[JayG]

Your choice is between having them fill up in sequence (top-linking, tap on each butt), or filling equally (bottom-linking, only 1 tap needed.)
You can't do both (well, you can, but you would be wasting both time and money!  )

I don't see why you couldn't have the first one or two butts linked only at the top, and then the rest all linked at the bottom, which should give you the best of both worlds. It would still be one link between two butts, so no more/less time/money.

If the butts were equally accessible I'd probably go for top linking, because most of the time at least one of the butts should be quite full, and I get quite impatient waiting for a watering can to fill from a nearly empty butt!

Nothing to stop you going for the combination you suggest if you think it would work better for you, but the point I was trying to make is that having butts linked at the top AND bottom will not work because the top link will never come into play.

[ConfusedGardener]

I agree, it would be pointless to link two butts at both top and bottom. I think linking some at the top and some at the bottom could be useful though

[Lardman]

... because the top link will never come into play.

Not strictly true ...  but you'd have to be a real pedant about it and I'm too tired to be today   

[allotment-shed]

Hi There!
Just thought I would pass on some info about your post of water butts.

We used 3 x 300L tanks, linked at the base and are fed by guttering from the top into one tank only. As the level rises in the first tank this balances out into the next two with no problem. As water is drawn off the level reduces across all three tanks.
Delighted to help if you need more info.
Regards.
Ron.

[Headgardener22]

One point to think about if you're linking butts. If you have a sloping garden, fill the highest butt and link to the top, that way the butts will fill sequentially but they won't all be half full if your lowest butt is a lower height.

Also think about spreading the butts around the garden to save having to cart water about and (finally) get a butt that you can "dip" the watering can into, filling by dipping is much quicker than filling from the tap.

[Jackypam]

How do you that? Do you use long bits of hose pipe between them?

[Headgardener22]

How do you that? Do you use long bits of hose pipe between them?

Yes.

[mobilekat]

Many thanks for all the advice- havent got as far as getting the butts yet, some ill health got itn the way. So plan to get them sorted and installed later hope for rain!

Have realised the garden needs a lot of 'bramble and bamboo' clearing, so this year is more of a 'hack it back+ dig it out' year than a growing year!