cmuncy said:
I'm looking for something that might help with small brush fires while I'm burning.
Tractor Supply lists it at $245, then you still need hoses, so $300 is what you'll have into it at the very least. Even if you go with a smaller, cheaper pump, you will still have a fair investment that will only provide very limited ability for fire fighting.
I'm assuming that you are worried about embers that might ignight downwind of where you have a fire going? I've had this happen quite a few times when the wind kicks up after burning for a few hours and it's all coals and ash's.
The problem I see is reach. No matter how long of a hose, it will never be long enough for everything that might happen. You should be able to set it up to put out the fire itself, but that's rarely the problem, it's those floating embers that get away from you.
Then there is the reliability issue. Will the engine start and will the pump prime when you realy need it? What are the odds of this every year that you own it? Five years from now?
I think the keep it simple aproach is much better. Buy the biggest fire extinguisher that you can find. You don't need a chemical rated one, just one that will kill a fire instantly. I aslo have garden sprayers for those hot embers that land, but haven't cought on fire. I just give them a squirt for insurance so that they can't start a fire. One day, I'm going to buy a larger, high preasure water sprayer for this. I've seen others with them, but haven't bought one yet. I also burn with my backhoe close by and the loader bucket full of dirt. Yes, I've used it too!!!
I have a 80 gallon water well preasurized tank that I've been planning on putting on wheels and turning into an emergancy source of water for embers. It has a bladder in it, so it's under preasure when filled from the garden hose. Then when I open the valve, all the water will come out from the preasure of the bladder inside the tank. No pumping, now power source, just instant water in a hurry.
Typing this makes me really think this should be one of those projects that I should finish.
Eddie