Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Plastic 55 gallon barrels ?

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I built my floating pier on dry bank 5 yrs ago to where when the water came up it would float. I used 55 gal metal drums and added some water inside the drums to float the pier a little lower in the water. This year I have had to change out 3 of the drums due to rust holes. I changed them out to white plastic drums. It's not hard to change them using the front end loader on the tractor and lifting up the side of the pier and slipping one out and replacing it. I did not know that they might become brittle. Not good! So I guess we will see how it all turns out. A 12 by 16 floating dock/pier has been an asset for building brush piles/rock piles etc. Was also very useful when treating pond with alum/lime. Just add a good trolling motor.

FYI, the white barrels don't seem to have UV stabilizers in them, so they get brittle and crack easily after a few years in the sun. I built a pier on my pond a few years ago and that's what happened. It's a PITA to lift the pier to screw in real pier floats,,,,,,,,

I still have a bunch of blue barrels under the "T" part of the pier, IF we ever get enough ice to work on the pier I'll lift the wood up off the barrels and replace with real pier floats.

The white barrels didn't leak at the bungs, they actually cracked and leaked.

Never again will I use plastic barrels. With the cost of the wood and all the effort that it takes to build a pier, it's not worth the cost savings for me.

I hear ya esshup but I have to ask, any experience with black plastic barrels?

Hey Tracy I have some black plastic buckets that have been in the sun for lots of years and still are good , on the other hand white ones crack and break in a year or so......also blue barrels seem to hold up well

We use the blue ones at work alot. Never really seem to have a problem with leaks. They are not underwater year round either.

Nope, only the blue ones.

good info guys. when these white ones give up I will try the blk I think I have a supplier for those if not I will try the blue ones. Ha! Wished I would have known all this earlier. We have used blk ones on the duck blind that is not located at the pond.

Wife and daughter use the blue ones for setting up horsey training obstacles. There are three of them here that have been setting out in the weather for 11 years and are still as tough and pliable as the day I brought them home.