Buckets of Trouble

We've had some indoor-only cats for many years. As a bonus, we have stacks of kitty litter buckets which are super useful - until the handle breaks, that is...

These buckets have either a slot or a hole for a tab on the end of the strap-type handle. Normally, the strap breaks right at the round grip section in the middle. Once it breaks, it's much harder to carry a full bucket and the remaining handle straps dangle below the bottom of the bucket.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to easily add a new handle? I've thought about punching a slot on each side and threading through some mule tape or it's cousin, pallet banding but haven't tried this yet. A piece of old garden hose could be added for more comfort. Depending on the stiffness of the strap it might not easily fold down out of the way. Ideas?

Yes, I have a fix I use all the time. I use a piece of braided rope, 3/8th inch in diameter. If I fold over the end by about an inch and whip it with a needle and fine string, I can usually get it to pop under the gap and up the slot in the "round" version buckets and friction is enough to keep it there.

The "slot" buckets either need a slot cut up with side-cutters, or the rope to be fed through the slot, brought over the plastic, and sewn together.

Yes, having some sort of flat area in the middle is important for you hand. The firmer the better. I upcycle the round piece from the older buckets until they die, but very few new buckets have them as a separate piece instead of the formed type in your photo.

I use an old soldering iron as a hot knife to cut the rope into pieces that are long enough to hang down nicely, but not so long that the bucket keeps hitting the ground as I walk. I cut a bunch of pieces all at once, when I have a length I like.

Definitely worth the time to fix them in my opinion.

A picture's worth a thousand words!



The knots in the rope help to keep the "roller" centered, and I recommend doing so.

There's a discussion here on permies somewhere suggesting the best "substitute rollers" which I recall recommended certain worn heavy duty engine hoses as being ideal. Some garden hoses are less flexible than others, and reinforced with Hockey tape or similar, are quite adequate for loads that aren't too heavy.

Finally, a use for the silly hog ring pliers that have been in my toolbox for years... So far, it looks like using a hog ring instead of thread to tie the end of the rope will work out fine.

To cut nylon rope I grab an old utility knife blade in some vise grips, heat it red hot with a propane torch then slowly melt through the rope. Pushing the ends of the cut rope against the blade will fuse all the fibers together nicely. You might have to heat the blade more than once depending on the rope.

I have had similar issues but with the plastic tube breaking! I replaced it by wrapping with a strong cattail leaf.

My recommendation is also to learn how to carry things on your head. It has been extremely helpful for me and I do it whenever possible. https://permies.com/t/268916/tech/Carrying-head It has also eliminated the problem of bucket handles that break and become uncomfortable or unusable. My preference is a large bowl rather than a bucket usually, but buckets can work well with a head ring or rodilha.

My own rope handled buckets and barrels use 4 holes.
One of each pair is drilled into the thick part of the buckets rim, the other right below the that part, where the thin wall of the bucket starts.
A rope end is pushed into the bucket through the top hole and  back out of the bucket through the second hole located right beneath it.
The same process is repeated on the other side of the bucket, with the other end of the rope and the two ends are tied together.
The knot goes against the side of the bucket, right under the thickest part of the bucket.

I do this for dedicated work buckets.
The rope loop can be slung over a shoulder.
To shorten it, pull slack through the holes until you have two loops of matching length.

Here are a couple of threads about bucket handles that might be of interest to you or others:

https://permies.com/t/281663/Bucket-handles

https://permies.com/t/227189/furoshiki-patchin-handle