Let's build a water pump cheaply

[Beeman]

The dry weather is rough on the garden. There's no rain so there's no rain water to catch and I've emptied all of the barrels. The river/lake is right down the end of the road but the bucket brigade is getting old fast.
Here's what I want to accomplish. I'd like to build a water pump that I could drive with the PTO on my tractor so I could go to the river and pump water into my barrels. I'm thinking maybe if I can find an old swimming pool pump and adapt it to drive off of the PTO. What's your thoughts?

[Old Vet]

They already make pto pumps. Anywhere from 1 1/2 inch to 10 inches. But you can make one that will work but not as efecient as the ones that can be bought.

[tinknal]

Well, it would ruin the pump, but if you could find an old hydraulic pto pump I'm sure you could pump quite a bit of water before it wore out. Maybe check out a tractor salvage yard.

[tinknal]

On second hand, I'm not sure those pumps actually draw, they may need a gravity feed.

[Wisconsin Ann]

How many barrels/gallons do you want to pump? How fast do you want to fill them? Are you willing to prime the pump, or do you need self priming?

Cheapest would probably getting an old automotive pump, and drive that. Not self priming, however. You can get trash water pump heads fairly inexpensively as well.

Another option is to get a hydraulicly powered pump head. Not really cheap, but lots of flow, and would work fairly well.

Yet another option is to get a 12vdc pump. $25 for the pump. at the surplus center again.

Michael

[tinknal]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Ann

Cheapest would probably getting an old automotive pump, and drive that. Not self priming, however. You can get trash water pump heads fairly inexpensively as well.

Michael

I thought of that, but in order to achieve a seal one would have to manufacture a plate of some kind to mount on. On an engine the water pump achieves it's seal by mounting to the engine block. I think to run a direct drive from the pto it would be running in reverse, Also, I'm not sure the pump would draw water, I think it needs a gravity feed.

[PyroDon]

how many feet rise is it going to take. Pushing water up 25 ft takes a pretty good pump. your best bet would be to find a old PTO sprayer pump . you can find a roller pump on ebay that will do the trick and it will likely cost less than trying to build a pump.

[Beeman]

I looked at the price of pumps that you could just buy and fly with and that's why I considered building/scrounging. I could hook up an automotive pump but I really don't think it would work as they are just an impeller that moves the water along and wouldn't draw and pump as they aren't sealed well, even those in enclosed housings plus the impellers are very small.
I looked at roller pumps but I am looking at pumping out of a river, I would use a strainer but I don't think silt and such are good for rollers.
I'm looking at pumping 200 gals at a trip and it would have to lift it about 10-15 ft.

[Windy in Kansas]

I think that you should look at the total picture, not just initial cost.

If you buy a correct pump, i.e. capacity and trash ability you will probably save enough fuel to pay for it vs. a homemade unit not sized to the tractor, etc.

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I hate to rain on your parade, but if the RIVER/LAKE is a public waterway you had better have water rights to take any of the water out of it. Fines for taking water can be quite large. SOMEONE MOST LIKELY THINKS THEY OWN THE WATER.

[agmantoo]

Beeman, you need a tank for transport that can take a vacuum. Use an old air compressor driven by the pto to create a vacuum as you travel to the water. Once there, drop a single hose into the water and open a ball valve and SUCK the water into the tank. Far simpler and less expensive to make and maintain.

[fantasymaker]

Build a long trailer and just back it into the river till the tank is full?

[Old Vet]

Beeman What is the rpm of the awiming pool pump. The ones that are driven by an electric motor is about 1500 you have 540 off the pto. The belts and pulies and a way to get it hooked to the pto would incresae the value. The only way to do this is to have a pump built for a lot of suction. There are impeler pumps that would do the job and not camage the pump. They cost more than roler pumps but you get what your are paying for. The suction idea is probily the best for your problem but that cost money too.

[tinknal]

A friend of mine used to do this very thing (except he used a team of horses). He had this tiny gasoline powered pump. It was very small and used garden type hose but it's output was incredible. The draw hose had to be very stiff material or it would collapse from the pressure. The pump was made in Japan.