Gasoline powered water pump for 500 gal portable tank.

[Dadnatron]

I purchased a used 500gal plastic water tank on a 2 wheeled purpose built trailer. It has plenty of room on the tongue onto which I'd like to add an electric start if possible (wife) water pump. This will be primarily used for variant watering of trees, shrubs, and also for horse troughs until we get our waterers in the paddocks. It will also be a tender for my sprayer... should I hopefully find a good one this fall/winter. I'd like it to be towed by either our tractor or truck, so power needs to be on the machine. I don't want a 12v... not enough gpm. (not that I know what I need, but I know my 12v pump doesn't have what I want.)

I'd like to keep it inexpensive, but gravity isn't going to cut it, so I want a pump which will do the job without a lot of hassle. I'm going to need something in which the pressure and/or volume can be adjusted from full bore 'fill the tank' to 'lightly water the roses'.

I plan on welding a plate to the tongue and bolting the pump/engine directly to it. I'd like the pump/engine to be 'weather resistant' as much as possible, because it will likely be outside more than not. I need something which will autodrain or which can withstand a 'freeze' for a short time, should my wife inadvertently forget to drain it. (I don't know if anything can fill this checkbox, but if so, I'd like to know about it.) I'd like to be able to fill the tank it either with the pump out of the pond or spring or use a hose for direct fill from the house, depending on the requirements. (I suspect she will break open bottled water for her horses... at least sometimes I think that what she is likely to do given the amount of $$$ we spend on them at times.)

I know little about pumps, but the hose ID coming off the tank is 1". I'd like a 'decent' gpm rate given water troughs etc. Also, any thoughts concerning the utility of a manifold and variant connectors??? I've thought about it, but don't know if there is any use to the idea. There will be NO chemicals in the tank.

Basically, I know the basics of what I need... I need water from 'Here' to 'There'. And I have a way to transport it, but I don't have a good way to disperse it.

Any thoughts on my needs and recommendations/questions would be helpful.

 

[TCowner]

This is another option to consider. Rather than mounting a gasoline powered pump on your wagon or trailer you can use this or another type of pump that runs from the pto on your tractor. Sure, you will put a few more hours on your tractor but this pump puts out up to 48 gallons per minute so it won't take very long to empty your tank. If you don't want that much volume from a pump you can use just a standard sprayer roller pump.

http://www.agrisupply.com/images/xxl/12242.jpg

 

[Dadnatron]

Should have added...

I'd like it to be pulled by either the tractor or truck.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

The small gas powered pumps at Harbor Freight work great for your needs. I used to haul water to fill 1500 gal tanks using a 350 gal tank on a trailer. The pump had an 1 1/2" outlet. At wide open, I could pump out the 350 in about 7-8 minutes. I also used it to water landscaping by making a pvc adaptor from the 1 1/2 to a hose thread nipple. Running the pump just above idle would pressurize the 50' hose perfectly. I eventually made a "brush fire trailer" w/ 25' of 1" hose and a fire nozzle. I could spray a jet about 60' away. It was real scary when we were in a drought for about 4 years, wildfire spread real fast (that's why I made the trailer). I was with the fire dept. at the time and the brush truck only carried 250 gal of water.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto.. Hf makes a small clean water gasoline powered pump that's real affordable.

 

[Dadnatron]

I was thinking about the HF pumps, and for the price, they seem great.

Do you know if they can be modified for an electric starter? My local HF doesn't have one on the shelf to take a look at.

Needs cowling space, mounting holes, and a fly wheel with teeth. I think I would end up with a frustrated wife if she ends up not being able to start the engine, and I'd like to make it as easy as possible for her... (on me).

 

[Soundguy]

their small one is a pretty small engine... like 4.5 hp... I imagine even a child could start it. I'll hit their website and see if it has specs.

 

[Soundguy]

excuse me.. it is 3 hp / 79cc and 1" outlet.. that should be quite easy to pull start. Does NOT look electric start capable.

 

[1stDeuce]

Unless you have a physical condition that prevents it, I'd say you could start with the inexpensive little HF pump. It should be terribly easy to start even without being electric, and then you won't need a battery on the trailer, and the maintenance that comes with it...

If that isn't an option, I can tell you that the pumps sold by Carrol Stream will take the Honda GX160/200 electric start kits sold on ebay. I put a kit for a GX160/200 on the Carrol Stream high pressure pump that's mounted to my fire trailer. Works great, and that particular pump will push 100psi at WOT and flows plenty even at low throttle settings.

 

[LincTex]

I have never seen a direct-drive water pump with electric start.
if you are set on a domestic engine, you could swap the water pump style crankshaft into an electric start rototiller engine.
The Honda electric start kits should fit many chinese "Chonda" clones.

If none of that works, You may have to build a belt-driven pump set-up if you absolutely must have electric start.

I agree with the others, the small (79cc? 80cc? 82cc?) are VERY easy to pull start, and move a LOT of water.
You can fill or empty a 500 gallon tank in about 5-10 minutes or so.