DIY well digger VS prof. well digger, advice please!

[abbey_tor_acres]

Hi, I'm using on the homemaking/crafts forums but sometimes I ask a question here or there on the other forums.

Please advise if you have had experience with buying one of those DIY well diggers advertized in Countryside and Backwoods home mags.

My hubby and I are ready to put in a well for our 23 acre-heaven this side of heaven. It has no above ground stream or lake. it does have a low area that by digging down we can get about 3 feet of water to water our goats but this dries up frequently esp in summer.

We have talked with a professional well digger. It sounds expensive--whether you pay by the foot or by the well. and what happens when you get a dry well? Don't you have to pay again to start over?

We have seen the ads mentioned above in the above mags and elsewhere.
but don't know anyone who has actually gone that route. It's our understanding that we can do this in SC --only on our own property.

Besides the well at the house (about middle of property) we also would like another well down close where the animals are. And maybe another one at the other end of the property. (Also if the kids decided to homestead here they would each need a well.) This is why we are looking at buying a DIY one. It would cost about the same as hiring a prof. for one well.

Please any advice from current or previous owners of DIY well diggers would be extremely appreciated. thank you,

Vicki

[sancraft]

There has been a lot of talk about this. Do a search. I think you'll find the info. you seek.

[farminghandyman]

if your not looking for much more than 20 to 30 feet, this may be an option

http://www.borzit.com/door/
or
http://www.borit.com/index.cfm?fusea...Page&pageID=16
both are nearly the same idea, and think they are off the same patent

I do own the borzit, and for and when I have used it I felt it was a fairly good unit, but have never tried to bore a well, with it either.

here is the page on the borzit site for wells and well points,
http://www.borzit.com/sandpointswelldrilling/ click on show all tab and it will load all the pictures at once.

the only thing I do not care for is when one sets the casing pipe you lose the reamer in the ground using there method,

and you need a true commercial 1/2 drill or better,

but the kit and drill are cheaper than most of the gas powered well drillers, items,

theses are also great for boring under drive ways slabs or roads and buildings and other.

[farminghandyman]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita.../5-484/Ch9.htm

[wwubben]

A neighbor of mine dug a well about 25ft with a post hole auger.He just kept adding lengths of pipe to the handle until he thought he was deep enough.He used clay tile to line the well.This well was on a property with only a hog building on it.He fed out about 100 pigs at a time and the well took care of the pigs water.He did this about 40 years ago and the well lasted many years.A lot of work, but it worked for him.

[Scrounger]

Originally Posted by wwubben

A neighbor of mine dug a well about 25ft with a post hole auger.He just kept adding lengths of pipe to the handle until he thought he was deep enough.He used clay tile to line the well.This well was on a property with only a hog building on it.He fed out about 100 pigs at a time and the well took care of the pigs water.He did this about 40 years ago and the well lasted many years.A lot of work, but it worked for him.

I have a neighbor who did the same thing 35 years ago. The well is still running strong (300 gpm), and is used for irrigation.

[Sand Flat Bob]

For livestock, etc. where a lot of gallons of water per minute is not that important, and the water level is very shallow, like 25 feet, look into driven well points. My BIL drilled a well using a post auger like discussed above and his well was about 60 feet deep. It helps to have a very strong son like he does. Try this site http://www.fdungan.com/well.htm

Bob

[hunter63]

Lot of it has to do with soil type, rocks, bead rock water levels etc.
If you don't have to go too deep, and don't have any rock, maybe.........

Drove a sand point to about 27 ft. w/ hand pump, works, but a lot of work.
1-1/4 in pipe with driving cap and couplers, 7 ft sections so as to reach the top.

Replace it with a srate approved 6" case, 4" well pipe, to 185', grouted down past bead rock at 135' in 2004 for $4500 bucks. (just the well, not the pump and pressure tank)

[unioncreek]

When I was growing up in MT our house well was at 25 feet, we had a well driller do it. My Mom wanted a well out by the garden so we built a sand point using 4 inch pipe and then dug down 6 feet with a post hole digger, cut a piece of pipe 12 feet long. And then used a post driver to drive it down and kept adding 6 foot sections until we got it down to where there was plenty of water in the pipe and used a 1/4 stick of dynamite to blow the end of the pipe. It always had plenty of water in it.

Bob

[abbey_tor_acres]

Thank you for all your suggestions!! We really appreciate them. I knew all you folks would have lots of good info for us! Since you asked about soil conditions . . . . .


Here in NW South Carolina it is all clay/silt. in all the road grading and house clearing we have done we have not found any rocks bigger than our fist. When we cleared for the house we flatten out a fairly level area but it went into the hill so behind the house is a 5-6 ft deep cut-out into the hill. (This is great for the house since it is on the north side of the house.) we want to put the well farther up the hill for water pressure. at the bottom of the hill about 300 ft away from the house is a wide 8' deep hole. there is a huge tree on its side, roots and all, next to the hole. this hole fills up with water. the water level varies but usually keeps about 3' of water in it. we climb down to just above the water level and stand on a log to dip the water out and carry it to our goats (they are pastured close to the water hole) The problem is that it does dry up every great while. it dried up for a few days when we had drought conditions last summer, for ex. Five years ago when we bought our place it was filled in but damp so we dug it out to where it is today. the water is clear and the goats love it. ( goats will refuse water if they don't like the taste)