What'r PTO water pumps used for?

[Henro]

What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

I this thread Larry_Van_Horn asked what was needed to water a lawn from a pond...

I found it interesting that no one suggested a PTO driven pump. And I can understand why. Who want's to run their tractor just to power a little water pump?

But we are going to have to hook up to the new sewer this summer, and I have a pond, and now will have to pay double for city water, first for the water and then for the sewage, even if I put the water on my grass...so I was thinking why not get a PTO pump for the tractor and use the pond water?

Then I read that thread...and since a pto pump was not suggested even once...well I thought I would ask the question:

What do people use them for? Would it be a mistake to consider one for occasional use, say watering an area where I am trying to get some new grass started?

Are there any PTO pump success stories out there? Or are they just something that sounds practical until you get one for yourself and find otherwise?

 

[trkbldr]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

My dad used a PTO driven pump to fill a large tank which he kept on a hay wagon. He could fill from several large ponds or most times it was from the creek. This was mainly to water tobacco plant beds (anybody remember those?) and his rather large garden plot. I see no reason why, with the proper set-up, you couldn't use one to water your new grass.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

<font color="blue"> This was mainly to water tobacco plant beds (anybody remember those?) </font>

Funny you should mention that... we went down to Mamoth cave a couple of weeks ago and it seemed like there were very few tobacco barns on the trip compared to what I remember being there about 10-15 years ago.

 

[dmccarty]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

Henro,

I have seen a farmer watering a good size garden with a PTO pump on a old Farmall tractor. I see the pumps at the farm shows so someone is buying and using the things. They sound like a good and one of the cheaper implements to buy.

Later,
Dan

 

[Egon]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

In some cases farmers use them for irrigation. Others use them to fill sprayer tanks or stock watering tanks that must be portable and the like.

For home lawn irrigation electric may be the way to go. Had a pump and tank set up for watering at the previous house.

Egon

 

[Bird]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

I thought the primary purpose was to spray herbicides and insecticides, but of course you have to add a pressure regulator for that.

 

[ShaleniFarm]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( to pay double for city water, first for the water and then for the sewage, even if I put the water on my grass. )</font>

Henro:
You can install a "deduct meter" for water that isn't going down the drain. Ask your ever so helpful municipal authority about it.

Still fighting my issues.....

Have a good one,
Neil.

 

[thcri]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

Until we moved out in the country the city we lived in would take your January bill and that is what they based your sewer bill on. That way in the summer you can water your lawn and only pay for the water and not the sewage.

I thought all municpalities did that??

murph

 

[DocHeb]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

Bird,

I think Henro is asking about high volume pumps, not the pumps for sprayers.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

I was wondering this myself. I thought I might get one so I would have backup in case the power went out durring a long rain storm. I have a sump. This way, I could move just throw a hose in the window and pump out the sump hole every four or five hours.

Cliff

 

[Taylortractornut]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

Ive used alarge sprayer pump to watter the grass around the pond at work. It was a roller vane pump. It pumps about 60 to 120 psi but its a about a 1/2 inch hose. Id use the spray barr and let it pull from the pond and mist the grass in the park area of our landfill. It also needs a filter i found out its not fun trying to remove a tiny Bream from the pump inlet. Where dad used to work when i was a boy they had to run a pto pump behind an old gas 2000 Ford tractor. it was a trailertype pto drive I think about a 5 inch output. they drained water out of the gravel pit and also irrigated the washed equipment with it. I cant remeber the lift or how long the suction hose could be but it had a long tongue for getting to the edge of the water or even could be submerged. The tactor was shot the pto clutches slipped from the constant load the motor was tired from being 20 years old and pulling the pump 24/7 for 6 months at a time. One morning we went into work (I was playing hookie) and there was something different not old 2000 clanging in the background. Someone had shut the pto offunhooked the pump and aired up the tries and took the tractor. The mechanic said he felt sorry for the people whho stole the wreck and didnt take the 5000 dollar pump. I have made them from old gas water pumps Im not a good enging mechanic si when id find one art a sale id take pull rope recoil off an make an adapter to attach it to the pto. then take the bplug out and put a breather on the top with oil in the cylinder and pump the water. Later I used a jack shaft and chains that allowd me to run the pupms at a higher speed. THe reason i left the motor intact was the fact that the cranks on the pump motors were tapered for that application. i need to build another one since we reopened our landfill. I saw one on Junkyard Wars that was a submerged type they built in a fireboat challenge it put out around 900 GPM It had a front wheel drive car hub with vanes welded to it inside a sheet metal housing. I have a 12 foot long pto shaft off a baler i could use to submerge it. just make it a long trailer type .

 

[CTyler]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

I recently bought a roller PTO pump to water our trees. Already had a 200+ gallon pickup tank that was used to haul water when building our new house in the country/farm. I set the tank on 4x8 dump trailer with a couple 2x4's screwed down so it doesn't slide anywhere.

The NRD planted 350 trees and we planted another 35 around our property. We would need a 1000+' of hose to water them. Were using 50' of 1/2" hose with a 3' garden wand on the end. Idling the tractor or 1000 RPM puts out plenty of water for this. I'm only using a 12GPM pump(540 PTO). I'm sure the pump is being restricted with the small hose and barb fitting is even smaller. It came with a 1" barb fitting probably for the 22GPM it can run at 1000 PTO.

I also made up a 10' sprayer using 1/2" PVC pipe and 4 rainbird sprinkler 180 deg heads(tops only). Mounted it to a 2x4 that slips in/out the gate of the dump trailer. Would work fine for spraying but not enough flow to soak anything quickly. This thing was built cause we hadn't had any rain and wanted to wet down areas to far to drag a hose that we seeded. Bought 4 more tops and then figured out there are holes that could be drilled out to get LOTS more flow. We just got lots of rain so its on the shelf now.

Hmmm...enough digressing...I use it for watering our baby trees.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

Henro . . . did you ever buy the PTO pump? Or did you ever figure out a use for it?

I just bought a gas powered pump from Northern after looking at the PTO units and deciding against it. Every year I need to pump out some water from our swimming pool, just what collects on top of the winter cover. This year we sprung a leak so I will be backhoeing out the side of the pool to do some work. But I have about 2 feet of water in the bottom of the pool and no easy way to get it out (due to safety concerns we do not have a bottom drain). So I went looking at PTO pumps figuring they would be just the ticket.

The more I thougth about it, the more I didn't like the idea of having a tractor sitting right next to the pool.

Well first, I would have probably bought a small one if they sold them with all the stuff but all I could find was the pump, then you had to buy parts to lock them on the rear of the tractor so they don't spin around when you engage the PTO. Second, they are pretty darn expensive. I'd guess they are more durable and less headache than a small gas powered pump, but I found a small gas pump at Northern Tool for a couple hundred $$$, even with hoses & strainers & shipping costs it was under $300. The PTO pumps alone start over $300.

 

[Henro]

Re: What\'r PTO water pumps used for?

<font color="blue">Henro . . . did you ever buy the PTO pump? Or did you ever figure out a use for it? </font>

Bob, no I didn't and I came to the same conclusion as you did. That is that a dedicated pump would work better for me. I forget where I saw one advertised at a reasonable price. It was either Northern Toll or the HF place.

My pond is not that far from my shed where I have a 100 amp service installed. So I could get power to an electric water pump without too much grief if I wanted to.

My conclusion was that I don't want to run either tractor for the sake of pumping some water to get grass growing. I think that would be a losing propostion. Since in my case alternatives will work. I'd rather save tractor engine hours for more useful things... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I think TSC does sell a complete PTO water pump kit with all the hardware needed to be up and running in no time...

If there was no other way I would use the tractor...but there is so I probably won't.