Honda WB30 (290 GPM) vs Jet Pumps: Irrigation Pumps by Head Pressure
A small farm does not have one water job. Pond-to-field transfer, a flood set, drip pressure, and a shallow well or cistern are different pumps. The best irrigation pumps for small farms are the ones whose GPM, head, and suction lift match that job. A transfer pump will not hold a drip zone. A pressure pump will not empty a pond onto flat ground in a short set.
Pond, lake, or flood transfer: Honda WB30, a 3-inch gas centrifugal. Garden and drip pressure: Flotec FP5172-08, a 1.5 HP thermoplastic sprinkler pump on 115/230 volts. Permanent cast-iron shallow suction: Goulds GT15 Irri-Gator, a self-priming centrifugal, not a jet. Higher electric volume on 230 volts: Wayne WLS200. A true shallow-well jet is a separate mechanism. It is not a fifth model section below.
Read GPM and head on the same curve, plus suction lift, self-priming, gas versus electric, port size, and the solids rating. Amazon links here are search slots. Confirm stock and street price at publish. Honda’s WB30 MSRP is $799.
Building drip zones? Filtration and emitters are on the drip irrigation kits page. Sizing heads and zones? Use the sprinkler systems guide, and size the pump to the largest zone, not the sum of every zone. The farm tools hub indexes the rest of this vertical.
Key Specs: What to Evaluate Before Buying
| Specification | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| GPM at a stated head or PSI | Volume and pressure are one curve. Peak GPM is the low-head end. |
| Max head (feet) or max PSI | How high or how hard the pump can push. 1 PSI = 2.31 feet of head. |
| Suction lift | How far the pump can pull from a source below it. Not the same number as discharge head. |
| Self-priming | Whether a portable pump can re-establish prime from the bank after the housing is filled. |
| Gas vs. electric | Portable, no-grid sets versus a pump that can sit on a timer near power. |
| Port size | 3-inch transfer hose versus 1.5-inch pressure piping. Fittings do not interchange. |
| Solids | A strainer note is not a trash-pump rating. |
Honda splits its gas pumps into general-purpose transfer (WB), high pressure for sprinklers and nozzles (WH), and trash (WT). The WB30 spec table lists solids handling as N/A. The strainer note says solids up to 8 mm (5/16 inch). The WT30 is the trash pump: solids up to 1-1/16 inch, plus a clean-out port. A WB30 will not do WT work, and a WT will not make sprinkler pressure.
A jet pump uses a nozzle and venturi so pressure is the output. Goulds documents that on the J-series convertible jet: a shallow-well adapter on the pump, or a deep-well ejector in the casing. Practical suction is still about 25 feet at sea level. None of the four shortlist pumps is a J-series jet. Deeper than about 25 feet to water, the category is a submersible or a deep-well jet, not a longer suction hose.
Lake, Pond, and Pasture Use Cases
Best pump for lake or pond water irrigation, when the job is volume: a self-priming gas transfer pump in the WB30 class, set on the bank, with a foot valve and strainer on the suction line and lay-flat hose on the discharge. Per Honda, the WB30 is self-priming, with a priming time of 150 seconds at 16.4 feet, 25 feet of suction head lift, and 290 GPM discharge capacity. That capacity is the low-head end of the curve. Total head is 85 feet and maximum pressure is 37 PSI, and those are the other end. Hose length and elevation spend head, so a long run to a field tank will not deliver 290 GPM.
Pond to sprinklers or nozzles: you need pressure, not transfer volume. An electric sprinkler pump (Flotec or Wayne, below) is the stationary answer when power is at the water. When it is not, Honda’s high-pressure WH pumps are the gas aside — not a fifth competing model and not a reason to browse the whole Honda pump line.
WH15 / WH20 aside — pond to sprinkler pressure. Per Honda’s current US sheets, the WH15 is a 1.5-inch high-pressure centrifugal on a GX120: 98 GPM discharge capacity, 57 PSI, 131 feet of total head, 26 feet of suction head lift, 49 lb dry weight, MSRP $749. The WH20 is the 2-inch version on a GX160: 119 GPM capacity, 64 PSI, 148 feet of total head, 26 feet of suction lift, 60 lb dry weight, MSRP $849. Honda describes both as high-pressure pumps for sprinklers and nozzles. Capacity and PSI are still opposite ends of the curve. Both list solids handling as N/A. Use a WH when a WB30 would move the pond but would not hold nozzle pressure. Do not use either as a drip system by itself. WH15 sheet, WH20 sheet. Check WH20 price on Amazon →
Pond to drip: the pump is only the first stage. Surface water carries algae and grit that clog emitters. Screen the intake, then run an inline sediment filter and a pressure regulator before the zone. Kit layout, emitter spacing, and soaker-versus-drip choices stay on the drip irrigation kits page.
Pasture flood or a timed set: volume wins, which is the WB30’s job if the set is portable and the ground is not asking for 50 PSI. Rotor and impact head layout, friction loss, and zone controllers stay on the sprinkler systems page.
Livestock trough fill: 500 gallons at the Flotec’s published point of 45 GPM (10 feet of lift and 30 PSI) is about 11 minutes. The same 500 gallons at the WB30’s 290 GPM capacity rating is under two minutes, and only if the hose and elevation are short enough to stay near that end of the curve.
Top Irrigation Pumps for Small Farms
Honda WB30 — Best for High-Volume Field and Pond Transfer
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Discharge capacity | 290 GPM (not at max head) |
| Total head / max pressure | 85 ft / 37 PSI |
| Suction head lift | 25 ft |
| Ports | 3 in. NPT in and out |
| Engine | Honda GX160, 163 cc |
| Self-priming | Yes; 150 sec at 16.4 ft |
| Solids | Spec table: N/A. Strainer passes up to 8 mm (5/16 in.) |
| Dry weight | 57 lb |
| Price | Honda MSRP $799; street price varies — verify at publish |
Per Honda’s US page, this is a general-purpose centrifugal, not a trash pump and not a WH sprinkler pump. Hose length and any climb off the bank spend the 85 feet of total head, so field flow lands below the 290 GPM capacity rating. Residential warranty is 24 months and commercial warranty is 12 months on that sheet.
Skip it for nozzle pressure (WH aside, or an electric sprinkler pump), drip regulation, a water surface deeper than 25 feet, or a municipal garden that already has utility pressure.
Best for: Pond-to-field transfer, flood sets, tank and trough filling, emergency dewatering of relatively clean water.
Flotec FP5172 — Best Thermoplastic Pump for Garden and Drip Pressure
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Item | FP5172-08, still listed by Pentair |
| Maximum capacity | 67 GPM |
| Published operating point | 45 GPM at 10 ft lift and 30 PSI |
| Maximum pressure | 47 PSI (about 109 ft of head at 2.31 ft per PSI) |
| Maximum lift | 25 ft (height of pump above water, not discharge head) |
| Ports | 1.5 in. NPT suction and discharge |
| Motor | 1.5 HP, 115/230 V; 19.2 A at 115 V, 9.6 A at 230 V |
| Housing | Fiberglass-reinforced thermoplastic, not cast iron |
| Self-priming | After the housing is filled; foot valve or check valve required |
| Warranty | 1 year limited, per Pentair |
| Price | Verify at publish |
Pentair still lists FP5172-08 and rates it for depths to water of 20 feet or less. The 55 GPM figure is the 1 HP FP5162 on the same data sheet, not this model. The motor is dual voltage, described as ready to install on 230 volts. At 115 volts it draws 19.2 amps; Pentair’s breaker note is 25 amps at 115 volts and 15 amps at 230 volts. A shared 15-amp circuit is the wrong supply. At the 45 GPM / 30 PSI point it can hold a garden drip zone. It will not flood an acre.
Best for: Permanent or semi-permanent garden, orchard, and drip pressure within a real electrical circuit, including pond water that has already been screened.
Goulds GT15 — Best Cast-Iron Pump for Permanent Shallow Suction
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | GT Irri-Gator self-priming centrifugal (single-phase GT15; three-phase is GT153) |
| Curve point | 63 GPM at 20 PSI and 5 ft suction lift |
| Same curve, more lift | 49 GPM at 20 PSI and 20 ft; 39 GPM at 20 PSI and 25 ft |
| At 30 PSI and 5 ft lift | 60 GPM |
| At 40 PSI and 5 ft lift | 45 GPM (about 92 ft of head at 2.31 ft per PSI) |
| Suction | Reprime to 25 ft after the initial prime |
| Ports | 1.5 in. NPT suction and discharge |
| Motor | 1.5 HP, 115/230 V, 60 Hz, 3500 rpm |
| Casing / weight | Cast iron; 60 lb on the single-phase base table |
| Series casing limit | 125 PSI maximum working pressure — a mechanical limit, not this model’s shutoff head |
| Price | Verify at publish |
Per brochure BGT R7 (February 2024), the GT line is for sprinkling, irrigation, transfer, and dewatering. “Heads to 128 feet” and “capacities to 110 GPM” are series ceilings, not the GT15 row. After the initial prime, Goulds says it will reprime from up to 25 feet when the water rises above the end of the suction pipe. That covers a shallow well or cistern inside that lift. It is not a 600-foot jet and it is not the J-series. Pair it with a pressure tank on a permanent install.
Best for: Fixed irrigation or livestock water from a shallow well, cistern, or nearby pond, where 115/230-volt power is already at the pump.
Wayne WLS200 — Best Electric High-Volume Sprinkler Pump
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | 2 HP cast-iron lawn sprinkler centrifugal |
| At 5 ft lift and 30 PSI | 4,200 GPH (70 GPM) |
| At 10 ft lift and 30 PSI | 3,950 GPH (about 66 GPM) |
| High-flow point on the sell sheet | 5,300 GPH at 15 PSI (about 88 GPM) |
| Suction-lift chart | Published through 25 ft; no separate shutoff-head figure |
| Ports | 2 in. NPT suction, 1.5 in. NPT discharge |
| Motor | 230 V capacitor-start, factory set; no dual-voltage option. Wiring table: 240 V, 11.5 A |
| Impeller | Thermoplastic, per Wayne’s sell sheet; cast-iron volute |
| Weight | 60 lb on the shared WLS150/WLS200 sell-sheet block — confirm the WLS200 line at publish |
| Warranty | 1 year limited, per Wayne’s catalog copy |
| Price | Verify at publish |
Wayne’s page still publishes this curve, and the model shows up in Amazon search. Marketplace blurbs disagree with each other on gallons per hour. Use the curve, then confirm the listing is a WLS200 and in stock. GPH divided by 60 is only a comparison aid; Wayne prints GPH.
No current Davey US datasheet turned up for a BJ300, so that name is not treated as a verified pump. The WLS200 is the electric high-volume slot: more flow than the Flotec at moderate PSI, 230 volts only, 2-inch suction, for a powered lake or pond bank. It does not replace the WB30 off-grid, and it is not a trash pump.
Best for: A powered pond or lake bank where 230 volts is available and the job is sprinkler or transfer volume above the 1.5 HP thermoplastic pump.
Pump Comparison Summary
| Model | Type | Flow at a stated point | Head / PSI | Suction lift | Ports | Power | Solids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda WB30 | Gas transfer centrifugal | 290 GPM capacity (low-head end) | 85 ft total / 37 PSI | 25 ft | 3 in. / 3 in. | GX160 gas | Strainer to 8 mm; not a WT trash pump |
| Flotec FP5172-08 | Electric sprinkler centrifugal | 45 GPM at 10 ft and 30 PSI; 67 GPM max | 47 PSI max | 25 ft max lift | 1.5 in. / 1.5 in. | 1.5 HP, 115/230 V | Clean-water sprinkler pump |
| Goulds GT15 | Cast-iron self-priming centrifugal | 63 GPM at 20 PSI and 5 ft lift | Curve still flowing at 40 PSI; not a 600 ft jet | Reprime to 25 ft | 1.5 in. / 1.5 in. | 1.5 HP, 115/230 V | Irrigation centrifugal; not a trash rating |
| Wayne WLS200 | Electric high-volume sprinkler | 4,200 GPH at 5 ft and 30 PSI | Curve published through 30 PSI; no single shutoff head | Chart through 25 ft | 2 in. / 1.5 in. | 2 HP, 230 V only | Clean water; not a trash pump |
Honda MSRP for the WB30 is $799. WH15 and WH20 MSRPs are $749 and $849 and are not rows in this table. Electric street prices: verify at publish. The WH pumps stay in the aside above so this table remains the four-model shortlist.
Sizing Your Irrigation Pump
These are planning ranges for a first sort, not a design standard and not a manufacturer rating. Zone math and friction tables live on the sprinkler guide. Emitter and regulator choices live on the drip guide.
- One impact sprinkler head: often about 1.5–4 GPM. Confirm the head’s nozzle chart.
- A drip zone on about one acre at 12-inch spacing: often about 15–30 GPM at low, regulated pressure.
- A three-head impact zone: often about 5–12 GPM.
- Flood-irrigating a one-acre vegetable plot in a timed set: often 100–200+ GPM. That is WB30 territory, not the electric pumps on this page.
- A 500-gallon trough: about 11 minutes at 45 GPM; under two minutes only near the WB30’s capacity rating.
Size a continuous electric pump to the largest single zone, not the sum of every zone. Zones run in sequence. Adding their GPM together oversizes the pump and still does not create pressure the curve does not have.
High-volume centrifugals (WB30, and the WLS200 at the low-PSI end of its chart) trade flow away as head rises. The Flotec and GT15 tables make the same trade in smaller numbers. A jet, if you actually need one, spends capacity to make pressure and then chokes if the intake is a dirty pond.
Who This Is NOT For
- Municipal gardens under about one acre. Utility pressure, often 40–80 PSI, already runs drip and a few sprinklers. A booster on a city line can create a backflow problem and is often prohibited without the utility’s device. A timer and manifold are the tool.
- A well deeper than about 25 feet to water. Every pump on this shortlist is a surface machine with suction in that range. Deeper water is a submersible, or a deep-well jet with the ejector in the well. That is a different install, not a bigger WB30.
- Pond-fed drip with no filtration. A centrifugal will move the algae and grit that plug emitters. Screen, sediment filter, and regulation come before the zone. The pump is not a drip kit.
- Twenty-plus acres of continuous crop, a center pivot, or a PTO canal pump. Those are dealer machines. They are the right answer at that scale and a bad Amazon errand. This page does not rank them.
- A lawn-only buyer who wants a residential sprinkler-pump list. The Flotec and Wayne models overlap that job. The sizing here is still the farm one: suction lift, zone GPM, and what fails when the source is a pond rather than a clean cistern.
What You’ll Also Need
- 3-inch lay-flat discharge hose for the WB30. Garden hose will not land on a 3-inch port. Check price on Amazon →
- Suction hose plus a foot valve and strainer. The foot valve holds prime when the pump stops and keeps large debris out of the impeller. Suction hose · Foot valve and strainer
- Pressure tank with the GT15 or any jet you add later, so the motor is not short-cycling. Check price on Amazon →
- Inline sediment filter before any drip manifold fed from a pond or creek. Emitter detail is on the drip kits page. Check price on Amazon →
- Timer or pump-start control for the electric models. The WLS200 is a 230-volt motor; match the control to that voltage. Head and controller choices are on the sprinkler systems page. Check price on Amazon →
FAQ
What is the best irrigation pump for a small farm?
There is no single best pump. Match the job. For pond, lake, or flood transfer, Honda rates the WB30 at 290 GPM capacity, 85 feet of total head, 37 PSI, and 25 feet of suction lift — capacity and total head are opposite ends of the curve. For garden or drip pressure, Pentair rates the Flotec FP5172-08 at 67 GPM maximum, 45 GPM at 10 feet of lift and 30 PSI, 47 PSI maximum, and 25 feet of lift. For a permanent cast-iron shallow-suction install, the Goulds GT15 curve shows 63 GPM at 20 PSI with 5 feet of suction lift, and the series will reprime from up to 25 feet. For higher electric volume on 230 volts, Wayne publishes the WLS200 at 4,200 gallons per hour at 5 feet of lift and 30 PSI. Dealer PTO and center-pivot pumps are a different purchase.
What is the best pump for lake or pond water irrigation?
For moving lake or pond water to a field tank or a flood set, a high-volume self-priming gas centrifugal such as the Honda WB30, with a foot valve and lay-flat hose, matches the job. For pond water onto sprinklers or nozzles, you need pressure: an electric sprinkler pump such as the Flotec FP5172 or Wayne WLS200, or a Honda WH15 or WH20 high-pressure gas pump, not the WB30 transfer curve alone. For pond water into drip, add screen and sediment filtration plus pressure regulation. Pasture flood sets are a volume problem; sprinkler-head and zone layout belongs on the sprinkler guide.
GPM or head pressure — which spec should I buy on?
Buy on the task, then read GPM and head on the same curve. One PSI equals 2.31 feet of head. The WB30’s 290 GPM capacity and 85-foot total head do not occur together. The Flotec’s useful published point is 45 GPM at 10 feet of lift and 30 PSI, not the 67 GPM maximum by itself. A pump sold with only a peak GPM and no head figure is an incomplete spec.
Trash-style centrifugal vs jet pump — which do I need?
Use a general-purpose transfer centrifugal, such as the Honda WB series, to move a large volume of relatively clean water a short distance. Use a high-pressure centrifugal, Honda’s WH series or an electric sprinkler pump, when nozzles need PSI. Use a shallow-well jet when the source is a well or buried cistern and pressure is the output; practical suction lift is still about 25 feet, and a jet chokes on debris. Use a trash pump, Honda’s WT series, only when the water carries solids a transfer pump should not swallow — the WT30 is rated to pass solids up to 1-1/16 inch. The WB30 is not that trash pump. Honda lists its solids handling as N/A and describes a strainer that passes up to 8 mm (5/16 inch). The Goulds GT15 is a self-priming centrifugal, not a jet, and its brochure curve does not show 600 feet of head.
Gas vs electric irrigation pump — when to choose which?
Choose gas when the water is remote from power, the set is portable, or the job needs WB30-class volume for a timed flood or tank fill. Choose electric when the pump can sit near power and should run on a timer or pressure switch without refueling. The Flotec FP5172 is dual voltage, at 19.2 amps on 115 volts and 9.6 amps on 230 volts. The Wayne WLS200 is factory-set to 230 volts with no dual-voltage option. Electric pumps on this page still need a foot valve or check valve and, for surface water into drip, filtration.
Can the Honda WB30 run a drip or sprinkler system?
Not as a complete drip or sprinkler pump. It is a high-volume transfer pump. Drip zones in the planning range of about 15–30 GPM need sustained pressure plus screen and sediment filtration. Sprinkler nozzles need the pressure a WH-series pump or an electric sprinkler pump is built to make. The WB30 can fill a tank or flood a plot. Do not expect 290 GPM at 85 feet of head, and do not treat it as a drip booster.
What is suction lift, and why do transfer pumps list about 20–25 feet?
Suction lift is how far the pump can pull water up from a source below it. It is not discharge head. Honda lists the WB30 at 25 feet of suction head lift and 85 feet of total head lift. Flotec lists 25 feet of maximum lift for the FP5172, Goulds lists reprime capability to 25 feet on the GT series, and Wayne’s WLS200 chart runs through 25 feet of suction lift. A water surface deeper than that is a submersible or a deep-well jet with the ejector in the well, not a longer hose on a pump from this shortlist.
Drip hardware: best drip irrigation kits. Heads and zones: best sprinkler systems for small farms. Everything else on this vertical starts at the farm tools hub. For acreage-scale equipment cost after the water system is chosen, see the small-farm equipment cost guide. Tractor matching, if the pump is not the constraint, is match implements to a compact tractor.