The rain barrel is exactly what I was hoping it would be. It's sturdy and easy to install the hardware. I'm just using one to water my garden. I was able put it directly near my rain gutter and my husband cut the down spout to adjust for the height and then we added the curved bottom spout above the barrel to direct rain right into the lid. It rained that night and filled my barrel up! 60 gallons in a night! My little girls and I have been using this water for the past week to water our flower garden! So glad I made this purchase. I have recommended this brand to my parents who are planting large vegetable fields and they are going to buy a few so they can connect them.