I have a service station equipment company pump, I am trying to find info on this pump. Was it used for gas or? Any info would be great. What are the worth? Thanks

I'm not totally sure of SSE's relationship with the Bennett pump company but their models are usually very very similair to them. This one looks like a Bennett 1000 Hope that helps

I just sold one at spring carlisle for $65. Saw another in same row priced at $75. Was happy not to bring it home at any price

Service Station Equipment was a Canadian Manufacturer that later bought out Bennett thus the similar models. I believe SSE also owned ECO.

Dave , almost right , Bennett bought SSE and Eco was their air meter division . Least that's what two Bennett employees told me in an interview several years back . Ed Shaver

Jeremy-- Maybe it was used for pumping theat California crude LOL -- Tom

Thanks for correcting me Ed...I knew it was something like that.

According to jack sims book SSE was changed to Erie in 1927? Thanks for all the info. Any other info or feedback is appreciated.

Here are some updated pics of it.

Everyone is a little bit wrong.

Around 1927 there were these individual companies.
Western Manufacturing Co. of Iowa, makers of the ECO.
Shotwell Pump Co., of Boston and Indianapolis who made gas pumps that biggest features was the use of ball bearings.
Bennett Pump Company of Michigan, who didn't have the money to expand.
Finally the John Wood Co. of Chicago, big old business, had a lot of money.

Around 1928 the Wood Company purchased the ECO Division of Western (Western continued in business), the Bennett Pump Co., and Shotwell. Shotwell was merged with Bennett enabling Bennett to make their first gas pump (a Shotwell with the Bennett/Shotwell name on it). The ECO Division was moved to Bryant, Ohio. There is also evidence that the ARO Company of Bryant, Ohio was also purchased by the Wood Co.

I have a advertisement from the John Wood explaining this next part, don't know where it is but will try to explain it.

Each of the companies had there own representatives in major cities around the country, and including Canada. Wood decided they didn't need individuals salesmen, one sales person in each city would be enough, so they formed a division called "Service Station Equipment Company (SSEC). Remember Wood was a very large corporation and did many things, this was just one more division. All the above companies were put under the command of SSEC.

I want to interject something. I recently found some information about the making and selling of ECO Air Meters in Canada. I had always felt (mainly because I could never find anything to the contrary) that all ECOs were made in Michigan and shipped to Canada. I have found information stating that ECOs were actually made at the SSEC plant in Montreal, but it didn't mention if they made the parts there, or just assembled units using parts shipped from Michigan.

Wood established the SSEC in Canada, again they were a division of the John Wood Company.

When I was at the Bennett Pump Company when they were closing their doors around 1993, one room contained rows and rows of file cabinets containing records from the John Wood Co. I asked about them, but they said they would have to have the lawyers look at them first, never did find out what happened to them. I think a very large piece of history was shredded. I suggested they give the records to the Muskegon Library, but I don't think the did.

A little bit more of SSEC history. Around 1933, the depression was hurting SSEC badly, a decision was made to move the Bennett Pump Co. to Conshohocken, Pennsylvania (now part of Philadelphia) and merge Bennett with another part of SSEC, a company that made water heaters. Gas pumps and ECOs made during the time (1933-1938) were branded with the SSEC name, not Bennett or ECO. After the company returned to Muskegon in 1938, they dropped the SSEC and branded all their products with Bennett and ECO.

BYW, Erie never had anything to do with SSEC. My books states that first name Erie used (in 1922) was "Erie Service Station Equipment Company," and around 1927 the name was changed to "Erie Meter Systems, Inc." This had nothing to do with the above.

Jack Sim

I should have mentioned this also. Your pump is a Model 1500, originally introuced in 1927. It was a version of the 1000 and it was a commercial pump for gasoline. It was still in production in the 1960s.

Your pump was probably made while they were in Conshohocken during the 1930s.

It is shown on page 51 of my Gas Pump Identification book and if you are interested, I have sales and parts manuals for this series of pumps available, email me if interested. jhsim@petrocollect.com


Jack

Wow! Thanks for all that info Jack. It was really good info. It doesn't seem like these pumps are as valuable as some of the others, but any idea in the restored condition as some of the more recent pics?

Thanks again for everyone's help..