Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

Greetings all.

I purchased some property in Dewey AZ that currently has a windmill on it that isn't working. I'm currently having water trucked in, about 2500 gal every 4 months.

I'm honestly trying to determine if the windmill is worth salvaging, if the well is any good, or if I should look at solar or electric pumps. I'd love to save the windmill and restore it as everything else seems to be 2-5k to do new.

I'll be up there soon, and need to get a couple of hi-res pictures that I can start posting on the other boards. Try to figure out what it is and what to do.

Welcome! Good idea about the pictures. Also, any numbers on the head will help. Start with the well. If the well is bad, no use in going much farther. Might need to call a well company to pull all the stuff out of it, unless you know how. Then you can see where the water is, and if it is any good.

I will be running I 17 from Flag down to the valley on Friday night and returning roughly 11th or 12th. Since I am doing 2 installs and service work, I will have my well service pump hoist rig and trailer. The return would be preferable as I will be mostly empty.

AZ has a good online well records database IF the well was permitted. Here is the link to access:
https://gisweb.azwater.gov/WellRegistry ... llReg.aspx

We sell and service windmills, solar pumps and subs. PM (private message) me if you want contact info.

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

windybob wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 3:13 pm Welcome! Good idea about the pictures. Also, any numbers on the head will help. Start with the well. If the well is bad, no use in going much farther. Might need to call a well company to pull all the stuff out of it, unless you know how. Then you can see where the water is, and if it is any good.

Thanks for the advice. I think that's the high-level plan. I was walking around it when I was up there 2 weeks ago, and it looks like they poured the cement slab after they had the windmill erected as I don't see any bolts connecting the stand to a footer. Which means that I'd need to reinforce & cut the legs so I can drop/erect the windmill safely.

I was told that this was hand-dug back in the day, but that was when it was part of a cattle ranch, before they sub-divided the area for sale. There are lots of other wells that have gone in since, so I'm sure that the water table level has changed.

I'm fairly mechanically inclined, but this would be my first go at a windmill.

Ron Stauffer wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:25 pm I will be running I 17 from Flag down to the valley on Friday night and returning roughly 11th or 12th. Since I am doing 2 installs and service work, I will have my well service pump hoist rig and trailer. The return would be preferable as I will be mostly empty.

AZ has a good online well records database IF the well was permitted. Here is the link to access:
https://gisweb.azwater.gov/WellRegistry ... llReg.aspx

We sell and service windmills, solar pumps and subs. PM (private message) me if you want contact info.

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

Thanks Ron. I was just up in Durango, CO last month, so I'm familiar with the drive.

I did look into the registration site, and this well pre-dates the registration process. It was part of an old cattle ranch, and I can see where they fed the cattle tank. I rebuilt the tank last year as I do collect a fair amount of rain water, but this windmill hasn't been known to be working since before the 90's.

Usually hand-dug wells are not terribly deep. There should be some kind of cover over it with an access door, panel, or opening. They are usually about 3 ft in diameter. If it's a cased well, then there will be a pipe about 4 or 6 inches coming up level with the ground, or concrete.

gerfunken
Welcome to the site from West Phoenix.
Ron Stauffer is a very good windmill mechanic and knowledgeable, hope you can work out a time to meet with him

rockingjl wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 7:17 am gerfunken
Welcome to the site from West Phoenix.
Ron Stauffer is a very good windmill mechanic and knowledgeable, hope you can work out a time to meet with him

Hey rockingjl, primary home is actually in Surprise, so I'm a westsider as well.

Cool! You are welcome to come by sometime, we have 12 foot 702 Aermotor and an 8 foot 602 Aermotor. PM for info