Instant Pond

[bindian]

Rural King or Tractor supply will have 2" pumps with a Briggs motor for around $250, hoses will be extra. 3-4" will cost a lot more. If you were closer I would loan my 2" pump to you. It will probably take a day to pump it down with a 2" pump. Nice job on the pond, you have a good eye. I took almost three summers to dig my pond. I would work on it in my spare time inbetween repairing dozers, tractors and the pan. I ran into a lot of hardpan which I had to chip out piece by piece. Mine turned out about 4 acres in size and we have really enjoyed it. Good Luck! Wish we had some of your rain.

Thanks Dozernut,
I looked at local TSC yesterday and didn't see any. I will check their catalog. I have heard Harbor Freight sells them, but not the coupling and/or hoses.
Your 4 acres of lake is a little bigger than my pond.
hugs, Brandi

 

[radrock]

Oh Wow. You do it all day, but someone else's project. I guess the fun goes out of it after loading a few hundred dump trucks. I love aviation, but get tired of it.
hugs, Brandi

Aww. I've worked construction all my life and I still like it even if I am closing in on retirement. I think with any job you get somewhat tied of it at times. But when away from it while you will miss it. I tried to get into aviation when I went into the service but they wouldn't let me do it. :-(

 

[Wilky]

Thanks Dozernut,
I looked at local TSC yesterday and didn't see any. I will check their catalog. I have heard Harbor Freight sells them, but not the coupling and/or hoses.
Your 4 acres of lake is a little bigger than my pond.
hugs, Brandi

Brandi here's a link http://www.tractorsupply.com/red-lion-5-5-hp-engine-driven-water-pump-1023077. Have one works great. Have pumped our ponds a few times also a basement when we were building sons house.
Wayne

 

[rjwerth]

Anybody got any good ideas on pumps? Water pump or Trash pump? 2 or 3 inch? Best place to buy?
hugs, Brandi

Don't think they go down that far, but I just got a Powermate 2" full trash at Menards for $800. That's $200 less than the Northern Tool version (not to mention another $110 to ship) which seems to have the same pump and engine...just a different cage. Works way better than I had anticipated!

As for the size, how much time do you want to spend pumping? 2" is all I needed...but my pond is only about 1/2 acre or so...

 

[bindian]

I finally had enough of the flash flooding today and decided I needed a pump and I needed it now, even if I had to charge it. Each flash flood (another inch today) is eroding the dam. Today's flash flood washed roots over the spillway and left debris in a 5 foot wide path. So I called around and found out we had a new Northern Tool store that just opened under my nose.
I stopped in to Conroe's TSC and they did have a selection of pumps. But I still was undecided if I needed a 2 or 3 inch pump. So I went to my favorite local tractor/lawnmower/Stihl store and talked to the owner. He said all I needed was a 2 inch pump, after I showed him the pond photos. I told him I was gonna buy one from Northern or TSC. He said he rents Honda pumps to select customers. Then the lite bulb went off that he was a Honda dealer. He said I could have a Honda WB20XT 2 inch pump for $383. Heck, I was planning on $250-300 plus buy the warranty from TSC or Northern. So I bought the Honda pump from the same guys that sold me my Stihl Chain Saw, my Hustler Fastrac zero turn mower, my Mahindra 6520, and soon to pickup........a Top Hat 24+5 foot dovetail dual tandem gooseneck trailer. Years before that I was buying Snapper parts to rebuild transmission and axle to a free to me rear engine rider mower.
So it pays to stay with the same folks. This pump, in the Northern catalog.....goes for $469. I also bought an electronic hour meter. This kind just wraps the wire around the spark plug cable 5 times and tyrap it secure. So far, it ran 2.2 hours on a tank full and lowered the pond six inches.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

So I bought the pump from Outdoor Equipment Outlet in Conroe, but begged off buying Honda hoses. I went back to TSC and bought them there and came home. Then I realized the strainer that came with the pump, did not fit the hose. So I knew the new Northern Tool in town had lots of fittings, so I went back there and bought a screw on strainer. I tywrapped the hose and strainer into a 5 gallon bucket and tossed into the pond. Can someone explain to me how to throw a two inch suction hose to get it out full length instead of just it coiling up near the shore??????????????
So here are more photos showing the pump in action. I had the discharge flowing into the ditch behind the dam that limited the pond's size. I found the discharge eroded less when the hose end is off the ground about 2 inches and squirts onto a small sheet of plywood.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Brandi here's a link Red Lion 5.5 HP Engine Driven Water Pump - 1023077 | Tractor Supply Company. Have one works great. Have pumped our ponds a few times also a basement when we were building sons house.
Wayne

Wilky,
I saw that pump today and probably would have bought it, until Tim convinced me to buy the Honda engine and Honda pump. 3 year warranty, service and parts from good friends for a decent price. Thanks.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Don't think they go down that far, but I just got a Powermate 2" full trash at Menards for $800. That's $200 less than the Northern Tool version (not to mention another $110 to ship) which seems to have the same pump and engine...just a different cage. Works way better than I had anticipated!

As for the size, how much time do you want to spend pumping? 2" is all I needed...but my pond is only about 1/2 acre or so...

rjwerth,
I have never seen a Menards down here, but thanks anyway.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I just checked pump process and it has the water down to within of a couple of inches where I staked for the lower lip of the overflow pipe. So it has gone down over 1.5 feet in a little over 3 hours. With the pond basin in a bowl shape, with the island, the water will be going down faster each minute the pump runs. I probably could have got by with a 1 & 1/2 inch pump!
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Aww. I've worked construction all my life and I still like it even if I am closing in on retirement. I think with any job you get somewhat tied of it at times. But when away from it while you will miss it. I tried to get into aviation when I went into the service but they wouldn't let me do it. :-(

I understand. More and more I find myself, at work, thinking of retirement.
hugs, Brandi