Last updated on March 11th, 2023 at 07:30 am
Are you tired of your stock tank or horse trough freezing in the winter? We want to help you choose the best stock tank heater, so that you no longer have to deal with this annoying issue.
If you rely on water troughs, water buckets, and stock tanks, then you no doubt understand the difficulty that they present when they freeze. So do your animals. Thankfully, there are stock tank heaters and de-icers available which do a great job of preventing your animal food and water supplies from freezing.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best livestock tank heaters.
Table of Contents
Our Favorites
- Best Overall For 2023: K&H Pet Products Ultimate Stock Tank Deicer
- Best Floating: Farm Innovators H418 Ice Chaser Premium Floating Stock Tank Deicer
- Most Versatile: Farm Innovators Model C-500 Submergible Cast Aluminum “Around The Farm” Utility De-Icer
- Cheapest: Farm Innovators Model H-429 Economical Submergible Tank De-Icer
- Rubbermaid Stock Tank Heater: Farm Innovators Model DPH-15 Drain Plug De-Icer
Best Stock Tank Heater Reviews
| PRODUCT | DETAILS | OUR RATING |
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BEST OVERALL  K&H Pet Products Ultimate Stock Tank Deicer |
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BEST FLOATING No products found. |
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MOST VERSATILE
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CHEAPEST
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FOR RUBBERMAID
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Our Recommendations:
- Consider your tank material prior to purchase.
- You likely do not need a powerful, 1500 watt heater if your tank is 25 gallons or less.
- Make sure that your heater is thermostatically controlled for auto shut off.
K&H Pet Products Ultimate Stock Tank Deicer – Best Stock Tank Heater
The K&H Pet Products Ultimate Stock Tank Deicer is our top pick for the best stock tank heater. There are plenty of reasons why this continues to be one of the top selling trough heaters on Amazon.
This K&H de-icer is available from wattages of 250 up to 1500, and can be used as either a submersible or floating de-icer. It is very simple to switch between the options by removing or attaching the styrofoam ring. We also found that this product is safe for either metal or plastic tanks.
Among the great features of this livestock tank heater is he internal thermostat which will automatically shut off the heater when the water temperature is above freezing. This make operation worry free, while keeping your electricity bill low. Furthermore, the included “cord clip” will help to keep the cord away from the reach of your animals.
This tank heater comes with a two year warranty and weighs around three pounds.
About the only thing that may prove a problem for some is the short cord. It is only 5.5 feet long, which really limits where you can place the heater. You can remedy this with an extension cord, of course, so long as the cord is rated to handle the wattage of your device.
- Best stock tank heater
- Floating or submersible
- 250-1500 watts
- 2 year warranty
- Auto shut off
- Short, 5.5 foot cord.
Farm Innovators H418 Ice Chaser Premium Floating Stock Tank Deicer – Best Floating Stock Tank Heater
No products found.
The No products found. is our pick for the best floating stock tank heater.
Farm Innovators offers various de-icers, however their Ice Chaser line features their patented aluminum body design. What is great about this design is that they are safe for both metal and plastic stock tanks.
In addition to the aluminum body, the Ice Chaser models come with an “anti-chew” metallic guard around the power cord. If your animal is a chewer, this is very important.
Lastly, they come with a three year warranty and are UL-tested for safety.
- Thermostatically controlled
- 1250 watts
- 3 year warranty
- short, 5 foot cord
Farm Innovators Model C-500 Submergible Cast Aluminum “Around The Farm” Utility De-Icer – Most Versatile
The size and shape of the Farm Innovators C-500 Submergible Cast Aluminum Utility Water De-Icer, Powered at 500 Watts with 50... makes it one of the most versatile stock tank heaters available. You can use this unit to heat a variety of different items on your farm.
We recommend the 500-watt model, which is rated for use in up to 25 gallons. It works well with any type of tank, including plastic.
- Most versatile
- Available in various wattages
- Aluminum heating element susceptible to corrosion
Farm Innovators Model H-429 Economical Submergible Tank De-Icer – Cheapest Stock Tank Heater
The Farm Innovators Model H-429 Economical Submergible Tank De-Icer is the cheapest stock tank heater on our list.
This unit is designed to stay on the bottom of stock tank where the animals won’t notice it. It comes with a sturdy protective cage that makes it safe to use in all tanks. It also comes with a 1 year warranty.
- Thermostatically Controlled
- 1500 watts
- Plastic safe
- Some reports of quality issues
Farm Innovators Model DPH-15 Drain Plug De-Icer – Rubbermaid Stock Tank Heater
If you have a Rubbermaid stock tank, then you need a Farm Innovators Model DPH-15 Drain Plug De-Icer to keep it from freezing.
This Rubbermaid stock tank heater operates with up to 1500W of power. It is designed for use with all Rubbermaid stock tanks that have a drainplug hole of up to 300 gallons. It has a thermostatically controlled shut off so that it works automatically when the temperature drops below freezing in order to keep the water unfrozen for your animals during the cold stretch.
This Rubbermaid stock tank heater fits through the drainplug hole of any Rubbermaid tank, but has only a 5.5 ft. cord, which may not be ideal for some locations.
- Rubbermaid stock tank heater
- Works on tanks up to 300 gallons
- Thermostatically controlled
- Short, 5.5 foot cord
Best Stock Tank Heater Buyer’s Guide
We have used quite a few trough heaters on our horse farm over the years. Like a lot of things, when it comes to the best stock tank heaters, you get what you pay for. A good horse trough heater will safely warm and de-ice your water troughs even in the most frigid temperature, ensuring that your horse has access to drinkable water at all times.
Stock Tank Heater Considerations
When looking to purchase a horse trough heater or livestock water heater, there are several important things to take into consideration. You need to compare the safety, efficiency, and performance of the heater.
Power Consumption
Horse trough heaters come in various wattages, most ranging from 250 to 1,500 watts. The higher the wattage, the faster that the heater can convert the electricity to heat. In theory, a higher wattage heater will heat the food or water faster, thus saving electricity over time.
Efficiency
In general, a higher-wattage horse trough heater will heat the water more quickly. However, that doesn’t meant that you should automatically buy the highest wattage device that you can find. Higher powered units typically cost most, which may negate any power savings. Furthermore, if you only have a relatively small stock tank, you likely don’t need a high powered unit.
Also keep in mind that the goal here is not to warm the water to make tea or coffee, it is simply to keep the water from freezing. Really consider your application, prior to making a purchase.
Safety
When it comes to safety, you want to look for features such as automatic shut off and safety guards. The automatic shut off will turn the device off when it senses that the temperature is warm enough. This not only makes the device safer, it also helps to keep electric bills lower. Safety guards help to protect the animal by making sure that they cannot come into contact with the heating element. This, along with preventing the animal from chewing on the cord, are extremely important.
Conclusion
No matter if you own sheep, cattle, goats, or arabian horses, it’s important to invest in the best stock tank heater for the health and safety of your animals. We hope that our reviews have given insight into the various types of livestock water heaters, and how they compare in terms of safety, durability, and performance. It is vital to keep your animals supplied with non-frozen food and water in the winter.
Last update on 2026-07-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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