Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I purchased this birdbath from another source because I needed it immediately during the coldest part of last winter. I had purchased previously this item from Amazon and it was both VERY effective and inexpensive:
http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-Economical-B-9-44-Watt/dp/B000793M68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1285959095&sr=8-1
However, this only keeps its own diameter ice-free in the birdbath and I wanted the entire bath to remain liquid. Also, I had let a few birdbaths accidentally freeze in past years and have lost their basins to cracking.
It is CRUCIAL to me to get birdbaths (for either warm or cold months) that have non-tip basins (or "locking top" basins, as they're sometimes called) because I have a yard full of wild critters and a colony of feral cats and they like to drink out of the birdbath despite having heated water bowls. I went to my local Agway and this birdbath was about $15 to $20 more expensive than Amazon's price but I was able to remove it from the box and make sure the basin fits well into the circular "cradle". I used this all last winter and it works just great.
One reviewer noted that the stand is wobbly. That's somewhat true, but I think it has to be so that it doesn't needlessly stress the stand. The bath comes with stakes to secure the legs. I use these. Even though I have an area of flat cement I could put the bath on, I purposely put it on the grassy area beside and secure the legs with the included stakes. When it gets cold enough, the ground freezes around the stakes. There is still some wobble to the stand but I just hold it when I refill it so it doesn't move too much and get loose from the ground. I piled three decorative bricks next to the bath so that the feral cats and wild critters can use them as steps to just lean on the basin and drink (prior to this, they used to jump onto the basin and stand on it to drink). All of the animals learned very quickly and use this method now.
With regard to the reviewer who noted that no birds use the bath: I noticed this also at first, but it only lasted a few days. I keep my bath about 20 ft from my bird feeders and it's a popular spot now. I do notice that it's chock full of birds at certain times of the day, while at others it seems ignored. I think that perhaps the reviewer might not be noticing when it's being used? I find seeds, feathers, and sand at the bottom of mine each morning, as well as a lot of water knocked out of it so it's being well used.
I heartily recommend this bath! If it's an option here, I will try to post a few photos that I took with this review to show the underside and perhaps more detail. I hope it will help others make their purchase decision.
Click Here to see more reviews about: API 970 20-Inch Diameter Heated Bird Bath with Metal Stand
This heated bath lets you enjoy watching backyard songbirds all year ‘round. A built-in thermostat and 150 watts of power prevent their watering fountain from becoming a skating pond, even on the coldest days. Completely hidden from surface view, the heating element automatically keeps water temperature between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The bowl is also specially designed to attract and encourage birds to land. A textured surface and shaped rim allow a bird's talons to easily grasp and perch, while the gradual slope promotes bathing. Crack-proof even in subzero conditions, the bowl measures 20 inches in diameter by 2 inches deep. It comes with a sturdy, 30-inch-high metal stand and 15-inch power cord. (The bird bath can also mount on a wooden deck railing.) Made in the USA, this item is covered by a three-year guarantee.
Click here for more information about API 970 20-Inch Diameter Heated Bird Bath with Metal Stand
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