New Hydro-Force 2" dry land suction nozzle

[SHoward]

When you start getting old and the back just isn't what it used to be, this is the way to go!

I can move more dirt through my high banker with this nozzle than I can shoveling and not be hurting near as bad !!!
That said, if you are young and healthy, you will be able to shovel more dirt.

With my bad knee and hip, I can stay at for much longer without a break which greatly increases my production.
My only regret is not going with the 3" nozzle ( at the time I didn't think my 7 H.P. trash pump would run it, now I know it will. ) and I already had a little over 100' of 2" hose ( Yea, sometimes I can be cheap ).

I'm using it with my Jobe highbanker with an extra section of sluice added on.

Next time I take it out I will remember to get some pics.

 

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[OKIE]

I love my 3" hydro force nozzle!! the only thing is i need a 18" sluice instead of the 12", there is to much water overflow from my header box causing gold to splash out back into the catch pan under my grizzle bars.

 

[okbasspro]

I love my 3" hydro force nozzle!! the only thing is i need a 18" sluice instead of the 12", there is to much water overflow from my header box causing gold to splash out back into the catch pan under my grizzle bars.

Nice to see you on Tnet again

 

[SHoward]

Looks like I'll finally get back out in the woods the week of Aug 10th. I will get plenty of pics and video's this time out.

 

[SHoward]

OKIE, I'm going to build an 18" dredge sluice/Highbanker this winter, just for that 3" nozzle.

 

[SHoward]

Two more weeks and I'll be at the Alabama Gold Camp for a week. I will have pics and maybe some video this time!

 

[SHoward]

Finally got some pics to upload. Still no pics of the dredge setup but this is the results of about 45 minutes of dredging high and dry.

 

[SHoward]

Headed to the Alabama Gold Camp tomorrow morning for 5 days. Can't waite to get off work today so I can finish loading up!!

 

[SHoward]

We had a great time last week and I will try to get some pics posted tonight.
I have to say that the difference between the 2" & 2.5" Hydro Force nozzles was was a whole lot more than I expected. The 2.5" was a beast ! The 2.5" nozzle and hose were considerably heavier than the 2" but still not too bad, but the weight is something to keep in mind when decideing what size you get. They all eventually get heavy when working a dry bank. In the creek is very easy work with the 2.5". The pics I will be posting are of my brother in the creek with the 2.5" nozzle attached to a Keene Highbanker/ Dredge combo with the keene 3.5 H.P. pump. He was going at it for well over an hour at the time none stop while in the creek vs about 15 minutes up on the bank.

 

[SHoward]

I was finally able to get a few pics off the damaged memory card from my camera. Unfortunately the video of us working a dry bank and in the creek was lost.

 

[BurntBear]

Nice setup!

 

[Sticks]

I have really been thinking of getting one of these but didn't know if all the hype was just that or not. I have a 2" pacer pump that I run on my highbanker and it barely works a 3" keene nozzle. I am pumping up from a recirc pool 15' below the work site, with about 75' of duty 2" layflat that necks down at the nozzle. The way we have worked it in the past is just like that. We would allow the pool at the dig site to fill up with water and then fire up the pump, dredging with 3" nozzle into 27gal tubs to be shoveled into the highbanker, which is my homebuilt copy of goldfields prospector highbanker. after filling 4 tubs. Visibility always sucks and hardpack was a real issue. I have added my blaster attatchment for the hardpack so that wont be a prob but I wonder if I would do well to add a hydro nozzle like you guys did.

 

[SHoward]

If you are already running a 3" nozzle, you should be able to run the same size Hydro nozzle. I will say that a high pressure pump runs these nozzles much better than a trash pump, my brother runs his 2.5" nozzle with a Keene 3.5 H.P., 1-1/2" pump and out performs my 2" nozzle running a 7 H.P., 2" trash pump.
I'm not saying the trash pump doesn't work, it works very well, I'm saying the high pressure pump works that much better.
I have been considering doing what you are doing by running a larger pressure hose all the way to the nozzle.

 

[Sticks]

I have a keene p180 on my 4" dredge that I would love to run like that but was worried that the recirc would ruin the impeller thats the only reason we went with the trash pump. I called keene earlier this summer and Pat said that It would work for a recirc as long as it wasn't sucking sand. I keep hearing this great piece of advice that Hoser John said once that they will tell you anything you want to hear, and they hope you screw up your impeller. That's why they're foot valves have 3/8" holes in them. I tried the trash pump both ways, 1 1/2 hose and had better pressure running 2" all the way to the nozzle. Keene does make some pretty wicked pumps, I don't suck sand with my footvalve but it definitely isn't clear water. It has been a while since I ran that setup so I can't remember the exact size but I also have an old keene 2 1/2 nozzle that didn't work for me well as it had I think a 1" jet maybe bigger. I then got the 3" keene with a smaller jet on the suction nozzle, running the same pump and hose it worked way better. I am sure you know what I am saying Just hard for me to explain. The suction nozzle had a bigger intake(Pressure side) on the 2 1/2" than the 3" did. The sucky thing about the way we are doing it is that the tails eventually make their way to where the pump is at and once that happens I am pretty screwed. I haven't quite figured out how to beat that other than throw lots of cobbles in our tail race to obstruct the fines kinda damming them up a bit. Thanks for the reply SHoward I appreciate it. There is no way that I could work where you are I would spend more time watching for snakes than diggin. My best to you, be careful.

 

[SHoward]

Sticks in the next couple of days I will get a pic of my suction bucket I made. But in a nut shell it's Home Depot bucket (and lid) drilled full of holes with a male camlock fitting (with male pipe threads) in the side about 2" from the bottom. The foot valve is screwed onto the male pipe threads of the camlock inside the bucket. The bottom third of the holes drilled in the side of the bucket are 1/4" spaced at 1". then I upsized the holes in the middle to 3/8" and 5/8" in the top third. I have a 20Lb weight that I use in the creeks with lots of gravel (most of the time) but I have a garden tractor inner tube that I inflate in the bucket and snap the lid back on to make a floating suction in the mud holes !

 

[Sticks]

I will look forward to that pic SHoward, I made one with 10 mesh and didn't leave any rigid sides and foot valve collapsed it once leaves plugged it. We then in a pinch screwed some galv sheeting to the side for strength and finished the trip. Sounds like yours is made to last I would like to see it. Have you ever used any netting or burlap upstream from your sump to keep debris from making it to fv? I see those erosion bags that construction crews leave on the sides of the road, I think that they are filled with wood chips. I didn't know if something like that would help keep bark and leaves and other floaters from making it to sump. I like the idea of a small inner tube to keep it afloat that is a good idea, like the cam lock too. Smart Man.

 

[SHoward]

Suction Bucket

Easy to make bucket strainer

I wanted to include a pic with the garden tractor inner tube inflated in the top but it's packed away and I didn't feel like digging it
out so you'll just have to use your imagination on that part. But once its inflated inside I just snap the lid back on and it floats very well keeping everything up out of the mud and sand.

 

[Washington Gold]

Made my own, man it works EXTREMELY WELL! See my other post, I'll get some pics

 

[BurntBear]

Good stuff.