resting on the empty flower box cage that is on outside of the fence that abuts my patio. Without it being affixed to the fence as designed, this set up allows me to better direct the discarded water to slightly different areas below. I have landscaping along the outside of that fence so it concerns me that water will frequently --and often in some quantity -- be emptied on it below if I can't move the birdbath around.

In the warmer weather when the birdbath no longer has to be close to an outlet I'll probably need to find an alternative place to attach it to a fence via the bracket (the flower box cage will be occupied). The main problem with that is it takes some time for birds to start using a newly placed birdbath -- it has taken some months for them to start using it this time.

This birdbath would be perfect if it had some kind of 'quick release' from the bracket thereby giving the option to direct the discarded water to different locations. Hence I'm giving it 4 vs. 5 stars.

Perfect! I purchased this birdbath a month ago, on Jan. 16. We've had tons of snow here in Eastern Washington, and many days of single-digit temps, and not once did the water freeze. Birds are drinking from it, and one robin braved the frigid weather to take a bath. (The water is still cold, just not cold enough to freeze.) My husband said the installation was easy. It took him about 15 minutes. Others have complained that the birdbath wasn't level once installed, but ours sits level and secure on 4-inch deck railing. Just be sure the cord is within the channel on the underside of the birdbath or else the unit will tilt and become wobbly. I did purchase the Allied Precision LD16-25 Lockndry power cord, which added $31.00. So far it's been well worth the cost to see the birds enjoying their birdbath. The photo shows snow on the rim of the birdbath, but the water is still liquid. The thirsty Townsend's solitaire is a regular visitor.