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Forum Index : Windmills : Southern Cross windmill.
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Hi All Today I met a nice old retired gentleman called Jim, who has been involved with windmills and bores for 40 odd years. Jim had a southern cross windmill for sale. I went around to Jims place and there were about 4 southern cross windmills in the yard, all in various conditions. A 6 foot mill was up and running, feeding bore water to his garden. There were 3 towers, and a bunch of windmill parts scattered around. The windmill he had for sale was a 6 foot diameter with a 25 foot tower. The windmill has been cleaned up and painted, and comes with a few spares. He wants $1250 for it, and has offered to deliver it to my place and throw in a pump to suit. Now I've always wanted a Southern Cross, its a romantic sort of thing ( yeah, I need to get out more ). I would love to have a old mill in the yard clunking away and pumping water up to my header tank from my rain water tank. I could site it next to my workshop where it would look great. But does that price sound fair. It is in good condition for its age, though the blades could use a going over with a panel beaters hammer. It also means I would have to put a few projects on hold, like the big Lenz2 windmill. Any comments? Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| KiwiJohn Guru  Joined: 01/12/2005 Location: New ZealandPosts: 691 |
Glenn, I have no idea if that is a fair price or not and neither do I know just how hard it might be for you to part with $1250 but it sounds like you would really like it and it is practical too! So it is not really the value of the mill that is important, it is value of owning and looking after it for present and future enjoyment. IMHO of course!  |
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Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1343 |
Hiya Glenn, A couple of months ago I was listening to the abc and the talk was about windmill law changes where fully closed in platforms and harness's had to be worn etc. Also they talked about the mass's of farmers ripping out their trusty old southern cross mills and putting in solar pumps. So it may pay to check with your local council just incase they have brought in these drastic changes. As far as the price goes I reckon if the unit is in good nic then it's a bargin. It would be a shame if you went and bought it only to find you could be breaking the law just climbing up and greasing the unit. Hope this helps mate Cheers Bryan |
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| dwyer Guru Joined: 19/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 574 |
Hi Bryan wrote It would be a shame if you went and bought it only to find you could be breaking the law just climbing up and greasing the unit. Well l have never heard about breaking the law as l have Southern Cross windmill at my place and l was employee by Southern Cross at Toowoomba fews years back and no one haven't told any of us about stupid law and who told this cap talk ??Anyway l will find out in next few day when l go see the manger at southcross and ask what they think?? Anyway Glenn if you need any help with your windmill if you decided to buy l can contact the company for you and also the footing equirment let me know and $1200 is very fair cost as new worth approx $7,000 to $15000 each Dwyer the bushman |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
I remember I spoke to a salesman at a local plumbing firm last year about windmills and stuff. He said the go these days were solar pumps instead of windmills, mainly due to the cost of insurance to get someone up a windmill for repairs. He also said it was a shame, the old windmills would last for many decades. I read something about fencing off any tower to stop kids climbing them. But that is crazy, next you'll have to fence off any tree's for the same reason. The local councils get carried away. As an example, I live on a 6 acre lot, about 25km from town. I want to put up a car port, but the council has just introduced a law about maximum shed/carport space. Its now 100 square metres. I already have 96 square metres under cover, so a car port would be over my limit! I have 24000 square metres of land, but cant cover any more than 100 square metres of it. Rubbish. I will build my car port with or without council approval. The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1343 |
Hiya guy's, As I said I heard about the stupid windmill laws a couple of months ago so I don't whether they were made into law so I just suggested checking with the council to be sure. Anway with the council issue my local council was voted the most loppy council in SA and my property is zoned rural. I made a 12x5 metre attachment to my 12x6 shed and nothing been said and I have been told since I'm zoned rural I can build what I want within reason and the council can't do a thing. Well in the near future i'm putting a 5 metre free standing veranda around my house so I'll see if they say anything about that. Cheers Bryan |
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| dwyer Guru Joined: 19/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 574 |
Hi Well l am having same problem with the Council one law for themself and no law for landowner when l built my shed and l had to give building plan to council and fews month later after l finish building l have ask them to come and look the shed for finaly inpection and what l have been told by the council they are not worry building shed they are more worried about the house than shed same with no dogs register across the road with has more than 10 acres and my land is five acres got to be register bloody mad l will be building windgen tower when l have time do l have to let council know ??? Dwyer the bushman |
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| petanque don Senior Member  Joined: 02/08/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 212 |
It sounds like they are old technology as for the servicing I assume you would do this yourself. As a tinkering exercise you could get a lot of enjoyment. In the short term there are probably cheaper ways to move water around your property. Equally if you learn how to maintain them there may even be a sideline business in maintaining this style of wind mill. I would think it would require specialised knowledge and people like Jim are just getting too old. |
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Prof Newbie  Joined: 01/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 33 |
Hi Gizmo, Join the club. My Southern Cross mill is an IZB model. I felt lucky when I bought it as although it was 12 years old, it was still in its boxes but I paid the price that the bloke I bought it from had paid. It has an 8 foot fan on a 30 foot tower. I have it set up to push water through a 450 metre long pipe to a concrete tank which is 10 metres above the ground level of the mill. Buying the mill is one thing, to set it up as a force pump is something else as most just gravity feed to a tank on a stand. Besides the pump you may also need a stuffing box or a differential compensator at the top of the riser pipe. This then needs to be coupled to a pressure tank teed between 2, one way valves (gravity flap types). For maintenance just hire a trailerable cherry picker every 2 or 3 years - don't climb the tower. Ask the bloke who is selling the mill a few more question in how you envisage using the mill. At the time when I erected it, my local government did not have a clue but eventual described it as a miscellaneous structure. In my rural area we have lots of such things. Just go for it. Prof. I know boats!! |
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