Fast Piston Pump Repair Keeps Third-Generation Driller on Schedule

Sixty years ago, Hunter Winklemans's grandfather started Putnam Well Drilling in South Georgia. Today, Winkleman carries on the family trade — drilling residential and irrigation wells, 4 to 12 inches, for households and farms around their homebase in Welaka, Florida.

Keeping a legacy operation running means keeping equipment in the field. That's why Nobles chose Geoprobe® drilling rigs, and why he relies on the Geoprobe® Southeast Service Center (SESC) in Ocala, Florida.

Close Enough to Count

Winkleman runs a DM250 for residential work and a DM450 for a mix of residential and irrigation jobs. When it came to choosing equipment, service factored as much as specs.

"Any rig that gets to be 4 to 7 years old is going to need service," Winkleman said. "We don't want to deal with a manufacturer whose service is states and states away. If a piece of equipment isn't moving, it isn't making money."

The SESC is an hour from his shop.

"We can get in and out fast," he said. "They have parts available."

Piston Pump Repair Ready When It Matters

Recently, Winkleman needed the wet end of his 5X6 piston pump rebuilt, plumbing addressed, and top head slides realigned — before drilling three, 12-inch wells.

"They got us in within 48 hours," he said. "We knew we needed the piston pump repairs done before drilling some deep, big diameter holes. I was able to move the guys typically on this rig over to other projects while it was being serviced."

Winkleman handles small repairs like broken hoses in-house but turns to the SESC for mud pump, gearbox, and top head components as well as subs and adapaters. Seth Sammons, SESC manager, lives nearby and occasionally drops off parts after hours when the crew is working in his direction.

OEM Knowledge, Consistent Results

Winkleman sometimes uses a local shop for hydraulic work, but anything related to drilling — pump, compressor, top head, slides — he goes to the SESC.

"They're consistent," he said. "If there's ever any issue, they stand behind their work and come fix it. They're the OEM, so they have the most knowledge and the best parts."

For a family business built during six decades, reliable service nearby isn't a convenience — it's how you stay in business.