The best Rain barrel pumps, compared.
Top pick: Seesii stick pump with tripod Updated October 2026.
A rain barrel pump, which UK shops usually call a water butt pump, sits in collected rainwater and feeds a hose. You buy one so you stop carrying watering cans across the garden. It does not make that water drinkable, and it must not be joined to a mains pipe. You tell a suitable rain barrel pump by shape, power and two separate limits. A swan neck or a telescopic tube is meant to live in the butt. A stick is a transfer tool, so measure the lid hole. A corded pump needs an outdoor socket, a 30 mA RCD and a BS 1363 plug. A battery pump is a different buy when the pack is not already yours. Maximum flow and maximum head are not delivered together. Look for a float or dry-run cut-out, and keep the intake off the sludge. Rainwater on a public supply is fluid category 5. A mains top-up needs an air gap, not a check valve. Shape, the plug and the head are in the [rain barrel pump buying guide](/hub/garden-watering/rain-barrel-pump/sub/rain-barrel-pump-buying-guide).
A rain barrel pump, which UK shops usually call a water butt pump, sits in collected rainwater and feeds a hose. You buy one so you stop carrying watering cans across the garden.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will the pump live?
This Seesii kit is the dearest row at about £129.99. You get the stick, an aluminium tripod, two 4.0 Ah batteries, a fast charger and a 1 m hose, with 2725 L/h and a 5 m head. The listing limits it to clean water or collected rainwater and claims 1 cm of water left. Runtime is about 20 minutes a pack. The star line is 5.0 from 25, which is a perfect score on a small sample, and one UK review says it keeps pumping after the battery is turned off. Another replaced the hose connector. It is the hands-free transfer kit when the tripod is the point. It is a lot to pay if you only need a pump that lives in one butt.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Hands-free transfer when the tripod is the point.
Less suitable: A pump that lives in one butt all season.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the tripod for?
The bullet says you stand the pump beside a pool or window well and let it run while you handle the hose. It is not described as a bracket that hangs inside a water butt.
How long do the batteries last?
The bullet says about 20 minutes per 4.0 Ah battery, up to 42 minutes combined, and about two hours to recharge. It also says the pump works with Makita 18 V batteries.
Is 5.0 from 25 a large sample?
No. The star line is 5.0 from 25, and 14 saved reviews are from the United Kingdom. Several of those are one-line praise. One UK buyer replaced the hose connector.
The Gardena 4000/1 is listed at about £79.99 with a UK plug, 4000 L/h, 1.3 bar and a 13 m head, and those figures are printed as separate limits. The specification line shows 0.54 horsepower and does not print watts, while a UK review calls the same pump 400 W. Gardena UK states 400 W, a 10 m cable and IPX8, which this amazon specification table does not print. Across 66 amazon.co.uk ratings the line is 4.7. Buyers praise hose pressure close to an outside tap and a low-water stop, and several say a deep butt needs the extension that is not in the box. In this set it is the mains pump with a named UK plug and a rim tube, for a garden that already has an outdoor socket.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A garden that already has an outdoor socket, and a butt the telescopic tube can reach.
Less suitable: A deep butt if you do not buy the separate extension, or a shed with no outdoor socket.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing include a UK plug?
Yes. The title and the scope bullet both say the 4000/1 comes with a cable and a UK plug. Cable length is not in the amazon specification table. Gardena UK states a 10 m cable.
Will the telescopic tube clear a deep water butt?
The bullet says the tube goes over the rim. UK reviews say some deeper butts need the separate extension, and one buyer found the pump only reached about halfway down a large butt.
Is 4000 L/h the flow you get at 1.3 bar?
The listing prints 4000 litres per hour and 1.3 bar as separate figures. It does not say both are delivered at the same time.
Seesii C1331 is about £85.99 with two 4000 mAh batteries, a charger and a 1.5 m hose. The listing prints 2725 L/h, a 5 m lift and a 5.6 cm head, and the title also sells it for diesel. Runtime is printed twice: about an hour from both packs, and 30 minutes per pack. The star line is 4.5 from 140, and the United Kingdom comments in the file are the ones that put it in water butts, including a buyer who fitted a 10 m hose. Another UK buyer could not get the head into most barrels. Treat it as a cordless transfer stick that some households use on butts, and do not use the same unit for diesel and rainwater.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cordless transfer stick for a butt, if you keep that unit off diesel.
Less suitable: A narrow butt lid, or one pump for both diesel and rainwater.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this only a rain-barrel pump?
No. The title says water and diesel transfer. Bullets name rain barrels among fuel tanks, IBCs, pools and bilges, and they say to dedicate the pump to one liquid.
Will the 5.6 cm head fit a water butt?
The listing says 5.6 cm suits many openings, including large rain barrels. One UK review says the head was too wide for most of their barrels. Another says it fitted an Aquaroll.
How long do the included batteries run?
The bullets say a full hour from two batteries. The highlight line says 30 minutes per battery. Both figures are on the page. A float switch is not mentioned.
VEATON lists the FSP350CR at about £54.99 as a 350 W, 230 V water-butt pump with an external float and an aluminium swan neck. Flow is 4000 L/h, and the same bullet says that figure is separate from the 12 m head, while the specification line prints 16.4 feet. The star line is 4.2 from 146 reviews, the largest mains sample here. UK buyers like the adjustable cut-off and a click-fit hose, and they also report dead units, a pump that tripped the consumer unit, a float that would not restart, and poles that would not join. It is the lower shelf price for a swan-neck butt pump when you accept a thinner fault record than the Gardena mains listing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A lower shelf price for a swan-neck butt pump, if you accept a thinner fault record than the Gardena mains listing.
Less suitable: A buyer who needs a stated UK plug and one head figure.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the float switch stop the pump when the butt is empty?
The bullets say the external float starts and stops the pump as the level changes. Manual mode is also offered, and that mode needs you to stop the pump before it runs dry.
Why do the head figures disagree?
The performance bullet says a maximum head of 12 m. The specification line says a maximum lifting height of 16.4 feet. Both are printed. They are not reconciled on the page.
Is a garden hose in the box?
The page asks whether a hose is included and does not answer it. The bullets describe a click-fit connector for compatible fittings. The included-components line says adapter.
The Gardena 14602-55 solo is about £82.95 for the pump alone. The listing gives 2000 L/h, three power levels without bar figures, a telescopic shaft from 56 to 76 cm, dry-run protection, and compatibility with 18 V POWER FOR ALL batteries. Head is not in the specification table, and the battery and charger are excluded in the included-components line. The manual, not the amazon table, gives up to 2.0 bar and 20 m, and shorter runtimes on the high mode with a 2.5 Ah pack. The star line is 4.1 from 142, with only eight United Kingdom reviews saved in the file. Those buyers use it on a water butt when they already own a pack, and they treat the missing battery as the real price. It suits a POWER FOR ALL shed. It is a poor first pump if you have no 18 V battery yet.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A shed that already owns an 18 V POWER FOR ALL pack.
Less suitable: A first pump if you have no 18 V battery yet.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this solo pump include a battery?
No. The included-components line says the 2000/2 18V P4A is without a battery. You need an 18 V POWER FOR ALL pack and a charger.
How long is the telescopic shaft?
The bullet says it adjusts from 56 to 76 cm. The specification dimensions are 26 × 20 × 30 cm, which is a different measurement.
What do the UK reviews actually cover?
The star line is 4.1 from 142, and eight saved reviews are from the United Kingdom. Those UK notes praise butt watering and warn that the battery, charger and sometimes an extension are extra. One UK review says the batteries overheat.
Draper 36327 is the lowest mains price in this file at about £45.99, with 350 W, 230 V, 40 litres per minute and an 11 m head. The box list includes a float switch, a three-piece swan neck, a snap-on connector, about 10 m of cable and an approved plug. Bar pressure is not stated, and the filter question is left open. The star line is 3.8 from 145 reviews. UK comments praise hose watering once it is together, and they also repeat broken impellers, rod ends that pull off, leaking connectors and a manual that does not match the parts. It is the cheap swan-neck option if you will check the fittings on day one, not the listing with the cleaner fault pattern.
Pros
Cons
Best for: The cheap swan-neck option if you will check the fittings on day one.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants the cleaner fault pattern among the mains pumps here.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it come with a float switch and a swan neck?
Yes. The title names the float switch. The bullets add a three-piece aluminium swan neck, a snap-on connector, about 10 m of cable and an approved plug.
Is a filter included?
The page asks whether it comes with a filter and does not answer. Particle size is not in this listing.
What do the UK reviews say about the fittings?
The star line is 3.8 from 145. Repeated complaints are unclear instructions, a plastic impeller thread, rod ends that come apart, and a top connector that leaks. Some buyers still water from a butt once it is assembled.
SWTHM sells this stick at about £50.99 under a rain-barrel title, with 2725 L/h, two 21 V 4.5 Ah batteries, a claimed 45 minutes combined, dry-run shut-off and a 1.5 m hose. Head is not stated. The kit bullet includes an EU charger, so a UK 13 A socket is not what the page describes. Weight is printed as both 3.25 kg and 1.22 kg. The star line is 3.7 from only 11 reviews, and two of the saved texts are from the United Kingdom. Those two like barrel watering and mention a filter that clogs on leaves. It is the cheap cordless kit only if you can charge an EU plug safely. It is not the listing to trust for a long UK review history.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap cordless kit only if you can charge an EU plug safely.
Less suitable: A buyer who needs a BS 1363 charger and a long UK review history.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the charger a UK plug?
The kit bullet says one EU charger. A BS 1363 plug is not stated.
Can it pump diesel?
No. The bullet says it cannot be used for pumping diesel, which is the opposite of the Seesii C1331 title in this set.
What is the review sample?
The star line is 3.7 from 11. Two saved reviews are from the United Kingdom. Both describe watering from barrels. One says the intake clogs on leaf debris.
EID is the cheapest row at about £25.99 because the Bosch 18 V battery is not included. The listing claims 120 W, 30 litres per minute, a 5 m head, a 4 m cable and overheat protection, and it says the pump boosts an 18 V pack to 24 V. Rain barrel is one phrase in a title that also says pond, hot tub and sump. There is no swan neck and no float switch. The star line is 3.6 from 10, and only one saved review is from the United Kingdom. That buyer moved pool water onto the garden and into butts. It is a low outlay only when a compatible Bosch pack is already on the shelf. It is not a pump that stays in a butt all season.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A low outlay when a compatible Bosch 18 V pack is already on the shelf.
Less suitable: A pump that stays in a butt all season.
Specifications
Common questions
Is a Bosch battery in the box?
No. The bullet says the pump connects to Bosch 18 V PBA, PSB and PSR packs, and that the battery is not included. Named examples include 2.0 Ah, 4.0 Ah and 5.0 Ah.
Does the title make it a rain-barrel pump?
The title lists garden, pond, rain barrel and hot tub. The bullets also name pools, aquariums, basements and flat roofs. There is no swan neck and no float switch on the page.
What did the UK review use it for?
The only United Kingdom review drained a paddling pool of nearly 1000 litres, watered the garden and a sprinkler, and filled water butts 10 m away with 1.5 m of lift. The star line is 3.6 from 10.
Eight amazon.co.uk listings are on this page. Each card score is that listing's star line multiplied by 20: 4.7 becomes 94. Nothing else is added, and this is not a laboratory test. Display badges are empty and there is no methodology file. The weights below follow the buying order in the digest. They are not a second points model.
Shape
25%A swan neck or telescopic tube lives in the butt. A stick is a transfer tool. Measure the lid hole before you treat a stick as a resident butt pump.
Power source
20%An outdoor socket with a 30 mA RCD, or a battery you already own. A missing battery, or an EU charger, changes the real cost and whether it suits a UK socket.
Head and pressure
25%Maximum flow, maximum head and any bar figure are separate limits. A long hose spends the pressure. A bullet and a spec line that disagree are both printed.
Cut-out and sludge
15%A float or dry-run protection, and an intake that does not sit in the debris. Closing a spray gun does not stop the motor.
Review sample
15%For a pump that stays in the butt, 4.7 from 66 is preferred to 5.0 from 25. Reviews from outside the UK are not treated as UK opinion.
A rain barrel pump has to fit the butt, match the power you actually have, and keep flow and head as separate limits. The prices and star lines on this page are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file, not a laboratory test. A battery left out of the box is a second purchase.
A rain barrel pump sits in collected rainwater and pushes it into a hose. UK shops usually call the same product a water butt pump. You buy one when carrying watering cans is what you want to stop. The water is for the garden. It is not drinking water, and the pump must not be teed into a mains pipe. Shape comes first. A swan neck or a telescopic tube is built to live in the butt and send water over the rim. A stick is a transfer tool you carry to a tank, a pool or a container.
Maximum litres per hour, maximum head and any bar figure are separate limits. A long hose spends the pressure. A lawn spinner is not a given because a title prints a large flow.
A solo ticket is the pump, not the cost to water, when the battery and charger are excluded. An EU charger is not a BS 1363 plug.
Raise the intake off the sludge. Closing a spray gun does not stop the motor. Do not use one pump for diesel and for water on vegetables. Do not tee rainwater into a mains pipe.
A swan neck or a telescopic tube is the resident butt pump. A stick is a transfer tool. Measure the lid hole. The Seesii C1331 listing says a 5.6 cm head suits many openings, and one UK review could not get it into most barrels. A tripod that stands beside a pool is not a bracket inside the butt. A corded pump needs an outdoor socket, a 30 mA RCD you test, and a BS 1363 plug. The Gardena 4000/1 listing names a UK plug. The Draper 36327 listing names an approved plug and about 10 m of cable.
Maximum flow and maximum head are separate. The Gardena 4000/1 listing prints 4000 L/h, 1.3 bar and 13 m without saying they arrive together. The VEATON bullet says 4000 L/h and 12 m are separate, and the specification line prints 16.4 feet. The Draper listing prints 40 litres per minute and 11 m, and it does not print bar. A long hose spends the pressure. Small sprinklers are what some usage lines allow. A lawn spinner is not a given.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a hose on the beds and the pump can live in the butt. The Gardena 4000/1 is about £79.99, with a named UK plug, 4000 L/h, 1.3 bar and 13 m head printed as separate limits. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.7 from 66 reviews. A deep butt may need the extension, which is not in the box.
You have no outdoor socket and you already own an 18 V POWER FOR ALL pack. The Gardena 2000/2 solo is about £82.95 for the pump alone, with 2000 L/h, a 56–76 cm shaft and dry-run protection. The battery and charger are not in the box. The star line is 4.1 from 142, with eight saved UK reviews.
You will carry a stick and accept a short run. The Seesii C1331 is about £85.99 with two batteries, a charger and a 1.5 m hose, listed at 2725 L/h and 5 m. The title also names diesel, so keep this unit on one liquid. One UK review could not fit the 5.6 cm head into most barrels.
The Gardena 4000/1 is listed at about £79.99. The score is 94, from 4.7 and 66 amazon.co.uk reviews multiplied by 20, not a bench test. It is the mains pump in this set with a named UK plug and a telescopic tube. A 5.0 from 25 on the Seesii tripod is a higher star line, and that kit is a transfer stick. Display badges are empty and there is no methodology file, so this page does not name a winner.
Display badges are empty and there is no methodology file.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts in the display file for these eight listings. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines in the display file for these eight products. We did not run a laboratory test.
