I bought to build a milking machine for milking goats, it works. The length of tubing was short for my application so I needed more tubing but that isn't part of my rating. As in other reviews, the handle does partially detach quite easily but is easily reassembled. The little cap on the top wasn't quite pushed down far enough to seal when I first got the pump, which took me a day or two to figure out and I thought the pump was no good until I pushed it down all the way, voila vacuum.
Also figured out that you should not attempt to permanently seal that little cap on because it is quite useful to remove if you accidentally get liquids in the pump, you can remove the little cap and pump the handle a few times until liquid trapped in the pump spurts out of the top, which also might be useful if you want to clean the pump.
I cannot tell if the release valve does anything. I only apply enough pressure to have milk flow from my goats. There is a slow leak to the system (can't say whether it is in the pump or my milking system as a whole) which is actually a OK thing for using this as a milker pump, in some opinions. With the slow leak, I definitely cannot tell if the release valve does anything.
I still think, for my purpose, this was an okay purchase, especially for the price.
If I build another hand pump milker I will probably get a more expensive, and hopefully actually made in the U.S. pump.
Deducted stars for handle falling apart, and general irritation at the implication of being US made when it very much is NOT.








