A stellar example of Murphey’s Law. Smack bang in the middle of haymaking (the busiest time of year for us), our waterwheel pump decided to pack a sad. When the summer days are long and hot, our one-hundred-eighty animals are thirsty drinkers. So, behold the fiddly and time-sensitive process of us troubleshooting through trial and error to get this darn thing operating smoothly again before the troughs dry up!

For the more technical-minded: This is a Davies B1 series pump. It’s about 80-100 years old, and you can see the various parts being serviced herein, which are still manufactured to this day – a testament to an enduring product. It is designed to run fast, putting out about 200 gallons an hour. A very common relic to find on old farms in New Zealand.