Once upon a time on usenet Leon Fisk wrote:
On Tue, 5 May 2015 14:09:19 +1200
"~misfit~" wrote:

snip
I have chronic back pain and can't
bend forward for long (and there's not always room to crouch near a
potted tree).

Well, I understand. Some other ideas for you...

Sorry for the delay in returning to the group and replying.

Aquarium pump.

I keep fish so have these at hand. No chance. Some of the suacers I empty
and only 2" wider than the pot and 2" deep. Most aquarium pumps need to be
submerged and the ones that don't need to be below the water level and
primed then watched so they don't run dry. Not possible, or more accurately
practical.

Veterinary/livestock supply, may have some large syringes available.

Heh! We think alike. Alas the largest is 50ml and I really want something
that can suck up to a litre.

Little pumps you can run/use with a power drill, maybe a
battery drill would work. Problem with them though is they usually
don't last long pumping dirty (gritty) water:

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...t?q=drill+pump

Yep. The other problem is that I'd need to bend down a lot and I have a
really bad back.

An automotive parts store may have an oil suction pump like this too:

http://www.amazon.com/Lumax-LX-1185-.../dp/B000MD4YNY

I've had one for a long time. The metal housing is the same as a
grease gun uses. You just pull the plunger back and then push it back
in to squirt out the contents. The house could be lengthened some I'm
sure. If you got one from a local auto supply they could probably
sell you some hose too.

This is remarkably similat to the 250ml thing I use now (with a length of
tube on the end so I don't need to bend so much). However the rubber
washer's gone in mine and I can't find a replacement. I'm in New Zealand and
this type of thing is impossible to find - at least so far. :-/

I quite often wander around the hardware store looking for things that
I can re-purpose to do an odd job. It's become a lot easier now with
the internet and good website search functions ;-)

I do the same thing. Thanks for your input.
--
Shaun.

"Humans will have advanced a long, long, way when religious belief has a
cozy little classification in the DSM*."
David Melville (in r.a.s.f1)
(*Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)