Bidones 120L

Quick facts: Bidones 120L · Counterweights · €10 + VAT per unit and day · rental in Madrid and across Spain, availability on request.

About the Bidones 120L

The Bidones 120L are counterweights for structures and stands with a nominal capacity of 120 litres. Drums like these are one of the most common forms of ballast for tents: they are put in place empty and filled with water on site. We offer Bidones 120L rental in Madrid and throughout Spain to production companies, crews and event organisers who need counterweight for a specific event without buying or storing it.

What it is rented for

Water ballast holds structural elements down when anchoring into the ground is not possible, for example tents set up in car parks or parks where staking is not allowed. In Spain, a Zaragoza City Council technical specification for a stage rental includes counterweighting with water drums, and this kind of ballast is also used for tall lighting towers with a high centre of gravity. Afterwards, the water has to be drained before load-out. If you need a different kind of counterweight, the Manfrotto G200-1 Sand Bag Large is in the same category.

Key specs

• Nominal capacity: 120 litres, as per the product name.
• Mass reference: one litre of liquid water has a mass of almost exactly 1 kg, so 120 litres of water come to about 120 kg, not counting the drum.
• Set-up: water ballast is placed and levelled empty, filled on site and must be drained before load-out.
• Calculation: the amount of ballast depends on the structure manufacturer's recommended load, the type and condition of the surface and the distance from the upright.
• Known limitation: barrels have a low friction coefficient, which reduces their effective weight, and wind gusts can tip them over.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to rent the Bidones 120L?

The rental price shown on our website is €10 excluding VAT. Ask for a quote with your dates, quantity and event location, in Madrid or anywhere in Spain, and check what the rental includes.

How much does a 120-litre drum full of water weigh?

As a reference, one litre of water has a mass of almost exactly 1 kg, so 120 litres of water come to about 120 kg, plus the weight of the drum itself. The ballast each structure needs must be calculated case by case.

Are water drums enough to ballast a tent or a structure?

It depends on the calculation for each set-up. Industry publications warn that barrels have little friction with the ground, which reduces their effective weight, and that wind can tip them over; cement ballast, with a lower centre of gravity, is less likely to slide on asphalt or concrete.