Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[brin]

Does the pool pump still work? If so, just shut off the skimmer (cap it?) and use the bottom drain, or use the vacuum hose as a inlet hose if you dont have a bottom drain.

Aaron Z

:thumbsup:

 

[California]

probably need to pump 4-12 hours per day for at most 2 or 3 days. Any thoughts?

Couple of thoughts - you can run an electric pump overnight but a gas engine is probably too noisy. Maybe rent the $21/day electric pump and run it in tandem - off a different electric circuit - along with the pool's filter pump?

And the main way to move more volume with a given pump is use hose to get the outlet downhill from the pool's water level. For example put the outlet hose down a storm drain to get this drop. Net lift is the main factor determining the volume moved.

 

[paulharvey]

The pool is with in 50 feet of the intercostal water way, so pumping distance isn't an issue. The pool pump hasn't worked in years, and it's a nasty mosquito nest. The city wants it fenced and working or filled; and fill led is the cheapest option.

 

[aczlan]

I would call your local rental places and see the price to rent a gas or electric 2" pump. Around here, a 2" electric submersible pump with a 50' hose runs $25/day to rent (plus a $25 refundable deposit). Gas one is under $40 but pumps 142GPM vs the 87GPM claimed by the electric pump.

Edit:
If its a 20x40 rectangular pool with a 12' deep end and a 4' shallow end it should hold 48,000 gallons of water (per: http://www.pentairpool.com/save-energy/calculators/pool-volume-calc/poolcalc.htm ).
If the real world flow of the electric pump is 60GPM that would take 13 hours to empty the pool
If the real world flow of the gas pump is 100GPM, it would take 8 hours to empty the pool.

Aaron Z

 

[bcp]

You can empty the pool of water by filling it with something heavier than water. No pump needed.



Bruce

 

[Brad_Blazer]

If the level of the waterway is lower than the bottom of the pool you can siphon it. Use big hose, at least 2".

The 69300 pump seems to work well. We bought one at work for temporary use and it runs for hours at a time no problem. We are using it for clear water. If you get 1400 gallons per hour like one reviewer and you have 48000 gallons that's still just 3 days. It has a 90 day warranty so if it conks out you can exchange it as long as the store is convenient to you.

1 Horsepower Submersible Dirty Water Pump with Float

 

[sixdogs]

Does anyone happen to have one of these dollies for lifting tires? if it works it would make rotating my light and heavy truck tires a lot easier. I've got a coupon for $59.99 that good until July.

It looks like it should work, is well rated and is a Haulmaster product so maybe? Any advice helpful.


Mechanical Wheel Dolly - 1250 Lb. Capacity

 

[NHmitch]

I actually have the 79cc gas HF water pump, and it is an incredible pump. http://www.harborfreight.com/clear-water-pump-with-79cc-ohv-gas-engine-69747.html#.Uy8kXa1dUzI
The reviews are misleading, because the majority of negative reviews are only because HF does not carry the 1" drain, or suction hose, but there is a very easy solution for this. I bought the pump to drain a very large well, that easily equals the quantity of a large above ground pool. I needed to do repairs to the sides of the well in our pasture, and I have used the pump to drain that well multiple times, and as a fire pump, when I had large brush piles I had to burn. I did buy 200" of 1.5" fire hose and a fire nozzle, and it easily spray a large quantity of water 30-40".

As far as the pump goes, it always starts on the first pull, and runs very smoothly, and I did a bit of research on this pump, and a few people who had used both pumps, said that this pump outperforms the 2" pump. I can only attest to this pump, but I was able to completely drain my well, in about an hour, and I may have been able to it faster, but The well is about 35"deep, so there was a stronger draw required.

As far as the hose is concerned, I bought 1" fish pond hose from home depot, and I use it as a suction hose, and it can be easily used as a drain hose. It never collapses from the pressure of the draw, and the it was only $20 for a 20ft section. Total Pond 1 in. Corrugated Tubing-C16020 at The Home Depot

If you only need to do this once, then you may want to rent a pump, but I highly recommend the pump, and they usually have it on sale, and with 20% off coupons, you can usually get it for around $100. This pump is actually one of my favorite small engine tools to use because it works so well! It also comes with the suction strainer, and the clamps. I added quick connect couplers to it, and they make it faster to use when you have to move it around, and they were under $10 at Tractor Supply. Hope this helps a bit!

This is the pump:

This is the hose that I bought:

I need to drain a fairly large in ground pool to abandon it and fill. I'm considering buying a HF pump vs renting on. Daily rental on a 3/4" 120v sump is $21/D and $66/W. HF has #69299 3/4" sump for $59.99. They also have #69747 1.5 hp gas 1" for $149.99. I'm not 100% sure I can do what I need in a single day, so I'm considering buying. Anyone have experience with either pump. I read reviews but they mostly involved using them as a constant water pump for water features or large aquariums, where I really probably need to pump 4-12 hours per day for at most 2 or 3 days. Any thoughts?

 

[California]

Kinda related - We use a similar tiny pump to power a backpack gold dredge. It works great. I put a description and photo of us working, in this old post. In my case, I'm using the pump as a jetting pump to move water in a 2 inch hose. You would be amazed how much suction is created at the inlet of the larger hose - it will bruise your fingers if you get too close.

Back when I had a 5 hp pump jetting into a 4 inch hose I loaned it to a friend to empty a pool. It did the job in an afternoon. The output was a 4 inch diameter slug of water into his street that went a dozen feet before flattening out. The pump alone was rated 175 gpm so the total output must have been maybe 6x that number. (A jet is a small diameter high pressure inlet nearly parallel into a larger tube of water. It gets so much 'traction' pushing the larger tube of water that it moves huge volume at high velocity, assuming lift is minimal.)

Gold dredges are pretty unusual but if you could borrow one you could empty that pool in no time.

 

[PhysAssist]

I actually just bought a 50 pack of those a week ago, and I probably will never use all of them. I bought them for my HF digital mini moisture meter that I bought to tell how seasoned my firewood is. It works great, and after researching it before I bought it, there were people on arborist sites that spoke really well of it compared to expensive models. I am glad to know that my digital caliper takes the same battery! It funny, know that I use this caliper, I seem to do al
Of my measurements in mm. It seems to be a bit more accurate and is easier for me, sadly.

I know what you mean, but somehow I seem to switch back and forth, sometimes on the same job.

I also have a HF Wood Moisture Meter but mine has analog LED readouts (yellow plastic body with 2 pointed metal contacts and a leatherette case) but mine uses a square 9-volt battery. It was also highly rated and worked great until the battery leads broke off the snap attachment when it got dropped one time too many.

I finally found a replacement battery clip and will be happy to have it working again.

Thomas