Customer Reviews

Drinkwell 360 Pet Fountain

5 star:		(143)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

I own The Bubbler, The Petmate Fountain (Fresh Flow), The Drinkwell Original, The Drinkwell Platinum and now, The Drinkwell 360. Of them all, my cat loves the Drinkwell line the best. (I think it runs the cleanest and most silently.) And in my opinion the Platinum is the best of that line.

The pump in my Platinum died right before Christmas (after 2 yrs). And my cat, who adores his fountain, was very upset. (This is a cat who will travel all the way from another room if the fountain goes off to see what happened. And he'll sit there hitting it to make "it go.")

Anyway, I thought to buy a replacement pump from the manufacturer, but their shopping feature was down for yearend inventory and wasn't going to be back up till early January. While at the site, I noticed the 360, thought it very cute so I ordered one. (Not there, nor here, but elsewhere) I've had it about 2.5 weeks now.

My cat loves it. At first, I had the 3 spout ring on it, and he was rather hesitant. I don't think he "got it". I then switched to the one spout ring and then he remembered. And he was right over there. There's no problem there. It streams just as he likes. But there are problems.

One problem is that circular design. Unlike with the other Drinkwell designs, there isn't much distance between where the stream hits the still water and the edge of the bowl. So, it splashes onto the floor. Not a whole lot, but after a few hours, you can have quite a puddle. You definitely will need to either use it outdoors or with a mat. There is a valve to control the strength of the stream. A thinner stream produces less splash. But if your pet is like my cat, the stronger stream is preferred. By the way, the more streams you use, the weaker the flow. However, when I used the 3 stream ring, the streams were weaker, but there was still a splash.

Another problem is that it doesn't hold very much water. I believe it lists a gallon. With the Platinum, I can go two weeks in winter and about 10 days in summer before I have to refill. With the 360, I had to refill after a week. (There are marks for Max fill and Min fill. I imagine Min fill is the amount needed to maintain the pump. Awesome new feature.). I have only 1 cat using it. I would guess someone with multiple pets would have to refill even more often.

A third problem is the filter. Recommended duration for filter use is 2 weeks. For the others in the Drinkwell line, it's a couple of months at least. And because of the filter's design, you will likely have to purchase the branded ones unlike others in the line where replacement filters are similar to those used in aquariums. I don't believe the filter is necessary for operation, but if you're like me, you will want to use filter. Like others in the line, filters are about ten bucks for 3, but if you're buying them 3-4 times as often, the cost could add up.

The final problem for me was the way the cone "locks" onto the bowl. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but a plain old twist doesn't lock or unlock it. It takes a bit of frustrating effort. Mainly, because I haven't discovered what the "secret" to the twist is. I twist, I turn, I push down and twist and turn, nothing happens. Until something "magically" does.

On the plus side, the 360 is much easier to refill. Just pour water into the bowl. No taking anything apart. (Generally speaking, you can do this with the others in the line too as a temporary fix.)

It's also much easier to clean. Nowhere near as many nooks and crannies as in the others in the line. There are few parts - the bowl, the cone, the spout connected to the pump and a ring for the pump cord, the pump (which comes a part to clean like the others), the filter holder, its top, the spout ring and control "valve". Nothing it very small, and nothing except maybe the pump and the filter holder needs a brush. Most could likely be cleaned with the rough side of a scrub sponge.

Overall, it is VERY cute, and the multi-stream rings could be beneficial to someone with multiple pets. But since I have only one cat who uses the fountain anyway (my other cat prefers a bowl), it's a very expensive novelty feature I may not get make much use of. All in all, I prefer The Platinum.

It's worth noting the pump in the 360 and in the Platinum is the same. Except the 360 has an end cap instead of the control valve. I would imagine as long as the end cap is undamaged, you could use the same pump, just replace the control valve with the end cap.

That said, while I haven't heard any pump/motor noise, the stream of water is VERY loud when on max flow. The first couple of days, I found myself checking the sinks to make sure I had turned off the water. This isn't a bad thing, just something to get used to.

The design has 4 FLAWS. My solution may help others though. My cats do love the fountain.

One, the neck is too thin to accept a decent sized filter. The filters are clogged (w/slime, not hair!) within days. Even "without" a filter it CLOGS TOO FAST. Cleaning and putting in a NEW filter did not fully resolve the blocked flow. When new, I could hear the waterfall from across the house. After only 1 month, I CANNOT get that flow back!!!

2nd Flaw, the motor is quiet yes, but it also CLOGS too fast...with slime, not hair!!!! My fountain is only a month old and I cannot get the heavy flow back. I have cleaned with soap/water and also vinegar. I do not see hair...I see/feel slimy sludge.

3rd Flaw, it's hard to pick it up when full...no handles or rubber grips.

4th Flaw, even though the cord detaches for cleaning, it comes apart too close to the plug, so you still can't plug it in behind furniture w/o having to move the furniture to disconnect.

RESOLUTION for clogging: TAKE OFF (leave it off!) THE FANCY SPOUT AND JUST POP THE FILTER DOWN THE NECK AND LEAVE IT. There is no "fountain" flow, but the pets won't mind. They still drink from the flow over the 1" neck. Also, every few days twist off the whole neck part and WIPE OFF the slimy sludge FROM THE MOTOR SIDES. It blocks with just a few pet hairs, so dive in and wipe it off. Every few weeks let vinegar/water run through the motor and filters to clean the slim. DO NOT let the pets drink the vinegar water! Just for cleaning!!!

This is the best fountain ever, and I've looked around. I made the mistake of first buying the Petmate fountain. When I got it, it was so incredibly noisy, the cats freaked out by it, it was so loud I could not stand listening to it from the other room! Thank goodness I bought it at Amazon, because they take returns so easily. I went & spent the extra $ and bought the 360. It is extremely quiet, and the bravest of my cats went right to it to drink. It could be prettier as far as color, but it blends in fine. I have 5 indoor cats so I am happy now as I believe this is the best I can buy my babies. I also own a small pet boutique [...]and would definitely sell these if I knew could compete with Amazons best price! I think it is very well priced overall.The only thing I would love is a chocolate brown or mocha color option- the fountain's plastic is a speckled grey on white, kind of 80's looking!

The Drinkwell 360 looks good on paper and will likely run great the first time you plug it in. The positive reviews from new owners on here underscore the need for people to wait at least a month before reviewing any new product.

The Drinkwell 360 is a high maintenance waterer with a badly underpowered pump. We have had two pumps fail. The manufacturer recommends frequent cleaning of the fountain and pump, including removal of the outer casing and flushing out the inside of the pump itself. The filter component needs replaced every two weeks.

We use highly pre-filtered water in all of our waterers and clean the fountains regularly. Despite this, the 360 pumps dropped in pressure output very quickly - after only a few days. Cleaning did not help. Eventually the water just dribbled down the center fixture. The pumps were underpowered and two failed after less than two months. The constant requirement to change the filter - more often than any other waterer we have used - also became costly very quickly. Obviously it did provide a convenient, frequent source of profit for the manufacturer, so it's a plus for them.

pros: will likely run great for the first few days

cons: very high maintenance - frequent extensive cleaning required - apparently poor quality pumps - frequent costly filter changes

Buyer beware.

They don't tell you that you need to replace the filter at least every 2 weeks. I have 3 cats, and by the end of the 2nd week, there is no water flow. Filters are about $11 for a three pack...and that adds up! I would give this product 5 stars if I didn't have to replace the filters so much.

Our tabby LOVES his 360 fountain and so do we! Sox is the sort of cat who loves the kitchen faucet and took to the 360 immediately. The 360 has far out-performed our previous fountain. We have not had any problems. The unit is quite easy to take apart, clean, and reassemble. The filter is the most efficient and easy to replace that we have seen or used. The manufacturer recommends that the filter be changed every two weeks. We wait longer due to the fact that we only have one cat and the water/filter is still rather clean. There have been no problems with splashing and the pump is quiet. After trying each ring attachment, the 3-stream attachment is what we are using now. It's nice to have the extras for a change. They are very easy to exchange. Turning the ring adjusts the strength of the flow. What a variety: number of streams as well as flow strength. Once again, yes NO splashing. Filling the fountain is one of the best features; just pour into the bowl. Cleaning the 360 is easy with a simple, large bottle brush found in any $1 bin. The fountain does work better the more level it is. Our floor is a little uneven but, it worked fine when we adjusted the direction/strength of the water. Only two cons: filters seem a bit pricey for the short life, the pump although one of the most quiet could be a little more quiet for me. One last thing, I recommend reading the manual. You may avoid "problems" that are not the fault of the 360. We love it!

All of the other fountains I've seen have small compartments that are hard to clean and water resevoirs that are annoying to refill and clean as well. This product is easy to clean and add water to! My cats love it and the design makes it very easy for them to drink.

I upgraded to this product from the Original Drinkwell about 4 months ago. I have two cats and my original Drinkwell had lasted well over 3 years. It was just getting a little nasty from all the "gunk" build-up so I decided to upgrade to the 360.

Overall, it's an awesome fountain, especially if you have dogs as the base is much, much wider than the Original Drinkwell. There are mutiple "spouts" for the water which was also a plus. With the old fountain, one of our cats would have to wait in line while they other drank from the spout. Now, both cats can comfortably be at the fountain.

Another plus is it's much easier to clean. The Original Drinkwell was a pain in the neck to clean. There were just too many nooks and crannies for pet hair and other debris to hide. I can clean this bad boy in about half the time as the original.

As another buyer noted, the stream can be a little loud on the 360. After a few days as the water lowers and the filter builds up it's not as bad, but it will take you a few days to get over how loud this can be. Keep that in mind if you don't like the sound of running water!

Unfortunately, the one major con for me is forcing me to purchase the Drinkwell Platinum: The 360 is just too expensive to maintain. On my Original Drinkwell the filters would last a month, sometimes more. They were also only $5 for a 3-pack (on Amazon). The filters for the 360 are double the price ($10) and last two weeks at best. Often times they only lasted a week. It's easy to tell when the filter is getting too clogged because the stream weakens to the point it actually curves around the neck as it falls down. Due to the fact the filter clogs more easily, this also means you need to clean the fountain more often.

On the plus side at least you know your pet is always getting fresh, clean water. Unfortunately, I just can't afford to keep buying replacements every week or two. After a while the cost really adds up.

If you have just one pet this may actually last you longer. Because I have two cats that use the 360, it just gets clogged too easily and requires me to replace the filters more often. I'll be purchasing the Drinkwell Platinum as I think it's a better value for my pets.

If money isn't much of an object or if you have only one pet, I would recommend this in a heartbeat.

We loved the idea of our cats having new angles to drink from as they love the previous version of the fountain we own, but as soon as we tried to use this one there was too much splatter from each stream and the floor around it would get wet. Since we have wood floor in the place we wanted to use this, it was impossible to keep it dry and we had to return this and go back to use the original Drinkwell fountain.

Drinkwell 360 Pet FountainI purchased this fountain before there were any reviews, so I was a little nervous. I have bought the original fountain, and found it was nice, but a little difficult to clean. I am happy to say that this fountain is very easy to clean, easy to change the filter, and my cats love it. I have a multi-cat household, and I have seen 3 of them drinking at a time. It is very easy to add water to also. I would recommend it even though it is a little costly.