The best deep well pumps, compared.
Top pick: IBO STM 24 borehole pump Best value: 3 inch SKM 60 m pump – Best value in this set: score 61 at about £180.45, the lowest slim-pump shelf here, at 750 W, 60 m and 2,700 L/h. There is no star line, and the cord is stated as both 20 m and 15 m. Updated 22.10.2026.
A deep well pump for a UK garden sits in the water and pushes, once the pumping level is deeper than a surface pump can lift. Trade notes put usable suction at about 6 to 8 metres. Past that, extra power on a surface pump does not recover the lift. You recognise a suitable deep well pump by the duty point: flow at the real head, a body that passes the smallest internal diameter, and water the listing allows. Maximum head and maximum flow sit at opposite ends of one curve. Add the lift, the outlet height, pipe friction, and about 10 metres for each bar you still want. A 3 inch title is not a measured bore: include the cable and the joint, and use the dry-spell pumping level rather than the resting level. A 1.5 metre lead is not a drop cable. If the water stays within about 7 metres of a surface pump all year, look at a [garden pump](/hub/garden-watering/garden-pump). The duty-point steps are in the [deep well pump buying guide](/hub/garden-watering/deep-well-pump/sub/deep-well-pump-buying-guide).
A deep well pump for a UK garden sits in the water and pushes, once the pumping level is deeper than a surface pump can lift. Trade notes put usable suction at about 6 to 8 metres.
26 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you pumping from?
The IBO STM 24 listing shows 1100 W, 93 m maximum head and 100 L/min at £246.95, with a sand-resistance claim, thermal protection and a capacitor in the motor. The table shows that open-end flow as 6,000 L/h. The star line is 5.0 from a single amazon.co.uk review, and no review text was saved, so that mark is one person rather than a pattern of UK use. The specification gives a 75 mm diameter and a 1580 mm length, but it does not state a minimum internal bore, unlike the sibling listings that ask for 85 mm. Weight is 19 kg in the specification and 15 kg on the item line, and the item dimensions also conflict with the 1580 mm length. The title says a 20 m cable and a plug, without naming BS 1363, and stainless steel is asked on the page and not answered in the saved text. Maximum immersion and starts per hour are absent. The horsepower field says 1.47 horsepower beside the 1100 W figure. The listing score is 44.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already know this 75 mm body clears your bore and you accept a one-review listing with unsettled weight and length.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a stated 85 mm minimum, a UK review file, or a written starts-per-hour limit.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this file state a minimum borehole diameter?
It states a diameter of 75 mm and a length of 1580 mm. It does not state a minimum internal bore.
Is stainless steel confirmed?
The listing asks the question and does not answer it in the saved text. Impeller material is not in this file. The colour line says silver.
What is the review evidence?
The star line is 5.0 from 1. No review text is saved, so there is nothing to quote on faults or praise.
The Draper 98921 moves water as a wide 1000 W submersible rated at 40 m maximum head and 5,460 L/h, listed at £124.13 with an integrated float and thermal overload protection. Across 27 amazon.co.uk reviews the star line is 4.8, and all 12 saved texts are from the United Kingdom. Those reviews describe a livestock header tank up a hill, a river run through 50 m of 1 inch layflat for up to eight hours, two impulse sprinklers from tanks on a timer, a 7 m well with enough pressure to wash a car, and a 30 foot well still switching after nearly two years. One buyer filled a 2-gallon can in about eight seconds and then had to throttle the flow for new plants and a 12.5 mm hose. The body measures 33 × 24 × 18 cm, so it cannot enter a 3 inch or 4 inch casing. Cable length and plug type are absent from the file, and one reviewer found no obvious rope point that keeps the pump vertical. One earlier unit failed after six months and was repaired by Draper under warranty. The listing score is 86. It is the top pick for a wide opening, not for a borehole.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a wide dug well, tank or river, 40 m of headline head is enough, and the opening is wider than 24 cm.
Less suitable: Any 3 inch or 4 inch casing, or a 12.5 mm hose and new planting that cannot be throttled.
Specifications
Common questions
Will this body fit a 4 inch borehole?
The listing size is 33 × 24 × 18 cm, so the body is 24 cm wide. That is a wide well pump, not a slim borehole pump.
Does the listing include a float switch?
Yes. The title and the bullets say an integrated float switch, and they also state thermal overload protection.
What do the saved UK reviews say?
The star line is 4.8 from 27. Saved reviews use it in wells, a river, and tanks. One earlier unit failed after six months and was repaired under warranty.
The Trotec TDP 5500 E is a slim stainless-steel pump, 10 × 10 × 78 cm and 13.5 kg, listed at £345.28 with 6,000 L/h and a maximum lifting height of 20 m. Across 584 amazon.co.uk reviews the star line is 4.4, but only one of the 50 saved texts is from the United Kingdom: a fountain 18 m deep with just over 2 bar on a gauge while a tap was open. The other 49 saved reviews are not UK opinion and are not used here. The title says IP68, yet the spec table does not repeat it, and the power-source line says hand power while the voltage line says 240 V and the horsepower field says 550 W. Outlet size, cable length and plug type are not stated, and the five marketing bullets do not repeat head or flow. At this price it is the dearest row, and a 20 m headline is a short-head job next to the 80 m to 109 m borehole listings. The spare-part line says EU availability for 10 years, which is a parts claim rather than a UK installation record. The listing score is 72. Do not treat the 584 stars as UK owners of a deep borehole.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need a slim pump and 20 m of headline head really is enough, as in a fountain around the depth of that UK review.
Less suitable: A borehole whose pumping level plus delivery head is well past 20 m, or anyone treating 584 stars as UK deep-borehole evidence.
Specifications
Common questions
What head does the spec table give?
Maximum lifting height is 20 metres. Flow is 6,000 litres per hour. The title also says stainless steel and IP68. Those two maxima are not a combined duty point.
How is the power described?
The voltage line says 240 V and the horsepower field says 550 W. The power-source line says hand power. Those statements conflict.
What does the saved UK review say?
One UK review reports just over 2 bar with a tap open, in a fountain 18 metres deep. The other 49 saved reviews are not from the United Kingdom.
The IBO SDM 24 is a 75 mm multistage pump listed at 750 W, 80 m maximum head and 70 L/min, at £227.95, for wells with a minimum internal diameter of 85 mm. The table shows that open-end flow as 4,200 L/h so the row uses one unit. The bullets claim increased resistance to sand without a grams-per-cubic-metre limit, and they set 20 starts an hour, IP68, a 35 °C liquid limit and 100 m maximum immersion, with the capacitor built into the motor. There is no star line and no review text, so the sand claim and the 80 m head are untested in this file. The title says a 20 m cable and a plug, while the technical data also allows 1.5 m, and the plug standard is not named. Weight is 13.5 kg in the specification and 14 kg on the item line, and the material line says cast iron while the bullets describe Noryl impellers, brass ends and an AISI 304 housing. The horsepower field says 1 horsepower beside the 750 W bullet. You would confirm the long cable is the one supplied before counting on an 80 m set. The listing score is 64.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Your bore is at least 85 mm inside, you want an 80 m headline with a written starts limit, and you have checked that the 20 m cable is in the box.
Less suitable: A hole under 85 mm, a 1.5 m tail treated as a drop cable, or water you cannot risk on an unquantified sand claim.
Specifications
Common questions
What bore does this listing require?
The bullets say a 75 mm pump for wells with a minimum internal diameter of 85 mm. That gap has to include the cable and the joint.
Does it claim to cope with sand?
Yes. The bullets say increased resistance to sand. They do not give a grams-per-cubic-metre limit.
How long is the power cable?
The title says 20 metres and a plug. The technical data says 20 metres or 1.5 metres. The plug type is not stated.
The IBO STM 28 is the longest multistage body in this set: 75 mm by 1760 mm, 1500 W, 109 m maximum head and 100 L/min, listed at £265.95. The table shows that open-end flow as 6,000 L/h. The bullets ask for a minimum internal diameter of 85 mm, claim increased resistance to sand, and state IP68, 30 starts an hour, 80 m maximum immersion and a 35 °C liquid limit, with AISI 304 named for the impeller and diffuser as well as the housing. There is no star line and no review text. The title says a 20 m cable and a plug, while the technical data also says 1.5 m, so the drop cable is not settled. Current is 9.7 A on a 230 V listing, and the horsepower field says 2.01 horsepower beside 1500 W. A 20 m lead cannot place the pump at the full 80 m immersion figure, and 100 L/min is the open-end flow, not the flow you still have at 109 m. The sand claim again has no gram limit. The listing score is 63.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Your bore is at least 85 mm inside, you need the longest headline in this set, and the 20 m cable in the title is the one that arrives.
Less suitable: A supply that cannot take about 9.7 A, a hole under 85 mm, or a set that depends on the 1.5 m figure being wrong.
Specifications
Common questions
What bore does this listing require?
The bullets say a 75 mm multi-stage pump for wells with a minimum internal diameter of 85 mm.
How deep can it be immersed?
The technical data says a maximum immersion depth of 80 m, IP68, and a maximum liquid temperature of 35 °C. A 20 m cable cannot use that full immersion.
Is a UK plug named?
The title says with a 20 m power cable and plug. The technical data also allows 1.5 m. The plug standard is not stated, and there is no star line.
This 75 mm peripheral pump is listed at 750 W, 60 m maximum head and 2,700 L/h for clean water only, at £180.45. The housing, shaft and rotor are AISI 304, the impeller is brass, and the motor has a built-in capacitor, thermal protection and an IP68 claim, so the listing does not ask for an external starter box. There is no amazon.co.uk star line and no review text in the file, which means nothing here shows how the pump behaves in a UK hole. The title and one bullet give a 20 m cord, while a later bullet says 15 m, and neither line names a BS 1363 plug. The body is 75 mm and the bullet says it is designed for minimum 3 inch wells, which is a nominal size rather than a measured gap for the cable and joint. Solids and abrasive particles are excluded, and the file does not state a maximum immersion depth or a starts-per-hour limit. The listing score is 61. It is the best value among the slim pumps here only if you confirm the cord and the water is clean.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have already measured a clean-water hole, 60 m of headline head is enough, and you can confirm which cord is in the box.
Less suitable: Sandy or silty water, or a casing that will not pass a 75 mm body plus the cable and joint.
Specifications
Common questions
Is sandy water allowed?
No. The bullets limit it to clean water without solid impurities or abrasive particles.
How long is the cable?
The title and one bullet say 20 metres. A later bullet says 15 metres. The file does not say which one is in the box.
Does the listing show a star rating?
No. There is no customer-review line and no review text in the saved listing.
The 98 mm SKM listing is an 1100 W peripheral pump at £189.95, with a headline of 107 m maximum head and 3,000 L/h, and a 15 m cord stated once rather than as two lengths. It is limited to clean, chemically non-aggressive water without solids or abrasive particles, with an AISI 304 housing, a brass impeller, IP68, thermal protection and a capacitor in the motor. There is no star line and no review text, so the 107 m figure is catalogue text only. The bullet says the pump is designed for minimum 4 inch wells, while the body itself is already 98 mm, which leaves little room once a cable and a joint are added. The horsepower field says 1.47 horsepower beside the 1100 W bullet, and the country field says United Kingdom while the manufacturer field says unbranded. Maximum immersion and starts per hour are not in the file. A 15 m cord also cannot hang the pump anywhere near a 107 m headline unless the pumping level is much shallower than that number. The listing score is 57.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need a clean-water peripheral pump, the casing has room around a 98 mm body, and the pumping level is within a 15 m cord.
Less suitable: A sandy bore, a tight 4 inch casing, or a set deep enough that 15 m of cable cannot reach.
Specifications
Common questions
What water can it pump?
The bullets say clean, chemically non-aggressive water without solids or abrasive particles, from narrow boreholes, wells, or tanks.
What bore does the listing ask for?
The body is 98 mm and the bullet says it is designed for minimum 4 inch wells. Cable clearance is not measured in the file.
Is there a star rating?
No. The saved listing has no customer-review line and no review text.
Seven amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the saved UK files. The scores are not a laboratory test and not a measured pump curve. The top pick and the best value follow the display awards. The weights below follow the buying order in the digest and sum to 100.
Pumping level
20%Use the pumping level in a dry spell, not the resting level and not the hole depth on its own. A surface pump is the wrong tool once that level is past about 6 to 8 metres.
Bore fit
20%The body, the cable and the joint have to pass the smallest internal diameter. A nominal inch size in the title is not that measurement.
Total head
18%Add lift, outlet height, friction, and about 10 metres for each bar still wanted. Maximum head is one end of the curve, not the working point.
Flow at that head
15%Read flow at the real head, then cap it by what the borehole will yield. Maximum flow and maximum head do not happen together.
Water type
15%Peripheral listings here exclude solids. A sand claim with no grams-per-cubic-metre limit is not a silt rating.
Cable and protection
12%A 1.5 metre tail is not a drop cable. Check the plug, starts per hour and dry-run protection. No listing here states a BS 1363 plug.
Start with the dry-spell pumping level, then the smallest internal diameter, then total head, then flow at that head. A high litres-per-hour line is the open end of the curve, not the flow at maximum head. Prices below are amazon.co.uk lines from the saved files, not a live re-check on 21 October 2026.
A deep well pump sits in the water and pushes. A surface pump sucks, and that suction has a hard limit. Trade notes put usable suction at about 6 to 8 metres. Once the pumping level in a dry spell is past that, more watts on a garden pump do not help. The resting water level, and the depth of the hole, are not the same number as the pumping level. The duty point is the flow you still have at the head you really need. Maximum head and maximum flow are opposite ends of a curve.
Maximum head and maximum flow are opposite ends of a curve. A 40 metre pumping level plus a tank 10 metres up is already about 55 to 60 metres before friction and the bar you still want. A 15 m or 20 m cable cannot hang a pump at an 80 m or 107 m headline.
A 3 inch title is not a measurement. The 75 mm multistage listings ask for 85 mm inside, including the cable and the joint. A 98 mm body against a minimum 4 inch wells line leaves little clearance. A 24 cm body will not enter a drilled casing.
A 1.5 metre tail is not a drop cable. Clean-water listings exclude solids, and a sand claim with no gram limit is not a silt rating. Written limits here are 20 or 30 starts an hour. Exceeding them is a listing breach, not a feature.
Take the pumping level in a dry spell, then add outlet height, pipe friction and about 10 metres for each bar you still want. Read litres per hour as the open end of the curve. Flow at the real head is what you can use, and the borehole yield can cap it further. A 20 m headline and a 109 m headline are different jobs. Do not buy the pair of maxima as if they arrive together.
Measure the smallest internal diameter, including the cable and the joint. A 75 mm body that asks for 85 mm inside will not suit a tight 3 inch casing, and a 24 cm body will not enter one at all. Match clean-water exclusions and unquantified sand claims to the water you actually have. Confirm whether the box holds 15 m, 20 m or a 1.5 m tail, and do not assume a BS 1363 plug. A written starts limit matters if the pump will switch often.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have a dug well, tank or river wider than 24 cm, and 40 m of headline head is enough. The Draper 98921 is a 1000 W wide-body pump at about £124.13, listed at 40 m and 5,460 L/h, with a float. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.8 from 27 reviews. Skip it for any 3 inch or 4 inch casing.
Your bore is at least 85 mm inside and the water sits tens of metres down. The IBO SDM 24 is a 75 mm multistage pump at about £227.95, listed at 750 W, 80 m and 70 L/min, with 20 starts an hour written down. There is no star line. Confirm that the 20 m cable, not the 1.5 m figure, is in the box.
You have measured a clean-water hole, 60 m of headline head is enough, and you can check the cord. The 75 mm peripheral pump at about £180.45 is the lowest slim-pump shelf here, at 750 W and 2,700 L/h. There is no star line, and the cord is stated as both 20 m and 15 m. Skip it for sand or silt.
The top pick in this set is the Draper 98921: a wide 1000 W submersible at about £124.13, listed at 40 m maximum head and 5,460 L/h, with a float and thermal overload protection. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.8 from 27 reviews, and the listing score is 86. The best value is the 75 mm peripheral pump at about £180.45, score 61, listed at 750 W, 60 m and 2,700 L/h for clean water only. There is no star line on that listing, and the cord is given as both 20 m and 15 m.
3 inch SKM 60 m pump
Best value in this set: score 61 at about £180.45, the lowest slim-pump shelf here, at 750 W, 60 m and 2,700 L/h. There is no star line, and the cord is stated as both 20 m and 15 m.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest. Shelf prices, heads, flows and conflicts are from the amazon.co.uk saved listings in this category, not a live re-check on 21 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines in the saved files, not a live re-check on 21 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.
