Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

I got a Challenge Direct Stroke in both wood and steel, the hub on my steel is just like the Challenge Steel. Look at this and see if any of you have seen one like it, I have never seen one before. Let me know your opinions, thanks.

K.R.B are you sure it's a Challenge?

Well, the brake wheel is a little weird but the design is sure like one, I know I got the main frame of a larger one and its a little different than the 8ft. If its not a Challenge, what else was made like that? I just assumed but you tell me? THanks

Those hubs don't resemble challenge there hubs are pretty much similar and i don't believe they ever used twisted arms. I'm not saying it isn't a challenge but I don't think it is and never have seen those hubs before.

Challenge did make over 100 different mills at one time in history. I don't think there is any list of models in order of appearance in the early years. Best thing is to check the green book, and see when they maybe made a steel DS and get some lit on them. Maybe a picture can nail it down. If you have early Challenges, you would be able to spot common traits. I have nothing DS, but maybe someday after digging deep enough in a junk pile, I can find one.

Challenge did have a direct stroke in the early 1900s in wood and steel but according to the literature i have it doesn't look like the one posted at all. The twisted arms puzzles me.

K.R.B. if there's any part numbers please post and what part there on. Thanks Dan!

The main castings appears to be a 215 number. Its not mine, it was sold before I saw it, they also had a Challenge Direct Stroke at the same place with conventional steel wheel set up. We went down to Lubbock last weekend and there is a Challenge Direct Stroke Wood mill there with a four arm spider for a wood wheel, the spider part number is 1684 and I have never seen it in a parts catalog but their sign says it was made in the 1890s. I don't know how much you can glean from Challenge part numbers, it appears on mine anyway, that Direct Stroke main castings were eleven hundred with size indicating next digit, Challenge Steel were twelve hundred and Vaneless were two thousand and then you look at early mils like the Double Header and Challenge Sectional, their main castings were both just 1. Then you get something like a 10ft OK short stroke is just a 40 so their parts department must have been as confused as Elgin's. I may be wrong but the main castings, shaft, bearing caps and hinge layout sure looks like something that fits in the Challenge family to me. Neat spider no matter what it fits on.

K.R.B i did find a couple of interesting things. Look at the crank plate on this DANDY direct stroke and the front hub on this DANDY power mill.