Customer Reviews

API 670 20 Inch Heated Birdbath On Pedestal

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It was difficult to rate this item; the water does not freeze, even in 20 degree temps, and the bath does, as advertised, tilt easily to empty. However, the mounting bracket used for this item needs to be redesigned - while it does allow the bath to be tilted for cleaning, it is so flimsy that a heavy rain, wind or even a large bird can cause it to lean heavily to one side or another. If the bracket were more stable, perhaps with a latch to keep the bath more level, I would be completely pleased with it, as it is, however, I can give it only a 3.

This was one of the worst purchases I have ever made. First, it was impossible to mount on my deck railing, even after getting assured by customer service it would work. Then, I got a stand for it and had the "certified" extension cord running to it. Within 2 weeks the plug from the bird bath that went into the extension cord CAUGHT ON FIRE!!!!!!! I called the company (again) and they told me that it is not their fault and they would not do anything for me. Period. I left 3 messages for the "manager" and they have still not called me back. Incidentally, they are located VERY close to me and I even offered to bring the product to them so they could see it. They wanted nothing to do with me doing that. I highley recommend NOT buying this bird bath or any other made by Allied. Now I am out around $100 (bird bath, stand, extension cord) with nothing to show for it.

Yes, it works, but is badly overpriced. A few issues that I'd be willing to overlook if it were $20-30 less:

1. Water temperature routinely hits 70-80°F, measured with a digital thermometer, when ambient is above freezing. Mfr says this is normal. Basically, the thermostat isn't sensitive. If you don't mind paying to run a hot tub for birds, here you go.

2. Difficult to level. The bath is made of two pieces, a base that screws to the deck railing, and a bowl that screws to the base. If you're hoping to level the base with a torpedo and screw the bowl on it, lots of luck. I think you might be able to assemble the whole thing, fill it, and then level it.

3. Emptying it is difficult. It doesn't tilt like some others. You have to unscrew it, which means you're going to get bird bath water all over yourself. I've found letting the water freeze and then heating it enough to lift the block of ice out is effective.

4. There doesn't seem to be much clearance under the bowl. If your extension cord had a heavy duty plug, it may or may not fit.

5. I'm not happy with the quality of the plastic. You're probably going to have to fuss with the base and it can only take so much. Ditto for the bowl's threads.

Anyhow, if you need a high-powered bird bath for a frigid climate, this could certainly fill the bill. Suggest you look at competing models, though.

I love this bath. It is easy to mount, I have had no problems with it, even empty in high winds it has stayed solid. I also liked not having to screw holes into my deck. Heats excellent. Lasted through a long Minnesota winter with no problems. It is spring now and I have squirrels and birds drinking and bathing regularly. Easy to remove from mount to clean. It has been excellent as my first bird bath.

I bought this heated bird bath with the intent of mounting it on a four-by-four post on my deck. I had a very difficult time doing so. The bird bath bowl itself is very well constructed. It has what looks like a regular bird bath heating element incorporated underneath the bath itself, and has a power cord that can be tucked up underneath the bowl for the warmer months. The bowl is a nice color, size and shape. But I think that API should be ashamed to sell a product with such a poor bracket mounting system. Like other reviewers commented, the "tabs" do not properly lock, and the bracket once on can be wobbly at best. Out of curiosity, I tried attaching the bracket to the deck rail, but had the same problems with the bracket design. If API can do a proper redesign of the mounting bracket, then they will have a terrific product. As the design currently is, it is only mediocre. This is too bad, because it is getting harder to find products made in the USA. As an aside, I ended up mounting the bird bath bowl to the four-by-four by using an inverted deck post anchor. Worked like a charm.

The heater really does keep the water from freezing and the birds (and squirrels) love it. However, the first one I had stopped working within a year. Even though I wrapped where the plug and extension cord join with electrical tape, the plug rusted. The directions say to unplug the bath in the summer months and store the cord under the bowl -- which I didn't do. Anyway, I liked it enough to buy the same heated bird bath as a replacement. The coil heaters you put in a bird bath never seem to work and this tilt one does.

If you have bird feeders,this is great addition. Easy to install. Works the way it should!!!!

The bird bath looks nice and keeps the ice off as advertised. However, so far we've only gotten squirels coming to drink, not birds. Perhaps this will change when the weather is more severe and it becomes one of the few sources of open water.

A major problem is the way that the support bracket fastens to a fence or railing. On one side of the bracket it is held in place by two bolts that apply pressure to the side of the clamp. But on the other side, there are no bolts or other fastening devices. So, if one is not very, very careful, the clamp and bird bath will tip right off the fence or railing. I fixed this problem by drilling two holes in the unsecured side of the clamp and screwing it to the fence.It would have been easy enough for the company to remedy this by drilling two holes in the clamp and providing the screws needed. If you or the company don't take this step, your bird bath will fall right off the fence or railing when it is tipped. To my mind, this is a major flaw, which is too bad because the bird bath in itself is fine. However, unless you're prepared to to do some drilling and screwing to attach the clamp, forget this bird bath.

We received ours quickly via Amazon, great service as usual, and the sole reason this even got one star.

The bottom base of the unit is not made very well, (somewhat rounded up on two edges) and hard to get standing straight up. The base is hollow, and even with a bunch of rocks in there it still is not sturdy at all. Since it's summer we haven't tried the heater. I'll say it looked and sounded better on "paper", but it's poorly made. We're thinking of throwing the stand away and mounting to the deck rails.

While I love my Kozybird heated birdbath(it is easy to clean and maintain and install)sadly, I had to send the birdbaths back three times before I finally received one that worked. Of those first three sent to me, the heating mechanism did not work. They were complete duds. So, while it is tempting to buy another birdbath on the hope that the manufacturer has finally gotten his product to work reliably, I wouldn't dare. Too bad. The one functioning KozyBird bath I do have is great. But it is just not worth the hassle shipping back malfunctioning products to finally receive one that works. Hear that KozyBird?!