Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

The water below my 12 foot Heller Aller Baker mill has a lot of iron. The leathers that I traditionally used would wear out quickly (sometimes in a month). 1 year ago I switched to neoprene cups and the mill was producing very good amounts of water. In May the mill stopped producing water at all. I filled the 2' pipe and there appears to be no leaks in the pipe or the bottom check valve. I pulled the rod and cups, ordered new, compared new and old, and it appears that there was 1/8 inch of wear (2 x 1/16 inch) over the 12 months. If that's acceptable, I will just plan on changing the cups yearly when I change the oil. Always curious what you all think.

We service lots of wells. Every one has it's differences. Some we re-leather once a year, some every 5 years. Some go longer.