# Wheelline/irrigation basics



## sixtyninegmc (Jul 20, 2011)

I ask a lot of basics questions on here! Found a good enough deal on a rake, that I am thinking on trying to pick up a wheel line a year earlier than planned. My biggest question is what do I need in the way of a pump? Most of what I have read says 50-75psi, but can't find a good generic number GPM for a 1/4 mile line. Eventually I may have up to 5 lines on the home place, but for now I just need enough pump for one. Prefer PTO drive, and I am looking at drawing out of a surface pond. And what do I need in the way of mainline? Size? Coupler style? Valves? Would a long enough piece of 4" collapsible discharge hose work, at least for the first year as I see how it works? Any styles of wheel line or mainline to avoid?


----------



## NebTrac (Aug 12, 2014)

We run two wheellines or siderolls as we call them. Depending on how you nozzle them, they can run 350-450 gpm each. We run both at the same time so we have a irrigation unit (pump and izuzu motor). We run about 30 psi at the pump.

I have run them off a pto pump and it worked well. I don't remember the size, (I'm thinking a 3x4) but I still have it and will have to look. Of course you'll need a priming pump or rig up your exhaust port to prime your pump when pumping out of a pond.

I have also run one off an electric 10 hp single phase motor. Had a little 2½" discharge and we pumped that into 6 inch mainline. It worked ok, but took a while to pressure up.

If you have problems pressuring up, you can use clothes pins on the drain plugs and that will help.

If your just doing alfalfa, you'll be fine with the 5' wheels.

I think our feeder hose is 15' long and I believe it is 5" hose. Store them when not in use, don't leave them laying around. 6 or 8 inch mainline should work.

Make sure your sideroll is anchored down good when not in use also. I used to use T-posts and wire, but still had wind take them. I've since filled up empty cattle lick tubs with cement and cabled those to the sideroll. No problems with wind now. Made a huge difference.

Keep drainplugs (mushrooms) and O-rings on hand as well as nozzles, some levelers and sprinkler heads on hand. We also put shut-offs on our sprinklers so we can change or clean a nozzle without turning the pump off.

Make sure they're well drained be for you move them. I usually wait about 20 minutes. We also call them "glorified" towlines.

The BIGGEST problem we've had is mice getting in the 2-cycle motor and chewing the coil wires. I take them off in off season, but I've seen them move in overnight and once they start, you'll have guts flying out at you almost every morning.

That's all I can think of at this time.

Troy


----------



## sixtyninegmc (Jul 20, 2011)

At 350-450gpm, how much water are you putting down? I would like to put down 14-15 inches between cuttings, but I do not know what the capacity of a side roll is in that regard. Everything I will be doing is grass hay, mostly brome. We average 11 inches of rain/year, 15 is considered the minimum for brome, 25 is closer to ideal. I could see the grass easily getting above the pipe with 5' wheels, will that be a big problem?


----------



## NebTrac (Aug 12, 2014)

How often are you cutting? The 5' wheels shouldn't be a problem for brome. Your pipe would be about 2½ feet above the ground. If the crop gets too tall, your mover has a hard time of pushing and your pipe will get out of line.

Again, the amount per setting will depend on length of set and nozzle size. I'm still guessing, but I think we get about 2½ inches of water on in a 12 hour set. I can't remember the size of our nozzles, but close to 3/8" I believe.

You can do a search and find the nozzle size, gpm and all that I think.

My question is if you have enough water in your surface pond to put on that much, depends on how big a field your talking about.

You can vary your length of set. Also if you have low spots that hold more water you definitely want to put on shutoffs.

A run of the mill 1/4 mile pivot around here runs about 900 gpm.

If my math is correct, 300 gpm in an 12 hour period covering 2.42 acres (typical 1/4 mile sideroll coverage) is right around 3". Then the variables kick in, things like, heat, and wind.

Troy


----------



## Hank- in or (Feb 12, 2009)

Pump, 60 to 65 psi

1/4 mile wheelline 4" pipe 5' wheels, most common nozzle here is a 3/16" on a rainbird 30 which is about 7 gpm (225 gpm), 20'x4" discharge hose for valve opener to wheelline

Mainline 6" or 8", ringlock, valves every 60'


----------



## sixtyninegmc (Jul 20, 2011)

Thank you both! This is excellent info. I think I will have enough water, it is about a 20 acre pond, fed by a subsurface river channel. I am looking at used setups, so I am a little bit of the mercy of what's available for what it has in the way of nozzles, etc. The best we usually get is two cuttings, but I think that with irrigation three may be possible. I have had brome up to the hood of the 4020 in the low, wet spots, which could be hard to push a pipe through! If that gets to be a problem, I'll just cut it. Hoping to push first cutting up by almost a month with the irrigation. Our biggest problem is May and June are normally hot and dry, so not much growth. By the time it is tall enough to bother with, we are into what little rain we do get in mid July, so sometimes we can't cut until early August. The best years are when we get a rainy may, then we get a decent first cut my June tenth, and a good second cut in August. Hoping to make that happen every year, and push the yields up at the same time.


----------



## NebTrac (Aug 12, 2014)

You should be fine. You're going to have most of your water on before it gets too tall anyway. Another thing I forgot to mention. Since you'll be pumping from a pond you'll need to screen your intake on your pipe so you decrease the amount of trash which lessens the chance of plugged nozzles.

Also if you get a used unit, just go with new bolts for the wheels. Get a box of them. Don't try and put on the used ones.

You can get nozzles pretty reasonable.

Here is one place we get parts and they are great to deal with.

http://www.schumacherirrigation.com/

Troy


----------



## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

I would get a reliable irrigation guy to run the numbers for you. They will calculate pressure loss, nozzles to use, etc. If you can't find anyone nearby, contact Clyde at AG Sales in Missoula, Montana. He knows everything (seems to me) and taught irrigation at a major university and now sells wheel lines and the big pivots, etc.


----------



## Tater Salad (Jan 31, 2016)

"Reliable" irrigation Guy ? Yeah maybe after he tries to sell you a pivot !!! haha! What a great topic ! I've been kickin this wheel line around myself....Our neighbors used them when I was young....No motorized mover...."fun time Johnny" that was ! Kinda like pitchin hay , nice to remember but made jack a man quick !!! I have a few 20 ac rectangle shaped fields....Linear is to expensive for 20 acre set up ....So I've been thinking about wheel line...I have to drill a well though , no biggie here in Delaware , 100ft and you can irrigate anything....Where I grew up in Texas you had to drill to the earth's core !!!!!! I am actually kinda shocked you need to irrigate in Alaska ?! Guess I need to get out more ! I'm going to print this out ....GREAT info and Topic !!!!!! ("NebTrac" has obviously been through the school of "Get er done" !)


----------



## sixtyninegmc (Jul 20, 2011)

So, silly question. Found a calumet lagoon pump for nothing, I realize it is much higher volume than needed for a wheel line, but would it work for the time being, until I can find an impeller pump?


----------

