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[Goblins]

Currently I have aquifers turned off.  They seem like too much of a hassle.

1) Will this have an effects on some of the cool machines I can make? 

2) If I want to use an aquifer as a drain, do I need to have my rooms near the aquifer?

3) How exactly would I make a drinking supply out of it?

4) From your experiences, is it better to disable them or enable them?

Thanks for all the help you guys!  (You people rock)

[bahihs]

As it stands, aquifers are both annoying and useful. To me, they seem more annoying than useful (might just be me though). They can be used as drains, sources of water, infinite power. They can also be a great hindrance to obtaining stone, and most of the above can be accomplished with rivers/cavern lakes anyway, so I would say you are better of disabling them.

Because of methods like the double slit, aquifers aren't really that challenging, only tedious. Unless of course, you dwarf up and decided to import all your stone instead of cracking the aquifer. Then it becomes it crazy difficult.

So in sum:

1. Yes, but not really if you dig deep enough
2. No, I believe you can channel to it
3. Dig out a small square of the aquifer, it fills with water, build a well over it. Channel all tiles from the well to the dug out square.
4. See above.

Also, blue on black is very hard to read. Please use a lighter blue next time. 

[iceball3]

I personally do not have much issues wo aquifers enabled, as i ussually embark on the fringes between aquifer-less and aquifer laden biomes. In such case i can just penetrate the rock layer and avoid the aquifer altogether and later on reap it's water.

[origamiscienceguy]

For number one, rivers will sufice just as well as an aquifer. Rivers have an infinite source tile where they enter your map.

[pisskop]

Aquifers aren't that bad.  They hinder shallow surface projects, and force you to build an outpost at or just under 0z before piercing it.  Some of the more annoying aquifers are a pain, but any less than 3zlevels deep is pretty much standard fare for me.

[Goblins]

I don't know if I have this wrong or what not, so I'll throw a few more questions out there that should help me out;

How far do aquifers go down?  Can they go down in stone?

If I'm building a trap that uses an aquifer as a drainage point, does it mean the trap must be in a soil layer?

What kind of traps can I make anyways?

Thanks again!

[pisskop]

1) some stone can hold it.
Here is a list from the wiki.  Save it.
  Aquifer can theoretically go all the way down to the bottom of the world: as long as stone exists that can hold it, it will be in adjacent tiles that hold it.  In practice that doesn't happen, because layers.
  As stated above, you can breach aquifers through ores.

2)  No.  It means you'll have to pump water to the aquifer then it will drain.
  Drowning traps, using current to push enemies into places, waterfalls, drinking water, or fishing practice, swimming pools, etc.  You can also use the water for ice-fall.casting traps, obsidian farms/casting, water cannons, etc.  Your imagination is the limit; we came up with an idea to freeze water from an aquifer near the surface and drop it on demons before!

[origamiscienceguy]

Aquifers are typically 1-3 layers deep. If you are REALLY unlucky, they can go up to 20 layers deep.

An aquifer is either completely in stone, or completely in soil. Usually soil though. If you have a soil aquifer, once you reach a stone layer, it means the aquifer is done.

If you are using the aquifer as a trap, you just have to make sure that your trap is higher than the aquifer, so gravity can do the draining.

you could make a flood chamber. Just put two bridges at either end of your entrance hallway. Use it like an airlock to trap enemies in it. Then, open another bridge in the side which has river water, and, once they are all drowned, close the river bridge, and open another bridge that leads to the aquifer.

[Goblins]

I'm really thinking that I don't need to enable aquifers.  If anyone wants to tell me wrong go right ahead though

Thanks you guys!

[Findulidas]

I played with aquifiers only when I have a specific purpose to do with them, which is rarely. You could just as well use rivers and the sources of rivers in my experience.

[origamiscienceguy]

Unless you are trying to drain the whole magma sea, an aquifer is usually not required. Although, the challenge can be fun. If you need help getting through the aquifer, use this page

[FallenAngel]

If you're draining the whole magma sea, aquifers make it easier, but if you have a river, it's still more than possible.
You just need infinite water.