Water tank

curly · Jul 26, 2010

Snyder Industries Square-Ended Poly Spray Tank  100 Gallon Capacity | Sprayer Tanks | Northern Tool + Equipment

I need a big water tank like the one in the link. All of the trees I'll use it for are going to be right off my driveway where I can get to easily in my truck. So, I'll just put this in my truck to water.

I couldn't get a straight answer from TSC or NT about how to actually hook up a water hose (or whatever) to actually get the water onto the trees.

Anybody have any experience with something like this?

Thanks, Curly

J_J · Jul 26, 2010

Gravity feed should do it. Could also use a 12v pump. Even hand pump.

curly · Jul 26, 2010

So JJ, this is a very do-able thing right, no big surprises. Just put it in the back of the pickup, strap it in an fill it up. Get a water hose connected to the tank and let it gravity feed to water the trees?

No surprises getting the fitting to get a normal 50ft garden hose connected?

MMagis · Jul 26, 2010

It has a 3/4 drain, but doesn't say if it's a 3/4 pipe fitting, or just a drain. Gravity fed would get my vote, but if it doesn't have a pipe fitting, how to you attached the hose? I think that may be the question?

curly · Jul 26, 2010

MM, yeah that was originally my question too. I called the NT back and the guy told me that all of their tanks do have a threaded male or female fitting. So I guess I can get some sort of cutoff valve attached and then a hose attached to that.

If anyone knows otherwise please let me know before I waste my money

J_J · Jul 26, 2010

What kind of outlet is on there now? I believe all hose bib spigot are 1/2, or 3/4 pipe. a gate valve might work also.

Duffster · Jul 26, 2010

J_J said:
What kind of outlet is on there now? I believe all hose bib spigot are 1/2, or 3/4 pipe. a gate valve might work also.

Garden hose ends are not NPT but adapter are readily avaible.

OP, you might find gravity to slow, I would get a 12v pump and wire it off the trailer plug in.

ChuckinNH · Jul 26, 2010

One of the large local hospitals has quite a grounds maintenance crew, and they have a set up like these on a trailer they pull with one of their JD's. I have one of those 25 gallon tanks with a 12 volt pump, and am pretty disappointed in the output of the wimpy pulsing stream of water. If you have any amount of trees to do I would look hard at something with an engine powered pump. The components are available, and I am pretty sure that Northern Tool, and places like that do specify the thread, etc. on their larger tanks.
Skid Sprayers | Sprayers | Grounds Maintenance | Northern Tool + Equipment

J_J · Jul 26, 2010

Duffster said:
Garden hose ends are not NPT but adapter are readily avaible.

OP, you might find gravity to slow, I would get a 12v pump and wire it off the trailer plug in.

The input to the spigot is 3/4 pipe, or 1/2 pipe and the output is hose connector.

Haoleguy · Jul 26, 2010

Curly - I went through something like this for my spouse. She has a 30 x 45 ft garden that is on a property 5 min from our house. What surprised me the most was doing a weight calc on 100 gals of water which comes in over 800lbs by itself. Also these units are not baffled and sloshing from starting/stopping throws quite a bit of weight around. With my 98 Ford F150 I went the route of a 48 gal equestrian tank(half-moon low-pro) and it hooks up to a standard hose. I had to build a cheap frame and tie it down to keep from violently moving around in my bed. I prefer having 100gals but the weight and bed real estate made me go the equestrian tank route ... FYI ....HCP-HALF-MOON LAY DOWN WATER CADDY - 48 Gal. - Horse Lovers Outlet ...Gary

Tul01 · Jul 26, 2010

Does that tank leave enough space in the truck bed for your generator? I drpped a 1/3 hp sump pump in mine and it pumps the perfect flow with garden hose 175 gallons out in approx 30 mins, just fast enough to speed it up, slow enough to soak in.

Brent

rswyan · Jul 27, 2010

curly said:
I need a big water tank like the one in the link. All of the trees I'll use it for are going to be right off my driveway where I can get to easily in my truck. So, I'll just put this in my truck to water.

Makes sense ...... how many and how big are the trees .... and how many gallons do you plan on dumping on each one per watering ?

Reason I ask is, if you want this to go quick, you need some flow .....

Cheap and dirty way to accomplish that is a large hose ......

curly said:
I couldn't get a straight answer from TSC or NT about how to actually hook up a water hose (or whatever) to actually get the water onto the trees.

LOL ... no plumbers there I guess .....

curly said:
Anybody have any experience with something like this?

Yes .... I cobbled together a couple of 55 gallon drums that I mounted on a pallet to use for watering ..... grab it with my pallet forks and take it where I need to water.

I use the small holes on the drum lids (3/4" NPT I think) to to fill the drums (with a garden hose hooked to one drum, and the small plug out in the other, to vent) .....

Then I use the large holes (2") on the lids to drain (water) .....

What I did was install a couple of (large) 90 degree PVC elbows on the large holes in each drum ........ so that the elbows faced each other (drums are laying on their sides with the large holes at the bottom, small holes on top) .... in the middle, between the elbows, I put a PVC tee .... connecting both drums together with like .... 1 1/2" hose I think ....

On the third leg of the tee I ran a 15' (or 20' ?) section of (I think) 1 1/4" plastic flex hose that I think I got down at the hardware - was either for a sump pump ... or maybe for the drain on a washing machine ... something like that ....

At the end of that hose I stuck in a large PVC ball valve .... 90 degree On and Off ....

The advantage of using a similar set up and large hose is that it flows a lot of water fast ... it's easy and simple ..... and it's relatively cheap.

If you want to do something similar with your tank, what you need to do is cut a large hole on the side or end, near the bottom of the tank, and install a large through wall/bulkhead type fitting:

Through Wall Tank Fittings

mjncad · Jul 27, 2010

I built this solely for watering our trees during dry winters when the irrigation system is turned by the water department. 130-gallons gravity fed drain through a 1" ball valve and hose. It drains quick enough for me (<5-minutes for 30 - 35 gallons); but filling it takes a long time (>30-minutes).

rutwad · Jul 27, 2010

2- 55 Gal drums would be a lot cheaper! And my friend had a hose bibb attached to a 55 gal drum with short water hose. The hose bibb slowed the water TREMENDOUSLY!!! Use a ball valve, or even cut a larger hole and use larger pipe.

Now my buddy has a 300 Gal. IBC (I think that's right) tote. It's about a 40" plastic cube inside a metal frame with pallet slides. Has about a 1 1/2" ball valve and short hose. Works great, and sometimes you can find these pretty cheap.

rutwad · Jul 27, 2010

Here

Used 275 Gallon IBC and 330 Gallon IBC Totes & Tanks For Sale >> Container Exchanger

HCJtractor · Jul 27, 2010

I have a 250 gallon tank and use it the same way, watering trees for my wife. Don't rely on gravity feed, as it will take all day. The little 12 V. pumps are cheap, but also pretty slow. I tried one and wasn't impressed. What you need is a gas pump, such as the little Honda pump, that Northern sells (item 109424-2906) or something similar. My city work crews use these for watering trees throughout the city, and speak highly of them. They will really put out some water fast. You will need a 1" suction hose, and either a 1" discharge hose or an adapter to go down to a 3/4 garden hose for discharge. Northern sells all of this. This setup will work great for anything. I even use it for washing my tractor and implements. Don't forget some very secure tie downs for your tank. It will weigh a lot when full, and you don't want it to slide around and bend your tail gate (don't ask me how I learned this!) Any pump short of this will be disappointing, unless you have lots of time to hold a hose and watch it flow.

jbooth · Jul 27, 2010

I would sure recommend something larger than a 3/4" outlet. You would grow old waiting on gravity to dump 100 gallon tank. I use a 250 gallon tank in the back of my heavy 1/2 ton pickup. (Ex-farmer so don't worry much about overload) It has a 2" pipe drain. Originally adapted this down to a garden hose, but was disapointed by the time consumed. I now use a cheap ball valve on the full 2" line and a 5 gallon bucket. Each tree gets 5 gallon +/-. Lots quicker but more labor intensive. Remote areas I use a poly trailer behind a 4 wheeler with the same bucket method. Just use the dip method out of the trailer. Some spillage with the trailer but I have more water than time. Fill the trailer from the 250 gallon tank. A willing grandson makes the 4 wheeler/trailer method better. Of course the grandson wants to be driver and not the water boy.

Gravity feed would be great but a larger drain and hose than 3/4" would be required to satisfy me.

Most of the farm stores (TSC & etc.) have poly tanks with larger drains that are built to fit in pickups . These tanks are relatively in expensive and are made to supply stock water to livestock tanks.

rswyan · Jul 27, 2010

rutwad said:
Use a ball valve, or even cut a larger hole and use larger pipe.

Bingo :thumbsup:

rutwad said:
Now my buddy has a 300 Gal. IBC (I think that's right) tote. It's about a 40" plastic cube inside a metal frame with pallet slides. Has about a 1 1/2" ball valve and short hose. Works great, and sometimes you can find these pretty cheap.

That's a great idea.

HCJtractor said:
I have a 250 gallon tank and use it the same way, watering trees for my wife. Don't rely on gravity feed, as it will take all day.

Not if you use a large enough hose .....

Get a large (1 1/2" to 2") flat discharge hose - relatively cheap, easy to roll up and store:

1 1/2" Discharge Hose

jbooth said:
I would sure recommend something larger than a 3/4" outlet. You would grow old waiting on gravity to dump 100 gallon tank.

Considering how long it takes to fill one (with a garden hose, under pressure) .... yeah, you betcha :thumbsup:

jbooth said:
I now use a cheap ball valve on the full 2" line and a 5 gallon bucket. Each tree gets 5 gallon +/-. Lots quicker but more labor intensive.

I'd use a hose and the "count method" (I"m lazy - and don't have a "helper"

) - count how long it takes to fill a 5 gallon bucket when the tank is full and when it is near empty - average that out and that's how seconds of water each tree gets.

Vary the watering sequence over time to average out how much water each tree gets.

jbooth said:
Gravity feed would be great but a larger drain and hose than 3/4" would be required to satisfy me.

You're not alone .... :laughing:

lucky llama · Jul 27, 2010

I am using a 275 gallon tote to water my blue berries. It easly fits in the back of my pickup or I can use the tractor with pallet forks.
I used a cam lock coupling on the tote conected to a 2" hose. Water comes out very quickly. When its time to move I only have to raise the hose and stick it through the wire cage surounding the tote. Works for me.