Smidley #5 Stainless Steel Cattle Waterer 9150C

The #5 is the largest of the Smidley cattle fountains that offer two troughs, with fifteen gallons of reserve for a full pen of beef or a dairy group.

The body is 100 percent 304 stainless steel in a heavy 14 gauge, inside and out. That matters most at the water line, which is where a painted or galvanized waterer starts to go first. There is no coating to chip and nothing underneath it to rust.

Electric heat and a self regulating thermostat come standard from the factory. The thermostat is what keeps the running cost down, because the heater only draws when the water actually needs it rather than running all winter. High-density insulation throughout the body is what lets a modest heater hold the water open on a cold night, so the two work together.

The top cover lifts off by gravity, so cleaning it out is a bucket and a few minutes rather than a job with a wrench.

15 gallons of capacity, 25 inches wide by 34 inches high by 31 3/4 inches long, rated for 80-100 Beef, 120-200 Sheep, 40-50 Dairy. Built by Smidley in Britt, Iowa.