When I was small they were everywhere and you still occasionally see them. However, most large ranches now use solar power for remote stock tanks. And a good windmill mechanic got paid more than a top hand. At first, you might wonder why they would make a sizable investment when wind is free. The problem involves repair expense and serious injuries from falling off the darn things. The reason you no longer see them is that collectors buy them as some type of yard art. A guy in Montague Texas has a bunch of them that he has bought and refurbished for resale. I enjoy driving by and looking.
When I was small we had one. Since it, like most, leaked my Grandmother planted strawberries around it. They were huge berries and the plants spread quite a ways. A good way to get your butt whipped was to step on the plants. When we finally got electricity the mill was replaced by an electrified pump. No idea what happened to it but I'll bet it blew over in a storm.
The Aerometer vanes aren't as efficient as the newer ones like Koender. But, I would still rather have one like Gareth does.
Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 09/25/14 11:20 AM.
