BB05PRO 5-Gallon Bucket Heater

Controller on the pro takes a bit to figure out, but works well. It takes about 24-36 hours to completely liquify a bucket from refrigeration solid state.

I received my power blanket without operating instructions the only thing included was electrical schematics., which recommended that the product be tested with an ohm meter prior to use. Really ? who other than an electrical professional has an ohm meter handy? While i am relatively sure the product would work once one overcame the complexity, it will require some directional assistance from the manufacturer. The web site suggested for operational instructions proved to be more useless that the electrical schematics as far as providing operational information. I intend to return the item to the manufacturer in the morning and purchasing another from a different manufacturer that costs about half as much. Very thankful that I purchased the item through Amazon as they make returns a simplifies process.

Powerblankets are a great way to heat precisely what you need to heat without worry of uneven, intermittent, overheating or inefficient power use.I find them to be job site tough, durable and field repairable with the Vinyl repair kit utilizing the HH-66 glue. They are heavy duty and can take a lot of abuse. The machine sewn stitching is very heavy duty. The belts, clasps and reinforcing are securely attached to the blankets. They can take a lot of use.The thing I notice the most is how even the heat is across the entire mat. Whatever you wrap or cover with it you can count on an even heat spread. If you add a temperature controller like the Beacon controllers with which Powerblankets has teamed up with, you can precisely dial in the temperature control . I like how you can measure the temperature at several points. Inside the blanket, the surface of the blanket or the temp of the product. Beacon even has an IOT connected controller than you can control and monitor remotely.These blankets are pretty easy to handle. They not only heat but also insulate so they have some thickness to them. However they are still relatively lightweight for their size. They are somewhat rigid and that makes them easier to handle. It is kind of like working with lightweight workout mats.Unlike some other materials they remain flexible in very cold environments. Even the cords remain flexible down to colder temperatures.Made in the USA. Yep. Designed, engineered and manufactured right here at home. ETL and UL/CAS listed. They have an average lifespan of constant use in around the 4-6 year timeframe. 1 Year Warranty.This Pro Bee version comes with a Smart Controller which is compatible with a variety of heating and cooling devices (not the Beacon WiFi controller). Because the blanket has the power to heat up fast you can save power by reducing the 120 watts 1A to times when you need the product to be heated (just like a programable HVAC thermostat). The controller alone can pay for itself in a season under some applications. (Bee) careful with this one however as it can warm up to 145 F instead of the limited to 100 F non-Pro version.

This guy doesn't cost $250. $150 most places, but all bee blankets are pretty much junk. Get a metal band heater. Works much better for 5 gal buckets of honey. Should be about $120

Works ok Have 2 of them. Does not warm honey at the bottom of pail. Would be better if it had a heated bottom as well

I do not own a bucket of honey so cannot comment as to how efficiently it maintains the texture of honey, but I have used it for a couple of other uses.I used this around my 6-gallon glass carboy during primary fermentation of a batch of beer. My garage temp was around 52 at night and I need the beer to be between 60-69. I put this blanket on a smart plug and set a schedule for it to heat and rest and heat again throughout the night to maintain temp. This blanket puts out more heat than I expected and I actually got my beer too hot the first time around using this, but that is my error not the product. The blanket heats well!The blanket does not have an on/off switch or any regulating features. Plugged in is on, period. Using an external regulator like for seedling mats or reptile cages would work with this and a smart plug works for running a schedule of use. I would be concerned with leaving this on full blast for an extended period of time.The second use I had for this was closer to its design as I have a one-gallon bucket of coconut oil which is solid at room temperature. This blanket did a great job of melting the bucket of oil so I could transfer some to a jar for use in the kitchen. The whole bucket melted in about 2-2.5 hours, but enough had melted to get a few ladles off the top in 45-60 minutes.I had a little spillage mess issues with my beer from when it got too hot and I needed to clean the mat. It withstood being hosed off and dried with a towel, no issues at all. The power cord connection appears well sealed and I was not concerned about damage when cleaning it. I wouldn’t say it is submersible, but it got plenty wet while cleaning.Overall this does exactly what it says it will and does it very well. Using a smart plug or regulator is recommended for many applications and ease of use, but the blanket does a great job! If I have need of another one of these I would definitely buy again!