Take a nice drive to west tn. and I will give you a 55 gal. barrel.
Norm

Lots of good info on how to make rain barrels out of free or cheap plastic containers at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rain Barrel Info

Call your local soft drink bottler- I got mine from them for free. Then you're only out for the hardware. 'Course unless we get some rain.....!

Tndaisy, can you tell us more about how you got yours? Do they throw a bunch of them away? Do you know what they call them or what to ask for? Do you think they'd have a bunch?

Norm, do you still have that rainbarrel? Is it plastic or wood. I've been looking for one because we hardly ever get any rain here it seems and I'm constantly watering. Do you think it would fit in my back seat?

Katie

I am outside of Nashville, and I got one at the Coca-Cola plant. They sell them for 6 bucks, but since I only wanted one, they gave it to me for free. They said people buy them dozens at a time. I haven't drilled my spigot yet, but we haven't had a drop of rain either.

tndaisy... are you by chance in Memphis? Just wondering because I found a coco cola plant near me here in Memphis.
I want to call but what do you ask for? Old barrels they don't use? It won't hurt to call and ask. I just can't believe how expensive those rain barrels are!!
~jenn

Katie you have Email
Norm

Norm,

I never got it, so I'm sending you one now. I haven't been able to get on-line since I posted last here until today.

I'm also interested in the coke barrels in Memphis if someone could email me or post the info here.

Thanks in advance!

Kate

Sorry to be slow in responding: I'm back in school now....[sigh] and have only just read your questions:

I'm in east TN. At one of the websites I googled about rain barrels, someone suggested contacting local bottlers, which is what I did. I described to the receptionist what I was calling about, and she connected me to the warehouse. The guy there seemed familiar with the practice of using the barrels for rain collection, and told me they put the barrels out at the curb. [they get the syrup from which the drinks are made in these barrels, and then they're done with them.] Gave me directions to the warehouse, and asked me how many I wanted. They had put out 4, I think, but I only wanted 2- though I may go get more eventually.

The ones I got have a fixed lid, with ~2" threaded openings/lids...I used a jigsaw to cut the opening, leaving a rim to hold whatever screening I decide to use on it. I haven't finished mine yet, but until this weekend there hasn't been half a bucket of water come off my roof in months anyway... PTL for the rain!! td