The WaterBuck Pump (patent pending), an innovative water solution, is the first of its kind, unlike any traditional hand pumps in existence. A human-powered well water pump so strong, it is a major fresh water supply system for:
6′, 8′, and 10′ windmills cannot operate a 4″ pump cylinder from a static water level of 80′, but a grandmother can using the WaterBuck Pump.
- the self-reliant
- long-term emergencies
- off-grid communities
- off-grid aquaponics
- rural communities of all types
- homesteaders
- large families
- farms and ranches
- campgrounds
Enjoy volumes of water you can’t get from traditional hand pumps for:
- fresh drinking water
- bathing
- laundry
- cleaning
- irrigating gardens
- watering livestock.
The WaterBuck Pump is a serious piece of equipment and a great asset for what is most important – Water.
Update: I just set up the new WaterBuck Pump model over my well. I set it up for the long stroke and pumped an astounding 7+ gallons in 30 seconds. Same depth. Same cylinder.
The WaterBuck Pump is much more than a hand pump.
The WaterBuck is an efficient manually operated water well pumping machine with enormous mechanical advantage — well beyond the ability of common hand pumps, but in the range of large-diameter windmills.
Before the WaterBuck Pump, the mechanical advantage of a 12-foot windmill was needed to pump water from a deep well with a static water level of 80 feet operating a 4-inch pump cylinder. But, now a physically active grandmother can easily do the same using the WaterBuck. No wind power, electricity, solar or other micro-grid technology is needed. Using a simple combination of human shape, motion, weight and strength, volumes of water can be pumped from water wells. Depths far beyond what could even be considered is now possible with the WaterBuck Pump.
What is the maximum depth and capacity of the WaterBuck Pump?
Please bear with us as we break more records. New performance charts must be drafted for this machine’s capability to pump water by hand from water wells. No charts exist for the maximum depth and output of a manually operated pump with this type of mechanical advantage. Stay tuned for our next video demo and an update to the performance chart.
What non-electric pumps compare to the WaterBuck Pump?
Traditional hand pumps cannot compare to the WaterBuck Pump. However, under human power the WaterBuck’s output in gallons per minute is comparable to performance charts of a 12-foot diameter windmill and may exceed that with further testing. The maximum depth of a 12-foot diameter windmill operating a 4-inch pump cylinder is 86 feet with a maximum gpm of 13.8 with wind speeds of 15-20 miles an hour. With our hand pump, a fit man can easily surpass 13.8 gpm and the 20-something mom who pumped 10 gpm in our video demo (see below).
Our hand pump machine is also within the performance range of 1/2 horsepower submersible electric well pumps, possibly more with further testing. We anticipate depths of 500 feet can be achieved.
Prototype Field-Test Results:
The following results – a feat unprecedented in the common hand pump sector – are from pumping from an 80-foot static water level with a 4-inch brass pump cylinder with 2-inch drop pipe and 3/8-inch metal pipe sucker rod. Amazingly, the following gpm flow rate was delivered on the short stroke of the machine with 4′ handle except for the last video!
- Age 50s man – 10 gallons a minute (27 full strokes)
- 63-year-old grandmother – 5 gpm (17 strokes)
- 20-something mom – 10 gpm (32 stokes)
- 8-year-old boy – 5 gpm in 3 minutes
- 50s couple moderate continuous pumping in rotation – 55 gallons in 10 minutes
- Age 50s man, 150 pounds – 5 gallons – 30 seconds (10 full strokes) with machine set on long stroke with 5′ handle
The grandmother, mother and son were first-time users.
Machine set up for one strong man or two operators
The 10 gpm the young mother pumped is comparable to a 1/2-horsepower electric submersible well pump operating with an 80′ static water level, with a flow range of 10 gpm at a 40 psi discharge.
The effort required to pump water with the WaterBuck from deep wells is far less than that of traditional hand pumps. The exceptional mechanical advantage design makes it possible. With the WaterBuck (operating a 4″ pump cylinder) a grandmother greatly exceeds the output of a 200-pound fit man operating a traditional deep well hand pump with a 3″ pump cylinder at the same depths.
Updates to come:
The maximum depth the WaterBuck can reach operating a 4″ pump cylinder is not yet known nor is its maximum capacity at an 80’ static water level with a 4” pump cylinder. The 2” drop pipe (schedule 80 PVC) and 3/8” metal pipe sucker rod used with the prototype are inadequate for our pump. The rod guides used with 2” schedule 80 PVC are too tight and restrict the water flow. Also, the 3/8” pipe used for the sucker rod is not strong enough for the machine. Consequently, we feared testing the WaterBuck’s maximum capacity until we install the proper drop pipe and sucker rod. This means even more flow rate at current settings and then we’ll test it with 1 and 2 strong men on the long stroke for maximum capacity.
What type of pump cylinders and sucker rod come with the WaterBuck Pump?
Our innovative hand pump machine operates the same reciprocating pump cylinders made for windmills, with cylinder sizes up to 6 inches. For more than 100 years the windmill industry has had great success pumping water with brass water well cylinders made by Midland Manufacturing Company. We are proud and pleased to offer these high-quality windmill cylinders and stuffing boxes with the WaterBuck Pump. We also will use the same ¾” fiberglass sucker rod with rod guides used for 12’ to 16’ windmills.
Can the WaterBuck Pump be used along with existing electric submersible pumps and pressurize a pressure tank?
With the right conditions and size of pump cylinder, the WaterBuck Pump can work in tandem with existing submersible pumps. The WaterBuck uses a closed system with the windmill pump system. With the use of a stuffing box and check valve, water can be pumped into a pressure tank for household use or into an overhead storage tank for a gravity flow system. The machine can also be set up to pump volumes of water from ponds and creeks for irrigating gardens and watering animals.
Is the WaterBuck easy to use?
The machine’s design efficiently uses human shape, motion, weight and strength, which makes it easy to use, thereby yielding more water. It’s easy enough for a grandmother to get her water needs for the day even from deep wells. With two operators pumping in tandem, more water can be retrieved easily.
The machine is designed with a long and short stroke, has an adjustable pump arm from 4′ to 5′ for more leverage and a 4′ pump handle to accommodate two users. The WaterBuck has four points of mechanical advantage for ease of operation and maximum discharge. These are light, medium, heavy and heavy duty.
Is the WaterBuck robust, dependable, built to last and warrantied?
The WaterBuck is a very heavy duty commercial grade water well pumping machine. It has to be to overcome the force required to pump volumes of water from shallow and deep wells under human power. The pump’s control arms operate from a 2″ shaft. The machine is 76″ tall and weighs 375 pounds. The pump head comes with a 5-year warranty, and requires just simple and easy maintenance. So dependable, the WaterBuck Pump is built to last for decades, made to be handed down to the next generation.
How does the WaterBuck Pump compare to expensive commercial hand pumps?
The capability of the WaterBuck Pump greatly surpasses the capacity of commercial hand pumps used in the United States and overseas. It is a true breakthrough in the hand pump sector and a solution for pumping water beyond depths that could be considered possible under human power.
.Why is the pump named for an antelope?
As the name indicates, the waterbuck inhabits areas close to water in savanna grasslands, gallery forests and riverine woodlands of the African Sahara. The waterbuck is more water-dependent than domestic cattle and must remain close to a water source. This is a large, robust antelope. Bulls have a shoulder height of 50 inches and can weigh up to 500 pounds.
Only the bulls have long, forward curved horns, which can reach 40 inches. This is also a gregarious antelope. Dominant bulls occupy territories which they defend by aggressive posturing and even fights. They are strong swimmers and when seriously threatened, will take refuge in deep water..
.
.
.With the Waterbuck you can have the water you need when you need it!
See our story in Mother Earth News
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of the pump’s capabilities and updates to the performance charts. Our YouTube Channel
Please share the WaterBuck Pump with your friends!
