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.