Like others have said, water gets too warm, almost hot. Most likely because the thermostat is exposed to too much of the cold air. Once we put some insulation around the bucket, it worked much better. Think bucket inside a larger bucket or trough with insulation.

Delivery was delayed on this heated water tub, but fortunately it did arrive before the next freeze. I needed a solution for a horse who would surely play with the floating tank de-icer I was using in the hundred gallon tank, now that he has access to it with a stabling change. Also, cleaning the hundred gallon tank with only one horse is not very sustainable. This tub fixed both issues. The heating element is enclosed in plastic at the bottom and if you keep it full or close to it, your horse won't even be able to reach the "cage". The cord comes out the bottom and for my situation, was easy to route outside the paddock, so my horse can't reach it. This is not quite as big as a traditional hard plastic muck tub, so doesn't hold quite as much water. I would like it to be a bit larger. However, it's pretty easy to see how much water your horse is consuming , which is important to monitor. It's easy to clean, and will definitely get cleaned more frequently because of that. No more wasting water from a dirty large tank! I only plug it in when temps are near freezing, but when I've needed the element, it works. I will store this once winter is over, and hope that with good care, it will last many years.

Works well! We have it outside in the weather in western Montana ( 38 below one night ) never gave us any trouble
Would highly recommend.

This is the second one of this brand I've purchased. The first is 2 years old and going strong. Great buy for the sturdy heated waterer for the best price I've found. Highly recommend.

I use ofr miniature horses