Algreen 81111 65-Gallon Cascata Rain Water Collection and Storage System, Dark Brown

10 Review to this product

• 

  DeAnn
  June 22nd, 2010 on 8:54 pm

  Rating

  I have already had people say how attractive these containers are, and
  
  I agree. We had a rain and the barrels are working just fine.
• 

  Barbara J. Mazzatenta
  June 22nd, 2010 on 9:23 pm

  Rating

  I looked all over and these rain barrels were the nicest I found. I bought two in the dark brown 65 gallon size. I received them on time, they are large, and very attractive. They appear to be made well. They look like giant ceramic pots, although they are tough plastic, kind of like the little tykes gym sets, very tough. Nice brass faucet. My husband immediately put them out and they filled halfway up with the first rain. We are hoping to save on our water bill and save the planet too, Also a plus it keeps the rainspout water away from the foundation, there fore keeping basement more dry as well. I will buy two more for next year.
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  S. TAYLOR
  June 22nd, 2010 on 10:56 pm

  Rating

  I bought this a few months ago from warehouse deals for about $10 less as the box was crushed. The rain barrel was in perfect shape. We set this up at the corner of our house and I did put it on some landscape bricks so I could get a sprinkling can under the faucet easily. My husband made a few holes in the top so I could plant flowers. The weather here in Michigan has not been warm enough to plant anything in there yet, but I have flowers ready to put in there hopefully soon. The barrel looks great just the way it is. I have gotten many compliments from people walking down the street on how nice it looks at the corner of the house. Getting water from just the faucet is obviously not as fast coming out as a home faucet, but I found if I put the sprinkling can under the faucet and put the hose in there also the can filled up pretty fast. The hose that came with this had a bad kink in it and I called Algreen and they fed-ex’d to me the replacement hose and I got it within a day or two. Great customer service there.

  I would like to do something with the two overflow tubes. We have had alot of rain recently and the water shoots out of the back very fast. I put a splash block on the ground under these tubes and it does help to carry the water away from the house and drain onto my lawn. I am considering a second barrel or buying some hose if I could find the correct size to put on the back tubes to drain this water still farther away from the house.

  I did buy from Amazon the pump that goes with this to get the water out quicker when using a hose. I have not used this yet; will comment on that later if it ever dries out here.
• 

  Loredana.
  June 23rd, 2010 on 7:03 am

  Rating

  We’ve installed (it takes about 5 minutes) our first two Cascata barrels, and within a few days bought 2 more. And then 2 more. Simple and effective, the hose (included) attaches to the bottom of the barrel to allow access to all the water collected, and gravity does the rest.
• 

  A. Dent
  June 23rd, 2010 on 2:50 pm

  Rating

  I purchased one of these (not from Amazon and in a slightly different color) a few months ago and I am reasonably happy with it so far. However, there are some issues.

  After 3-4 months of use I can testify that the Cascata is a great way to deliver water to a small garden patch in my backyard without breaking a sweat – when it gets hot and dry, I simply attach a hose that branches into a network of drip soaker tubes and I don’t need to worry about it much. The top, which is supposed to be a planter, I keep it as a small bird bath.

  I can’t say anything about customer support because I did not need any help yet.

  This is what I like about this product:

  - Large capacity. 65 gallons is a lot of water but this is okay because one big downpour may be enough to fill it up where I live.
  
  - Good looks.
  
  - Setup seems to be easy but, I must admit, I chose to hire a professional to set up the base, connect the down spout and make sure that the connection to the soaker tubes fit.

  Issues:

  - The accessories do not seem to match the quality and design of the barrel itself.
  
  - The overflow hose is not sufficient to keep up with the inflow during a heavy rain so, if you have a finished basement, be very careful.
  
  - The 20 year warranty covers the barrel only and none of the accessories so, unless the barrel cracks or explodes on its own and you capture that on a video and you can provide ‘proof of purchase’, don’t expect much from the warranty.

  Rating:

  I hesitate between 3 and 4 stars. The serious overflow issues and the warranty tell me that I should grant this 3 stars but the fact that it worked well ever since installation bumps up the score to 4. It is possible that, had I interacted with the customer service my ratings were lower – from the others’ reviews – but, since I didn’t, I can’t factor in ‘support’ so the 4 stars should be viewed within that context.
• 

  scrapgames
  June 23rd, 2010 on 10:30 pm

  Rating

  I researched rain barrels for several months before settling on this one. The primary factors in choosing it were style and price ($150 here at Amazon). A 55 gal drum would work for a rain barrel, but I would have looked for ways to disguise it more with landscaping. This barrel can be a centerpiece or at least doesn’t need to be hidden away. We finally found some local nurseries that had the terra cotta version in stock to see it in person, but it was listed at $200 and we decided we liked the darker brown color. I’ve had it installed just over a week now, but a light rain filled it 1/3 full the day after install. I’ve gotten compliments on it and have already been recommending it to family/friends.

  The most common knock on the Algreen Cascata barrels is the accessories. I can see why some are quick to dismiss the included hose as cheap. It will probably need replacing after a year or two of full outdoor weather in all the seasons, but it’s sufficient from the start. The spigot is fine as well. And as long as you use the included plumber’s tape to wrap the fittings before installing them (which I did), I don’t see where you’d have problems with leaks. I’ll have to see what issues come up with mosquitoes, but I’ve tried to reduce the possibility by adding a custom cap piece to the opening on the top. I purchased the RainReserve Diverter (Rainreserve Rain Barrel Basic Rain Diverter (Barrel not included)) and installed it instead of just making my downspout curve to the barrel. I did this so I can just disconnect the barrel in the winter rather than having to reset the downspout each season. It may end up being a moot point. But I cut a hole in the custom cap just big enough for the tubing from the diverter. It’s not a sealed system by any means, but there are no large openings/gaps.

  The diverter I’m using is supposed to backfill to the downspout when the barrel is full, but that will only work with a sealed/enclosed system (like a 55 gal drum). So I’m using the overflow port on the rain barrel. I tied it back into the downspout using tubing for a sump pump from Home Depot. Finding the tubing for the overflow was the most difficult part of getting this all set up. I couldn’t find 1.5-inch tubing in landscape water/pond/fountain supplies or in landscape irrigation supplies at Home Depot or Lowe’s. But the sump pump tubing works excellent. I have included a couple pictures of my set up to help illustrate these points. For a stand I’m using square landscape stones under the barrel surrounded by four retaining wall stones. I leveled out the ground under the stones first and put a base of loose paver gravel/stones. I filled in between the stones with sand and used self-leveling sealant between the stones. Probably a little more than what is needed for a stand, but I didn’t want to have to change anything after installing it.

  I haven’t used the planter yet and don’t know if I will or not. I haven’t drilled holes in the top either, like it says in the instructions that come with the barrel (several reviews said they had to figure it out after it rained, but it’s there in the manual if you read it).
• 

  Matthew J. Edlhuber
  June 24th, 2010 on 1:48 am

  Rating

  I’m a big fan of this thing. It doesn’t take long to fill up and it looks great. I’ve only had it a short period of time and get lots of comments about how nice it looks. One thing to note, you will need to get a 1″ plastic hose for the overflow, that is not included. I picked one up a 25′er locally for $7, works excellent.

  I also purchased a package of these soaker hoses from amazon to hookup to my barrel.

  http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Quencher-Pack-total-Soaker/dp/B0026CN0LQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1273069138&sr=8-1

  I hooked one up to the hose that comes out the bottom and it seemed to do a pretty nice job emptying the tank evenly into my flower bed. It did take a couple hours but it serves its purpose. I wasn’t sure if it would be enough pressure out of the barrel but it did a really nice job.
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  J. Beasley
  June 25th, 2010 on 1:42 pm

  Rating

  I love this rain barrel! It is exactly what I thought it would be. It is very lightweight when it isn’t full of rain water, yet it is not flimsy…it is sturdy. It was easy to attach to the gutter. I like the hose that hooks to the bottom of the barrel. Other rain barrels have the hose higher on the barrel which means one cannot get all of the water out without a pump or tipping it over. All of the water in this barrel is usable. The barrel is aesthetically pleasing. I like that I can put a plant in the top, but I haven’t done it yet. It is a little more expensive than other barrels, but it holds a little more water and the look of it is worth the price difference! I am absolutely thrilled with it!
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  Patricia A. Christian
  June 25th, 2010 on 7:54 pm

  Rating

  Great addition to the house. So many uses for the water. Helps you realize how much water comes down when it rains. Great delivery, great product!
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  Twila Hoover
  June 26th, 2010 on 10:27 am

  Rating

  I bought one of these last spring, so I have been using mine for nearly a year. I had read the reviews ahead of time, so I knew that you need to drill holes in the planter unless you want your plant to drown. Not too impressed with the drain hose – takes half of forever to fill a watering can, but it feels too virtuous (using water that would go to waste) to fault it. One good rain will fill it up!