[AT] fuel transfer pumps

Ron Cook ron at lakeport-1.com
Tue Jun 14 06:38:07 PDT 2016


In my cropdusting business I could not afford to stand around waiting 
for a fuel tank to fill.  I have owned at least 6 fill rite 115v pumps 
and 2 12v pumps.  One 12v pump is over 35 years old and has had the 
vanes and rotor replaced a few times.  It has pumped 10's of thousands 
of gallons.  It has just recently stopped.  I assume the motor is just 
worn out.  I have had 2 115v pumps leak at the seals and had one 
repaired and one is needing repair.  I had one stolen.  I currently am 
using one 12v and three 115v pumps.  I have always bought the heavy duty 
model and they did cost much more than $300.  That is probably the 
difference in service life.  I have none under 15 years old.  All have 
pumped many thousands of gallons of gasoline and/or diesel fuel.
     The chemical companies used to hand out GPI pumps to transfer their 
bulk chemicals.  They were a pretty cheap appearing unit, but did work.  
Way too low a transfer rate for fueling for me.  They always got turned 
in at the end of the spray season, so I have no real experience as to 
their service life.

Ron Cook
Salix, IA

On 6/14/2016 6:35 AM, Cecil Bearden wrote:
> I have a bunch of the 12V Fill-rite Red pumps that are not more than 3
> years old and do not work.  They are full of corrosion inside.  Since
> they are sealed airtight to prevent gas vapors from getting in, they
> sweat inside and there is some aluminum components in there that just
> turns into white powder.  At $250 to $300 each you would think they
> would last longer.   I went to a county sale and bought 3 pallets of
> them some were 110 v.  The 110 V were the only ones that would work. the
> 12V pumps were trash when you opened them up.  This has happened to both
> very often used pumps and those that are used maybe once a month.  Time
> seems to be the main factor...
>
> As usual, there is no reliability on anything we buy these days.
>
> Cecil in OKla
>
>
>
> On 6/14/2016 6:04 AM, Spencer Yost wrote:
>> I've never owned one but have been around and used many 12 V, "back of the truck" type pumps. These always seemed bulletproof to me. Maybe buy the 12 V pump,  a battery and a trickle charger?   All three are probably roughly the same cost as the 120V.
>>
>> Another idea:    many many many years ago(so I don't remember exactly how they did it), a grading firm  had a series of cut off valves, T fittings, hoses and quick connects to allow the truck pump to suck off of a stationary tank when needed to fill the truck tank.  Maybe put a tank and the pump on your truck and use it as a mobil pump station and don't even buy one for the stationary tank?
>>
>> Then again, you were talking to a guy who's diesel tank was installed 6 feet high so  I could let gravity do the work and not buy a pump. :-)
>>
>> Spencer Yost
>>
>>> On Jun 13, 2016, at 10:21 PM, John Hall <jtchall at nc.rr.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Well it appears I've had another fuel transfer pump to quit This is the
>>> second 115 volt Fill-rite pump I have had to have something electrical
>>> go out in it in less than 10 years. According to the meter which I
>>> bought new with the first pump, we have pumped a little over 5,000
>>> gallons of gas. It seems to me that these pumps ought to be able to
>>> handle 5-600 gallons a year for a couple decades, not 4-5 years. The
>>> pumps stay under a shelter, never pump over 25 gallons at a time. No
>>> repair shop localy wants to touch one once they hear I am pumping
>>> gasoline. I buy the cheapest one they make, even then its over $300.
>>> Anybody here have any better luck with their more expensive models? How
>>> about another brand?
>>>
>>> John Hall
>>>
>>>
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