Post
by HBWW » Mon Jun 03, 2013 3:46 pm
They come in varying lengths and colors. I think I have the shortest version, but also have a full size one from a garage sale that I never managed to quite fix. A quick review:
History: I don't know much about the Stream Machine's history either, other than that they've simplified the design over the years to require fewer parts.
Handling: Handling is pretty basic, run of the mill. The pistol grip is designed well. No foregrip, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on your preferences. It does offer plenty of leverage though.
Nozzle: Very basic nozzle. Fairly large and high output, requires good strength to make full use of due to the high pump diameter (OD of the tube is the same as the OD of 1 1/2" Sch. 40 PVC). Unfortunately, not designed to be able to fill water balloons, but this also results in one less failure point.
Durability: Built pretty solidly, the main potential point of failure is the seal. If they used skirt or piston cup seals instead, this wouldn't be as much of a problem. The O-ring seal has a limited lifetime however, and once it breaks, the whole thing can't be taken apart easily to fix it.
Overall, I'd prefer to build a homemade piston pumper, but the Stream Machine does get the job done.