Hinman Air pump # 475

[maple flats]

Can anyone give me any info on a Hinman "Air pump" model 475? It has been offered to me. This is an old dairy vane vacuum pump, made by the Hinman Milking Machine Co., of the first half of the last century. I am most interested in a source for vanes. It has a 3/4 HP Doerr motor. If this is able to be maintained I might put it on the 160, possibly up to 250 taps around my sugarhouse. However I don't want to set it up if the vanes can't be had. Reportedly it was last used about 30 yrs ago, and it still spins freely. For that small a number of taps I don't think it would be worth getting a very pricey pump.

[BreezyHill]

Can you send a pic?

I found a listing for an old auction where a 475 was selling with 5 pail milkers. It takes 6 cfm at 15" to run a bucket milker. so assuming this farm ran the five which is not unusual, the unit would be in the 30 cfm area. Thus it should work fine for what you are looking to do.

You will be very surprised if....when you go with vacuum. With good vac 25-27, you will be boiling on days you never thought possible. So don't think of it as pricey. Think of it as money spent know that will pay returns for years to come.

Likely vanes are not available...but I have had vanes made by metal shops for molasses meters in the past...so it can be done. If it turns free then try putting the power to her after you check the oil and see what she does. Tractor supply vacuum oil is good oil. I ran 235 taps last season on a $25 Delaval 73 and made just over .4 gal per tap and had to dump over 500 gallons sap when the day time high hit 71. Not pretty in the tank. Cleaned it out and froze that night and back to 43 next day. 73 vanes are not available but pumps are all over the place. Just use a union near the pump and a different pump will be easy.

Remember to get a check valve to put between pump and releaser.

Don't make more out of than it is. Vac is easy if you just remember a few rules. Leaks suck...so fix them immediately
don't use the old vacuum level minder. Dairy works on 15" sap on all the pump will give you. I saw a system that the guy had taken out of a barn and used; but could only get 14" of vacuum... took the weight out of the minder and it went to 24" in about a minute.

There are no stupid questions...just stupid answers.

So just ask

Ben

[maple flats]

I'll see if the owner can get me some pictures. His father used this pump for about 30 years, ending in about 81 or 82. He ran 4 milkers with it. As such I don't doubt it is big enough for this little bush, my issue is that I don't want to bother getting it set up only to find I can't get vanes for it. I don't particularly want to try cutting larger vanes to adapt to this. If I can't get vanes, I'll just keep looking for a different pump.