Windmill Sales Booming, Says Aermotor Expert

Windmill Sales Booming Says Aermotor Expert ENERGY Miscellaneous New Mexico rancher Matt Williams knew at a young age that it takes more than cattle know-how to raise a profitable cow-calf herd “Range cattle need a ready supply of water from a pond spring stream or well ” says Williams “Most of our livestock were watered by wells driven by windmills When the windmills needing fixing I was the one who did that and I’ve been doing it since 1976 ” Williams’s company is a distributor of Aermotor Windmills and Windmill 702’s They also sell and service submersible pumps provide water storage services to area ranchers and build their own stock troughs and tractor tire troughs Williams says windmills have been used on farms and ranches for more than 125 years Aermotor sold only 24 units in 1888 but by 1892 the company’s one-acre factory turned out 20 000 windmills By 1904 production efficiencies reduced the cost to $25 for 8-ft models and $300 for 20-ft models which was 1/6th of their original price In 2014 8-ft dia models sold for just under $3 000 and 16-ft models sold for $13 820 Towers range in height from 21-ft models that sell for $2 450 to 47-ft models that cost $9 070 Parts such as hand pumps sucker rods clamps platforms and windmill oil for all models including those more than 100 years old are still available and can be shipped anywhere in the world from the Aermotor company Williams says the most important element of a windmill is the motor positioned at the top of tower “The motor is a unique set of mechanical gears that convert the rotary motion of the fan wheel into the up and down motion of the sucker pipe The motors are built basically the same way today as they were when the Aermotor company first started They’re so mechanically simple that the only maintenance needed is to change oil in them once a year ” If motors do malfunction Williams Windmill can repair and rebuild a motor or provide replacement parts “We work on all types of windmills and have been able to repair everything out there ” Williams says For producers interested in new equipment Williams says his company offers 8 different models from 6 to 16 ft in diameter The size fan to use is determined by the diameter of a well which can range from 1 7/8 in to 6 in Pumping capacity can range from about 125 to more than 1 800 gals an hour Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Williams Windmill 42 Interstate 25 Frontage Rd Lemitar New Mexico 87823 ph 575 835-1630; www williamswindmill com

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