>>They worked for little farms in the middle of no where.
Around here they were used for stock tanks. Great little independent off-grid water pump power.
We had a pond on the farm, filled with bass and bluegill and tried to get a windmill to keep the water open during winter...Those things are expensive and finding one in a junk yard was still 400 dollars and that one needed fixing and without the equipment to put it up. I saw one once at a farm pond and it was great and kept the water moving...If your water is not artesian well, you do get surface scum and have to have someone come out in the spring and put chemicals in that are not harmful to the fish...