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Even as our windmill business celebrates another anniversary I must admit I am all too often reminded of the
reasons we started our business. In fact just a few weeks ago a new customer related a story all too familiar that
struck a nerve.
Recently I made a 10 day/ 10 state swing through the Midwest making deliveries and picking up vintage inventory.
One of my deliveries was to drop off a single wheel section for an 8ft Elgin Wonder B purchased by a elderly gentleman restoring
a windmill for his wife of 47 years. When he contacted me he explained he had bought a windmill and needed a few parts that
were missing when he acquired it. I shipped him all his small items and I offered to deliver the one wheel section he needed
as I was to be within a few miles of his Nebraska home as I traveled my scheduled route. I arrived at the designated time
and he greeted me as I got out of my truck. We spoke as he admired all the goodies on my trailer and while I worked to free
his wheel section from my “Fred Sanford” load of steel. As I placed the distinctive angular Elgin wheel section
proudly at his feet ( it was a perfect sample) he asked “Is that mine?” with a puzzled look on his face. “
Yes” I replied…“Isn’t it a nice one?” I confidently stated. “It is, but it doesn’t
match mine” was his retort.
I quickly asked to see his mill wondering how I could have blown this one. He ushered me over to his mill and
it was obvious in a split second what had happened. Yes, he had purchased an 8ft Wonder B head and stub tower…and yes
he was missing one section for the wheel that came with it. However, the seller of the mill had matched 5 sections of an 8ft
- 6 section DEMPSTER wheel to the Elgin motor misrepresenting it as the original wheel sold with the mill.
Frankly I was as angry, frustrated and as disappointed as the customer. I explained what he had and why the
wheel he had received would not work. Out of curiosity I asked how he came to buy this windmill. He explained he had made
contact with a Craig’s List advertiser and having agreed to a price met at a Sioux City, IA I-29 exit to complete the
“ cash only” transaction. All he knew about his seller was that he was from the Early, IA area and that the seller
claimed to dabble in windmills as a hobby. He had no contact name or phone number as they had communicated exclusively via
the internet until they met to exchange money for mill.
The entire episode has been churning around in my head & gut on a daily basis since it happened. You see,
I know of a windmill hobbyist from Early, IA who buys and sells on Craig’s List. Is it the same seller that stiffed
this first time buyer? That I do not know…but what I do know is that since our business was created out of frustration
with similar incidents personally experienced during the early portions of our windmill collecting, I figured I could
do more to help people avoid similar disappointment.
Below our Rating & Recommendation matrix I share some real world thoughts on how to protect yourself
from the unscrupulous element that even lurks within the ranks of windmill restoration enthusiasts. Scroll down below
the matrix to view those comments. Better yet just print this entire page and use it as a guide.
Our recommendations are made based on personal experiences & observations as well as verified 3rd
party accounts. We hope the combination of our suggestions and matrix data will help you avoid the potential dark side
of collecting and restoring your windmill and allow you to maximize your project budget.
Windmiller Rating Matrix
|
|
|
Depth Of
Windmill
Knowledge
|
Quality
of
Work/Items
|
Offers
Warranties
Guarantees
|
Reasonable Shipping Costs |
|
Accepts
Credit Cards
and/or
Paypal
|
|
|
Windmillers' Gazzette,
T. Lindsey Baker
|
Qtrly
Newsletter,
Books
|
Expert
|
Excellent
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Best
|
No
|
|
|
Gicon
Pump &
Equip.
|
American
West
702 Parts,
Mills,
Towers
New Only
|
Specialized
Experts
|
Good
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Good
|
Yes
|
|
|
Dakota
Windmill
Inc.
|
Aermotor
602 / 702
Parts, Mills,
Towers
New/ Rebuilt
|
Specialized
Experts
|
Pro's
Excellent
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Good
|
No
|
|
|
Mueller
Industries
|
Aermotor
602 / 702
Parts, Mills,
Towers
New/ Rebuilt
|
Specialized
|
Hit
&
Miss
|
Yes
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Poor
|
No
|
|
|
San
Angelo
Aermotor
|
Aermotor
802
Parts, Mills,
Towers
New Only
|
Specialized
|
Hit
&
Miss
|
Yes
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Poor
|
Yes
|
|
|
Dempster
Industries
|
Dempster
#12
Parts, Mills,
Towers
New Only
|
Specialized
Limited
|
Good but
Frequent
Out of
Stock Issues
|
Yes
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Fair
|
Yes
|
|
|
Verdun
Company
|
Monitor
WB /WC
Parts,
New Only
|
Limited,
Relies on
Others,
Part Time
Business
|
Good,
Frequent
Out of
Stock Issues
|
No
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Fair
|
No
|
|
|
WE 702,
Bryon
Rykard
|
Mexican
702
Parts, Mills,
Towers
New Only
|
Limited,
Relies on
Others
|
Poor
Fitting,
Inferior
|
Yes
|
Free
Shipping
Scams
|
Poor
|
Yes
|
|
SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL RATINGS A BUYING TIPS
A GUIDE TO MAKING A REWARDING WINDMILL PURCHASE
I’m convinced that buying and restoring a vintage windmill can be a very rewarding experience provided
you apply some simple buying techniques that you would never think of overlooking during the purchase of items costing far
less. While I’m the first to admit that purchasing a windmill or windmill restoration parts offers some unique challenges’
applying some common sense logic to the buying process can help you avoid scams and con artists…. Ultimately saving
you time, money and frustration. My recommended themes are simply NEVER RELINQUISH THE UPPER HAND IN SECURING SATISFACTION
and KNOW WHAT YOU‘RE BUYING and KNOW WHO YOU ARE BUYING IT FROM. The reputable sellers will give you
all three of these things without asking. Those who don’t should be examined more
closely and those who won’t should be avoided!
DON’T BE IN A HURRY
Don’t approach your purchase as though it’s a one of a kind item or that you’ll never find
the part you’re considering someplace else. It just isn’t the case and with some effort you’ll be surprised
just how many options exist. Take time to be diligent in all considerations and verifications. Don’t get caught up in
the emotion.
KNOW WHAT YOU‘RE BUYING
Knowing what you are buying is easier than you think. And some of it is common sense. If you’re reading
this newsletter then you have internet access. Use it to your advantage. Start by printing out free copies of parts list,
diagrams and trade descriptive literature from our website www.VintageWindmillPartsList.com . There are other internet
resources available too. Armed with printed documents you can verify that claims of “complete” are accurate and
address potential missing parts purchases as part of your up front buying decision. You can use diagrams to verify that what
you are considering is properly matched by Mfg., model & size as most parts will carry part numbers in their casting.
Remember that in most cases parts from one mill are not interchangeable with those of another and generally parts of a specific
size mill can not be substituted by those of a different size.
When possible examine what you are buying thoroughly. Approach painted items with suspicion until you can
verify the paint is not hiding a flaw. Ask for a disclosure of cracks, breaks or welded repairs if not offered voluntarily.
Look for smooth spots in otherwise grainy cast iron as this is a usual sign of a repair. Don’t be afraid to use a magnet
to verify you’re not buying putty. Within the last few weeks a TX Windmiller, known as Allan, posted on an on-line windmill
forum how he uses Bondo putty to repair worn mast pipes. This will never last. I’ve also seen a Texas based windmill
farm owner suggest epoxy putty for wallowed tail pin holes. I can only guess what other creative repairs these windmill vendors
may be using on their restorations.
Buying used unassembled towers can be dicey. Even the experts are reluctant to pay much more than scrap price
for a pile of tower parts as it difficult at best to know if the girts or cross braces included are the proper match. If pictures
of the assembled tower don't exist for the unassembled pile of parts you're considering you might be better of considering
the purchase of one currently assenbled.
If you buy online ask for multiple & detailed pictures.
Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help ,whether its for clarifying from your seller or from a 3rd
party. We answer 10- 20 emails a week from people trying to make the best buying decision on something their considering from
other vendors. We’ll be happy to help you too.
KNOW WHO YOU ARE BUYING FROM
Take time to get contact info from your seller. Any seller offended by your request for a full name, contact
phone number or mailing address is likely trying to hide something. A reliable business will not try to fade into the shadows
once they make a sale. Don’t rely solely on email as your only option for follow up. Does your seller guarantee their
items or offer warranties on their work?
SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL RATINGS A BUYING TIPS
|
|
|
Depth Of
Windmill
Knowledge
|
Quality
of
Work/Items
|
Offers
Warranties
Guarantees
|
Reasonable Shipping Costs |
|
Accepts
Credit Cards
and/or
Paypal
|
|
|
Windmills R Us,
Dan Benjamin
|
New & Used
Parts, Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications
|
Expert
|
Excellent
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Best
|
Yes
|
|
|
Double L
Windmills,
Loren Lockman,
windmills4sale
|
New & Used
Parts, Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications,
Installatioins
|
Specialized
Expert
|
Good
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Best
|
Yes
|
|
|
Big
Country
Windmills,
Randy Stubbs,
vintagenebraska
|
Used Parts,
Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications
|
Reliable
|
Good
|
No
|
Hit
&
Miss
|
Fair
|
No
|
|
|
Old
Windmills,
Paul Cowley,
blademakerintx
|
Used Parts,
Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications
|
Reliable
|
Hit
&
Miss
|
No
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Fair
|
No
|
|
|
Rock Ridge
Windmills,
Kevin Moore
|
Mexican
702's
Used Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications
|
Part Time,
Reliable Except
Mexican Parts
Endorsements
|
Hit
&
Miss
|
Yes
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Poor
|
No
|
|
|
Prarie Legend
Windmills,
Micheal
Porterfield,
grezmonki
|
Used Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Installations
|
Dempster #12
Specialist,
Reliable
but Limited,
Part Time
|
Good
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Best
|
Yes
|
|
|
Nebraska
Windmills,
Dave Straub
|
Used
Parts, Mills,
Towers,
Installations
|
Reliable
but Limited,
Relies on
Others
|
Adequate
|
No
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Fair
|
No
|
|
|
American
Windmills,
Ellen Sattler,
windmiller69
|
New & Used
Parts, Mills,
Towers,
Installations
|
Limited,
Relies on
Others
|
Hit
&
Miss
|
Yes
|
No
|
Poor
|
Yes
w/ Fees
|
|
|
Used
Windmill Parts,
Bryon Rykard,
brykard
|
New & Used
Parts
|
Part Time,
Limited,
Relies on
Others
|
Recast: Fair but
Inconsistant,
Used: Marginal
|
No
|
Free
Shipping
Scams
|
Poor
|
Yes
|
|
|
Jack's
Windmill
Service,
Jack
Kellenberger
|
Used Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Installatioins
|
Part Time,
Reliable
but Limited
|
Good
|
Yes
|
Does Not
Ship
|
Good
|
No
|
|
|
O'Brock
Windmills,
Ken O'Brock,
windmill1
|
Mexican
702 &
Iron Man
Parts, Mills,
Towers
New Only
|
Specialized,
Reliable Except
Mexican Parts
Endoresments
|
Mexican Made
Are Poor
Fitting,
Inferior.
Others Good
|
Yes
|
Adds
Surchages
|
Poor
|
No
|
|
|
Aermotor-Parts.com
Aermotor-Parts
|
New
Aermotor
602/702/802
Parts,
Towers
|
Specialized
|
Good
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Best
|
Yes
|
|
|
Todd Skinner's
Mid-America
Windmills, Todd tjs45
|
New & Used
Parts, Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications
|
Limited, Relies
on Others,
Sells Mexican
Made Parts
|
Poor, Unreliable,
Offers Fake
Endorsements
|
No
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Poor
|
No
|
|
SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL RATINGS A BUYING TIPS
SHOP & BUY IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
One of the reasons we sell on eBay is because of the marketplace transparency. Transaction feedback from buyers
speaks volumes about how your purchase will be handled. Look for sellers with high transaction counts and reasonable track
records with the seller ratings posted for their membership ID. If you choose to shop via Craig’s List or an on-line
chat forum be sure to do your homework. Avoid sight unseen purchases if you’re flying blind on your sellers credentials.
Speak to your seller by phone at a minimum before you pay or finalize your purchase. Be cautious with any live on-line chat
forum that is made up of a group of sellers. Often the forum is nothing more than a “spider web” created to catch
unknowledgeable and unsuspecting buyers and bounce you back and forth within the seller gang or clique.
NEVER RELINQUISH THE UPPER HAND IN SECURING SATISFACTION
This is the easiest part of making a safe purchase. When you buy by credit card or by Paypal you stack the
deck in your favor insuring minimum problems. Paypal & eBay offer Buyer Protection plans automatically on your purchases.
If for some reason you have an issue and feel you have been misled their easy claims process freezes the funds you paid a
seller the moment you make a claim. It’s like someone reaching into the sellers pocket and holding your money until
the problem is resolved. And you have a 60 day window! Similarly your credit card company will void a disputed charge if you
have a claim against a seller. Sellers who accept credit cards and Paypal have a far lower frequency of problem transactions
given the buyer friendly rules of use. The potential of receiving negative feedback from a buyer makes most eBay sellers work
extra hard to insure smooth transactions. The risk of being scammed increases significantly in “ cash only” or
money order purchases as you have no easy recourse once the type of payment takes place. Sellers who refuse to ship goods
pending a check “clearing” are only trying to turn the table in their favor. Can you imagine your grocery store
or local Walmart holding your purchases until your check clears? Tough on ice cream in the summer!
UNDERSTAND ALL THE COSTS
Over time I’ve seen every possible technique to pad the bottom line on a single sale. The most common
are undisclosed handling fees or padded and unreasonable shipping fees. I love the Mexican 702 parts website that boasts “shipping
included” in its price postings. If you’re only ordering one part it could be a deal but given many buyers need
multiple parts its isn’t hard to see you’re grossly over paying for shipping when you buy two or three items.
As an example…..if you need one wheel sail the $28 delivered price seems fair. But what if you need 5 sails? What if
you need 10 sails? As nothing is “free” when it comes to shipping costs rest assured that any single item price
that includes free shipping has those costs added in up front. If your vendor prices items that way don’t be bashful…ask
for a fair combined shipping rate.
I’m not too impressed either with those who add undisclosed handling fees to credit card purchases hoping
you won’t catch it on your monthly statement. This seems to be a favorite of a California based female windmiller. Be
sure the total quoted for your order matches the amount on your billing statement.
RELY ON REAL EXPERTS WHEN POSSIBLE
There use to be a vintage windmill on-line forum who rated member ID’s with titles like “Top Hand”
& “Windmiller”. These designations were suppose to be a guide to the individuals knowledge level. But I still
chuckle today having long ago realized that the higher ratings were awarded simply for making a post. Even though someone
may only be posting a comment about a weekend BBQ, a football game, yesterdays weather or his wife’s bad cooking ,the
more wise cracks they made the higher their windmill expert designation & windmill IQ rating. Need I say more?
Is your seller a full time windmller or is this part time supplemental income? Is your seller a licensed business
or a weekend hobbyist? Does your vendor run a State sanctioned business or are they operating under the table?
An expert will always be able to substantiate their answer to your question or their claim with something
tangible. Don’t be afraid to ask the follow up question….. “ And why do you believe that to be correct?”
The reply will tell you something of greater value than the original answer itself.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL RATINGS A BUYING TIPS
|
|
|
Depth Of
Windmill
Knowledge
|
Quality
of
Work/Items
|
Offers
Warranties
Guarantees
|
Reasonable Shipping Costs |
|
Accepts
Credit Cards
and/or
Paypal
|
|
|
LoTec
Windmill
Service
Bryce Black
|
Used Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Installations
|
Reliable
|
Good
|
Yes
|
Does Not
Ship
|
Good
|
No
|
|
|
Eric Wattier,
elwrecks
|
Aermotor
Used Parts,
Mills,
Restorations
|
Specialized,
Expert
|
Excellent
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Best
|
Yes
|
|
|
Windmills By Tim,
Tim Cook,
tcooktosell
|
Used
Parts, Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications,
Installatioins
|
Part Time,
Reliable
but Limited
|
Good
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Best
|
Yes
|
|
|
Windmills
By Block,
Ivan Block
|
Used Parts,
Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications
|
Part Time,
Mostly
Reliable
|
Good
|
No
|
Hit
&
Miss
|
Fair
|
No
|
|
|
Windmills By
Gerry Powell,
ibrakeforrust,
txlicenseplates
|
Used Parts,
Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Fabrications
|
Part Time,
Reliable
but Limited
|
Good
|
No
|
Does Not
Ship
|
Fair
|
No
|
|
|
Vintage
Windmill
Parts,
Brad Anthenat
vintagewindmill
|
New &
Used Parts
Mills,
Towers,
Restorations
|
Part Time,
Mostly Reliable,
Monitor Dealer
|
Hit & Miss,
Frequent
Out Of
Stocks
|
No
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Poor
|
Yes
|
|
|
Cimmaron
Windmills,
Bob Scott,
windy bob
|
Used Mills,
|
Reliable
but Limited,
Part Time
|
Good
|
No
|
Yes
|
Fair
|
No
|
|
|
Baker's
Kenny Baker
redneck1951
|
Used
Parts, Mills,
Towers
|
Unreliable
Very Limited,
Relies on
Others
|
Poor
|
No
|
Adds
Surcharges
|
Worst
|
No
|
|
|
Texas
Windmiller,
Allan Reinke,
txwindmiller
|
Used Parts,
Mills,
|
Unreliable
CraigsList
Hobbyist,
Limited
|
Poor,
Unreliable
|
No
|
No
|
Poor
|
No
|
|
|
Paul's
Windmill Service,
Paul Berhends,
millfixer,
zippy_thing
|
New &
Used Parts,
Mills,
|
Limited,
Relies on
Others
|
|
No
|
Free
Shipping
Scams
|
Poor
|
No
|
|
|
Herrig's Windmills,
Judd & Dan
Herrig,
windmillrs,
minnemiller
|
Used Mills,
Towers,
Restorations,
Installatioins
|
Part Time,
Reliable
|
Good
|
Yes
|
Does Not
Ship
|
Good
|
No
|
|
|
The
Windmill Farm,
Chuck Rickgauer
|
Used Parts,
Mills,
Towers,
Restorations
|
Hobbyist,
Good
|
|
No
|
Does Not
Ship
|
Fair
|
No
|
|
|
Lance's Windmills,
Lance Van Tyle, Dempster landcruiserdude
|
Used Mills,
|
CraigsList
Hobbyist,
Dempster
Specialist,
Mostly Reliable
but Limited,
|
Adequate
|
No
|
Does Not
Ship
|
Hit
&
Miss
|
No
|
|
THE REALITY
Unfortunately there is no air tight formula for creating perfect transactions 100% of the time as even the
best windmillers have rough days from time to time. However, if you will apply some of the concepts we've listed above, erring
on the side of caution, you’ll be able to build confidence in any vendor you select.
We hope all your windmill related dealings are pleasant and smooth regardless of who you choose to do business
with.
|
