Well Pulling Rig 3 pt

[rocco611]

After 22 years my well pump started to give out. fortunately it didn't quit completely and that gave me time to get estimates on pump replacement. The well is over 200ft deep and I really didnt want to pull it myself; till I got the estimates. One pump company wanted 5k another estimate was 4k mimimum and up from there depending on what they found once the got the pump out. The driller report from 1997 said the well was 240' deep and the pump was at 230. I estimated the pump pipe, wire and water in the pipe to be between 600 too 1000 lbs. It would take days to pull this with an engine cherry picker. I had a bunch of 2x3 rectangular tubing left over that a neighbor had kindly given me for a trailer project. I then went to a local recycling yard, Westen Metal in Fresno where I can buy scrap for .35 a pound. New steel has gotten so expensive that I rarely build large projects any more. I built this rather crude pulling rig in a day with what I had laying around and what was able to pick up at the recycling yard. I also picked up a 5000 lb atv winch a Harbor Freight. I mounted the tower to the 3pt of my kubota, added a winch to the bottom of the tower and two pulleys at the top. I also added a ring between the two pulleys at the top in case I needed to add a snatch block if the winch wasn't up to the task at single line pull. My cousin worked for a well company years ago and had a lifting bell for the pipe and the floor plate for holding the pipe at the top of the well casing. this saved me about $600 since I didn't have to buy these tools and I didn't have time to make them. It turns out the winch was up to the task at single line pull , it ran most of the day pulling and installing pipe with without getting hot. In six hours two of us pulled all the old pipe replaced the pump , pipe, wiring, check valve and had the well seal back in place. I bought the best 3/4 hp pump I could find, 1000.00 for the pump,check valve and control box. 400.00 for pipe and 300.00 for wiring . I figured that if the pump company charged me full retail for the parts, labor for their crew and rig was in excess of 300.00 hr. I didn't have that kind of money available on short notice. anyway here are the pics

 

[ericm979]

Wow, last time we had the pump pulled up it cost about $1200. Our pump is at 220'. That was 5-6 years ago. I wonder if prices have gone up that much here too.
Nice way to do it yourself.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Wow is right. I had to replace my pump in 2013. Well is 420 feet deep with a 1 hp pump. Total bill was $1284. $822 for the pump and motor. The rest was a new foot valve, labor, and a $30 pull charge. Didn't need new pipe or wire.

Your rig looks good and you saved a ton of money :thumbsup:

gg

 

[Citydude]

Wow on the rig. Very nice job!

 

[Oldoak]

Your rig looks good and you saved a ton of money

I'll say!

Just had a well drilling outfit replace our 45 year old pump, well pipe, and wire last October at a cost of $3600. The well is 325' deep, pump is down 300'.

The well was drilled back in 1973. Drilling, well casing, pump, piping, wiring, pressure tank, and controls, with labor included. A turnkey project for a total cost of $1900.

By the way, the original 45 year old 3/4 HP pump was still good, it was the pump piping inside the well that was leaking and needed replacing. However, I figured just as soon as we dropped that old pump with the new pipe back down into the well, Murphy's Law would happen and the pump would soon fail.

 

[rocco611]

I'll say!

Just had a well drilling outfit replace our 45 year old pump, well pipe, and wire last October at a cost of $3600. The well is 325' deep, pump is down 300'.

The well was drilled back in 1973. Drilling, well casing, pump, piping, wiring, pressure tank, and controls, with labor included. A turnkey project for a total cost of $1900.

By the way, the original 45 year old 3/4 HP pump was still good, it was the pump piping inside the well that was leaking and needed replacing. However, I figured just as soon as we dropped that old pump with the new pipe back down into the well, Murphy's Law would happen and the pump would soon fail.

thanks everyone for the compliments on the rig. Wow 45 year old pump? I thought 22 years was a long time for a pump to last. the galvanized pipe that was below the water level was it really bad shape, I decided to replace everything . Here in the Central Valley with the drought and dropping levels of ground water , the well drillers and pump companies have been really busy, I think pricing has a lot to do with how busy they are. At some point I think a lot of us here will be out of water and will be relying on having water hauled in. There is a gravel quarry going in down the road from me. A lot of people are worried that the pit will likely drain our shallow aquifer , there is also a 3000 unit housing development going in near by. I did talk to one of the guys that hauls water. its $200 for 4k gallons. If I put in a 5k gallon tank I could get by on that for a month if I stopped irrigating landscape. water has become a serious issue, but they keep building ...

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Nice job on the pulling rig. It is all about supply and demand. Capitalism at work. When you live in an AG area and the available resource's assets are tied to the corporate AG business guess who suffers.

My mechanic of choice also has a well service business. He charges $150/hr for 2 men and equipment portal to portal.

Ron

 

[TractorGuy]

Good job on the rig!

I have considered making something similar but not sure it's worth it around here. We'll see what the quotes are next time it fails. I only get 10-15 years out of a pump. I already have a 9000 lb winch on my trailer so I'm set with that.

I have never paid over a grand for the whole job but my well is only 160 ft deep and they usually reuse the pipe. The guy I used last time charged $175 for labor. He did screw me up and didn't have any pipe with him last time the pump and motor failed and one pipe had a hole so he just left it out. Ended up going dry after a drought so I had to have him come back and put all new pipe in. I should have pressed him to do that labor free but I just paid the bill and let it go. I think it was a little over $800 parts and labor for USA made pipe.

 

[stuckmotor]

If you consider your pulling rig "rather crude" your good work must be beyond excellent. I enjoyed your post.

 

[fried1765]

Wow is right. I had to replace my pump in 2013. Well is 420 feet deep with a 1 hp pump. Total bill was $1284. $822 for the pump and motor. The rest was a new foot valve, labor, and a $30 pull charge. Didn't need new pipe or wire.

Your rig looks good and you saved a ton of money :thumbsup:

gg

Curiosity.......did you replace your pump with a "Gould" pump?

 

[fruitcakesa]

Our deep well pump, 205 feet, failed last February on a weekend. We melted snow to get through till Monday then called a well driller.
$1100 for new 220V pump install and 2 men labor. Very fast and efficient service.

 

[wheelbuilder]

The rig looks good to me. I spent a while doing well/pump service right out of high school. The average life span on a pump back then (mid 80s) was 12 years. A lot of variables to that, water quality, low water and such. I always felt bad having to pull a pump for an inexpensive part like a foot valve, labor isn't cheap, especially if you're pulling 400 or more feet of pipe.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Curiosity.......did you replace your pump with a "Gould" pump?

Of course. And Gould Well Drilling did the job. But neither the pump, the well outfit or me are related in any way. Just one of those strange coincidences of life.

gg

 

[gary49]

Just out of curiosity, why didn't you use black polyethylene pipe to replace the galvanized pipe?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My well is 200 ft deep. I have pulled it by myself by hand, not easy. Would not attempt it now at my age.

 

[rocco611]

Just out of curiosity, why didn't you use black polyethylene pipe to replace the galvanized pipe?

I looked into poly pipe,seemed like the better choice, but had trouble finding it and the fittings quickly , galvanized pipe was easy to get in the time I had to get all the parts for the repair together.

 

[Oldoak]

My original well pipe was galvanized iron pipe, which was replaced last October because it leaking (rusted away). The well contractor replaced it with schedule 80 white white plastic threaded pipe (300').

 

[rocco611]

My original well pipe was galvanized iron pipe, which was replaced last October because it leaking (rusted away). The well contractor replaced it with schedule 80 white white plastic threaded pipe (300').

I had looked into that too , the pipe is so much lighter than galvanized, 40 lbs per 100' and it doesn't rust.

 

[wheelbuilder]

Just out of curiosity, why didn't you use black polyethylene pipe to replace the galvanized pipe?

I'd rather pull PVC or galvanized than black poly. Unless the polyethylene is short, it turns into a workout. You'd need a different rig to pull it mechanically.

 

[wheelbuilder]

Of course. And Gould Well Drilling did the job. But neither the pump, the well outfit or me are related in any way. Just one of those strange coincidences of life.

gg

If it's the well place near me, they spell it Goold. Are you in upstate NY ?