EWC-10 FreeGarden Rain Barrel, Beige

We bought one barrel in the beginning of our rainy season in 2016, and one in the middle of rainy season 2016 because we liked the first so much. So at the time of writing this is the end of our third rainy season with the barrels and they are still working well. *knock on wood* A few things might have contributed to this:1) we're in the SF bay area so the barrels have never been frozen. They have also never seen the inside of our house so while they are element-hardy, I cannot speak to the effect of freeze thaws.2) I empty them every beginning of summer and try to scrub down the gunk that may build up on the sides. This is where the removable top makes this barrel a superior design to completely closed barrels.3) we don't move our hoses from the spigot. One barrel is behind a fence and some bushes - a real pain to get to - so we elevated the barrel on a few bricks and connected a long hose to the barrel with a simple ball and socket spigot at the user end. If we want water from this barrel we open the ball and socket spigot and use the hose, but we never connect or disconnect the hose from the spigot on the barrel itself. When we're done we throw the hose into the bush that the barrel lives in. You can't really see it. The other barrel we find it just easier to remove the top and scoop water out to hand water plants. A bit more labor intensive but we don't mind, our yard is small.I only wish the barrels were bigger now that we see how durable and easily maintained they are.

This is my third season with the Enviro rain barrels and today I am ordering my 5th barrel. This design suits my gutter/downspout configuration perfectly. The barrels are sturdy and well designed, especially the concave top which catches water well. Each barrel is propped up on two hollow concrete blocks. Our Florida downpours were causing issues with gutter overflow and fascia damage so we just cut the end caps off the gutters and let the water flow into the barrels like a waterfall. I have four barrels in a square and link them at the top with short pieces of the overflow pipe that comes with the barrel. A downpour will fill up these 4 barrels in 10 minutes so to quickly divert water to my garden, I purchased four Wayne 66000-WYN1 1.5" x 25 ft sump pump hose kits to attach at the top of two barrel overflow outlets (one of the others was used to make a 50 foot run to the garden; the other is in reserve.) Each metal spigot has a 50 foot hose which slowly drains to various spots in the garden. I keep mosquito tabs in the barrels. Leaking is no problem because the barrels sit in a gravel water retention pit away from the house (part of my rain garden). The 5th barrel is for a similar "waterfall" at the other end of the 30 foot 6 inch gutter (we have 4 downspouts besides the two open ends.) When I need to water, I just pop the lid off the barrels (I did not screw them on, rather weigh them down with blocks) and scoop out water that remains below the spigots with a 2 gallon bucket. At the end of the rainy season, I am able to easily clean out these barrels and box them together for storage.

I wish there was a way to repairt this cracks. I like the rain barrels but if they tend to crack in the winter they are of no use. Maybe the seller or manufacturer has a solution for me and I can improve the rating and change my review. Please contact me with a solution

I enjoy gardening but due to our California drought I feel the guilt to conserve water. After purchasing 2 of these my only regret is not doing it sooner. With that said I had been browsing for something like this since last year, and had not come across this product until earlier this year. So maybe not so bad that I waited.Price: These seem to be priced lower than many products of the same size, but come with all or more features than most of what I have come across. I wanted to purchase a 3rd one but noticed they were not available from the same supplier for some time. It was still available but at almost double the price! should not be more than $80 range.Shipping/packaging: Big item so it comes in a big box. Box itself is very light. One of the two I bought was missing directions and 1 of the 4 screws. Some reviews have mentioned missing parts so I don't doubt it and it is concerning but due to my experience will still order another and hope for the best. The directions can be printed from Enviro World's website, so not a big deal even if I had only ordered one and it had not come with directions. The box with missing items did have a tore up corner, not a huge tear but a tear big enough for a screw to fall out. This is a problem as the screws and clamp hose are shipped in a small plastic baggie with no closure. The screws had come out of the bag and were loose in the big box when I opened it. A sandwich type zip lock baggie would work better. The screws are used to secure the top lid, using 3 has worked just fine so not a big issue but should still come with the package.Set up: Set up was easy. Just make sure you have the proper tools and knowledge to cut your downspout. Youtube will help. I connected both of my barrel's to the same spout to get the most out of my work on this spout. Connecting both barrel's was also easy. The most difficult part was pushing the hose onto the second barrel. You really have to use some muscle to get it on(i'm 5'10 210 lbs weightlift 4-5 x week). I didn't get it on all the way but not a problem as it is very secure anyways. You will only come across this if connecting 2 or more barrel's. With this said I will add a 3rd to my system as 2 barrel's have proven to fill up quickly even with our limited rain.Quality/Functionality: The quality is very good. I don't see why this wouldn't last a very long time. The spigot looks and feels like good quality. I have noticed no leaks, but only time will tell as it is the only moving part. I like the lid having a slight slope toward the screen, I'm guessing this helps get all the water in the barrel and reduces the necessity for exact preciseness when cutting the downspout. The screen works very well to keep junk out but allows all water in. I have experienced rain twice since I set both barrel's together. Both times it was maybe a couple of hours of rain and both times the result was 2 full barrel's. Nice! Which is why I will set up a third to the same system. The spigot is at a good height, it allows me to fit my watering can but also get most of the water from the barrel. The water does flow slower once you are getting near the bottom, but that's physics and not a design flaw.Looks: The picture on amazon says it all. It has a clean look. I like it, but would be nice if this company offered a nicer looking product. I have mine set up on the side of our house so it doesn't matter much for my current system. Once I set up something in our backyard I might consider something different, like the one's that look like a large planter to better fit our backyard décor. Overall looks good but don't expect compliments based on just looks.Overall: Works great. Should last a very long time. Would be a definite 5 star but missing screw and instructions and loose packaging keep me from rating it as such. Not ugly, but nicer looking options would also be nice. Will buy a 3rd for my current system.