Sorry I've been out of touch lately. My brother, a quadriplegic, has been in a bad way and I have spent most of the past few weeks in Lubbock at the hospital. He is now a lot better and with the addition of a pacemaker has a regular heartbeat again. So needless to say my hunt for toys has been curtailed considerably. My brother should be home in the next week so maybe life can return to some level of normal.
The oil field engines around Big Spring are mostly for wells in the 5,000 to 7,000 and deeper range. These beasts are usually in the 50 to 100 hp class, several tons in weight, most are in the 200 to 280 rpm range. Not what the average person wants for home use. As well, most are propane, well gas, or butane. About one out of a hundred were actually diesel, and those bring a premium with the cost of propane (or butane) these days.
But for those interested, a good rebuilt Arrow, Ajax, or FM single can be had for from about 8,000 to about 12,000. The twins are much higher, but I for one have no real interest in several tons of engine at over 100 hp. A single flywheel from one of these weighs more than a 6 hp Lister engine.
The man I have been talking to in Big Spring knows people further north towards the Cap Rock with smaller engines. The wells are shallower up there so 12 hp or so is more the norm. I am not interested in a rebuilt, but would rather do it myself and learn the engine in the process. But he did mention a rebuilt FM 12 hp in the $2800 range, so that may be my next buy.
