I've always been interested in having one of those old-fashioned hand pump wells like the one below. Anyone have any information on this? I would like to get an idea of how far I would have to dig.. just want to be able to fill a gallon jug in a minute or two.
Any other method of getting water from the ground without electricity or complicated equipment?
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/askville/4048118_12402466_mywrite/oldhandpump.jpg)
This site sells several of them, and lots of other cool off grid items-
http://www.lehmans.com/store/Water___Water_Pumps___Deep_Wells___Lehman_s__Most_Functional_Deep_Well_Pump_Heads___900402?Args= (http://www.lehmans.com/store/Water___Water_Pumps___Deep_Wells___Lehman_s__Most_Functional_Deep_Well_Pump_Heads___900402?Args=)
Their catalogue is very nice and includes a lot more information than their website.
Dug is right. Lehmans is the place to look.
Your profile doesn't show where you are. In most areas a drive point well is what you want for that. I can hit usable water at about ten feet in some places.
I'm in Upstate South Carolina.. I was hoping for something like 10 ft.. ; )
Googled "drive point well" and found this after a while.
http://www.fdungan.com/well.htm
There are different types of those pumps - shallow well and deep well pump. Suction is only good for about 20 feet without a sucker rod and cylinder below.
We have a Bison hand pump, and we love it. It's almost unbelievably well made (in Maine), and will certainly last for generations. We installed it ourselves (into a 95' foot drilled well) in an hour or so. They're pretty spendy, and may be more than you need, but if you need to depend on it as we do, you can't ask for better. http://www.bisonpumps.com/ (http://www.bisonpumps.com/) There are actual human beings working there who will happily answer all your questions over the phone. Sorry to sound like an advert...