This is a picture of the finished part with clean 1" threads
Goodshit boy’s
Is this new or how all the pumps are gonna be? I like it
The PHP500 is the only pump in our lineup where we incorporate this modification. It’s a time-consuming, hands-on process that adds to the overall manufacturing cost, but the performance gains make it worthwhile. If we move forward with new casting patterns in the future, we may integrate this feature into the design. For now, this is the method we use to achieve the results we’re after.
More efficient due to the reduced angle of the two jets?
Got these photos from an old friend of ours, Dan, down in New Zealand. Looks like he’s running about a 6" mini setup with dual hot water heaters—serious rig.
What’s wild is how much it reminds me of California Gold Country. Same kind of bedrock, same vegetation… you’d swear he was working one of our local spots.
Goes to show—good geology repeats itself. Doesn’t matter where you are in the world.
I’ll admit… I’m a little jealous. Dan sold his successful business and now spends most of his time mining. Meanwhile, back here, this place can be a tremendous amount of work and stress. Some days it’s off the charts.
Don’t get me wrong—I love what we do. It’s a great business, and I plan to keep it going. There’s nothing better than helping customers chase their dreams… and even better when you see them actually out there doing it.
Still… there’s something pretty appealing about following Dan’s path.
And after a few accidents this past year, I’m definitely feeling it. Getting better, just slower than I’d like. Funny how we don’t heal quite like we used to.
I can't wait to get out this year... Been gettin' them both tuned up and ready to go.. Id think about a heater, but having a June-August season, I've yet to need one... But i have started my 6th decade around the sun, so it may be coming... 😉
Ask that buddy about the mining regulations there and how much he pays the government each year just to be able to do it. Technically everything he finds is owned by the crown. Scary to imagine that kind of regulation happening here.
Absolutely looks like the Yuba 👍👍⛏️
I can't wait to get my 6 inch diamond and gold dredge and 6 inch gravel pump to continue my diamond and gold dredging venture in Sierra Leone, West Africa. You can find my dredging venture photos on Google search: Aristo Kay diamond mining or Sierra Leone Yuba/Sutter diamond mining company.
Very true Mark 🙏🏻
They need to ban those pumps.
If Dan sees this could he contact me please about the twin hot water setup please. I'm a dredger too from nz with a 6 inch
Funny how people want to ban dredging, but everything around us comes from mining. The truth is, small-scale dredging—done right—is about as low-impact as it gets. It can actually help rivers by loosening up hard-packed gravel and improving fish habitat. Give it one good rain, and you’d never know anyone was there. Compared to most mining, it leaves almost no footprint—and can even do some good.
Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like he's running an insert drop ruffle sluice
Yeah that's what I do. I tell everyone im dredging in New Zealand or Idaho! 😉 🤣✌️🇺🇸
Absolute pure truth! Keene Engineering, Inc. is the best. TRU Greatness, Badassness, and 4ever Amazingness 😎☠️💛⭐🔥👌 PositivePirate approved Greatness
Dan was a great man to do business with - I'm stoked to see him enjoying "retirement".
This is a very time-consuming operation on the PHP500 pump, but it’s one of the key features that sets it apart.
We manually drill down the throat of the pump—first with a 1/2" drill, followed by a 1-1/8" drill. This has to be done by hand, as the CNC simply doesn’t have the finesse to achieve the precision and finish required in this area.
It’s a unique modification you won’t find on other pumps, and it makes a noticeable difference. The result is significantly improved static pressure and velocity flow, especially when running a blaster hose, sump system, or similar setup.
Yes, it adds labor and cost—but the performance gain from the blaster port makes it well worth it.
Mark
Can you 3-D print with CPM?
I have my php 500 mounted on a 15.8 HP engine ready to go to work in Nome this summer.
After you Thread it. Feel inside for a Big BUR! That will eventually break off. Was one in Mine when I got new. But seen before Use!
Cool
Absolute TRU Greatness, Badassness, and 4ever Amazingness. I'm constantly thinking of my 5 inch dredge with more powerful compressor than the 263 and the next upgrade to the stronger pump? I'll call y'all asap
This is a great shot of one of our 178 combination highbanker/dredge units running as a full dredge. You can tell by the cleanups these guys are getting into some good gold.
The long, wide riffle board really shines in setups like this—handling volume while still capturing fine gold. With a mix of riffles, expanded metal, and rubber matting, it’s built to perform across a wide range of conditions.
This is serious equipment, and it’s doing exactly what it was designed for—keeping artisanal mining operations overseas productive and efficient.
What size is the dredge nozzle/hose feeding the hopper?
I really like the width of this unit Goodshit boy’s
How do I order one
How much $$$ for a 4" setup thanks
Wow you upgraded the box I've got the 3" 20"X8' version and the box is much shorter on mine.
How long is this bad boy, Mark?
Love your equipment! The “Gold Standard”
Box appears to be designed for a full-time rake-tender.Us folks here in the USA expect the box to clear itself, reason being is that all of our friends and co-workers are dishonest, backstabbers,and thieves since they are white, and for successful gold-minors such as myself it is mandatory that we work alone so we don't get ripped off of our gold. Translation of 'keeping overseas production efficient'. Won't work here in the USA.
Beauty
Dennis Cyr
The sliuce box is 20" wide and 8 feet long. This one was fed with a 3" but 4" works great as long as you have the bigger pump like a PHP500 with a 9 hp or larger. If you want the 4" system, Roughly $6500.00.
8 is standard, 12 foot is also common.
"Here’s a picture of me at the Goldfields of Fortune event using your magic fingers. I won the grand prize! Thanks for making such good products! I’m excited to receive my new DW3".
He’s been running the MF1 magic fingers and loving it, which doesn’t surprise me—it’s one of my personal favorites too. Simple tool, but it flat out moves material fast and saves your back.
That’s the difference good equipment makes. You get more done, with less effort, and spend more time finding gold instead of fighting the ground.
Not gonna lie… I was impressed. 👀 I kept wondering what that little hand rake was for the “magic fingers” until I realized it was actually the smarter tool. Why swing a long pick and risk breaking the hidden glass vials when you can recover the target with precision instead? Every time I looked over, he was dialed in: detect → pinpoint → recover clean, careful, accurate. Awesome tool. That wasn’t luck. That was skill. I’m impressed.
I use mine every time I go prospecting
Hi, I will like to have one of this for my African tenament. How can I get one? Please the specification and how to get one, thanks.
I just found the most tokens today during a pretty large coin hunt in the Placer Pete at Stanton LDMA spring event using just my Minelab metal detector and the Keene magic fingers that were part of my package when I bought my Keene DW3 12V puffer! Was pulling the tokens without a lot of strain or work. Great tool and great dry washer!
Manufacturing mining equipment is always changing, and it is expensive. The small details can be some of the most costly parts of the whole process because so many of the components, both large and small, have to be custom made.
A perfect example is a simple pulley. You would think a 2.50" pulley with a 3/4" bore, set screw, and keyway would be something easy to find anywhere in the world. But if you do find one, it usually has an outside shoulder that will not work in our water pumps when driving an air compressor.
So we have to make them ourselves. We start with steel slugs, machine them to the correct width, bore out the center, and send them out for broaching, which alone is about $1.75 each. Then there are two 5-minute cycle times on a CNC lathe, another cycle on the CNC mill to drill and thread for the Allen set screw, plus plating costs. By the time I have one finished, I have close to $20.00 in it. So when someone complains about paying $30.00 for one of our pulleys, I do not shed many tears. Honestly, they should probably be closer to $50.00, but they are not.
Another good example is the wing bolts we use on our legs. We have to special order 1/4-20 grade 5 unplated bolts, waterjet-cut the “Mickey ears,” tumble them so all the edges are smooth, thoroughly clean the parts so they weld properly, then weld them together. After that, they still have to go out for plating. The plating shop charges me 35 cents each just to plate them because they have to wrap wire around every single bolt during the process. So you can see why some of these smaller parts are a little on the expensive side. Plus, our equipment will last for decades, not days like all the Amazon Chinese crap.
That is the reality of manufacturing. A lot of people only see the finished part and the price tag. They do not see all the labor, machine time, outside processing, and extra steps it takes to build even the simplest custom part correctly.
The CNC machines to cut everything are not cheap to buy. Like anything penciling on charging costs nickels turn into dollars of expenses.
Quality AMERICAN MADE gear cost money!!
You get what you pay for ! I have a guy who thought he'd save money buying an Alibaba Dredge, from what I've seen he's going to spend every penny of that savings buying parts from you to correct the problems I see and it isn't even here yet .....
Well said! The customer service , knowledge , courtesy and communication Iv received from Keene was badass simply put. I was impressed with the prices from the beginning of learning it’s all done in house. Prices seemed fair , but I also really don’t know shit…. I gladly pay more when it’s top grade customer service backed with real world experience. And honestly , I don’t think I paid more and I KNOW I got WAY MORE than what I paid for , just the knowledge from Mark alone was worth my order.
Made in America w tough quality control to boot.
love your products. I have been using them for decades. Saturday I get to take a break from machining stainless parts and go hunt for the shinny yellow stuff. Keep up the awesome work.
Have you ever heard about process improvements? Are you processing one piece at a time, start to finish? 🤔
The consumer just dosnt understand. And some may say oh .35 cents isn’t that much but they don’t understand you probably have to have a minimum PO to have them done. ******** whatever. Keep up the good work. You always have a customer in me.
I wish u guys were here in Colorado, I would love to work for u!
When I walk through the Keene engineering shop with Pat or Mark with them to help me make any wild idea I’ve come up with and for them to help me make my ideas work with what Keene has in their shop. I’m amazed to see the inventory,the stacks of sluices being wrapped to be shipped to places unknown. The employees are so happy to have good jobs. The family environment that Pat and Mark Keene have with their family of longtime employees is very obvious. Keene Engineering is the epitome of-the American dream. Running a business in California is a challenge and a nightmare. Your cost of any part should never be compromised. I never have a problem buying any KEENE engineering product because I know where it was built and how it was built. And if I ever need a replacement part there’s plenty on the shelf. Running a profitable business in California is a nightmare and it’s my pleasure to be a second generation customer of Keene Engineering.
Order your Mickey ears from send cut send. Finished parts cheaper than you can cut them on a water jet
That can be made fairly easily in one operation with a lathe with sub spindle and live tooling and a C axis.
Another good example is what you charge for a seal for a 4x3 pump.... 50 bucks plus..... and the company that makes them charges 17 dollars 😏
Always appreciated the quality of all things Keene!
Chinese manufacturers are actually pretty damn good today, if you spend the time to find the right one. Sure there are a lot of crap ones too.
That’s why you see all those old Bridgeport machines all over the world. Still working like day one!
Absolute TRU Greatness, Badassness, and Amazingness
Well said Keene brothers
As a custom metal fabricator my whole life I can vouch for this. However I can make all of this for free on my lunch break 🤣
Even if you re-tooled for a faster, cheaper manufacturing method the cost would still be high unless you sell hundreds of thousands of parts. I manufactured machine parts like this for 40 years. Custom work since we don't sell a lot. Keene has one by one approached the issues that their machines had and tackled these problems. Good job Keene Team.
Great equipment thanks for supporting all the miners!
Buy American Buy Keene
Busy as usual here at Keene.
We’re wrapping up a small run of 160 dry washers and pushing to get another 15 or so DW312VMax units out next week. Still backed up around 40 machines, but we’re shipping every week and slowly catching up.
I’ve had a chance to talk with a few customers running the new DW312Max, and the feedback has been great so far. Everyone seems happy with how they’re performing.
We did run into a couple of issues early on—our very first unit had a few bugs—but that turned into a blessing. One sharp, engineering-minded customer helped us identify the weak points quickly.
We found two main issues:
The bellows was topping out against the box, putting too much stress on the system (including the aluminum swing arm).
We aligned the set screw with the key, which created a weak point.
Both have been fully corrected, and we’ve since overbuilt those areas to make sure they hold up over the long term.
Sometimes failures are the best way to find every weak link—and make the product that much better. Mark
Saludos desde Cusco Perú
😎☠️💛⭐🔥👌
Why does it take two weeks to ship a hose?
I hope you got mine there!
Do you sell v mat
+22392231821
My old Pappy used to say, When it comes to prospecting! The only one that makes any money is the guy that sells you the shovel!!🤔😂
Very nice! I’ll be in Idaho in a couple months! Wish I had a nice high banker!
We had a great weekend up at the OC 49ers claims. Patrick and I did more goofing around than actual mining—but honestly, that’s half the fun.
My back wasn’t cooperating, so I ended up being more of a spectator than anything else. Still, it was great to be out there with everyone.
And the food… wow. They make these pork chops on a stick that are freakishly delicious. Hard to beat good people, good laughs, and good food—even if the gold had to wait.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Got Gass?
Send me the recipe for the porkchop on a stick!
Great outing. Fun time.
We appreciate you coming out and supporting the Orange County 49ers . always a good time sitting around the fire, laughing reminiscing about gold mining amongst other things 
😎☠️💛⭐🔥🙌 PositivePirates
I need to join and get out there
I almost miss the outings out there
Looks like a great trip. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.Ilook forward to the next 49ers trip
