When it comes to saving time and ensuring your horses always have access to fresh water, investing in automatic waterers can be a real game changer. Two popular brands in the market are Cascada and Nelson.
Nelson has been a fixture in the industry for many years. It uses a patented weight balance design and stainless steel bowl. Nelson horse waterers have a loyal following and have many reasons to be a great long term investment for your farm.
Launched in 2023, Cascada is a high-tech automatic water bucket filler with integrated hydration monitoring app. It was designed to address the common complaints about existing automatic horse waterers and provide an option that's easier to clean, track, maintain, and install.
But which one is better for your needs? In this article, we will compare the two brands based on various factors to help you make an informed decision.
Overview of Nelson Horse Waterer
Nelson horse waterers are known for their durability and quality. They are designed to provide a constant supply of fresh water via a stainless steel dish on a proprietary weighted balance mechanism. Nelson waterers are made from high-quality materials, ensuring they can withstand harsh weather conditions and regular use.
Features of Nelson Horse Waterer
- Durability: Made from stainless steel, Nelson waterers are built to withstand a lot of abuse. They are resistant to rust and corrosion, making them ideal for outdoor use.
- Proven Performance: Nelson waterers have been in use on farms for decades. They have many mechanical parts that can be complex to install, calibrate, and repair. But with proper setup and maintenance, they will supply water for many years.
- Temperature Control: Many Nelson models come with built-in heaters to prevent water from freezing during winter months. Insulated shrouds can be purchased to provide greater thermal protection.
- Pasture or Stall Options: Nelson horse waters have many models and specifications for in-barn (requires leech pit beneath stalls) or outdoor freestanding options.
Overview of Cascada Horse Waterer
Cascada horse waterers are gaining popularity among barn owners thanks to their thoughtfully designed features that enhance the watering experience for horses and humans alike.
These waterers are designed to fill a familiar plastic stall water bucket while tracking how much the horse drinks in an app. Cascada waterers are known for their innovative horse-centric features and user-friendly, zero-maintenance design.
Features of Cascada Horse Waterer
- Innovative Design: Cascada waterers were created to eliminate the problems with existing automatic waterers by 1.) providing integrated hydration tracking in an app and 2.) filling a familiar, easy-to-clean removable standard water bucket rather than a small built-in dish. Because they are designed without moving parts, floats, or levers, they require virtually no maintenance, calibration, or repair.
- Easy Installation: These waterers are designed for speedy and straightforward installation, requiring minimal tools and effort. No need to purchase multiple parts or components separately -- the unit comes pre-equipped with all necessary features for freeze protection, water dispensing, and hydration tracking.
- Durability: Cascada waterers are made from high-quality, UV-resistant plastic, which makes them durable and long-lasting. Their electronics can be updated remotely for the latest functionality and features.
- Safety: Designed by horse owners to prevent vet bills with soft rounded edges, safety breakaways, and 24/7 monitoring on your phone to catch early indicators of dehydration.
Comparing Durability
When it comes to durability, both Nelson and Cascada offer robust options. Nelson waterers are made from stainless steel, which is highly resistant to rust and corrosion. This makes them particularly suitable for outdoor use in harsh weather conditions.
Also designed for durability, Cascada waterers are made from UV-resistant, non-brittle, engineering-grade nylon. The body of the Cascada is egg shaped for strength and safety and can withstand all manner of horse inflicted forces. The unit itself is nearly indestructible, but the normal water bucket that it fills can take abuse from some horses.
Winner: Nelson
Nelson waterers take the lead in durability. Often used in zoos, the Nelson waterer suggests mounting freestanding units in concrete pipes, making them nearly impossible to break.
Though the Cascada is designed for durability, it intentionally fills a standard plastic water bucket, available at any local feed store, which have medium durability. Because the bucket isn’t built into the waterer, it’s easy and inexpensive to replace. Breakaway features ensure that the horse isn’t harmed if they tangle with the waterer, and can be popped back into place without having to purchase new parts.
Ease of Use and Maintenance
Ease of use and maintenance are critical factors when choosing a horse waterer. Nelson waterers include an integrated drinking bowl that can be removed for cleaning with a small amount of effort by unscrewing the screws on the housing and removing the cover. Unlike many of the float based waterers, the stainless steel drinking bowl and balance-based filling mechanism also means that there are fewer crevices where dirt and bacteria can accumulate.
Cascada waterers score very high in this category. Their innovative design automatically refills a regular water bucket which lifts right off the hook with no unscrewing or unlatching systems, making it the easiest to clean and most sanitary option on the market. The sensors require no maintenance, adjusting, or calibration and the water level indicators in the app make it easy to monitor water levels at a glance from anywhere.
Winner: Cascada
Cascada waterers have the edge in ease of use and maintenance, thanks to their sensor-driven refilling of standard water buckets that are effortless to remove to dump or clean, the meter-less hydration tracking app, and other user-friendly features.
Temperature Control
Temperature control is essential for horse waterers, especially in regions with extreme weather conditions. Nelson waterers optionally offer heater units that prevent the water from freezing during cold months. The insulated shrouds, an additional purchase, help protect water lines. This feature ensures that your horses always have access to water, regardless of the weather.
Cascada waterers include built-in digitally controlled heaters on all units that activate only when temperatures are approaching freezing. This keeps fresh water flowing down to -18C/0F. While the water delivery system is highly freeze-resistant, the water in the bucket may freeze. The solution is to swap the standard bucket out for an insulated or heated bucket in cold weather. There are no insulated shroud accessories available for purchase, so insulating inbound lines is done per case in accordance with the building preferences and climate requirements.
Winner: Nelson
In deep freeze, outdoor situations Nelson waterers win in the temperature control category due to their ability to heat the water from within the unit. Inside barns, the stall waterers’ anti-freeze capabilities are adequate in both products.
Safety Features
Safety is paramount when it comes to horse waterers. Nelson waterers and Cascada waterers are both designed with safety in mind, featuring rounded edges and smooth surfaces to prevent injuries. The materials used are also safe for horses, with no harmful chemicals or coatings.
Cascada waterers have additional safety features which include safety breakaways, low-voltage wiring, and remote hydration monitoring.
Winner: Cascada
Both Nelson and Cascada waterers are designed with safety in mind, making them equally reliable in their construction. Cascada take the edge with innovative features for tracking consumption and availability of water, preventing entrapment, eliminating high-voltage connections near the horses, and encouraging sanitary hydration.
Cost and Value for Money
The cost of horse waterers can vary significantly, and it's essential to consider value for money when making a purchase. Nelson waterers are generally a bigger investment due to their stainless steel construction and additional components needed for installation, such as shrouds, heaters, water meters, concrete housing/footings, and leech pit construction. Prices are by request only, so consulting with a Nelson representative is the best way to get an idea of what the total cost of your system will be.
Cascada waterers are typically slightly lower in price, include all options for heating, tracking, and installation components with every unit, and still offer excellent value for money due to their innovative features and included hydration tracking app. They are also typically lower cost to install because they do not require concrete footings, leech pits, thermal tubes or other high-impact site preparation. They are inexpensive to ship in their lightweight, compact packaging and always list full pricing online.
Winner: Cascada
Cascada waterers are in a similar price category as Nelson waterers, but tend to be significantly more cost effective for the options included and cost savings associated with installation.
Conclusion
Both Nelson and Cascada horse waterers have their strengths and weaknesses. Nelson waterers are highly durable, offer excellent temperature control, and are designed for safety. However, they come at a higher price point, are slightly more difficult to clean and maintain, and don’t offer hydration tracking as an app.
Cascada waterers, on the other hand, are more affordable, easy to install and maintain, and feature innovative designs. While they may not offer the same level of outdoor temperature control as Nelson waterers, they provide indisputable value as a trackable automatic waterer for stalls and paddocks.
Final Verdict: It Depends on Your Needs
If durability and temperature control in a freestanding outdoor waterer are your top priorities, Nelson horse waterers may be the better choice. However, if you are looking for an easier to clean, easy to install, low-maintenance, all-in-one stall waterer with innovative hydration tracking features, Cascada horse waterers are a great alternative.
Ultimately, the best horse waterer for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Consider the factors that matter most to you and choose the waterer that best meets those requirements.
If you are struggling to decide, Cascada is the only automatic horse waterer to offer a 100-day in-barn trial. This gives you the option to experience one of the choices before investing in a watering system for your entire farm.
